True Crime

Catch Me If You Can and American Hustle are two of the best-known movies about real-life con artists. If you've seen them but crave more fact-based scam films, try one of these underrated titles. The subject of scamming has long fascinated audiences, likely because it plays into a couple primal emotions simultaneously. We admire the ingenuity and creativity that goes into devising these schemes, yet at the same time, we loathe the idea of amoral scammers ripping off and deceiving other people. Such cognitive dissonance makes it easy to get sucked in.Many big stars appear in the following movies. Among them are Melissa McCarthy, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez, and Robert DeNiro. In each case, the stories provide a captivating look at how true cons were carried out and what the consequences were for the parties involved. They turned to some ethically dubious individuals for inspiration, making great art out of crimes that were often shocking.

Underrated Movies About Real-Life Scammers And Con Artists

Film

Mike McGranaghan

Mysteries

Maps, ciphers, millions of dollars worth of gems - who doesn't love a treasure hunt?When we think of buried treasure, though, many of us might think of what's resting on the floor of the Pacific or Atlantic. Even so, there's good news for American, landlocked <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-treasure-hunters/ranker-entertainment">treasure hunters </a>- there are many legends of great treasures that exist within our borders.From Spanish conquistadors to victors of the Gold Rush, lost treasure is spread throughout the country. Which of these treasures do you think is worth hunting for?

Famous Buried Treasures In The United States That Have Never Been Found

General

Emily Mast

Death

William Burke and William Hare were two of the most notorious murderers and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/true-grave-robbing-stories/christopher-myers?&amp;source=fbshare">grave robbers&nbsp;in history</a>. In an era when stealing corpses from graves was big business, Burke and Hare were overachievers. Murder, they discovered, brought a swifter profit.To understand the rise of Burke and Hare, it is necessary to understand the bloody history of medicine. Beginning in 1506, Scottish surgeons first obtained the legal right to dissect bodies of condemned criminals once they were cut down from the gallows. But the demand for bodies soon outpaced the supply, and surgeons and anatomists turned to less-than-legal means of acquiring fresh cadavers. Bodysnatchers - also known as &quot;resurrectionists&quot; or &quot;resurrection men&quot; - dug up freshly buried corpses. These grave robbers then sold the cadavers to medical schools for a handsome profit and pawned the goods.Burke and Hare were not simply bodysnatchers - they were actually murderers who realized that creating their own cadavers was the quickest way to make a profit. They first met and became friends in 1827 and by the end of the year, the two men would begin a bloody career of murdering innocent men, women, and children, and selling the fresh corpses to one of the most famous anatomists in the country. Though their spree lasted less than a year, Burke and Hare continue horrify and fascinate.

Chilling Facts About Burke and Hare, History's Most Notorious Bodysnatchers

Chilling Facts About Burke and Hare, History's Most Notorious Bodysnatcher-Murderers

Setareh Janda

A closer look at mysterious disappearances that continue to baffle detectives.

Gone Missing

On the evening of May 3, 2007, 3-year-old Madeleine McCann <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/misty-copsey-disappearance/stephen-morin?ref=profile_pub">disappeared</a> from a hotel room in Praia da Luz, Portugal, and was never found. Her mother, Kate McCann, discovered Madeleine had <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/andy-puglisi-disappearance-case-facts/patrick-thornton">vanished</a> around 10 pm, just half an hour after another adult checked on the young girl and her siblings. What followed was a lengthy police investigation and trial by media that cast suspicion on the McCanns themselves.More than 15 years after the incident, the Madeleine McCann case remains unsolved. While many believe this was a case of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-adam-walsh-changed-missing-children-response/bailey-benningfield ">child abduction</a>, others in the true crime field have offered different theories - but no real answers.In this list, we'll break down the timeline of the night Madeleine disappeared, share possible theories and suspects, and explain where the case stands today.

In 2007, 3-Year-Old Madeleine McCann Disappeared On Vacation And Was Never Seen Again

Madeleine McCann Vanished On Vacation And Was Never Seen Again

Patrick Thornton

Drama

Frequently, courtroom dramas deliver on a central premise: immersing viewers in the sound and fury of a climactic moment during the trial, when a lawyer gets a confession from a person on the stand. However, some of the most gripping, if often underrated, examples of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-all-courtroom-drama-movies/ranker-film">courtroom drama films</a> are those which are based on real events.These films, while using the same conventions of their fictional counterparts, also ask the viewer to become emotionally invested in the injustices of the past and the efforts of those who sought to right them. In doing so, they once again prove just how powerful films can be when it comes to creating an investment in the past.

Underrated Movies Based On Real-Life Trials

Thomas West

Unspeakable Times

On June 4, 2010, the secretary of Skyline Elementary School in Portland, OR, reported 7-year-old student Kyron Horman missing. His stepmother, Terri Moulton Horman, took him to school early that morning for a science fair and watched him walk off to his first class. Nevertheless, by the end of the day, he was nowhere to be found.What started as the largest search-and-rescue operation in Oregon history quickly turned into a criminal investigation, but despite the focus largely remaining on one suspect - Kyron's stepmother - for the last 12 years, authorities have <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/corinna-slusser-missing/patrick-thornton">never made an arrest</a>. As such, Kyron's case remains open, and police as well as his family hold onto hope that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/andy-puglisi-disappearance-case-facts/patrick-thornton">he will be found alive</a>.

