Buzz
Movies and TV shows have a fascination with true crime tales, but they also have a tendency to get the details completely wrong. Hollywood has distorted our understanding of significant events, often making the myth more recognizable than the actual events, which could almost be considered a crime in itself.
10. Charles Manson Was Not a Serial Killer
For many, Charles Manson is the first person that comes to mind when they think of the term 'serial killer.' This is a remarkable feat of public perception, especially since Manson never personally killed anyone. He wasn't even at the scene when his 'Family' carried out the seven murders.
'Serial killer' is a precise term defined by the FBI. They describe 'serial killing' as 'the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same perpetrator(s), in separate incidents, with an emotional cooling-off period between the murders.'
The Manson Family never experienced a cooling-off period, nor did they return to regular society. Instead, they executed their crimes over two consecutive nights in August 1969. When not actively killing, they isolated themselves in a commune, consumed by Beatles records.
Motivated by Manson's belief in an upcoming race war and the Beatles' song 'Helter Skelter,' the Family sought to spark an apocalypse with their killings. This makes them 'mission killers,' rather than 'serial killers.'
By orchestrating the murders, Manson was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder by proxy. This was the formal charge presented against him during the trial. Legally, he is considered a proxy murderer, not a serial killer.
9. D.B. Cooper Was Not Actually D.B. Cooper
There are many unanswered questions surrounding the 1971 hijacking by D.B. Cooper. Did he successfully land and make his way through the Pacific Northwest forest? Who was he before orchestrating the only unsolved hijacking in American history?
The case is so enigmatic that even the facts we assume to be true may not be. A common misconception is that D.B. Cooper himself identified as 'D.B. Cooper.' In reality, he purchased his ticket under the name 'Dan Cooper.' By the time his story became a legend, 'Dan' had somehow transformed into 'D.B.'
The confusion surrounding the name can be traced back to James Long, a reporter for The Oregon Journal. Following the hijacking, there was a frantic search for any possible clues. Long was acquainted with Duane Youngbar, the public relations officer at Northwest Orient Airlines.
Youngbar was certain about the last name 'Cooper,' but there was confusion over the first name. During their phone conversation, the stormy weather interfered with the signal. Youngbar stated that the first name was 'Dan.'
The connection was still unclear, so Long asked him to spell it out. Through the distorted signal, 'D-A-N' sounded more like 'D and B.' This misunderstanding was repeated and eventually became the accepted name.
While the 'D.B.' part is purely fictional, there is some evidence suggesting the 'Cooper' part might be correct. In 2011, Marla Cooper claimed that her uncle, Lynn Doyle (L.D.) Cooper, was actually the real identity of D.B. Cooper.
Marla recalled that on Thanksgiving morning in 1971, her uncle returned home, bruised and sore, boasting about a big windfall but keeping the details secret. His military and logging background fit the FBI’s profile of D.B. Cooper. Although DNA evidence found at the scene didn’t match, Lynn Doyle Cooper remains a suspect.
8. Lizzie Borden Was Not Responsible for Her Parents' Deaths
Though the tragic murders occurred nearly 125 years ago, the 1893 deaths of Abby and Andrew Borden are possibly the only double homicides to have been immortalized in a double Dutch rhyme. Much of what people know about the case is derived from a quirky children's poem about the brutal killings:
Lizzie Borden took a hatchet And gave her mother 40 whacks. And when she saw what she had done She gave her father 41.
The poem only gets the sequence of the murders right. Lizzie's stepmother was struck over an hour before her father was killed. Everything else in the poem is inaccurate.
A minor inaccuracy is that the murderer used a hatchet, not an 'axe.' This change was likely made because 'axe' rhymes with many more words than 'hatchet.' The poem also misrepresents the number of blows; her father was struck 11 times and her stepmother 18 or 19 times.
These are minor objections when compared to the main issue: the poem falsely accuses Lizzie of the crime. After only an hour of deliberation, Lizzie was acquitted. While this doesn’t necessarily prove her innocence, it does mean she shouldn't be presumed guilty.
There is some evidence suggesting Lizzie's innocence. While she was in custody, another axe murder took place nearby. Additionally, Lizzie was found with no blood on her clothes just minutes after the second murder occurred.
7. John Wayne Gacy Was Not A 'Killer Clown'
In a way, one can sympathize with clowns. Once a beloved part of children’s parties and circuses, they now mainly appear in nightmares. Much of this shift can be traced back to John Wayne Gacy and the widespread but incorrect belief that he murdered people while dressed as his alter ego, 'Pogo the Clown.'
Although he did not commit murder while dressed as a clown, John Wayne Gacy did kill children whom he initially encountered while in costume. However, his murders and his clown persona were distinct and unrelated activities.
