Category Archives: #truecrimethursday

True Crime Thursday – You Could Be Breaking the Law if You…

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by Debbie Burke

 

Getting arrested in a foreign country can ruin a summer vacation. Here are five obscure laws you don’t want to violate, courtesy of Sydney Criminal Lawyers.com.au

1. Milan, Italy – Put a Big Smile on Your Face

Credit: Picryl

A city regulation dating from the Austro-Hungarian era requires residents and visitors to smile at all times. A grim expression could get you fined, unless you’re attending a funeral, working in a hospital, or visiting sick family members.

2. Sarpourenx, France – Die in the city limits and face severe punishment

Not the site of the actual crime. Photo credit: Eli Duke, CC by SA-2.0

The mayor of the city issued an edict “prohibiting people from dying within the city limits unless they had previously purchased a plot in a local parish cemetery.” So, what are they gonna do??? Kill ya???

3. Singapore – No Juicy Fruit, Spearmint, or Dubble Bubble

In 1995, Singapore enacted the “Anti-chewing Gum Regulation” to “promote cleanliness and avoid the costly problem of gum getting stuck on sidewalks.” And they’re serious. Penalties can be fines up to 200,000 Singapore dollars (approximately $155,000 US dollars) and/or three years in prison.

4. Oshawa, Canada – Hey, you! Get outta that tree!

Public domain, credit glenncarstenspeters

In 2008, the city passed legislation to protect trees on municipal property, prohibiting damage to a tree or any part of it. That includes “any interference with trees on municipal property, including climbing or attaching objects to them.”

Honeymooners, beware. Don’t carve your initials in trees owned by the city of Oshawa.  

5. Thailand – No topless driving

Credit: Chris Beckett

In Thailand, neither males nor females are permitted “drive a motorbike, car, or tuk-tuk without a shirt on.” Fines are apparently minimal, but do you want to take a chance of ruining your vacation?

 

Now relax and enjoy your visit to these countries, secure in the knowledge you won’t run afoul of obscure violations.