Kyron Horman Vanished From His Elementary School In 2010 And Hasn’t Been Seen Since

The Strange Mystery Of Kyron Horman's Disappearance 

Aspen Stevens

Lists of fascinating and bizarre real cases that continue to stump detectives and amateur sleuths.

Unsolved Mysteries

Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)

The show Unsolved Mysteries <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unsolved-mysteries-where-are-they-now/jacob-shelton">first premiered</a> on NBC in 1987 and captivated viewers with true crime cold cases. Aside from the theorizing the series caused, it also heightened public awareness of the cases it covered, leading to new tips and leads that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/cases-solved-by-unsolved-mysteries/patrick-thornton">actually helped solve</a> some of the crimes.In 2020, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81026055">Netflix revived the series</a> and has since released three new volumes. The show invites viewers to do their own sleuthing and speak up if they might have any knowledge that could pertain to the cases discussed. As is oft-repeated on the show, in most instances, someone out there knows something - solving the cases is often a matter of someone remembering a small detail and sharing it with authorities.While the recent volumes of Unsolved Mysteries have covered a wide variety of stories, these are just a few we can't stop thinking about. If you or someone you know may have information related to these cases, you can send in tips to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://unsolved.com/">Unsolved.com</a>.

9 Of The Most Unsettling Cases From The 'Unsolved Mysteries' Reboot

Elle Tharp

Lists about real people who were held against their will, the monsters who tormented them, and the grisly details of what went on during those dark times.

Human Captives

In July 1976, summer school was in full swing in the small California town of Chowchilla, and bus driver Ed Ray had 26 children in his care as he drove them home. Out of nowhere, three men blocked the bus and perpetrated one of the largest-scale kidnappings in US history.

As if the abduction&nbsp;from a school bus - what is supposed to be a safe location - weren&#39;t enough, the three male kidnappers loaded their 27 targets into windowless vans for transport to a poorly made&nbsp;underground prison&nbsp;without sufficient food or water. Luckily for the children, Ray was determined to protect them and, joined by one of the students, succeeded in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/lisa-mcvey-noland-surivor-story/april-a-taylor?ref=collections_page" target="_blank">securing their escape</a>.

Still, while the story&nbsp;has a seemingly happy ending, the long-term effects of captivity on the children,&nbsp;as well as the senseless reasoning behind the event, continue to haunt survivors and the town itself.

The Story Of The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping, One Of The Biggest Abductions In US History

Facts About The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping

Jodi Smith

Interesting

Interrogation scenes have kept audiences' hearts playing hop-scotch for minutes on end in prominent films like Casino Royale, The Dark Knight, and Killer Instinct. The cat-and-mouse game between interrogator and detainee is exciting to watch, and it's hard not to root for the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/underdogs-in-history-who-won/melissa-sartore">underdog</a>. While the Joker shoving a pencil in an interrogator's eye is a fictional occurrence, many other interrogation scenes contain slivers of truth and reality that are found in precincts around the world.Experts advising police and detectives have employed numerous interrogation tactics and methods; should the interrogator build rapport and respect the detainee, or should they intentionally hike their cortisol levels to get a quicker confession? Below, we'll look at the science of interrogations and some of the common techniques that have dominated interrogation rooms since the mid-20th century.

Interrogation Techniques And Tricks Everyone Should Know

Stephen Morin

Lists about real and fictional policemen & women, detectives, and other law enforcement.

Police: Blue Lives  on Patrol

An undercover assignment is not as easy as movies like 21 Jump Street would have us believe. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/true-undercover-cop-stories/stefanie-hammond">Trained professionals</a> often have a hard time dealing with the difficult choices they must make while on a job. They have to find ways to separate their undercover persona from who they are in the real world. It can be even worse when agents have to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/true-prison-undercover-stories/stefanie-hammond">enter places like prisons</a> and make alliances with the very people they arrested.Undercover agents are the unsung heroes of law enforcement because, if they do their jobs right, then we never know their names. Luckily, more stories like the ones below are coming to light.

Firsthand Stories From People Who Went Undercover

Intense Stories Of Undercover Agents

Bridget Quinlivan

Whoa Facts

The mob. The Mafia. La Cosa Nostra. We&#39;ve all heard of it, and seen it portrayed in movies such as The Godfather or on&nbsp;TV shows like The Sopranos. But what was the Mafia&nbsp;really like? How did the organized operation that brought us <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/al-capone-trivia-facts/jeffrichard" target="_blank">Al Capone</a>, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/weird-gangster-stories/kate-gardner" target="_blank">Bugsy Siegel</a>, and&nbsp;Lucky Luciano actually operate?