Gacy was often labeled a 'killer clown,' much like one could refer to someone as a 'killer gardener' or a 'killer chef.' These were simply roles he took on during his spare time, including a bizarre claim of being a 'killer First Amendment activist who met Rosalynn Carter.'
Unlike some of his other pastimes, his role as a clown had a positive impact on society. As 'Pogo the Clown,' Gacy performed only for children at hospitals and church events, spreading joy to young ones. Unfortunately, this goodwill was overshadowed by the horrific crimes he later committed, including the rape and murder of over 30 boys.
The public's association of John Wayne Gacy with clowns emerged after the murders had ceased. In fact, on the day before his arrest, Gacy shared a chilling remark with a police officer: 'Clowns can get away with murder.'
While incarcerated, Gacy spent much of his time creating clown artwork, which has since become a chilling collector's item, with some pieces fetching over $20,000. His paintings of clowns often featured unsettling, exaggerated smiles—pointed and sharp, unlike the traditional rounded smiles associated with clowns designed not to frighten children. These works reflected the disturbing nature of his crimes.
Jesse James was far from the Robin Hood figure of Western legend.
Contrary to the depiction in the songs of artists like Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, and Warren Zevon, Jesse James was not a champion for the working class. He didn't target the banks or fight on behalf of the poor.
Much like other criminals, James was motivated by self-interest, spending his ill-gotten gains on women, alcohol, and horses. He didn't follow any noble cause. In fact, he would rob poor individuals just as readily as he would the wealthy. Far from giving to the poor, he took from them without hesitation.
This narrative of heroism was largely crafted by Jesse James himself. During his criminal activities, he sent out press releases and letters presenting himself as a courageous figure. An editor, John Newman Edwards, used these letters to fuel the myth, portraying James as a passionate ex-rebel soldier fighting against Missouri's Reconstruction laws. By targeting government-owned banks, James was framed as continuing the Confederacy’s righteous cause.
It’s quite ironic that Jesse James came to symbolize the Confederate cause, given that the Confederacy officially rejected him. During what is now known as the Centralia Massacre, James and his gang killed and scalped two dozen unarmed Union soldiers who were heading home on leave.
Due to his brutality, the Confederacy labeled James a war criminal. Unable to continue his military service, he turned to a life of bank robbery. Far from being a champion of the poor or the Confederacy, Jesse James was solely driven by the desire to make money.
5. The McDonald’s Coffee Case Was Far From Frivolous
Although many may not recall the name Stella Liebeck, her case is widely recognized, often viewed negatively. Known by most as the McDonald’s Coffee Lady, she is frequently cited as the prime example of frivolous lawsuits. Many people mistakenly assume she was a greedy opportunist who didn’t realize coffee could be hot, suing for a million dollars after spilling it on her pants.
Stella Liebeck was an ordinary person who stood up against a corporate giant and emerged victorious. For years, McDonald’s was aware of the risks associated with their extremely hot coffee. By heating their coffee to around 88 degrees Celsius (190 °F), they could create an irresistible aroma that attracted more customers.
Despite this marketing strategy, the overly hot coffee was causing significant injuries to people across the country. In the decade leading up to the 1993 lawsuit, over 700 individuals were burned by the scalding coffee.
One of these victims was 79-year-old Stella Liebeck. While sitting in her parked car, she accidentally spilled coffee on her lap, resulting in severe third-degree burns on her groin, thighs, and buttocks. The extent of her injuries was so severe that she almost died while in the hospital.
Stella Liebeck requested that McDonald’s cover part of her $10,000 in medical expenses, but the company only offered $800. The jury ruled that McDonald’s was responsible for her medical bills and imposed a fine of $2.7 million—roughly equivalent to two days of the company’s coffee sales—in order to force them to change their practices.
Although the judge reduced the fine to $640,000, McDonald’s ultimately agreed to lower the temperature of their coffee to prevent further incidents of injury.
4. Eliot Ness Did Not Bring Down Al Capone
Over the last five decades, films and TV shows have portrayed Eliot Ness as the hero who, with his team of incorruptible lawmen, took down Al Capone, the notorious gangster. By dismantling Capone's bootlegging operations, Ness supposedly sent Capone to Alcatraz.
However, as anyone who's seen JFK knows, Kevin Costner films aren't exactly known for their historical accuracy. While Ness did cause some financial damage to Capone by breaking up his breweries, this was only a small piece of Capone’s criminal empire. Capone made far more money from activities like gambling and prostitution than he ever did from bootlegging.
If anyone deserves credit for bringing an end to Capone's reign, it's US Judge James Wilkerson. Prosecutors were concerned their case for tax evasion was too weak. To ensure Capone was jailed, the lawyers offered him a plea deal for just two and a half years.