Bon voyage!

~~~

Cover by Brian Hoffman

 

In Dead Man’s Bluff, a romantic Florida vacation goes sour for Tawny Lindholm and Tillman Rosenbaum when an old friend disappears during a hurricane. Their search for him takes them deep into treacherous floodwaters where human predators prove more dangerous than reptiles. Buy at online retailers or ask your favorite indie bookstore to order for you.

Solo Summer Travel Tips For Females (Or Anyone!): How to Lower Your Crime Risk

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Street-smart solo female travel safety tips to lower your target risk and stay in control.

I’m going to be brutally honest here. We spend an awful lot of our time and attention on employing safety efforts and dwelling on the false belief that we can actually cocoon ourselves in real safety. Helicopter parents and people, take note: the idea of safety is a sham. There is no safe place in the world. Just look at the daily news for proof.

I’m not saying this to alarm you or grab you with a fear-mongering hook. I’m saying it because we have to call a spade a spade. Until we look this problem in the eye, we’ll be kidding ourselves (and our children!) all the way to the grave.

That said, there are ways we can keep ourselves on the low end of the risk continuum. I’m borrowing that term from FBI agent, cold case detective, and personal friend Greg Cooper, who co-authored the book “Predators: Who They Are and How to Stop Them” with Michael R. King.

The risk continuum gauges how a person’s lifestyle, choices, locations, and activities place them on a scale from low to high risk for becoming a target of a predator.

Traveling alone as a woman can push you toward the higher end of that continuum if you don’t pay attention to how you move through the world. You need to notice more. Assess more. Think a few steps ahead. Not out of fear, but so that protective behavior keeps steering you lower on the continuum. You can’t eliminate risk. That isn’t realistic anywhere. But you can be prepared and fully present, because when you understand how environments work and where criminal intent tends to surface, you don’t move through a place as prey.

How To Be More Aware: Not Anxious

Before you step into an airport, set your mind on awareness. Notice who’s moving with purpose, who’s lingering without one, who’s paying attention to you instead of their own environment. To do this well, you have to put that phone away. No eyes glued to your screen.

Pay attention to subtle movements: someone standing closer than necessary when space is available, a person who adjusts their position more than once to stay near you, attention that feels focused rather than incidental. Most of the time, everything is normal. But when something isn’t, this is how it announces itself. When you notice it, you have time to move, to remove yourself, to alert security if needed.

Airports are high-distraction spaces. People are tired and focused on boarding times, and that creates opportunity for theft and deliberate targeting. Keep your belongings close, bags zipped, phone and wallet secured. When your attention is fully on your phone, you’re completely disconnected from your environment. Your safety in a chaotic space is more important than any call, text, or email.

Transportation Safety: Control the Transitions

Some of the most vulnerable moments in solo travel happen during transitions: leaving the airport, entering a vehicle, arriving somewhere unfamiliar. Slow down, pause, keep your head up, look around, and orient yourself before moving from place to place.

Before getting into any ride, pause. Confirm the driver’s name, photo, and license plate against what the app shows before you step inside. Once inside, share your route with someone who can confirm you’ve arrived when and where you’re supposed to.

If something feels off, act early. Even a simple question establishes presence and signals that you’re paying attention. Predators in any context always prefer a target who isn’t watching. Drivers who know their passengers are alert behave differently than those who see a distracted, disconnected passenger. Don’t be that passenger.

Hotel and Airbnb Stays for Women Traveling Alone

Where you stay becomes your base of control. The moment you arrive, take ownership of the space. Check the locks. Understand entry points. Notice where the exits are and how you’d leave quickly if needed.

Airbnb safety for women starts before arrival. Review listings carefully, paying attention to access details, host reviews, and location context. A well-reviewed property in a walkable area with clear security measures is worth prioritizing over a cheaper option that introduces uncertainty.

In hotels, keep your room number private and never repeat it aloud in the lobby. Verify anyone claiming to be staff before opening the door. Use all available security features, not just the main lock. A portable door stop alarm is one of the most practical things you can travel with. You lower your risk when you understand your space and take control of it.

Navigating Public Spaces: Move With Purpose

When you’re walking through a city or using public transit, your presence communicates more than you realize. People read movement. They notice hesitation, distraction, and uncertainty. Predators specifically notice these things, because those signals tell them you aren’t paying attention.

You don’t need exaggerated confidence. You need purpose. Keep your head up. If you need to check directions, step into a store or café rather than stopping in an open area. Choose a well-lit route over a shorter one. Position yourself near others instead of in isolated areas. Create distance early if someone enters your space without a clear reason. Your posture, pace, and awareness signal that you’re engaged and alert. Predators look for the easiest path to a target. Don’t give them one.

Social Interactions: Stay Friendly, Stay Boundaried

Travel is enhanced by the people we meet along the way, and most interactions are genuinely positive. But clear personal limits are a core part of lowering your risk as a solo female traveler.

You don’t need to share where you’re staying, where you’re from, or where you plan to visit next. You don’t need to reveal that you’re traveling alone. You can be warm and engaging without exposing information that raises your risk. Pay attention to how people respond when you redirect or decline. Respect is a signal. Pressure from a predator is also a signal, and it’s one worth taking seriously immediately.

Understanding How Predators Behave in Travel Environments

Predators look for the path of least resistance. Someone juggling bags and chatting on their phone is exactly what they’re scanning for. Someone hesitating in an open area, looking unsure, is exactly what they prefer. Your physical behavior is being read and interpreted. When you move with awareness and intention, you signal that you’re confident and paying attention. It may be the difference between becoming a target and watching a predator move on to someone who isn’t watching. You can’t eliminate the predator. You can absolutely raise the cost of targeting you.

Trust Your Instincts Immediately

One of the most important things you can do for your safety as a solo traveling woman is to listen to your instincts and act on them immediately. If something feels off, it probably is. Leave. Change direction. Create space. Move away from whatever is causing that hair on the back of your neck to stand up.

Instinct is pattern recognition working beneath the surface. It draws from everything you’ve seen, experienced, and processed, and it often registers a shift before your conscious mind catches up. You don’t need proof. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for acting on a feeling that something isn’t right.

Women are trained to override their instincts: stay polite, don’t make a scene, give someone the benefit of the doubt. But that is exactly what predators count on. Trust me, as someone raised in Michigan on Midwest nice, I have to remind myself regularly that I don’t have to be nice if I’m feeling threatened. Neither do you.

Travel Prep for Solo Women

Preparation lowers your risk before you ever leave home. These habits keep you on the lower end of the risk continuum from the start.

  • Know your route, your itinerary, and your backup options if plans fall through.
  • Share your full itinerary with someone you trust, including hotel addresses and check-in times.
  • Write an emergency contact number on a card kept on your person, not just in your phone. Memorize at least three numbers in case your phone is lost or stolen.
  • Keep copies of important documents in a separate location from the originals.
  • Download offline maps before you arrive so you can navigate without cell service.
