True Crime Files

The Za’Zell Preston Case: Domestic Violence, a Staged Scene, and a Mother’s Death A Quiet Life in Anaheim Za’Zell Preston was 26 years old and living in Anaheim, California. She was a mother of three young children and was taking college classes at the time of her death. According to prosecutors, she had talked about wanting to eventually work as a domestic violence counselor. Friends and family later described her as someone who was trying to build a better life for herself

Collin Griffith: Two Parents, Two States, and a Self-Defense Claim Two parents died in separate incidents, in two different states, just a year apart. In both cases, the same teenager said it was self-defense. One case never went to trial. In the other, the jury was never told about the first death. Illustrated sketch based on publicly available images from the case. Collin Griffith Family Background Public records show that Collin Griffith’s parents were separated and lived

The Manoa Family Tragedy: Inside Hawaii’s Most Shocking Murder-Suicide A Sunday Morning in Manoa On the morning of March 10, 2024, police were called to a home in the Manoa neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. The first call came in shortly after 8:30 a.m., reporting a possible argument and screaming inside the house. Officers responded and attempted to make contact, but when no one answered the door and there were no visible signs of forced entry, they left the scene. Less than

A mother enters a courtroom. One man will not leave it alive. Marianne Bachmeir Before the Crime Marianne Bachmeir’s life before 1980 was shaped by instability and long working hours. As a teenager, she gave birth to two children who were later placed for adoption. Years later, Anna was born. She was Marianne’s third child and the only one she raised herself. By the time Anna was growing up, Marianne was determined to build a stable life. She worked long, late hours at a pub

A 16-month-old child, a ten-day absence, and a death caused by neglect Introduction On June 16, 2023, emergency responders entered a home in Cleveland, Ohio, and found a 16-month-old girl unresponsive inside a playpen. Her name was Jailyn Candelario. She had been left alone in the apartment for more than a week. By the time help arrived, it was far too late. What followed was an investigation that revealed a prolonged period of abandonment, documented through surveillance foo

The Mary Vincent Case The Beginning She survived an attack that should have ended her life. She identified the man responsible. She warned the system he was still dangerous. Years later, another woman paid the price. Black and white illustrated portrait of Mary Vincent wearing prosthetic arms. Mary Vincent Runs Away In September 1978, Mary Vincent was fifteen years old and traveling through California after running away from home. Like many teenagers in similar situations, sh

A cold case solved after 33 years that exposed one of the most disturbing criminal histories in modern Britain A Cold Case That Never Let Go For more than thirty years, the killer behind two unsolved murders in Tunbridge Wells lived in plain sight. The crimes, later known as the Bedsit Murders , haunted Kent police and the victims’ families for decades. There were no arrests, no trial, and no sense of resolution. When the truth finally emerged in 2020, it did not simply close

A relationship, a crime, and a story that never fully settled A Day That Began Normally On June 4, 2008, Travis Alexander  was at his home in Mesa, Arizona. He had plans to leave town within days for a work related trip. Friends expected to hear from him. When he stopped responding to calls and messages, concern grew quickly. On June 9, several friends went to his house to check on him. Inside, they discovered that Travis Alexander was dead. Illustrated sketch created for thi

A Quiet Morning in Las Cruces On the morning of February 10, 1990 , the Las Cruces Bowl in southern New Mexico was preparing to open for the day. It was just before 9 a.m. a time when the building was typically quiet. Inside were a small group of employees and family members, including several children who had come along that morning. Nothing about the routine suggested that the bowling alley was about to become the site of one of New Mexico’s most haunting unsolved crimes. A

A Face America Believed He did not look dangerous. He did not act suspicious .And for years, no one believed he could be capable of what he was doing. Ted Bundy was polite, articulate, and outwardly respectable. He volunteered on political campaigns. He worked at a suicide prevention hotline. He was trusted by friends, coworkers, and strangers alike. While he blended seamlessly into everyday life, young women across multiple states were disappearing. By the time law enforceme

The Night of the Party On the evening of November 3, 2018 , Tamla Horsford , a 40 year old mother of five, attended a birthday sleepover party at a private home in Forsyth County . Tamla was invited by a neighbor and arrived at the gathering that night. The party was described by attendees as a casual adult sleepover involving alcohol, conversation, and socializing. Tamla was the only Black woman present  at the gathering. As the evening went on, guests drank, talked, and eve

They Never Came Home Three sisters went on a routine custody visit with their father and never returned. What followed became one of the most devastating family tragedies in recent Washington state history. A Routine Visit That Turned Into a Nightmare At the end of May 2025, a custody visit that should have ended with three young girls returning home instead triggered a statewide missing persons alert and a desperate search. Paityn, Evelyn, and Olivia Decker left home expecti