Straight Killers

Paul Edward Hicks became known in Ohio criminal cases after being convicted in 2025 for the 2001 murder of his estranged wife, Regina Rowe Hicks. The case remained unresolved for more than two decades before prosecutors finally secured a conviction, turning the investigation into one of the region’s most significant cold case homicide prosecutions. Born on July 18, 1955, in Willard, Huron County, Ohio, Hicks was accused of killing Regina during a period of marital separation and escalating personal conflict. Investigators later alleged he attempted to conceal the crime and avoid responsibility for years while the case remained unsolved. The eventual conviction drew major attention because of the extraordinary delay between the killing and the courtroom outcome, highlighting advances in investigative persistence, forensic review, and cold case prosecution strategies.

Peter William Sutcliffe, known worldwide as the "Yorkshire Ripper," became one of the United Kingdom's most infamous serial killers after murdering 13 women and attempting to murder seven others between 1975 and 1980. Operating across Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, Sutcliffe evaded capture for more than five years despite one of the largest police investigations in British history. His crimes generated widespread fear, exposed major investigative failures, and permanently changed homicide investigations in the United Kingdom.

Rabbi Fred Neulander became one of America’s most infamous religious figures convicted of murder after orchestrating the 1994 killing of his wife, Carol Neulander, in a case widely known as “The Synagogue Murder-For-Hire.” A respected rabbi and prominent spiritual leader in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Neulander shocked the nation after prosecutors alleged he hired hitmen to murder his wife while maintaining the outward image of a devoted husband and community figure. The case generated enormous national attention because of Neulander’s status within the Jewish religious community and the calculated nature of the murder-for-hire plot. Investigators later uncovered evidence involving secret affairs, financial motives, and hired attackers who staged the killing to resemble a burglary gone wrong. The combination of religious authority, hidden double lives, and contract killing allegations made the case one of the most notorious clergy-related murder prosecutions in modern American criminal history.

Rebecca Cleland became known in true crime coverage after being convicted in a conspiracy to murder her husband, Bruce Cleland, during what prosecutors described as a staged “reconciliation dinner” in California. Authorities alleged Cleland orchestrated the killing while pretending to repair the failing marriage, turning what appeared to be a private dinner meeting into a planned execution. The case generated major media attention because of the calculated betrayal involved and the prosecution’s claim that the reconciliation attempt was deliberately used to lure Bruce Cleland into a vulnerable situation before the murder occurred. Investigators later uncovered conspiracy evidence, relationship conflict, and communications tied to the plot. The shocking domestic deception and calculated setup turned the homicide into one of California’s more disturbing spousal murder conspiracy cases.

Richard Matthew Allen became one of America’s most heavily discussed accused killers after being arrested in connection with the Delphi murders in Indiana. The case became a worldwide true crime phenomenon because investigators released haunting audio and video evidence from the crime scene while the murders remained unsolved for years. Allen’s arrest shocked the public because he had lived quietly within the Delphi community for years while allegedly remaining hidden in plain sight. The investigation generated enormous online obsession, countless internet theories and massive media scrutiny, turning the Delphi murders into one of the most discussed American homicide investigations of the modern internet era.

Richard Beasley became known as the “Craigslist Serial Killer” after orchestrating a series of murders involving fake job advertisements posted online in Ohio during 2011. Prosecutors alleged Beasley used Craigslist employment listings to lure financially vulnerable men to isolated rural locations where they were robbed, shot, and buried in shallow graves. The case generated national attention because it exposed how online classified platforms could be exploited by violent offenders targeting strangers. Investigators later connected Beasley to multiple killings and attempted murders linked to the fake employment scheme. The horrifying combination of internet deception, execution-style murders, and burial sites hidden in wooded areas made the case one of the most infamous online predator serial killer investigations in modern American criminal history.

Richard Francis Cottingham became one of the most infamous serial killers in American history after murdering numerous women and girls in New York and New Jersey between 1967 and 1980. Known as the "Torso Killer" because several victims were dismembered, Cottingham targeted women he encountered in hotels, bars, and areas associated with sex work. Following his arrest in 1980, he was convicted of multiple murders and later confessed to additional killings, making him one of the most prolific identified serial killers in the northeastern United States.

Richard Glossip is an American man whose murder conviction became one of the most controversial criminal cases in modern U.S. legal history. Convicted in connection with the 1997 killing of motel owner Barry Van Treese in Oklahoma City, Glossip maintained his innocence for decades while facing multiple execution dates. The case drew international attention due to allegations of unreliable testimony, prosecutorial concerns, and questions surrounding the integrity of the conviction. His legal battle became a major focal point in debates over the death penalty, wrongful convictions, and the reliability of incentivized witness testimony.