George Martonaro was sentenced to life without parole on non-violent charges. In his 32 years in the prison system, he learned dozens of subjects, taught numerous courses such as creative writing to over 8000 inmates, and authored more than 30 books.
crime
When the artist, Melanie Willhide…
When the artist, Melanie Willhide, got her stolen laptop back, all her files were deleted by the burglar. Data recovery experts were able to recover some of them. The photos were corrupted, but she decided to exhibit the work. The show was titled after the burglar.
André Stander, a South African police officer…
André Stander, a South African police officer, robbed almost 30 banks. Sometimes he’d carry out a crime during his lunch break and then return to the scene as an investigating officer. He was caught but escaped, formed a gang and robbed more banks. He was eventually killed in Florida.
In a case of mistaken identity…
In a case of mistaken identity, an inmate spent 17 years in prison until they found his doppelganger who has the same cornrows, facial hair, and first name.
In 1803, an English town experienced…
In 1803, an English town experienced so many ghost sightings that its citizens formed armed ghost-patrols to catch the spirit. The hunt ended when a bricklayer dressed in white was mistaken for the ghost and shot in the face.
Chinese outsourcing
A Chinese businessman recently hired a hitman to take out a competitor for $282,800.
That hitman hired another hitman (offering $141,000). That man hired another hitman, who hired another hitman, who hired another hitman.
The fifth hitman simply asked the man to fake his death.
A 48 year old man in Ohio…
A 48 year old man in Ohio was arrested because he would not stop cutting the grass at the local public park. The grass was over 12 inches long, so he decided to cut it. He claimed he was just trying to save the city some money.
Steven Phillips, a man who spent…
Steven Phillips spent 24 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. When he was released in 2008, he received $6 million in compensation. Then, his ex-wife, who divorced him while he was in prison, sued to get part of the compensation. She did not receive a penny.
The first crime in Antartica in…
The first crime in Antartica in almost 20 years occurred when a 54-year old engineer stabbed his co-worker over spoiling the endings of books he was reading.
Removing lead from gasoline…
Removing lead from gasoline is thought to be one of the big factors that lead to the drop in the violent crime rate in America in the 1990s.