Tabla de contenidos para Issue 62 en Crime Monthly

Welcome to the May issue. This month, the parents of Georgia Williams on how their daughter's death could have been avoided, and the senseless killing of a US teen. We also look at the terrifyng Bondi mall stabbings, and new revelations about OJ Simpson. Plus, the bizarre alien cult with deeply sinister intentions, the sextortion scammers forcing kids into suicide, and the worst sexual predators Australia has ever seen. And there's our usual round-up of all the latest crime TV, books and podcasts. As usual, do email us at Crimemonthly@bauermedia.co.uk. See you next month.…

On a case that divided the US back then – and still does now, almost three decades later – OJ Simpson was acquitted of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown and waiter Ronald Goldman in October 1995 (see overleaf for the trial details). Many believed he had literally gotten away with murder, and now a witness has claimed the ex-NFL player hired hit men to carry out the brutal slayings. MOB HIT Last month, key witness John Dunton broke his silence to allege that not only did convicted spousal abuser Simpson arrange the murders, he hired members of a Mafia crime family to carry them out – and was at the scene as the men stabbed Nicole and Ron to death. Speaking to LA private detective Paul Barresi soon after Simpson's…

What was the inspiration behind your new novel? My novels are set in Dungeness, a huge single bank in South Kent on which a few people live. I've been writing about the place for years now, but back in 2021, I came across the story of the Concrete Man, a strange folk-art sculpture of the body of a man lying flat on the shingle. Nobody knows who made it or why it's there. I spent two days trying to track it down. Dungeness is vast and mostly featureless, so it's not so surprising that it wasn't easy to find. When I did find it, it was eerie. It really looks like a dead body lying there on the stones and if you didn't know what it was, it could really…

HISTORIC CRIME On 21 May 1992, Betty Wilson was returning home to the palatial residence she shared with her wealthy doctor husband Jack Wilson in Huntsville, Alabama. Betty had been attending an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting about an hour away and was no doubt looking forward to a rest after her long drive, but as she reached the top of the stairs, she screamed in horror. Lying lifeless on the hall rug, covered in blood, was Jack. Running to her neighbours, she called 911. In recordings of the call, Betty sounds breathless and fearful as she tells the operator she doesn't know if the person who hurt her husband is still in the house. Within minutes, police and medical teams swarmed the scene. It appeared as if Jack, 55, had been…

TERRIFYING CRIMES The Kill List NADINE MATHESON (HQ, £16.99) Nadine Matheson is back with another gripping crime thriller following DI A njelica Henley, and fans will not be disappointed. More than two decades ago, Andrew Streeter was arrested by DCI Harry Rhimes for the murders of five people – but his conviction has just been overturned. Now, as the Serial Crimes Unit reopen the cases in a desperate bid to find a monster they know as The Burier, DI Henley is forced to re-examine her trusted boss and mentor's methods, and question if he was really as honourable as she'd always thought. But then, was she? Because Henley was more involved in the original case than she's letting on – and this is personal. Meanwhile, a predator is still out…

CRIMECON UK IN ASSOCIATION WITH CRIME MONTHLY Robert Murphy joins us on Instagram Live True-crime books have fascinated writers for decades, creating works of non-fiction that offer detailed, intelligent, and thoughtful insights into extraordinary cases and notorious killers. From well-known stories that grabbed headlines, to the unanswered questions faced by victims’ families, what is most terrifying of all is that these stories all really happened. Now, you can join the CrimeCon UK Book Club, which highlights the unmissable top picks of the genre. This time, on Tuesday 11 June, award-winning true-crime author Robert Murphy will be talking about Decoy, the shocking story of one of Britain's most secretive, groundbreaking and successful police covert operations, as officers tried to catch a serial predator. HOW TO JOIN Throughout 2024, Nancy Baughen from…

CRIME NEWS TOP STORIES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE A 33-year-old Milwaukee man has been charged with killing and dismembering a teenager after they went on a date. Bartender Maxwell Anderson faces charges of homicide, mutilation of a corpse and arson, after Sade Robinson, 19, disappeared, and remains were found close to her burning car. Sade was reported missing on 1 April, after failing to arrive at work at a pizza restaurant. She'd been with Anderson the evening before and CCTV footage showed them dining together, before they were later picked up on camera in her Honda Civic making their way to Anderson's home. A round 7.30am on 2 April, the car was found on fire. Clothing matching Sade's was retrieved from inside, as was her phone, with human remains found…

In the news Australians were devastated last month when six innocent victims died, and 12 more were injured, in a brutal and cowardly attack at a packed shopping mall. The Westfield Bondi Junction Shopping Centre in New South Wales – one of the biggest in the country – always attracts huge crowds, but was especially busy on Saturday 13 April. Yet the carefree day would become a scene of horror. SENSELESS ATTACK At 3.30pm, Joel Cauchi was captured on mall CCTV. Wearing a green Kangaroos rugby shirt and shorts, he travelled up to Level Four before taking a 30in knife from his backpack. The 40 year old then began randomly attacking shoppers, one after another. He was described as “walking calmly” while “indiscriminately swiping” at members of the public. Horrified…