Judge Wilkerson wasn't willing to accept such a lenient sentence, so he turned down any plea offers. In order to protect the trial from Capone's attempts to sway the jury, Wilkerson assembled a second pool of jurors. When Capone was convicted of five counts of tax evasion, Wilkerson handed down a historic 11-year sentence.
Before Capone, no one had received more than three years for tax evasion. However, Capone's sentence marked the end of his freedom, as he spent the rest of his life in prison, only to be released when syphilis symptoms took a toll on his health. Interestingly, when the time came for a television adaptation, the focus shifted to the federal agent instead of the judge.
3. Kitty Genovese Did Not Die Surrounded By 38 Strangers
Excluding high-profile political assassinations or celebrity murders, the 1964 stabbing of Kitty Genovese stands as one of the rare instances where the victim achieved greater notoriety than the perpetrator. Genovese's tragic death led to her becoming a public figure.
Her death became even more heartbreaking knowing that over thirty people witnessed her murder and did nothing to intervene. The shock of her killing led to the creation of a psychological term known as the 'Kitty Genovese syndrome' (also referred to as the 'bystander effect').
The case gained infamy over time, but initially, it was largely overlooked except by the local media. It wasn't until two weeks after the murder that The New York Times published an article stating: 'For more than half an hour, 38 respectable, law-abiding citizens in Queens watched a killer stalk and stab a woman in three separate attacks in Kew Gardens.'
The number 38 became notoriously linked to the crime, but its origins remain unclear. During the investigation, prosecutors could only locate five or six witnesses. Of those, only two actually witnessed Winston Moseley assaulting Kitty Genovese.
Another aspect of the myth was that no one attempted to help. In reality, those who did witness the attack took action. One bystander yelled, 'Leave the girl alone!' Upon hearing this, Moseley fled the scene.
When Moseley returned for a second time, Kitty was standing in the foyer of her apartment building. Only one other person was present at the time of the attack. This individual later admitted that he didn't want to get involved and was too intoxicated to handle the situation. However, he did notify another neighbor, and they called the authorities.
The Trial of Dan White didn't actually rely on the infamous Twinkie Defense, despite the widespread belief to the contrary.
In 1978, the city of San Francisco was shaken by the shocking double homicide of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. The loss was devastating, as both were key political figures, and the killer turned out to be Dan White, a former respected member of the city's Board of Supervisors.
The city erupted in protests when White was acquitted by citing the argument, 'The Twinkies made me do it.' This so-called 'Twinkie defense' claimed that consuming excessive junk food had driven White into a state of madness, ultimately leading to the murders of the two politicians.
However, White’s legal team never actually presented this absurd defense. Instead, they argued that his severe depression, triggered by the loss of his job, impaired his mental state, preventing him from premeditating the crime.
This was far from the outlandish legal defense that many believe. The mention of Twinkies only emerged because the defense team argued that the snack cakes were indicative of White's depression, not the cause of his actions.
In his younger years, White was a skilled athlete. But after losing his job, he abandoned his fitness routine and replaced it with a diet of junk food. This shift seemed to parallel a deeper emotional decline. The Twinkies were merely a small detail in the broader context of his depression, though unsurprisingly, it became the most memorable aspect.
1. The Scopes Trial Was A Get-Rich-Quick Scheme
The Scopes Monkey Trial stands as one of the most well-known confrontations between science and religion in the U.S. history. In films like Inherit the Wind, the trial is depicted as a heroic battle for truth against ignorance, with John Scopes portrayed as a brave individual fighting for the right to teach and believe freely. However, this infamous case was driven not by philosophical ideals but by the financial motivations behind it.
George Rappleyea, a local businessman, saw an opportunity to draw attention to the small town of Dayton, Tennessee. After the passage of the Butler Act, which banned the teaching of evolution in Tennessee high schools, the ACLU offered to fund anyone willing to challenge the law. This led to what became known as the 'drugstore conspiracy,' where local leaders orchestrated the scheme and asked John Thomas Scopes to take up the ACLU’s offer.
Scopes was a well-liked figure in Dayton, making him the ideal person for the job. Although he initially hesitated due to fears of arrest, he ultimately agreed, not as a martyr, but as an actor in the larger plan.
In reality, Scopes wasn’t even a biology teacher. He taught subjects like math, physics, and football. The day he was arrested, he was substituting for the regular biology teacher and did not even cover evolution in his lesson. He simply happened to use a textbook that mentioned the topic.
Scopes’s legal team even encouraged the students to lie under oath, claiming that he had taught evolution. Rather than a noble stand for intellectual freedom, the trial was really just a way to make money.
