Articles tagged as Crime | Smithsonian Magazine

Christopher Isherwood and poet W.H. Auden (right) were romantic partners, but their sexual relationship in the 1930s was punishable by criminal prosecution in England.

The private member’s bill will not go ahead

Updated: October 21, 2016 | Originally Published: October 21, 2016

The creators of SurviVR consulted with members of the FBI and the NYPD, various intelligence analysts, Navy Seals and other security, terrorism and survival experts.

Face an Active Shooter in Virtual Reality, and You May Be Better Prepared to Survive a Real-Life Encounter

A new VR program called SurviVR aims to train employees how to deal with an active shooter situation in the workplace

October 20, 2016

Cool Finds

How Virtual Reality Is Helping Prosecute Nazi War Criminals

A new, detailed 3D simulation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp is helping prosecutors build stronger cases against these still-living Nazis

October 11, 2016

The historic apology to women in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police comes with steps to prevent future abuse

October 11, 2016

150 years ago today, the first-ever train robbery took place in Indiana, setting off decades of shoot outs and bloodshed

October 6, 2016

Al Capone's criminal record in 1932. Despite a litany of charges, he ended up being nabbed for tax evasion.

Cool Finds

This Letter Tells What Al Capone Was Up to in Alcatraz

Two words: prison band

September 26, 2016

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were all fun and games—until they felt wronged by their fellow gang members.

Cool Finds

Read a Chilling Letter From Bonnie and Clyde

Got $40,000? You could own an angry letter from the vengeful duo

August 29, 2016

It’s a hard case to crack

August 4, 2016

Convicted bank robber, Patty Hearst arrest photo

How the Abduction of Patty Hearst Made Her an Icon of the 1970s Counterculture

A new book places a much-needed modern-day lens on the kidnapping that captivated the nation

August 1, 2016

Fighting Fake Pharmaceuticals with Tiny, Edible Bar Codes

Researchers have created bar codes so small they can be embedded in medications, creating a tool to combat the global problem of drug fraud

July 29, 2016

No more guessing passwords

July 22, 2016

Artist sketches of D.B. Cooper, who vanished in 1971 with $200,000 in stolen cash.

The mysterious skyjacker got away clean

July 13, 2016

Would-be assassin Frank Holt, also known as Erich Muenter

The Harvard Professor Who Shot a Financial Titan and Fomented Anti-German Sentiment in a Pre-WWI America

Readers on July 4, 1915 learned the story of a would-be assassin who said he was trying to keep the U.S. out of the European conflict

July 2, 2016

Swiss cyclist Fabian Cancellara during a time trial in Utrecht, Netherlands, during the 2015 Tour de France

Organizers will use thermal cameras developed by the French nuclear agency to detect “mechanical doping” during the 2016 Tour

June 29, 2016

A memorial in solidarity with the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in front of Montreal's St. James United Church.

Hate crimes against LGBT people are far from rare

June 17, 2016

It's thought that JFK's heartfelt letter to his mistress, Mary Pinchot Meyer, was written just a month before his assassination.

Cool Finds

A Steamy Letter From JFK Is up for Auction

The president had a real way with the ladies—and with an em dash

June 3, 2016

Cool Finds

How Forensic Scientists Once Tried to “See” a Dead Person’s Last Sight

Scientists once believed that the dead’s last sight could be resolved from their extracted eyeballs

May 23, 2016

The Fight Against Ginseng Poaching in the Great Smoky Mountains

A profitable black market for the native shrub pits the National Park Service against poor residents of Appalachia

April 21, 2016

William Heirens, aka The Lipstick Killer wrote this plea in lipstick on one of his victim's bedroom walls in 1946. It reads: For heavens sake catch me before I kill more/ I cannot control myself

New Research

CSI Sephora: New Technique Helps Identifiy Lipstick Brands From Crime Scenes

Researchers refine the way forensic technicians collect and analyze lipstick evidence

March 16, 2016

The Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower. Twice.

“Count” Victor Lustig was America’s greatest con man. But what was his true identity?

March 9, 2016