Crimes

• Crimes — the offense that can be prosecuted and punished by law, is all around us, from relatively minor offenses to unspeakably wicked and truly heinous acts.

  • The perpetrators of these multiple violations have long fascinated scholars and the general public.

  • They have sought answers to the question of whether some people are more likely to commit crimes than others, and whether there are certain characteristics that are unique to offenders.

• In fact, the ancient Greeks were fascinated by the science of physiognomy – the study of how certain facial features can reveal something about a person's character and disposition.

  • Although the concept sounds somewhat silly today, physiognomy was widely accepted by the ancient Greeks and has been revived periodically over the centuries.

• What ties crime together is the status of being "notorious" in some way.

  • With their breathtaking ingenuity, brazen opportunism, Machiavellian intrigue, and heinous malice, these crimes have captured the public eye for centuries.

  • While many of the perpetrators are viewed with disgust and disgust, some have been highly glorified over the years for their rebelliousness and disregard for following rules.

  • Despite the very serious nature of these crimes, they are often committed. B. Bonnie and Clyde, The Great Train Robbery and Hoolan Devi.

• Some cases broke new ground, and in some cases led to the rapid passage of new laws to protect the public and deter others from committing similar crimes.

  • In 1932, public outrage during the reported Lindbergh baby abduction investigation prompted the U.S. Congress to enact the Federal Abduction Act just a month later. — Also known as the Lindbergh Act, the law made kidnapping a federal crime punishable by death.

  • Daniel M’Naghten’s 1843 case is the first case in English legal history. He was acquitted of high-profile murders based on the criminal's insanity defense and spent the rest of his life in a state criminal mental hospital.

Crime through the Years

• A pivotal moment in history brought a new crime to light.

  • In the late 19th century, lawlessness increased as cities grew. This was due to the lack of an official police force to crack down on outlaws and bring them to justice.

  • One of them was Wild West's Jesse James and his notorious James-Younger gang — was the first gangster in the United States to rob trains and banks during the day.

• From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition America was rife with organized crime, with groups like the Sheldon Gang of Chicago seeking to become the largest suppliers of illicit alcohol in Chicago's Southwest Irish belt.

  • The number of crimes in the United States soared during this period, so the International Association of Police Commissioners began compiling crime statistics.

  • This culminated in the issuance of the Uniform Crime Report, first published in January 1930, compiled through the voluntary cooperation of local, state, and state law enforcement agencies.

  • It has become an important tool for monitoring the number and type of crimes committed in the United States. It inspired law enforcement agencies in other countries around the world to follow suit.

The Ultimate Transgression

• When it comes to murder, it's always brutal and disturbing. Whether it's an organized hitman, a crime of passion, or a deliberate act of violence against a stranger, the act is final and tragic.

  • The first murder in history occurred some 430,000 years ago.

  • But it wasn't discovered until 2015, when archaeologists in Atapuerca, Spain, found evidence that Neanderthal skulls had been pieced together, beaten, and thrown into a cave shaft.

• Serial killers, especially those whose perpetrators were never caught, have an undeniable public appeal.

  • The cases of the Zodiac Killer in California and Jack the Ripper in London are both enduring sources of modern analysis and speculation. It is associated with unspeakable evil.

  • Ted Bundy, who murdered dozens of young women in the Pacific Northwest in the 1970s, is a great example. Added to the shock factor was the fact that Bundy seemed an attractive and respectable man. He didn't fit the typical vision of a giant serial killer.

Villains and Technology

• The escape from Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in 1962 attracted international attention.

  • Investigators concluded that the fugitive died trying to cross San Francisco Bay, but evidence found in 2015 calls that into question.

  • Today, if such an escape occurred, a large manhunt would be broadcasted live online, making it more challenging for the perpetrators to flee.

• The effectiveness of the methods used by criminals to commit crimes and avoid detection is rising along with technical advancements in crime detection and investigation, such as DNA fingerprinting.

  • Aleksandr Panin, a Russian hacker, gained access to private data from more than 50 million machines in 2011.

  • Without ever entering Bangladesh, hackers stole $81 million (£64 million) in February 2016 from the central bank.

  • However, despite the fact that criminal tactics may have changed over time, we continue to be fascinated by crime and those who commit it.