Best Crime History Websites

There are many reasons to check out the following two websites. Whether you're in need of a topic for an essay, interested in history, or just looking for some intriguing reading, these sites are chock-full of accurate, well-researched, comprehensive information. Below are my picks for two of the best Crime History sites on the internet.

truTV Crime Library
http://www.trutv.com

Formerly known as Court TV Crime Library, this might be the best, most in depth crime history/library site on the internet. The truTV crime library site is well maintained, and very user-friendly.

The stories and cases are organized by several categories: serial killers, notorious murderers, criminal mind, terrorists and spies, gangsters, and controversial cases.

Each category is further divided into subcategories, such as: most notorious, most popular, etc. There is also a keyword search, if you happen to be looking for something in particular. Additionally, there are always featured and spotlighted cases on the front page.

The stories and cases are very detailed, compelling, and well written. For example, the entry for John Wayne Gacy contains 20 page-long chapters, which are easily navigated via a tool near the bottom of the text. Each entry also has a bibliography as well, with full, professional sourcing and citations.

The truTV Crime Library is a reputable source, for anyone looking for information to use academically, or for sources within any writing-it's no Wikipedia. truTV Crime Library also offers a free newsletter, delivered via email.

About.com Crime/Punishment, Famous Crimes
http://crime.about.com

Private detective Charles Montaldo, the guide for About.com's Crime/Punishment site, has compiled a great crime history library, in the Famoous Crimes section of the site. His articles are well written, categorized nicely, and compelling.

Categories include: unsolved crimes and cold cases, serial killers, infamous murders, celebrity defendants, female offenders, child killers, cannibals, sadists, and parents who killed.

While each case is nowhere near the length or scope of the truTV Crime Library's entries, they are well researched, nicely summarized, while retaining all the important details and information. The cases and pages also include sources and bibliographical information.

The Crime/Punishment site contains a keyword search feature. In addition to the Famous Cases, where most of the crime history information is located, Montaldo has constantly updated information on his front page, including current cases, news, and quizzes to test your knowledge of stories and cases.

The About.com Crime/Punishment site offers a free newsletter, and has discussion forums as well.

Sources:

John Wayne Gacy Jr., famous Chicago serial killer-Crime Library on tru TV.com, Rachael Bell and Marilyn Bardsley, http://www.trutv.com