Straight Killers

Bradley Murdoch became one of Australia’s most infamous killers after murdering British backpacker Peter Falconio in the Northern Territory Outback in 2001. The case shocked Australia and the United Kingdom due to the remote desert setting, the disappearance of Falconio’s body and the terrifying survival story of Falconio’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees. Murdoch was portrayed as a violent drug-running truck driver with links to criminal networks across remote Australia. His conviction became one of the country’s most high-profile murder cases, inspiring documentaries, books and films while generating decades of speculation about what truly happened in the Outback. Murdoch maintained his innocence until his death from throat cancer in 2025, never revealing the location of Falconio’s remains.

Brendan Banfield was convicted of the aggravated murders of his wife, Christine Banfield, and Joseph Ryan in Fairfax County, Virginia, on February 24, 2023. Prosecutors said Banfield and the family's au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, were having an affair and devised a scheme to lure Ryan to the Banfield home and make it appear that he had killed Christine before being killed himself. Banfield was convicted in February 2026 of two counts of aggravated murder, firearm use and child endangerment. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in June 2026 and has since filed notice of an appeal.

Brian Christopher Laundrie was an American man who became the central figure in the disappearance and death of his fiancée, Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito, in 2021. Their cross-country road trip attracted international attention after Petito disappeared and Laundrie returned to Florida without her. The couple had been travelling across the western United States in a van, documenting their journey on social media. In August 2021, police in Moab, Utah, responded to a reported domestic dispute involving the couple. Weeks later, Petito stopped communicating with her family, while Laundrie returned to Florida alone. Petito's remains were discovered on September 19, 2021, in the Spread Creek area of Wyoming. The Teton County coroner determined that she had died from blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation. The FBI's investigation identified Laundrie as the person responsible for her death. Laundrie disappeared shortly after returning to Florida and became the subject of a nationwide search. His remains were found in October 2021 in a nature reserve near his parents' home. Investigators recovered a notebook containing written statements in which he claimed responsibility for Petito's death. Laundrie died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before he could be prosecuted for her killing. His death ended the criminal investigation without a trial, but the FBI concluded that he was responsible for Petito's death.

Brian Steven Smith is a South African-born convicted murderer who was found guilty of killing two Alaska Native women, Kathleen Jo Henry and Veronica Abouchuk, in Anchorage, Alaska. The case became known as the “Memory Card Murders” after a sex worker stole Smith's cellphone and discovered footage of Henry being tortured and killed. She copied the footage to an SD memory card and gave it to police, providing the breakthrough that connected Smith to the murders. Smith was convicted of all 14 charges against him in February 2024 and sentenced to 226 years in prison.

Bricen John Rivers was convicted of the capital murder of his former girlfriend, 22-year-old Lauren Johansen, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, in July 2024. Rivers had been released from a Tennessee jail only days earlier while facing charges stemming from a violent assault on Johansen. Despite court-ordered restrictions, he returned to Mississippi and went to Johansen's home. Prosecutors said he abducted and beat her to death before driving away in her car with her body. Rivers was captured after a six-hour manhunt and ultimately pleaded guilty to capital murder in August 2026. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Bruce McGregor Davis was a prominent member of Charles Manson's Family who was convicted for his involvement in the 1969 murders of musician Gary Hinman and Spahn Ranch worker Donald "Shorty" Shea. Davis joined Manson's group during the late 1960s and participated in crimes committed around the period of the notorious Tate-LaBianca murders, although he did not participate in those killings. After spending more than a year as a fugitive, Davis surrendered in 1970 and was convicted in 1972 of two counts of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder and robbery. Originally sentenced under California's indeterminate life-sentence system, he has spent decades in prison, where he became a born-again Christian, pursued higher education and repeatedly sought parole.

Bruce Koklich became known in true crime coverage after being convicted in connection with the disappearance and presumed murder of his wife, millionaire real estate broker Jana Koklich, in Michigan. The case generated major media attention because Jana vanished without a trace in 2009, leaving investigators to pursue a homicide prosecution despite never recovering her body.

Caleb Flynn is an American convicted murderer and former church music pastor who murdered his wife, Ashley Flynn, in their home in Tipp City, Ohio, on February 16, 2026. Flynn, 40, initially told police that an intruder had entered the family home and shot Ashley while she slept. Prosecutors argued that the burglary was staged and that Flynn himself was responsible. The prosecution's case centered on Flynn's affair with 24-year-old church intern Alleigha Botner, extensive text messages between them, digital evidence contradicting Flynn's account of his movements, and forensic evidence from the crime scene. Flynn was convicted in September 2026 of aggravated murder and multiple other charges. On October 5, 2026, he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, with additional consecutive sentences for firearm specifications and evidence tampering. Flynn continues to maintain that he did not kill Ashley and his attorneys intend to appeal.