True crime is one of the most popular genres of podcasts listened to, videos watched, books read, and overall something that fascinates individuals everywhere. People become engaged in the how and the why questions of these cases, leading to the worldwide familiarity of the cases. Some of the cases that have been popular for many years include the case of JonBenet Ramsey, the case of Madeline McCann, and the case of the Menendez brothers. These cases all ended many years ago, with the most recent of these 3 occurring in 2007. A couple more recent cases that have gained media attention and popularity are the case of Gabby Pettito, and the case of the Idaho Four. If you look up any of these names into a search engine, or more commonly TikTok, you would find millions of results. But what exactly makes these cases and those like it so popular?
JonBenet Ramsey
On Christmas Day 1996, six year old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered inside her home in Boulder, Colorado. JonBenet was named
after her father, John Bennet Ramsey, and she was heavily involved in beauty pageants around her area. Her body was discovered in the basement of her family’s home, with authorities reporting a fractured skull. The autopsy reported that her ultimate cause of death was strangulation. Her mother, Patsy, found a ransom note on the staircase that had been written both with her Sharpie and on her notepad– meaning that the culprit wrote the note inside the Ramsey house. The length of the ransom note and the fact that it was written with Patsy’s marker on her notepad, make her parents prime suspects in their daughter’s murder. Forensic linguistics expert James Fitzgerald also recognized a similarity between the writing in the note and Patsy Ramsey’s own handwriting. The ransom note also has a heavy lack of emotion, which individuals who write these notes often have the intention to threaten or scare the reader, though this note does not. JonBenet’s brother, Burke Ramsey, was nine years old when his sister was killed. He did not speak publicly for 20 years, breaking his silence with a 2016 interview with Dr. Phil to address suspicions and media speculation. Given her involvement in beauty pageants throughout the state of Colorado, authorities reported that JonBenet also had multiple stalkers who may be responsible for the crime. Although there are many theories on who murdered JonBenet Ramsey, most of which include heavy speculation on her family, it is likely we will never truly know who is responsible for the murder of six year old JonBenet Ramsey.
Part of the reason that the case of JonBenet Ramsey has gained so much media attention is due to the fact that it is considered to be a cold case. It has been nearly 30 years since the six year old girl was found dead in her home, and authorities have still never found anyone guilty. The fact that the individual responsible for this crime is left up to the interpretation of audiences is something that heavily draws more people into the details of this murder. This case also draws people into asking the why questions, given the fact that the victim in this case was only six years old.
Madeleine McCann
On May 3, 2007, three year old Madeleine McCann went missing from a Portuguese holiday apartment, while she was on vacation with her family. Her parents and their friends went out for dinner at a restaurant within the complex. Madeleine and her younger twin siblings were left to stay in the apartment, which was 100 yards away from the parents’ dinner location. The adults created a system of taking turns checking on the children throughout the night, and when it was Madeleine’s mother, Kate McCann’s turn, she entered the apartment to find her daughter missing. In May of 2011, three years after their daughter’s disappearance, her
parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, released a book titled “Madeleine” which revolves around her disappearance. As of today, both Madeleine and her abductor still have not been located. Most of the suspicion around the case revolves around Madeleine’s parents, as her father was involved in something called the “red shoes club”.
This case often draws people into the how questions, as the fact that both Madeleine and her kidnapper have not been caught is extremely unsettling. For those that believe her parents had involvement in her kidnapping, it draws them into the why questions, seeing as it is their own daughter. This case is yet another example of one that has become open to public interpretation, as they have not found the culprit. This case has been highly discussed on media platforms, such as podcasts and TikTok, and although many individuals have theories, by this point it is unlikely that Madeleine will ever be located and brought home.