  • Research your destination before you go: which neighborhoods carry higher risk, what local scams look like, and what the emergency number is.
  • Carry a personal safety alarm that clips to your bag or keychain.
  • Don’t publish your real-time location on social media. Post the beautiful photos after you’ve moved on.

Frequently Asked Questions: Solo Female Travel Safety

Is solo female travel safe?

Nowhere in this world is safe. You have to start with that premise. Think about it: even going to school or church can end in tragedy. But we can’t live paralyzed under that fear. What we can do is increase our awareness, preparation, and situational instincts to keep ourselves on the low end of the risk continuum. Solo female travel can be both rewarding and lower-risk when you take steps to reduce predator opportunity through intentional movement, clear personal limits, and the habit of trusting your instincts the second they show up.

What are the best safety tips for women traveling alone?

The most effective solo female travel safety habits: stay aware of your surroundings without hypervigilance, slow down at transition moments, trust your instincts before you have proof, maintain personal limits in social interactions without apology, and prepare in advance so unfamiliar environments don’t require real-time decisions in the open.

How do you stay safe in hotels or Airbnbs as a solo female traveler?

Take ownership of the space immediately on arrival. Check locks and understand entry points. Know where the exits are. In hotels, keep your room number private and verify anyone claiming to be staff before opening the door. Use a portable door stop alarm. With Airbnb, review access details, host reviews, and location context before booking.

What are the most dangerous moments in solo travel for women?

Transition moments carry the highest risk: leaving airports, entering unfamiliar vehicles, arriving at new accommodations, and navigating new public transit systems. These are the moments when you’re managing unfamiliar territory, baggage, tiredness, and maybe a new language all at once. Slowing down, pausing to orient, and verifying before moving are the most effective actions at each of these points.

How do you stay safe using rideshare apps when traveling alone?

Before entering any vehicle, confirm the driver’s name, photo, and license plate against what the app shows. Don’t get in until you’ve verified all three. Once inside, share your trip with a contact. Stay generally aware of your route. Predators prefer passengers who aren’t paying attention. Don’t be one.

How do you set limits with strangers while traveling without being rude?

You can be warm and still be private. You don’t need to explain that you’re alone, share your accommodation details, or provide personal information to have a friendly interaction. Redirect with brevity: “I’m just exploring” or “I’m meeting people shortly” closes the loop without confrontation. Pay attention to whether the person respects the redirect or pushes past it. That response tells you more than the initial approach did.

What should solo female travelers do if they feel their risk is rising?

Act on the instinct immediately. You don’t need evidence or a rational justification. Leave. Change direction. Move toward more people, a lit space, or a business. The urge to stay polite or avoid making a scene is real, but it’s exactly what criminal predators count on. Your safety is more important than the social comfort of the person who raised your instincts.

Is it safe to travel alone as a woman at night?

With intentional planning, you can significantly lower your risk. Choose well-lit populated routes over shortcuts. Know your destination before you leave. Share your route with someone. Use rideshare over walking in unfamiliar areas after dark. Trust your read of the environment: your instincts will register the difference between a busy neighborhood and an empty street before your logic does.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Dornbush is an author, screenwriter, and forensic specialist who brings crime stories to life with authenticity and heart. With a background rooted in real-world forensics and a passion for crafting unforgettable mysteries, Jennifer offers readers and viewers a front-row seat to the intersection of science, justice, and human nature. Jennifer’s crime expertise has made her a sought-after speaker, consultant, and educator. Through her webinars and master courses, Jennifer guides writers in melding suspenseful storytelling with forensic realism to the screen and page. Meet her at www.jenniferdornbush.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

True Crime Thursday – Kidlit Author Convicted of Husband’s Murder

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by Debbie Burke

In March 2022, Eric Richins died suddenly, two months before his 40th birthday, leaving his three young sons grieving. His obituary described him as a devoted family man married to the “love of his life,” Kouri. His funeral was held at the Henefer (Utah) LDS Church.

After his death, Kouri wrote and self-published a children’s book entitled Are You With Me? She claimed her motive for writing the book was to help her children through their grief but also to help other families dealing with loss of a loved one.

She promoted the book on a Utah radio station. According to the interview, “The book is based on questions that her children asked in the months after their dad died.”

Kouri planned to publish another grief-themed children’s book: Mom, How Far Away is Heaven?

But her literary career was cut short when she was charged with murdering her husband. She was accused of spiking his Moscow Mule with Fentanyl that, according to the autopsy, was five times the lethal dose.

Her motive for that act wasn’t as altruistic as writing a grief support book.

Kouri reportedly believed she would inherit the successful businessman’s estate. She had also taken out multiple life insurance policies on him while having an affair.

But Eric had discovered the love of his life had run up more than a million dollars in debts and he had cut her out of his will years before.

Kouri was charged with insurance fraud, forgery, and aggravated murder for pecuniary gain, as well as attempted murder for a previous unsuccessful attempt to kill Eric on Valentine’s Day, 2022.

The evidence against Kouri included her phones and other devices that showed damning online searches:

“what is a lethal.does.of.fetanayl,” “can cops.uncover deleted.messages iphone,” “women utah prison,” “if someone is poisned what does it go down on the death certificate as,” “death certificate says pending, will life insurance still pay?” and “luxury prisons for the rich in america.”

When they married in 2013, the couple had a prenup agreement that kept Eric’s prior assets separate, including the home the family lived in. Kouri’s financial deceptions included: taking out a quarter-million-dollar home equity line of credit on that residence without Eric’s knowledge; running up charges on his credit accounts; and diverting money that was earmarked to pay taxes. She also changed beneficiaries on a life insurance policy from Eric’s business partner to herself. The insurance company became suspicious and alerted Eric who removed her as beneficiary.  

The Richins’s housekeeper, who received immunity for her testimony, stated that in the months prior to Eric’s death, Kouri asked her repeated times to buy illicit drugs, including Fentanyl. The housekeeper obtained drugs through acquaintances and delivered them to Kouri.

On Valentine’s Day, Kouri left Eric a sandwich in his truck with a “love note.” Soon after he ate it, he broke out in hives, and had trouble breathing. He used an EpiPen to treat himself and reportedly told a friend he believed his wife had tried to kill him.

During the three-week trial, more than 40 witnesses testified for the prosecution. Defense attorney Wendy Lewis claimed the prosecution’s investigation was “sloppy” and “driven by bias.”

“Everything about this investigation was led by [Eric Richins’] family. They started on day one, and they continued until trial,” the defense attorney said. “They are the ones who initially hired and paid for experts. Their private investigator gave information to the police.”

The jury of two women and eight men only took three hours to find Kouri guilty on all counts.

On May 13, 2026, Eric’s 44th birthday, Kouri was sentenced to life without parole.

This video includes the victim impact statements from her sons that their therapists read for the court.

 

Letters she wrote to her sons from prison have reportedly been returned unopened.

The book Are You With Me? has been removed from sale by Amazon. Goodreads still includes reviews of it. The majority are one star.

A big thank you to Lindsey Hughes for alerting me to this true crime story.

