“The San Francisco of my youth was full of small shops whose friendly eccentricity felt like part of the place.”
Crime
How a Mennonite Farmer Became a Drug Suspect
“Mennonites are pious Christians who eschew much of the modern world. But in Mexico even they have not escaped the pull of the drug cartels.”
A Teen’s Fatal Plunge Into the London Underworld
“After Zac Brettler mysteriously plummeted into the Thames, his grieving parents discovered that he’d been posing as an oligarch’s son. Would the police help them solve the puzzle of his death?”
The Top 5 Longreads of the Week
Recommending reads from David A. Taylor, Rebecca Solnit, Nicholas Russell, D.T. Max, and Jori Lewis.
The Juror Who Found Herself Guilty
“‘If you didn’t do it, I would still be there.’ His voice was weak with emotion.”
The Scientist Using Bugs to Help Solve Murders
“Magni’s first idea was to test Di Muro’s clothes for the presence of plankton to partially verify his alibi.”
From High Life Hackers to National Menace: The Rise and Fall of Digital Bandits ‘ACG’
“Hackers ‘ACG’ popped champagne and bought sports cars. Then the group and its associates ushered in a bold new era of crime where anything is possible.”
The Inside Job
“Robert Konashewych was a young police officer with expensive tastes, two girlfriends and a mountain of debt. Heinz Sommerfeld was recently deceased with a large unclaimed estate. Problem, meet solution.”
Jacked
“How Tulsa cops brought down a $500 million catalytic converter crime ring.”
This Is the Hometown of San Francisco’s Drug Dealers
“A housing boom in one area of Honduras, rooted in migration to the U.S., is being fueled by drug sales in San Francisco.”
