On October 16, 2016, 17-year-old Kaytlin Root's body was found in St. Joseph, Missouri, stabbed, strangled, and throat-slashed. Investigators linked her murder to Amanda Bennett and Sebastian Dowell, who lured her via Facebook messages. Both pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; Dowell received a life sentence with parole eligibility in 2042, while Bennett, tried as an adult, also received a life term with parole eligibility in 2042 under Missouri law.
Between 1990 and 1993, five women in the St. Louis area were found murdered and packaged in containers like trash cans or mattresses. Gary Muehlberg, already serving a life sentence for murder, was linked to the crimes via DNA in 2023. He received additional life sentences for four of the victims in March 2023, marking the first closure after 32 years.
Between 1990 and 1993, five women in St. Louis and surrounding areas were murdered and found packaged in containers like trash cans or mattresses, earning the killer the nickname "Package." Gary Muehlberg, already serving a life sentence for another murder, was identified through DNA analysis after 32 years, leading to additional life sentences for four of the victims in 2023.
In Shasta County, California, 23-year-old Jessica Bradford was convicted of first-degree murder after an infant's body was discovered in a utility closet at a school where she worked. The baby, named Lilly, died four days after birth, found 48 days post-birth. Bradford received a 25-year-to-life sentence with parole eligibility after 25 years.
In 2023, Steven Riley Jr., 51, died from ethylene glycol poisoning after falling for a $37 million inheritance scam. His girlfriend, Ina Kenoyer, also believed in the scheme. Kenoyer pleaded guilty in 2024 to fraud, receiving 25 years in prison with 25 suspended, probation, and restitution to Riley’s family.
In October 2012, Gail Spencer was brutally murdered during a home invasion in Macon, Georgia, as perpetrators sought access to her law firm's escrow accounts. Tracy Jones gained entry by falsely claiming her car broke down, allowing accomplices to enter and steal credentials for wire transfers totaling $1.3 million. Gail was beaten, killed, and concealed with bleach and a lowered thermostat to delay decomposition. The crime unraveled after a tip led to arrests, resulting in life sentences for all involved.
In January 2020, 10-year-old Gannon Stauch was reported missing by his step-mother, Letecia Stauch. After a month-long investigation, she was arrested in South Carolina on murder charges. His body was found in Florida in March 2020. Stauch was convicted in 2023 of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
In Ocala, Florida, in 2019, Ajike Owens, a mother of four, was shot and killed when confronting neighbor Lorincz, who was verbally abusing her children. Shots were fired through her apartment door. In August 2023, Lorincz was convicted of manslaughter for the incident.
On May 23, 2019, Charles Lock’s body was found bound with duct tape. Investigators linked 45-year-old Kalvin Allison, his neighbor, to the crime via evidence including similar tape, string, and tire tracks. Allison was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. He is also a person of interest in the 2015 death of his sister-in-law, though no link has been established.
Bernardo Mendez, 34, of Lubbock, Texas, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to murder charges linked to the 2015 death of 51-year-old Herbert Fetherolf. Indicted 8 years after the crime, he received a 15-year prison sentence from Judge McClendon in the 137th District Court.
In October 2021, 33-year-old postal worker Jason Schaefer was fatally shot during a mail delivery in Longmont, Colorado. His child's mother, 27-year-old Devan Schreiner, was convicted of first-degree murder in March 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.
Steven Williams, Tricia Todd's ex-husband, was convicted of second-degree murder and child neglect after her remains and evidence were found in a Florida wildlife area following her disappearance over a month earlier. He received a 35-year prison sentence for murder and five years concurrently for neglect.