~~~

TKZers: Crime writers often joke about worrying their online searches look suspicious to law enforcement. Do you have suggestions for authors doing research that could appear incriminating?

 

 

 

 

 

True Crime Thursday – Blurry Line Between Fact and Fiction

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by Debbie Burke

Here’s a familiar trope in crime fiction: an author protagonist details a fictional murder that the author is later accused of. The book they wrote is used as evidence to prove their guilt or innocence.

Today’s True Crime story is a real-life case that carries that trope to the extreme.

In 2000, a Polish businessman named Dariusz Janiszewski disappeared. Four weeks later, his body was pulled from the River Oder near Wroklaw in southwest Poland. He had been tortured and tied with a rope noose around his neck that fastened to his ankles, pulling him into a painful backward cradle shape. If he struggled against the bonds, the noose would tighten, strangling him.

According to a scholarly paper (public domain) by Katarzyna Struzińska entitled “The Murderer as Writer, Storyteller and Protagonist: The Case of Krystian Bala”:

“The autopsy revealed that Janiszewski most probably died because of ligature strangulation; however, owing to some indicators showing that he was still alive when someone dropped him into the river, the possibility of death by drowning was not excluded [34]. Furthermore, the traces left on the deceased’s body showed that he had been beaten and starved for several days before he died.”

The gruesome crime shocked the community but there were no leads. The case went cold for several years.

Then in 2003 an author named Krystian Bala self-published a grisly novel entitled Amok that described a murder with specific details similar to Janiszewski’s death. The protagonist was named “Chris”, a variation on “Krystian.” Chris was portrayed as an arrogant narcissistic sadist who pushed beyond the limits of social, religious, moral, and legal boundaries.

A detective named Jacek Wroblewski had been working the unsolved cold case. When he learned about Bala’s book, he pursued that line of investigation, gathered some damning circumstantial evidence, and questioned Bala.

The alleged motive was jealousy for an affair between Janiszewski and Bala’s wife. A polygraph was inconclusive.

Bala reportedly confessed to the murder but then recanted. 

Per Polish law, he was released after 48 hours because of insufficient evidence.

Bala made public accusations against the police, claiming he’d been kidnapped, a plastic bag placed over his head, and tortured during questioning. His claims were disproved but the media had already kicked into high gear. The sensational case went viral with articles in Europe as well as international publications including The Guardian and Time.com.

Without physical proof or eyewitnesses, the detective continued to collect more circumstantial evidence. Phone calls to the victim shortly before the murder were traced back to Bala. He had also done online research about hanging and strangulation. Within days of the murder, Bala had sold Janizewski’s stolen phone through an internet auction site.

Meanwhile Bala vehemently protested his innocence, claiming an “oppressive police and justice system” had “treat[ed] the book as if it was a literal autobiography rather than a piece of fiction.”

In 2008, an in-depth account by David Grann was published in the New Yorker after Bala’s trial. Grann examined Bala’s background, influences, and beliefs. It’s a long article but gives considerable context detailing why many people were convinced of Bala’s guilt.

Grann’s article quotes Bala’s friend and former classmate Lotar Rasinski:

“He would tell these tall stories about himself,” Rasinski says. “If he told one person, and that person then told someone else, who told someone else, it became true. It existed in the language.” Rasinski adds, “Krystian even had a term for it. He called it ‘mytho-creativity.’ ”

Struzińska’s paper observes:

“Bala’s case might be one of the first stories that drew global attention to such a possibility of crossing the border between facts and fiction; nevertheless, this case of a writer-murder is not one-of-a-kind. For instance, in 2018 world media extensively covered the story of Nancy Crampton-Brophy, an American romance novelist, author of the novel The Wrong Husband and the essay How to Murder Your Husband, who was accused of killing her spouse, and in 2017 there was similar coverage of the case of Liu Yongbiao, a Chinese author (e.g., of the novel The Guilty Secret), who was sentenced to death for murdering four people after a 20-year-old cold case was solved [cf. 14, 17, 23, 26].”

During Bala’s 2007 trial, the court decided his book couldn’t be treated as evidence but still found him guilty based on other circumstantial evidence. He was sentenced to 25 years. He appealed and the case was retried, again resulting in conviction. He continued to protest, ultimately presenting his case to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Poland. They decided against him, which ended his legal recourse.

The case inspired Dateline-style true crime shows in Europe. Grann’s New Yorker article was reportedly optioned for film.

Despite the publicity, Struzińska’s paper says Bala admitted his book only sold a few thousand copies. He claimed to be writing a second book while in prison but apparently it has not been published.

Grann’s article quotes Bala as saying:

“I’m truly convinced that one day my book will be appreciated,” he said. “History teaches that some works of art have to wait ages before they are recognized.”

Bala achieved notoriety but the jury’s still out on the author’s “work of art.”

~~~

At TKZ, we often joke about police knocking on our doors based on our internet research.

As a writer, how consciously do you draw the line between fact and fiction?