Some believe the presence of the mob was exaggerated from the start, yet others&nbsp;insist that its presence is as pervasive today as it was 100 years ago.&nbsp;To answer some of the most common <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/til-facts-about-the-mafia/will-morgan-1" target="_blank">questions people have about the Mafia</a>,&nbsp;Reddit&#39;s &quot;Ask Historians&quot; community is a handy place to turn. Just as they have helped shed light on everything from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historians-answer-bible-questions/setareh-janda" target="_blank">the Bible</a>&nbsp;to what life was really like in the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/historians-answer-wild-west-questions/will-morgan-1" target="_blank">American West,</a>&nbsp;these historians will shine a light on a group that thrived on operating in the dark.

Actual Historians Answer Questions About The Mafia

Chrissy Rose

On June 3, 2011, 20-year-old Indiana University student Lauren Spierer disappeared. On the evening of June 2, Spierer went to a friend's apartment before going out to a popular local sports bar. By the time she left the bar in the early hours of June 3, surveillance footage showed her acting extremely intoxicated. After going by two friends' apartments, she reportedly headed home by herself around 4:30 am.The case remains open, and authorities have seemingly reached no concrete conclusions, though Spierer is presumed to be dead. Her parents believe that her friends and others around her that night know details that could finally answer the nagging question of what happened to their daughter. Even 11 years later, her family and friends believe that if they keep looking, the truth will eventually come out.

Lauren Spierer Disappeared After A Night Out, And No One Can Make Sense Of What Happened

The Shocking Disappearance Of IU Student Lauren Spierer

There is no official database for how many people go missing in national parks every year. Unofficial reports put the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kron4.com/mystery-wire/missing-411-author-sheds-light-on-mysterious-disappearances/">total number in the thousands</a>, but the count remains unconfirmed by the National Park Service.Most disappearances result from accidents inherently related to the outdoors, such as under-preparing for extreme weather, chance encounters with animals, and hikers getting lost. Alive or deceased, most missing persons are found and returned to their loved ones. Some disappearances, however, remain shrouded in mystery indefinitely.In June 1969, Dennis Lloyd Martin snuck into the woods to play a prank on his father and was never seen again. His disappearance <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/foia/upload/1969_GRSM_DennisMartin_dissapearance_REDACTED.pdf">sparked the largest search in park history</a>, but no traces of Dennis were ever found. A span of 20 minutes turned a family's celebrated camping tradition into a disaster and forever left them - and their community - wondering what happened. But how can a child simply vanish, especially with his family so close?The mystery of Dennis Lloyd Martin's disappearance has lasted decades, and time hasn't revealed any more answers.

The Odd Disappearance Of Dennis Martin, Who Vanished In The Smoky Mountains

Sonja Ska

September 17, 1992, was supposed to be an ordinary trip to the fair for two teenage girls just looking for a fun weekend outing. Misty Copsey was a popular, straight-laced student with good grades, and despite her mother's struggles with alcohol, she was seemingly able to avoid the trappings of her upbringing. All that was cut short, however, when she mysteriously disappeared from the Washington State Fair in her hometown of Puyallup, WA.Misty Copsey hasn't been seen since, and the search for her whereabouts was both messy and mismanaged. This case is filled with complications and rabbit holes, and has it countless active players - perhaps why the case is still open to this day.

Misty Copsey Vanished From A Small-Town Fair In 1992, And We’re Still Looking For Answers

The Disappearance Of Misty Copsey: Still Searching For Answers

Hannah Upp was a young woman with a positive attitude and a zest for life. Despite having divorced parents and struggling with her personal understanding of religion, she was a&nbsp;seemingly happy, successful woman <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/02/how-a-young-woman-lost-her-identity/amp">aspiring to become a Montessori teacher</a> in order to effect positive change in the world.Unfortunately, she also suffered from a rare disorder best known for afflicting Jason Bourne, the fictional protagonist from The Bourne Identity and its sequels. Because of this condition, she went missing twice and was later found with no recollection of what had happened. In 2017, Upp <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.aetv.com/real-crime/what-happened-to-hannah-upp-the-mystery-around-the-young-womans-disappearance-continues">went missing for a third time</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/paula-jean-welden-disappearance-vermont/patrick-thornton">has never been found</a>.

A Teacher With A Rare Form Of Amnesia Disappeared Three Times And Hasn't Been Found

A Teacher With A Rare Form Of Amnesia Disappeared Three Times And Has Not Been Found

Motorcycle clubs often bring to mind images of guns, drugs, bikes, and leather. From afar <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-bikers/philgibbons">their lives seem mysterious and full of danger</a>. The US has many motorcycle clubs all over the country, and most are harmless enough, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/biker-rules/nathan-gibson">with rules that denote what members can and can't do</a>. In general, it's believed 99% of these clubs are law-abiding groups of people brought together by a particular passion for riding. Unfortunately, that leaves 1% of clubs that aren't interested in following the rule of law.Out of the many motorcycle gangs in the US, few are as feared as the Pagans Motorcycle Club. The group has been causing mayhem and frustration for law enforcement since the mid-1960s. Read on to find out more about one of most notorious and deadly motorcycle gangs in America.&nbsp;

14 Facts About The Pagans Motorcycle Gang

Pagans Motorcycle Gang: 14 Facts About The Biker Outlaws

Christina Chilin

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