The Menendez Brothers
In the summer of 1989, Kitty and Jose Menendez were found shot to death in the den of their Beverly Hills home. Initially, police had suspected a mafia hit as Jose was an extremely wealthy CEO, and one of his ex-business-associates had ties to mobs. Following a nearly $700,000 spending spree within six months of the murders, their two sons Erik and Lyle Menendez were arrested for the
murder of their parents. This case shocked the nation at the time, given two things: crimes like this were not common in the Beverly Hills area, and more importantly– why did they do it? After being charged, Erik and Lyle claimed that they had been experiencing physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their father. The first trial was declared a mistrial, and they ended up having to go through a retrial. Both trials were extremely emotionally charged, and both brothers detailed the graphic abuse they experienced throughout their lives. After the retrial came to an end, the pair were sentenced to consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
After the second installment of the MONSTER Netflix series was released in October 2024, the Menendez case gained extreme media attention once more. People all over social media platforms became obsessed with the injustice of their sentencing and the abuse the pair experienced. Following the release of the series, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office began receiving loads of calls and emails regarding the case. These prompted former District Attorney George Gascon to review the case, and ultimately he recommended release of the brothers. Gascon also said he believed the brothers were abused and cited Erik and Lyle’s rehabilitation in prison as one reason he made the recommendation for a lighter sentence. They were resentenced to 50 years to life and are now eligible for parole. They will have another shot at parole in three years but could request an administrative review in one year that, if granted, would place them in front of parole boards again in as little as 18 months.
Gabby Petito
Gabby Petito was a 22-year-old American YouTuber, who disappeared on August 27, 2021. Her and her fiance, Brian Laundrie had set on a cross-country vanlife adventure beginning on July 2, 2021 and set to last four months. After Petito’s disappearance, Laundrie raised suspicion when he drove the van from Wyoming back to his parents home in Florida and refused to discuss her whereabouts. Laundrie’s parents were consistently uncooperative throughout the investigation and were extremely protective of their son and his whereabouts. He was deemed a person of interest in her disappearance and a warrant was put out for his arrest for
making unauthorized withdrawals using her credit card. Laundrie left his parents home on September 13 and was reported missing four days later. On September 19, Gabby Petito’s remains were found in the Wyoming National Forest, and an autopsy ruled her cause of death as blunt force trauma and strangulation. After weeks of speculation of Laundrie’s whereabouts and his involvement, his skeletal remains were discovered in a public Florida park on October 20. His autopsy confirmed that he had taken his own life, and it was later discovered that he admitted to killing Gabby in a notebook found near his body.
The case gained widespread attention due to the couple’s documenting of their travels on social media, leaked police body camera video footage, 911 emergency dispatch call recordings, eyewitness accounts, the actions of Laundrie’s parents, and the extensive media coverage. This case tends to draw people into the why aspects, as their life on social media seemed ultimately perfect. This case also brought extreme awareness to domestic violence victims and the seriousness of them.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call 800-799-7233.
The Idaho Four
On November 13, 2022 four University of Idaho students, Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were murdered in an off-campus house in Moscow, Idaho. This prompted a months-long investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Investigators found a knife sheath on Madison’s bed, and ran it for DNA testing. After receiving multiple public tips, their sights set on a white Hyundai Elantra. A surveillance video from a neighbor’s RING camera was obtained showing an Elantra passing the victims’ home three times, beginning around 3:29 a.m. At 4:04 a.m., the Elantra returned for a fourth time. At 4:20 a.m., the car was seen speeding away from the victims’ neighborhood. After cell-phone tower records were released and the Elantra was identified, on December 30, 2022 28-year-old Bryan Kohberger was arrested and charged with the murder of all four students. Prior to his arrest, investigators monitored Kohberger outside his parents’ Pennsylvania home ,where he was seen multiple times wearing surgical gloves and placing trash bags inside a neighbor’s garbage can. Authorities also said Kohberger “cleaned his car, inside and outside, not missing an inch [of area]”. According to authorities, a search of the home where Kohberger was arrested revealed a knife, a pistol, and a black face mask, as well as ID cards inside a glove in a box. At the time of his arrest, Kohberger was a PhD student at the University of Washington, studying criminal justice.
This case gained extreme media coverage due to the extraordinarily violent nature of the killings, and drew the entire nation into the same question: why? Why would this 28-year-old studying criminal justice in Washington murder four students in Idaho? The fact that the culprit was studying criminal justice was another thing that gained lots of media attention as well, as this is not common. This case also intrigued people because Ethan, Xana, Madison and Kaylee were not the only four at the house during the time of the murders. The house was shared by two other girls, Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke who were left alive, raising even more questions surrounding why Kohberger only attacked Madison, Kaylee, Ethan, and Xana.
Sources
https://bouldercolorado.gov/jonbenet-ramsey-homicide
https://gabbypetitofoundation.org/gabbys-story
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2lkwzp0r81o
https://www.biography.com/crime/menendez-brothers-murder-case-facts