~~~

 

In The Villain’s Journey-How to Create Villains Readers Love to Hate, discover fictional and real-world villains to inspire your own stories.

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True Crime Thursday – Government License and Permit Scams

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by Debbie Burke

You may be familiar with email and text scams from fraudsters claiming you missed jury duty or owe traffic fines or road tolls. Immediate payment is demanded, or they threaten you’ll be arrested, your driver’s license suspended, yada, yada, yada.

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When such messages are sent by email, they’re called “phishing.” Those sent by text are “smishing.”

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

Many victims fall for these scams because the convincing messages look and sound like the government agencies they supposedly represent. Plus they play on fear and urgency.

Well, criminals have stepped up to a new level of sophistication.

If you plan to build, remodel, make additions, or otherwise change the use of your property, you may need to obtain permits and/or licenses. When a business or individual applies, the information filed for those projects is publicly available and can be accessed by criminals. That includes the property address, as well as actual code numbers for required permits.

In some states (like Florida), even a change as small as replacing a window requires permits, inspections, and, of course, fees.

Zoning and licensing departments are usually backed up, causing delays in project completion while the property owner waits for inspections and re-inspections before they receive approval to continue.

So it’s not surprising to receive an email that appears to originate from these agencies demanding fees. If you don’t pay immediately, they warn your project will be delayed, disapproved, and blocked.

Anyone who’s ever built a house or developed property understands the frustration of constant delays, as well as fees on top of fees on top of more fees.

Criminals are quick to recognize new profit opportunities. Permit and license scams are among the latest.

The FBI issued a public service announcement on March 9, 2026, warning about the recent rising trend of phishing emails from criminals impersonating government departments.

According to the PSA:

  • The emails contain detailed, accurate information about planning and zoning requests, including property addresses, case numbers, and the true names of city and county officials.

  • The emails use professional language, formatting, and imagery consistent with legitimate government communications for planning and zoning applications, including review processes, planning commission procedures, regulatory compliance, and relevant ordinances.

  • The email addresses contain usernames similar to city or county planning and zoning departments but originate from non-governmental domains, such as “@usa.com”

  • Email delivery may be timed to coincide with ongoing communications with city and county officials regarding the permitting process.

  • Attached PDF invoices contain itemized statements of purported fees and direct applicants to request payment instructions via email, rather than telephone, to ensure a reliable audit trail for all correspondence related to the application. This is designed to deter the victim from calling the city or county office to verify the fees.

  • The emails emphasize urgency, threatening delays or other obstacles in the permitting process if the applicant does not immediately render payment.

So how do you determine if an email is real or fraudulent?

  • If they demand payment by wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment service, or cryptocurrency, it is a fraud. Government agencies do not require these methods. But criminals love them because funds can’t be traced, and you can’t recover your money.
  • Check the actual website (NOT the link in the email). You may find the agency has posted warnings with updates about new scams.
  • Call the agency using the phone number listed on their official website (NOT a number from the email). Find out if fees are actually due.

Some agencies even reach out proactively to warn of scams. For instance, a few days ago, I received an email from the Montana Secretary of State who handles business licenses. She warned impersonators were making bogus demands for fees from business owners.

Since her email didn’t ask for money, I knew it was genuine!

The FBI adds:

If you or someone you know has fallen victim to this impersonation scam, file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Be sure to include any available information including:

  • The email address, date of email, phone number, if provided;

  • The date of your project’s scheduled hearing, if applicable; and,

  • The amount listed in the fraudulent invoice, the method requested to pay fees, and bank account information, if provided.

Under the best circumstances, the permit and licensing process is glacial in speed.

Unfortunately, in some instances, internal corruption means shakedowns and bribes are required before a project moves forward. Remember The Sopranos?

Now phishing scams will mire systems even more as people call to find out if notices are fakes. Plus agencies must field complaints from victims who’ve been defrauded.

Ironically, so-called “artificial” intelligence is being used to create scams that appear increasingly real.

Credit: Andrea Pokrzywinski

As AI improves, new phishing emails may not smell as phishy as older versions but they still are frauds (phrauds?). 

~~~

TKZers: Have you encountered phishing or smishing?

~~~

In Stalking Midas, glamorous con artist Cassandra Maza doesn’t need AI. Instead, she uses charm and flattery to ensnare her latest prey: a cranky senior who loves his nine rescue cats. Then investigator Tawny Lindholm uncovers the scam. Cassandra has killed before and each time it gets easier. Now Tawny is in her sights.

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True Crime Thursday – Case of Missing Cemetery Records Solved…Sort Of

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by Debbie Burke

Last October, I wrote about a strange case in my hometown of Kalispell, Montana. Burial records of the historic Conrad Cemetery went missing.

For decades, Jim Korn, now 92, had been the sextant, caretaker, and groundskeeper for the historic cemetery and lived in a cottage on the property. He kept meticulous handwritten records, all stored in the cottage.

Documentation was almost entirely physical: thick volumes, index cards, and boxes of paper records. They included information about who was buried where, sale deed records of sites, and which sites were still available for purchase. Jim was trusted, respected, and beloved by many in the community.

