What’s in the hold, captain? Oh nothing, just tonnes upon tonnes of illegal Chilean bass — nothing to see here!
Crime
When Your Father Recruits You for a Life of Crime
Archie Moretti believed he could steal and get away with it. It’d just take a little nepotism.
The Most Common Airbnb Scams: A Roundup
“…these emails paint a portrait of a platform whose creators are fundamentally unable to track what goes on within it, and point to easily exploitable loopholes that scammers have steamed their way through by the truckload.”
Chuck Coma Comes Home
Every year, thousands of people are assaulted in federal prisons and left to deal with their trauma. Chuck Coma, a two-time combat veteran incarcerated for armed robbery, was nearly killed by his cellmate. When he was eventually released, Chuck returned home unable to remember years of his life and suffering from uncontrollable tremors.
Reporter Uncovers Airbnb Scam. Airbnb Shrugs, Pockets Money
Oh by the way, Airbnb makes money on cancellations, too.
Fugitive Justice
After stumbling upon the scene of the capture of an escaped murderer, clinical social worker Jennifer Lunden grapples with the polarities of innocence and guilt, social neglect and social justice.
‘Victims Become This Object of Fascination… This Silent Symbol.’
Rachel Monroe talks about the pitfalls of the true crime genre. “I had this feeling like I can see the whole thing and nobody else understands… That’s a real trap that we as reporters can fall in.”
An 14-Year Neighborhood Feud Involved Restraining Orders, Spells, and Jail Time
In Miami, a long-standing feud with his neighbor — a top-level cop with a history of making false accusations against people — leads graphic designer Mark Cantor to several wrongful arrests, expensive litigation, unsatisfying exoneration, and an ongoing civil suit.
The No. 1 Ladies’ Defrauding Agency
What a 19th-century scammer can teach us about women, lying, and economic boom-and-bust cycles
The Mortician and the Murderer
An incredible photo essay in which both the images and words tell the crazy story of imprisoned mortician David Sconce (up for parole in 2022). In the ’80s, Sconce turned his family’s California funeral home into a mass crematorium and black market body part- and organ-harvesting business.