According to US reports, the FBI were alerted to around 12,600 sextortion victims – all minors – between October 2021 and March 2023. Since 2021, at least 20 US victims have died by suicide, but it's a global issue. Last month, two men were arrested in Nigeria after a teenager in Australia took his own life in 2023. He had been extorted for $500. Seventeen-year-old James Timothy Woods, from Streetsboro, Ohio, died on 19 November 2022, after being sextorted online. A star athlete with a bright future ahead of him, James was targeted via direct message on Instagram. After being persuaded to share an intimate video, he was sent 200 messages in 20 hours, threatening to release pictures if he didn't pay them $300. His mother Tamia told one US…

Returning for its second year, the True Crime Awards 2024 continued its mission to honour the dedicated people who bring informative, emotional and gripping true-crime stories to the public eye. From riveting documentaries and page-turning books to captivating podcasts, the True Crime Awards aim to commend the unwavering dedication and resilience required to deliver such content with passion and empathy. Here are just some of the incredible winners for this year… ON SCREEN: OUTSTANDING TWO-PART DOCUSERIES THE CHILD SNATCHER: MANHUNT Charting one of the UK's largest-ever investigations, this delves into how detectives from multiple forces worked together to capture notorious child murderer Robert Black. Watch on My5. ON SCREEN: OUTSTANDING INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING WRONGLY ACCUSED Investigative reporter Louise Shorter hosts this illuminating docuseries, which examines some of the biggest miscarriages of justice in…

HISTORICAL SLEUTHING SHARDLAKE DISNEY+, STREAMING NOW Disney knocked it out of the park with the recent adaptation of Shogun, proving they can do period-drama literary adaptations with panache and depth. Now, here's this new four-part adaptation of CJ Sansom's Tudor-mystery Shardlake novels. Arthur Hughes (The Innocents) plays the titular Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer with an acute sense of justice, and one of the few honest men in a world beset with scheming and plots. His boss is Thomas Cromwell (Sean Bean), the dangerous and all-powerful right-hand man to Henry VIII – and very much a plotter and a schemer. Fiercely loyal to his master and the King, Shardlake is an outcast in Tudor society, because he suffers from scoliosis. Based on Dissolution, the first book in Sansom's series, this is…

The Instruments Of Darkness JOHN CONNOLLY (HODDER & STOUGHTON, £18.99) When Colleen Clark is accused of killing her own child, the weight of public opinion is against her. Can PI Charlie Parker put the pieces together before it's too late? Twisty. The Estate DENZIL MEYRICK (BANTAM, £14.99) The billionaire Pallanders have it all, from a Scottish castle to a private island. But when Sebastian dies, the fights start over his inheritance. Then his son is killed – and it looks a lot like murder. Will the rest of the family survive? Thrilling. Second Skin DUGALD BRUCE-LOCKHART (MUSWELL PRESS, £16.99) Alistair Haston has just discovered he has a son he never knew about. But as he travels to meet him, he is intercepted by MI6, who want him to take on…

COLD TAPES DCI Tessa McCallister Intelligent and driven, Tessa has worked hard to get where she is. She doesn't take anything at face value, and uses her experience and charm to get to the truth. Andrew Fairfield, Behavioural Scientist Charismatic and ambitious, Drew has a passion for adventure, and is conducting a study into psychological behaviours of the crew. Maria Flores, Climate Researcher Loyal, competitive and passionate, she studied in America, and stayed the winter here to be with Drew. Greg Fortin, Glaciologist Arrogant with a hard exterior, Greg cares about his work. His girlfriend was supposed to be with him, but Maria took her place, which is awkward. Anders Sorensen, Crew Plumber A bit of a rule breaker, he loves puzzle-solving, listening to true-crime podcasts, and bragging about his…

CRIMEscreen It's not of ten that something truly original enters the podcast space, so this innovative new offering is very welcome indeed. A “first-of-its-kind audio experience”, Cold Tapes: Winter Over is part-scripted drama and partmurder mystery game – basically, it ‘s an audio whodunnit where the listener can play armchair detective and make a bid to win a huge cash prize (see right). The concept is a simple one: listeners access a cache of audio files that present all the clues they need to solve the death of behavioural scientist Andrew Fairfield. The brilliantly immersive story has a real True Detective: Night Country vibe, set as it is on a remote Antarctic research base, complete with 24-hour darkness and brutal storms. And with an international cast of characters (see panel…

Her fiery temper and drama queen antics quickly made Teresa Giudice a star after she joined US show The Real Housewives Of New Jersey in 2009. But it wasn't long before the drama got very real and very serious for Teresa and her then-husband Giuseppe “Joe” Giudice. The couple, who share four daughters, had a reputation as big spenders and filed for bankruptcy in October 2009, with debts totalling over $10m. Though they later withdrew their petition, in 2013, the couple were charged with conspiracy to defraud lenders, as well as mail, wire and bank fraud, making false statements on loan applications, and bankruptcy fraud. It was alleged that they had wrongfully netted $5m over a ten-year period. They entered guilty pleas to a 41-charge indictment in 2014, and Teresa…