Last year, when Jim began having medical problems, the cemetery board hired his son Kevin to help until a replacement could be found. Kevin was also supposed to help computerize the paper records.

Problems arose, causing the board to question operations.

Then last June, Jim and Kevin disappeared, along with volumes of burial records and several computers. The missing documents included the original deed book from 1903 when Alicia Conrad established the 104-acre site as burial grounds.

For six months, the cemetery couldn’t conduct normal business. Missing deeds for gravesites left families unable to bury loved ones. The cemetery association filed criminal and civil charges against Jim and Kevin Korn for theft and loss of revenue.

Further, the community was concerned about the unexplained disappearance of an elderly man in poor health.

At the time of my post last October, there were no leads.

New information surfaced in November, thanks to a concerned granddaughter and an old friend of Jim’s.

Michaela Preece is Jim Korn’s granddaughter and Kevin’s daughter. She lives outside Salt Lake City but spent much of her youth in Kalispell. Growing up, she had a close relationship with her grandfather.

She knew of Jim’s medical problems and that he came to Salt Lake from time to time for treatment. According to a November 30, 2025 article in the Daily Inter Lake newspaper, Michaela said:

“Knowing that he was sick, I’ve been trying to keep in touch with him every week or so, but depending on when I could get a hold of him, I kind of never knew where (Kevin and Jim) were.”

From the same article:

“Grandpa admitted to me that sometimes they sleep in rest stops or parking lots,” she said. “I had no idea about anything going on in Kalispell.”

Since then, the two bounced between staying with family in Boise, Idaho and Utah for medical visits. Jim’s long stints away from Kalispell concerned Preece.

“My grandpa’s not that way. He didn’t go on long trips and different things like that. He just didn’t,” she said.

When she learned Jim and Kevin had been accused of stealing cemetery property, she became alarmed, saying, “I just knew that I needed to do what I could to help my grandpa by trying to get the cemetery’s property returned. I just want what’s best for my grandpa.”

Michaela contacted family members, trying to determine their whereabouts. That led her to a distant relative in Libby, Montana. She learned Jim and Kevin had visited there in July 2025.

She asked whether the two had left anything at their house.

“They answered in the affirmative and told me I could come get anything at any time,” Preece said.

Meanwhile, a longtime friend of Jim’s named Travis Bruyer was also concerned for the elderly man. Travis is a Kalispell private investigator and retired deputy sheriff who does consulting work for TV and films. Travis explained: “Everyone I ever loved and have buried is in [Conrad Cemetery]. It was just important to be involved.”

Travis found Jim and Kevin at a residence in Boise, Idaho, and attempted to speak with Jim but was denied entrance. He asked Boise police to conduct a welfare check. They reported the Korns were safe.

That still didn’t answer many worrisome questions.

Acting on Michaela’s detective work, on October 20, Travis and the cemetery’s new sextant Jeff Epperly picked up the missing records from the relative’s home in Libby. Epperly stated: “[The documents] filled in the entire back end of an SUV, all the way up to the top.”

Deer graze at future gravesites at Conrad Cemetery, Kalispell, Montana

Conrad Cemetery is now able to conduct business and assist families with burials. Epperly is currently digitizing paper records, but the massive amount of information will take time to convert.

With the records returned, the cemetery board dropped the criminal complaint. However, the cemetery went six months without revenue, causing financial loss. The civil case against the Korns is still pending.

From the Inter Lake article:

When asked why the Korns did what they did, [cemetery board member Jeff] Ellingson said it may have been a reaction to feeling wronged by the cemetery for initiating a succession plan. He referred to written notes left behind among the records that indicated Jim’s outlook on the cemetery had soured.

“I think [Jim] actually thought he was protecting the cemetery by taking the records,” Epperly said. “We’re left to speculate until we’re able to talk it through with him.”

Preece suspected that her father was the driving force behind stealing the documents.

“Having grown up and known Kevin, him being denied that job. I think the ransacking of the office was basically a tantrum,” she said.  

The return of the records solved part of the case, but two questions remain:

  1. Why were they stolen?
  2. Is Jim Korn all right?

 

True Crime Thursday – Scam Pop Quiz

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by Debbie Burke

Let’s have a pop quiz to see if you can spot stealthy scam tricks.

Identify the differences in the following email addresses:

  1. SECURITYALERT@YOURBANK.com  SECURITYALERT@Y0URBANK.com
  2. fraud-alert@your#1creditcard.com      fraud-alert@your#lcreditcard.com
  3. securitywarning@shoppingsitewarning.com  securitywarning@shoppingsitewaming.com

Answers:

  1. The capital “O” is replaced a zero (0).
  2. The numeral “1” is replaced with the lower-case letter “l”. In some fonts, these two characters appear identical. But notice the slightly different spacing.
  3. In the domain name “m” is substituted for “rn” because they appear similar in some fonts.

Have you heard of homographs?

According to Merriam-Webster, the traditional definition is:

Two or more words spelled alike but different in meaning or derivation or pronunciation (such as the bow of a ship, a bow and arrow).

However, scammers have added a twist to create “homograph attacks.”

Attorney Steve Weisman explains:

A homograph attack is a type of cyber attack where attackers exploit look alike characters, often from different alphabets to create misleading domain names, usernames, or URLs that appear legitimate but actually lead to malicious sites.

