Crime

Painted in the 1640s or 1650s by Flemish artist Erasmus Quellinus II, the portrait first arrived at Chatsworth House in 1838.

Missing for Four Decades, This Unusual Double Portrait of Rubens and van Dyck Has Finally Resurfaced

The 17th-century painting, stolen in a 1979 heist, turned up at an auction in France in 2020. It recently returned home to Chatsworth House in England

A grand jury tasked with investigating the riots argued that the violence outside Peekskill “was basically neither antisemitic nor anti-Negro in character.”

The Peekskill Riots Revealed the Racism and Antisemitism Hidden Beneath the Surface of the Anti-Communist Movement

In the summer of 1949, World War II veterans protested a pair of concerts held by Paul Robeson, a Black singer and civil rights activist who expressed support for communist causes

Self portrait, Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, 1917

A New Exhibition in Amsterdam Explores the Holocaust Through Looted Objects

"Looted" examines how the Nazis systematically plundered Jewish cultural items during World War II

The Oak Ridge observation tower was one of the vandalized sites at the Pennsylvania park.

Vandals Spray-Painted Graffiti on Historic Structures at Gettysburg National Military Park

Police have identified a suspect, and preservationists have removed "all traces" of paint

Human flesh might resemble this nice beef fillet.

What Does Human Flesh Taste Like? The Answer Depends on Who You Ask

Cannibals have weighed in with different opinions. Some say it tastes like pork, while others say like veal—and still others say like nothing else

Tutankhamun's tomb was one of the few royal Egyptian burials left largely untouched by ancient looters.

Discover the Hidden History of Tomb Robbing in Ancient Egypt

Criminals plundered the riches of Egyptian pyramids and underground burials, often within a few years or, in some cases, within a few hours of occupants' interment

The Sodder children, from left to right: 14-year-old Maurice, 12-year-old Martha, 9-year-old Louis, 8-year-old Jennie and 5-year-old Betty

What Happened to the Sodder Children, the Siblings Who Went Up in Smoke in a West Virginia House Fire?

Authorities said the Christmas 1945 blaze was accidental, but the victims' family believed otherwise, theorizing it was an act of arson designed to distract them while their loved ones were kidnapped

A case in the Green Vault's jewel room

Dazzling Jewels Stolen in Green Vault Heist Go Back on Display in Dresden

In the early morning hours of November 25, 2019, thieves made away with 4,300 valuable diamonds and other stones

A police officer poses with the fake Leonardo da Vinci portrait.

Art Dealer Arrested for Trying to Sell a Fake Leonardo da Vinci for $1.4 Million

French customs officers seized the imitation when they discovered the man’s export license had expired

Jackie Robinson was the first Black athlete to play in modern Major League Baseball.

A Youth League's Stolen Jackie Robinson Statue Has Been Replaced

The original statue of the pioneering baseball player vanished from a ballpark in Wichita, Kansas, earlier this year

Tourists walk along the Via dell'Abbondanza, one of Pompeii's major streets.

Tourist Carves His Family's Initials Onto a Wall in Pompeii

In recent years, officials have seen a series of similar incidents at Italy's most popular historic sites

The artifact had been on view at a table inside the British Museum in London.

This Art Student Stole a Coin From the British Museum—and Dropped It in the Donation Box

Ilê Sartuzi briefly pocketed a 17th-century coin to make a statement about looted artifacts held by the museum

In "Lady in the Lake," Natalie Portman plays a fictional journalist who investigates a pair of mysterious deaths. The cases are inspired by the real-life disappearances of Esther Lebowitz and Shirley Lee Parker.

The Real Story Behind the Baltimore Deaths That Inspired 'Lady in the Lake'

A new mini-series offers a fictionalized take on two unrelated 1969 cases: the mysterious disappearance of bartender Shirley Lee Parker and the murder of 11-year-old Esther Lebowitz

President Ronald Reagan, pictured waving to a crowd shortly before John Hinckley Jr. tried to assassinate him on March 30, 1981

The History of Presidential Assassination Attempts, From Andrew Jackson to Teddy Roosevelt

Before last weekend's attack on Donald Trump, would-be assassins unsuccessfully targeted Ronald Reagan, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and seven other sitting presidents or candidates for office

The five-foot-tall bronze statue was installed in Peace Park in the '90s.

A Statue of a 12-Year-Old Hiroshima Victim Has Been Stolen

The monument to Sadako Sasaki, who died of leukemia in 1955, vanished from Peace Park in Seattle

The blade, known as Durandal, was embedded in rock more than 30 feet above the ground.

Fabled Sword From Medieval French Folklore Disappears

Known as the "French Excalibur," the blade is said to have hung from a rock face in the village of Rocamadour for 1,300 years

An 18th-century illustration of a jury of matrons

How All-Female 'Juries of Matrons' Shaped Legal History

Courts called on these jurors to determine whether women sentenced to death were pregnant or faking it to avoid execution

The watch is engraved with the words, "THEODORE ROOSEVELT FROM D.R. & C.R.R."

Theodore Roosevelt's Long-Lost Pocket Watch Surfaces at a Florida Auction House

Thieves stole the timepiece, a gift from the president's sister, from an unlocked display case in 1987

 A Kazakh tourist etched the letters "ALI" into a wall at Pompeii's House of Ceii.

Tourist Carves His Name Into Ancient House in Pompeii

The man damaged a wall in the House of Ceii, a dwelling celebrated for its beautiful frescoes

Arsenic tests for the Lydia Sherman trial of 1872

What a 100-Year-Old Lie Detector and 150-Year-Old Arsenic Tests Tell Us About Forensic Science Today

An exhibition at the National Museum of American History examines how humans influence and judge investigation techniques

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