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The Trial of Lena Baker
The case of Lena Baker, the only woman to be electrocuted in Georgia and, until Kelly Renee Gissendaler in 2015, the only woman executed there at all, is a prime example of Jim Crow justice. Granted,...
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What Happened to Nichole Alloway?
When 20-year-old Nichole Alloway left her home in Spring Hope, North Carolina in May of 2009 for Portsmouth, Ohio she was bright-eyed and full of dreams. She kissed her two young children goodbye for...
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The Man They Couldn’t Hang
Outside the prison, a large crowd has gathered to await the execution by hanging of convicted murderer John Lee, condemned for the brutal murder of his employer, Miss Emma Keyes, the previous year....
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The Long Drop of William Frederick Horry
His name isn’t going to ring any bells with many Sword and Scale readers, I know, but Horry (an otherwise unexceptional murderer) occupies a singular place in the annals of crime. Horry met, fell in...
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Murder in the House of Mouse
March 7, 1981 marks the bloodiest day in Disneyland’s history. 18-year-old Mel Yorba, along with several friends and their dates, were spending the day at a private party hosted at the happiest place...
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A Real American Horror Story
Blaine Norris was a computer technician by day, but once five o’clock rolled around Norris assumed his moonlight role as a filmmaker. His film, Through Hike: A Ghost Story, may not have turned out to...
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George Edward Smith
VE (Victory in Europe) marked the official end of hostilities in the European theatre of operations and quite possibly the largest and most joyous celebration in human history. Unless, of course, you...
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Along Came Polly
In May of 2015, a concerned neighbor asked firefighters responding to a house fire to assist in a welfare check on an Ensley Township, Michigan couple. Firefighters entered the home to find Martin...
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The Murder of Elyse Pahler
In the early evening of July 22, 1995 Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt and Joseph Fiorella convinced 15-year-old Elyse Pahler to come hang out with them and party at a favorite spot of theirs in a...
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The Life and Crimes of Chester Gillette
The case of Chester Gillette inspired Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy and Oscar-winning 1951 movie A Place in the Sun. It was, in fact, a rather squalid crime committed by a man who was as...
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John White Webster
The case of John White Webster, murderer of Dr. George Parkman, was a media sensation at the time and is still a classic of true crime. A sordid tale of dark deeds by low people in high places, the...
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Murder in Coweta County
“No one is going to convict me of killing white trash.” – John Wallace, on his victim William Turner. The case of Georgia murderer John Wallace, Sheriff Lamar Potts and victim William Turner is now...
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Jonathan Luna’s Last Ride
Growing up in a rough neighborhood in the South Bronx, Jonathan Luna was no stranger to the violence that disparages entire cities. Though he was not ashamed of his humble beginnings, Luna knew that he...
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Seven Die at Sing Sing
Sing Sing is a name synonymous with a grim history. Even its original name ‘Sinck Sinck’ translates into English as ‘Stone upon stone.’ A myriad of tales abound of harsh discipline, bad food, forced...
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The Man Who Couldn’t Save Lincoln
The story of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination on April 14, 1865 at Ford’s Theater by John Wilkes Booth is a well-known tale from American History. What many people don’t know is the story of Henry...
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5 Most Horrible Cases of Daycare Abuse
Nearly every parent who works and has children under school age dreads the idea of dropping them off at daycare. In most cases parents do everything within their means to ensure that they are dropping...
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The World’s Oldest Criminals
According to a report published by Bloomberg in May of 2015, senior citizen crimes are on the rise. Countries worldwide are seeing a sharp rise in crimes committed by perpetrators over 65-years old,...
View ArticleSword and Scale Episode 73
A subset of our audience really has an issue with episodes that feature any crimes being done to children. That’s understandable, since they are the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society....
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Along Came Polly
In May of 2015, a concerned neighbor asked firefighters responding to a house fire to assist in a welfare check on an Ensley Township, Michigan couple. Firefighters entered the home to find Martin...
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Suspected Murderer Found Naked and On the Run
On February 19, 2016, firefighters were called to a Edgerton, Missouri residence. What started out as a routine house fire call quickly escalated into a murder investigation as the wee hours of...
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