Murder Made Me Famous

On one tragic afternoon in 1995, the Queen of Tejano Music, Selena Quintanilla, was inexplicably shot down by the president of her fan club, Yolanda Saldivar, in a Corpus Christi hotel. Not only did Saldivar receive a life sentence in prison, but she was also cemented as the most hated woman in the Latin American community for taking the life of one of the most celebrated and influential Latin artists of all-time, selling over 60 million albums worldwide.

Blinded by her obsession for a man who wasn't interested in women with children, Susan Smith did the unthinkable; pushing her car into a lake, killing her two young sons. Smith's case first garnered national attention when - for 9 days - she made public emotional pleas for the safe return of her children, claiming her vehicle had been carjacked by a black man who drove away with her sons still in the car. Smith eventually plead guilty to killing her sons and was sentenced to life in prison.

As the leader of the Branch Davidians religious cult, David Koresh became highly known for leading his "Army of God" in a 51-day standoff against the Federal Government that resulted in the deaths of four ATF agents and over 80 Davidians. After stockpiling massive amounts of weapons in preparation for the apocalypse and alleged sex with minor cult members, the ATF raided their holy compound and burned down the center after their bloody standoff. Koresh was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the fire.

With estimates that run as high as 130 murders, Rodney Alcala's ruthless spree of murder, rape, and sexual assault throughout the 1970's has been widely compared to that of Ted Bundy's. During this time, Alcala took sexually explicit photos of hundreds of young men and women as a self-proclaimed professional photographer. Alcala was a contestant on the TV show, The Dating Game in 1978 - despite being a convicted rapist, registered sex offender, and being investigated for multiple murders. After two mistrials, Alcala was sentenced to death in 2010 and 120 of his horrific photographs were later released by police to identify any additional victims.

Known as the Teflon Don because charges against him would never stick, John Gotti was the invincible crime boss that ruled the streets of New York as head of the notorious Gambino family from 1985 to 2002. Following a four-year prison sentence for murdering a rival gang member, Gotti quickly rose to prominence in the Gambino family by leading his crew of mafia mobsters towards violent hijackings, illegal gambling, and selling drugs on the streets. Gotti was eventually hunted down by the FBI and sentenced to life in prison in 1992, but died of throat cancer ten years later.

In the span of only two years, Richard Ramirez became known as the "Night Stalker" for breaking into the homes of over 13 people in Los Angeles and viciously raping, torturing and often times, performing Satanic rituals on many of his victims as he brutally murdered them. During his trial, the courtroom famously included female fans of the serial killer. In 1989, Ramirez received 19 death sentences and died 23 years later from sickness while on death row.

The "Playmate Killer," Paul Snider, was the ex-husband of Playboy Model Dorothy Stratten. Snider was one of the creators of Chippendales, the male strip club chain, but he is most remembered as the killer of Stratten. Their marriage lasted barely a year. When Stratten developed a romantic relationship with acclaimed film director Peter Bogdanovich, Snider's jealousy led to murder-suicide. Stratten was killed by Snider in the Los Angeles apartment they had once shared. On the same day, Snider killed himself. Police believe he raped Stratten and sexually abused her corpse as his last twisted obsession of the Playmate of 1980.

Jim Jones was the cult leader and founder of the People's Temple. Known for his extreme beliefs on Christianity, socialist politics, and racial equality, Jones is infamous for the mass murder-suicide he led of over 900 of his followers in Jonestown, Guyana. Urging his church's members to drink a cyanide-laced punch as a sign of loyalty, the 1978 event resulted in the greatest single loss of American lives before 9/11.

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"The Hillside Strangler," Kenneth Bianchi, was a serial killer that terrorized Los Angeles between October 1977 and February 1978. But what cops didn't know was that he had a killing accomplice - his own cousin! During this time, Kenneth and his cousin Anthony went on a spree of kidnappings, rapes, and murders in the area and claimed the lives of 10 innocent people. Because the bodies of the victims were usually found on hillsides, the infamous "Hillside Strangler" name was born. When Kenneth was caught in 1979, he ratted out Anthony, and both cousins were sentenced to life in prison.

"Angry Betty" Broderick is the former suburban housewife who skyrocketed to fame

  when she murdered her ex-husband and his new, much younger, wife in their bed

  in 1989. The ultimate crime-of-passion story included explicit recorded phone

  calls during her contentious divorce and dramatic courtroom testimonies that

  captivated the country. Was she a woman wronged or just a jealous ex-wife

  hell-bent on revenge?  

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