Fraudsters constantly find new tricks like using “confusable letters” as defined by util.unicode.org:

Confusable characters are those that may be confused with others (in some common UI fonts), such as the Latin letter “o” and the Greek letter omicron “ο”. Fonts make a difference: for example, the Hebrew character “ס” looks confusingly similar to “o” in some fonts (such as Arial Hebrew), but not in others. 

Cyrillic letters used in Russian and other Slavic languages are especially popular with fraudsters because the characters often appear identical to letters used in English. The human eye can’t see the difference but the program on your computer or phone that “reads” the character can.

That tiny substitution allows fraudsters to redirect unsuspecting victims to bogus domain addresses.

Check out more details and examples in these articles from Guardio.io and Bleepingcomputer.com.

Stealthy tricks like these can fool even the most careful, vigilant consumer.

Scammers frequently send emails that appear to come from your bank, credit card company, or a shopping site you buy from. They warn that your account has been compromised or they ask if a suspicious high-dollar charge is valid.

If you click on their links, they redirect you to their own fraudulent website. Those feature logos and graphics that look exactly like those of the authentic websites. But those sites are clones created by scammers.

Texts can also appear to originate from the actual phone numbers of businesses or government agencies, but the numbers have been spoofed. If you call that number back, the call goes to the scammer.

Because the sender’s address or phone number appears totally legitimate, you might be tempted to click.

Don’t.

If you go there, they may download malware to your computer. Alternatively, they may pump you for personal information, asking you to verify your identity with your date of birth, Social Security number, etc.

Yup, that verifies your identity, all right—enough to allow them to steal it.

Impersonation and homograph attacks have recently become so prevalent, many government agencies and businesses now post warnings headlined at the top of their real websites.

In a truly ironic twist in September, 2025, three bold scammers impersonated the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the very agency whose function is to catch cybercriminals.

When you receive emails or texts with links, do not click. Close the message. To determine if the contact is legitimate, call the number on your credit card or billing statement.

Visit the website address shown on your billing statement. Don’t automatically assume the first website that appears in an online search is legitimate. Manipulation of logarithms can move misleading sites higher on search pages. 

If you click a link in error, immediately contact the real entity to report the incident so they can flag or freeze your account. If fraud takes place, additionally contact local law enforcement and IC3.

Thanks as always to Steve Weisman and his watchdog site Scamicide for alerting people to new twists.

What a world. Sigh…

~~~

TKZers: Have you experienced homograph attacks by email or text? Do you know of additional stealthy misleading tricks? Please share in the comments.

~~~

Looking for a binge bundle for a bargain? Try the three-book gift set of Tawny Lindholm Thrillers for only $5.99.

 

True Crime Thursday – Fumbled Felony by Clumsy Crook

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r/Wellthatsucks - a turkey on a cutting board

by Debbie Burke

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today’s True Crime occurred on the early morning of Thanksgiving 2013 when a clumsy character attempted to rob a Miami Gardens, Florida gas station.

According to reports by odee.com, CBSNews.com, and NBCMiami.com, security video shows Johnny Anton Love, then 22, entering the store armed with a 9 mm Glock. He jumps over the counter and demands money from the clerk. In the process, he drops his hat and stumbles back and forth to find it. Next he fumbles with a plastic bag, trying to open it to carry the cash.

Then he puts his gun down while he takes his time choosing candy and gum from sales displays.

The clerk remains calm, suggesting he take some beer also. While Love meanders to a cooler in the back of the store, the clerk sounds the alarm.

Love loads up the plastic bag with beer. When he exits the store, the bag busts like an overstuffed turkey. Bottles roll around the parking lot. Love is apparently preoccupied with trying to stuff his gun back in his pants and corral the escaping beer, and doesn’t notice the police officer who responded to the alarm.

He is taken into custody without incident.

The merchandise and $722 cash were recovered and Love spent Thanksgiving in jail held without bond.

Overstuffing a turkey can mean a mess to clean up and increased risk of salmonella. 

