Showing titles in Con Artists, Hoaxes & Deceptions

The brutal murder of LaVerne Stordock, a respected family man and former police detective, shocked the residents of his rural Wisconsin community. On the surface, the case seemed closed with the confession of Stordock's second wife, Suzanne. But the trail of secrets and lies that began with his death did not end with his widow's conviction. Ever since she was a teenager, Dorothy Marcic was haunted by unresolved questions surrounding the killing of her uncle. Though she led a busy life as a playwright, theatrical producer, and university professor, she couldn't put her doubts to rest.

This classic essay from Jon Krakauer is now available as an unabridged audiobook download. This essay is also included in the Classic Krakauer collection. From the best-selling author of Missoula and Into the Wild: a selection of the singular investigative journalism that made Krakauer famous, covering topics from avalanches on Mt. Everest to a volcano in Washington state; from a wilderness therapy program for teens to an extraordinary cave in New Mexico so unearthly that is used by NASA to better understand Mars.

Shortly after John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln, he was tracked down and shot by authorities - that's what was officially reported, anyway. Lawyer Finis L. Bates, however, decided to set the record straight when he reported that in 1870 his acquaintance "John St. Helen" revealed himself to be none other than Booth living under an alter ego. Bates' version of the story is this: a hushed-up escape led Booth to 38 years of secret identities and an eventual suicide in an Oklahoma hotel. In this historical text, Bates unpacks the surprising truth about this infamous assassin.

The layered story of "The Talented Mr. Khater" begins with Callie Quinn, who upon graduating college, fulfilled her desire to live and work in Chile. Among the friends she met and lived with there was Youssef Khater, a man she initially found to be arrogant but would eventually come to befriend and trust.

Are you fascinated by the unknown? Don’t trust the mass media? Have you seen a UFO? If you want to learn more about the mysteries of the universe, you’ll most likely start with our very own “earthly” conspiracy theories. This audiobook is purposely crafted to give you an eye-opening experience and encourage you to change your perspective. You’ll also discover what Area 51 is - and why “ufologists” are so fascinated with this secretive facility.

When it comes to cold-blooded murder, nobody who is a part of civilized society can stand the thought that someone out there would actually get away with such horrendous crimes. We all want these wayward criminals to be caught and held accountable for their actions. This book demonstrates the lengths that some have gone to and the depths that they have plumbed just to make sure that the long arm of the law finally reached the barbaric perpetrators of unspeakable deeds and brought them to justice.

The Baldwins were a strong Christian family living in Plano, Texas. When their 17-year-old daughter, Mackenzie, met Aadam in a random-match online chat room, she fell for his good looks, his charm, and his respectful conversation. He told her he lived in New York, and they began an online friendship. But over the course of a few months, Aadam revealed that he actually lived in Kosovo and had only pretended to live in New York so Mackenzie would keep chatting with him.

Chilling. One of the best words to describe the cases recounted in this book set. These gruesome crimes seemed to hit a dead end...that is until the cases were reopened for investigation later and then solved thanks to modern technologies and investigation techniques. From the more famous cases to the more obscure, the crimes and hardships that the victims had to suffer will send shivers down your spine. Notably detailing the disappearance of Chandra Levy as well as the multiple murders committed by Dennis Rader.

Missing people are far more common than you might think. Every year, around the world, hundreds of thousands of people vanish into thin air. Usually, they have simply been involved in a freak accident that has led to their death. Sometimes, they vanish on purpose and don't wish to be found. On very rare occasions, there is violence at play and the person has been deliberately removed from the public or even killed. In this audiobook, we will be examining the various circumstances in which people happen to vanish.

From the old days of mobsters in smoky barrooms plotting to gun down their rivals, to the new age of ordinary people hiring contract killers through the Dark Web, this book depicts the history of assassins and how they work. While movies portray assassins as glamorous, wealthy, and full of mystery, the sober truth is often quite different.

From Benjamin Franklin's newspaper hoax that faked the death of his rival to Abbie Hoffman's attempt to levitate the Pentagon - pranksters, hoaxers, and con artists have caused confusion, disorder, and laughter in Western society for centuries. Profiling the most notorious mischief-makers from the 1600s to the present day, Pranksters explores how "pranks" are part of a long tradition of speaking truth to power and social critique.

People go missing every day. According to newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, this figure could be as high as 8 million people every single year. While some people are quickly found or return home of their own accord, others simply vanish into the night. Families are left wondering where their loved ones have gone while the police desperately try to put together any clues they come across. While a good number of people make it home safe and sound, others are never seen again.

Get inside and conquer the world of cons. The world can be a deceptive place. There are individuals out there who will do anything to gain something regardless of who they hurt or who they have to deceive. Unfortunately, this practice is only becoming more of the norm.

Elisa had made a habit of calling her parents every day and the 29th and 30th were no exception. That was also the day she moved in and was quickly drummed out by the other tenants because she made them "uncomfortable". Her eviction from the shared room to her own private room must have been difficult for a young woman already full of insecurities, neuroses, and esteem issues. January 31, 2013, Elisa Lam's parents, for the first time on Elisa' "West Coast Tour", didn't receive a call from her daughter.

Mikhail Popkov may be the most prolific serial killers in world history. He led a double-life as a family man with a wife and a young daughter. But after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Popkov was able to take advantage of the lack of police authority to get away with his most barbaric fantasies.

Just like the majority of California girls, Lana Clarkson wanted to become famous. She had that superstar look and when her family moved to Los Angeles, Lana did her best to make a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She had no idea that an accidental encounter with a world famous producer and mad musical genius Phil Spector would be fatal and end her hopes and dreams of international fame.

To many, the name Carl Switzer doesn't ring a bell; the name Alfalfa, however, does. As Alfalfa, the freckle-faced kid with an unmanageable cowlick, Switzer won movie fame in the Our Gang comedies of the early 1930s. Carl Switzer played the iconic character from 1935-1940, and his popularity surpassed many of the other characters. At the time, no one could've foreseen the tragic circumstances that lead to the end of Switzer's life within 20 years of him leaving the show.

The story of Tara Calico is one of confusion, uncertainty, and sadness. The events of her disappearance are one of the least understood of any crime over the past 50 years. A single Polaroid showing what is widely believed to be Tara ultimately gives her disappearance its most notable name: The Polaroid Mystery.

"Being in the same room with him and looking at him, I realized that one day I would be in the same position as he, facing death. Before it happens I mean to do the things I want to do. I will not end up saying I wish I had." When Sal Mineo said those words about his dying father, nobody could have predicted that just four short years later, he would himself be facing death.

In this audiobook, we hope to examine the sheer range of cases which have enthralled the interested, and distressed those involved for many years. Some of these cases became national stories while others remain private tragedies. In the cases of missing persons, trying to find an explanation is almost as difficult as trying to find the person themselves. So join us on this journey and discover just how morbidly fascinating and compelling the cases of the missing can become.