Notorious

Beginning in 1978, a string of university, airline and mail bombings terrorized the country, injured 23 people, and claimed three lives. Investigators chased down hundreds of leads, but for years, the bomber’s identity remained a mystery. He was known to the public only as “the Unabomber” until a particular turn of phrase led authorities and introduced the world to Ted Kaczynski.

Never before had Americans seen such an atrocity on their own soil. A 1995 bombing in the heartland destroyed 16 blocks of downtown Oklahoma City. Over 800 were injured in the blast, and 168 men, women, and children were killed. It was an explosion that shook a nation. Even more disturbing, Timothy McVeigh, the accused mastermind with a history of extremist beliefs and violent defiance was also a decorated American veteran.

Aaron Hernandez was one of the NFL’s brightest young stars. With a newly signed $40 million contract, his future looked limitless. But when a member of Hernandez’s inner circle was brutally murdered, the football star became a prime suspect. And the ensuing investigation would reveal a troubling dark side. What drove a star athlete with the world at his feet to commit cold-blooded murder and take his own life?

It was the flying saucer seen round the world. A silver, helium-filled balloon racing across the Colorado sky with a reported stowaway onboard. As millions of viewers held their breath, hoping for a safe landing, the story went viral. When the balloon came down the mystery only deepened. Six-year-old Falcon Heene was not onboard. The media spotlight and police scrutiny intensified on his parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene. The whole world wanted answers.

Patty Hearst, a young heiress from one of America’s richest and most politically connected families, kidnapped by a mysterious underground militia. Then incredibly, the captive turned criminal, joining her captors on a crime spree that climaxed in a massive shootout on live television. The public was outraged, confused and fascinated. Amidst all the media chaos and frenzy – to this day – the question that still remains is: was she a willing accomplice or a brainwashed victim?

It was one of the most talked about crimes of the 1970s, an outrageous caper at 10,000 feet. The only trace the perpetrator left behind was a note and phony name – D.B. Cooper. But five months later, it happened again. This time it was a man named Richard McCoy. Were they two different people or was DB Cooper really Richard McCoy, an ex-Vietnam vet turned highjacker?

With his Subway diet, Jared Fogle became an inspiration to millions of overweight Americans. His personal story become one of the most successful ad campaigns in American history. But Fogle’s wholesome exterior wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. Behind closed doors, he led the secret life of a sexual predator, amassing charges of child pornography and pedophilia.

It was a story so incredible, it was turned into a Hollywood movie. A crew of wealthy, spoiled kids, invaded the homes of the rich and famous, snatching Gucci purses, diamonds and pearls. But when the walls started closing in, it was every man and woman for themselves. Their good looks, devil-may-care attitude, and brazen Hollywood heist gave them the name Bling Ring.

Anthony Weiner was an up and coming politician in New York’s democratic party, but he had a dark side. His uncontrolled compulsions and sexual exploits made national headlines. Weiner scrambled to contain the damage, but his illicit sexual cravings would result in bombshell after bombshell, overshadowing the budding political star.

They called her La Madrina, the godmother of cocaine, a brutal drug lord who crushed anyone who stood in her way. As the ultimate black widow, she built a narcotics empire in the city of Miami and ignited the cocaine cowboy drug wars. Before Pablo Escobar and before El Chapo, there was Griselda Blanco.