Overstuffing a plastic bag can mean arrest and jail. 

~~~

True Crime Thursday always falls on Thanksgiving, reminding me how thankful Io am to be part of The Kill Zone family and for the many writing friends I’ve met through TKZ.

Wishing you all a day of gratitude, good food, and good memories with loved ones.

True Crime Thursday – Cemetery Records Disappear

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by Debbie Burke

Today’s true crime case is a real head scratcher. It involves a missing father and son and burial records that disappeared from a cemetery in my hometown of Kalispell, Montana.

 

Founded in 1903, Conrad Cemetery is the final resting place for early settlers in the Flathead Valley and continues to serve the area to the present day. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Greek Revival-style monuments rest on 104 acres of rolling hillsides that overlook the city of Kalispell. Orange lichen adds patina to granite and marble headstones from the early 1900s.

 

The cemetery has more than 18,000 burial sites. Every Memorial Day and Veterans Day, flags decorate the lush green grounds. Ceremonies commemorate sacrifices by members of the armed services. A number of my veteran friends are buried there including Fred Salter.

 

 

For decades, a sextant named James “Jim” Korn, now in his 90s, has overseen management of all records and groundskeeping. Many families whom he assisted consider him a trusted friend. He is a walking encyclopedia of history, names, dates, legends, and lore.

Jim lived on the cemetery grounds in a quaint yellow cottage with records stored on the lower level. When he began to have medical problems, his son Kevin was hired to assist with the job until a replacement sextant could be found.

Then, keys went missing. The only keys were traced to Jim and Kevin. The keys were returned but the cemetery board of directors became suspicious.   

In June 2025, a board member and maintenance workers discovered the cemetery office had been ransacked.

Jim and Kevin were nowhere to be found.

Also missing were computers, phones, printers, backup thumb drives, and boxes of index cards that recorded gravesite purchases. Their value exceeds $2500. 

The last contact was an email later in June purportedly from Jim, saying he would respond to the board’s questions after talking with his attorney. 

According to the Daily Inter Lake newspaper, in August the cemetery board filed a civil lawsuit against the Korns for taking the records and demanded their return.

The whereabouts of the Korns remains unknown. The records are still missing.

With no way of knowing which gravesites had already been sold, the cemetery can’t sell new sites, which stymies ongoing operations. Worse, mourning families have had to delay funerals or find other cemeteries.

Hundreds of local residents have come forward, offering their personal family records to help recreate the missing documents.

The strange incident raises two big questions:

  1. Where are Jim and Kevin Korn?
  2. Why steal records that have no value except for cemetery operations?

Given Jim’s good reputation, people are concerned for the wellbeing of the man in his 90s. Is he alive?

What motivation is behind the theft? Did the thief plan to hold records hostage hoping to extort money for their return? Is there a personal grudge involved?

Until the Korns are located, or the records are returned, the crime remains unsolved and speculation will continue.

~~~

TKZers: What do you make of this mysterious crime? Can you think of other possible motives?

~~~

 

The Villain’s Journey-How to Create Villains Readers Love to Hate covers many unusual motives for crimes. Check out strange motives and stranger villains at:

Amazon      ebook  paperback   hardcover

Barnes & Noble   ebook   paperback

Apple Books

True Crime Thursday—Weird Animal Cases

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by Debbie Burke

Police Officers never know what they’ll find when they answer a call. Here’s a collection of unusual cases involving animals that I uncovered on Police1.com.

Florida law enforcement duties include occasional alligator wrangling. This body cam video from July 2025 shows an amazingly calm officer, Deputy Richardson of the St. John’s County Sheriff’s Department, responding to a gator allegedly trespassing in a resident’s pool. Notice how gently he tucks the gator’s tail into the back seat of his cruiser.

https://www.police1.com/animal-control/i-know-youre-mad-fla-deputy-removes-gator-from-pool-with-bare-hands-buckles-it-into-cruiser

Police1.com also posted a roundup of weird cases from 2023:

In May:

“Springfield, Colorado police found that a suspected drunk driver switched places with a dog before being contacted. ‘The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,’ said police.”

In July:

“An Oak Grove, Missouri police officer working the midnight shift took time out to help a raccoon whose head was stuck in a jar after a brief foot pursuit.”

 

August 2023 was an especially busy month for critter calls.

“Police in Norfolk, Nebraska, pulled over Howdy Doody, a Watusi bull known as a celebrity in northeast Nebraska, and his owner Lee Meyer while the bull was riding shotgun in an old police cruiser. Meyer was stopped for vision obstruction.”

From Colorado: 

“Douglas County, Colorado, sheriff deputy Lee Jazombek responded to the call of the distressed bear and met up with Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer Sean Dodd, who was already on the scene where a bear became trapped in a dumpster. The officers fashioned a ramp that allowed the bear to escape.”

A K9 shows his versatility in this situation.

“In New York, Carmel Police Department Officer Vincent DeSantola and his K9 Pietro responded to the report of 30 goats loose in the roadway. The dog, a German shepherd, lived up to his name by helping corral the goats who were quickly returned to their pen.”

On the subject of herding, an anonymous officer left the following comment that demonstrates dog cookies aren’t just for dogs:

“I ‘herded’ several loose pigs down a busy highway, into a residential area, back to where the pigs lived. I kept their interest in following me by offering them dog cookies, which I keep in my patrol car.”

Law enforcement sometimes uses special talents not usually associated with criminal apprehension, like voice impressions.

“A Pierce County, Washington deputy barked like a K-9, tricking teen car theft suspects into surrendering when they thought the dogs were on the way.”

And last but not least, people who own Golden Retrievers often joke the breed is so friendly they’d welcome a burglar breaking into their home. Here’s video proof:

“San Diego, California home surveillance video shows a burglar taking a bicycle from a garage and being confronted by the homeowner’s dog. The Golden Retriever approaches him as he exits the garage with the stolen bike where the crook stops to give the undisturbed dog belly rubs.”

 

 

Sorry, pup, you just flunked the entrance exam for guard dog school!

Thank you to Police1.com for permission to quote from their site.

~~~

Conference news: October 3-5, 2025, the Flathead River Writers Conference happens in Kalispell, Montana. This is the 35th year for the event which has earned an international reputation for friendliness, education, and inspiration. I’m teaching a Friday workshop on The Villain’s Journey and would love to meet TKZers in person. Hope you can join us! Details.

~~~

TKZers: do you have any critter crimes to report? Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.