Rachel

The Ovitz family, a unique Hungarian Jewish family of entertainers from what is now Romania, survived the unimaginable horrors of Auschwitz during World War II. Known as the largest family of dwarfs ever recorded, they ranged in age from a 15-month-old baby to a 58-year-old woman when they were imprisoned by the Nazis.

The family originally hailed from Maramureș County, Romania, and was descended from Shimson Eizik Ovitz, a rabbi and dwarf who fathered ten children, seven of whom inherited his dwarfism.

In the 1930s and '40s, the Ovitzes formed a performance group known as the Lilliput Troupe, where they sang in multiple languages, played instruments, and toured throughout Eastern Europe. Despite racial laws banning Jewish performances for non-Jewish audiences, they managed to continue performing until 1944.

When they were eventually deported to Auschwitz, they attracted the attention of Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi physician who conducted cruel experiments. Fascinated by the family’s genetic diversity, Mengele subjected the Ovitzes to numerous, often excruciating tests, which included painful medical procedures meant to study hereditary conditions.

Unlike many, the Ovitz family received relatively better treatment to keep them healthy for Mengele’s experiments. Remarkably, they survived Auschwitz’s liberation by the Soviet Red Army on January 27, 1945. Following their release, they endured a seven-month journey on foot to reach their home village, only to find it looted. They relocated to Belgium and eventually to Israel, where they continued to perform until their retirement in 1955.

This message was found scrawled above the body of one of the victims of the “Lipstick Killer”.

The serial killer’s modus operandi was to break into the homes of women in Chicago and brutally kill them. He also abducted and killed a six-year-old girl. Eventually, detectives identified 17-year-old William Heirens as the killer after he was caught trying to burglarize an apartment.

Between 1913 and 1926, John Hulbert served as New York State's executioner, a grim role that weighed heavily on him.

Over 13 years, he operated the electric chair 142 times, a duty that brought not only a steady income of $150 per execution but also relentless fear and isolation. Hulbert carried a gun at all times due to threats against his life and adhered to rigid habits—eating at the same restaurant and requesting the same waiter to avoid potential poisoning.

Dubbed “the man who walks alone,” Hulbert lived a solitary and somber life. The emotional toll of his job eroded his mental health, culminating in a breakdown in 1926. “I got tired of killing people,” he admitted, resigning from his position and retreating further into despair. His resignation marked the beginning of a deeper decline.

On April 9, 1993, Gary Gauger, a 40-year-old resident of McHenry County, Illinois, made a harrowing discovery: the lifeless bodies of his elderly parents, Morris and Ruth Gauger, brutally murdered on their farm. Their throats had been viciously slit. Gary, in shock and disbelief, immediately alerted police, recounting that he had been asleep when the tragic attack occurred and awoke to the horrifying aftermath. Little did he know, this tragedy would thrust him into a nightmare of false accusations.

Instead of receiving support and assistance, Gary found himself ensnared in a web of deceit orchestrated by the very authorities meant to serve justice. During questioning, detectives falsely claimed to have found incriminating evidence—bloody clothes and a knife—in Gary's possession. They further deceived him by alleging he had failed a lie detector test. Exhausted and vulnerable after an 18-hour interrogation, Gary was coerced into describing a hypothetical scenario in which he murdered his parents. This fabricated narrative was twisted and used against him as a confession, despite the absence of any tangible evidence linking him to the crime.

In a travesty of justice, Gary Gauger was wrongfully convicted of his parents' double murder and sentenced to death. However, in March 1996, the Second District Illinois Appellate Court overturned his conviction, citing the illegally obtained confession. Gary was finally released from prison, vindicated but scarred by years of wrongful imprisonment.

This picture is the last image of Nicholas Mevoli moments before he died.

Born on August 22, 1981, in Brooklyn, New York, Nicholas Mevoli was known for his adventurous spirit and dedication to freediving. Initially drawn to the underwater world through spearfishing, Mevoli soon became passionate about freediving, a sport that requires divers to descend into the depths of the ocean on a single breath without the use of breathing apparatus.

Mevoli quickly rose through the ranks of the freediving world. In June 2013, he set an American record by diving to a depth of 100 meters in the Constant Weight category, where divers descend and ascend using a monofin.

On November 17, 2013, Mevoli participated in Vertical Blue, one of the most prestigious freediving competitions held at Dean's Blue Hole in the Bahamas. During the competition, he attempted a dive to 72 meters in the Free Immersion category, a discipline in which divers pull themselves down and up a rope without using fins.

Mevoli successfully reached the target depth and began his ascent. However, as he neared the surface, it became apparent that something was wrong. He signaled distress and appeared disoriented. Upon surfacing, he attempted to complete the surface protocol—a series of actions divers must perform to prove they are conscious and in control—but he quickly lost consciousness.

Despite immediate medical attention, including efforts to resuscitate him, Mevoli was pronounced dead shortly after. The autopsy later revealed that he had suffered from pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs, which can be triggered by the extreme pressure changes experienced during deep dives.

The Boy Who Was Executed Twice

This photograph was taken in 1947 and shows convicted teenager Willie Francis sitting in his prison cell. He is seen holding a calendar with his execution date circled. At just 16 years old, Francis was sentenced to death for the fatal shooting of a drug store owner, who was also his employer.

Willie faced Louisiana's electric chair for the first time on 3rd May 1946, however an intoxicated prison guard botched the set-up of the chair - known as "Gruesome Gertie" - and the execution was not successful. Rather than succumbing to the volts surging through his body, Francis screamed  “I am not dying!” from behind the leather hood that had been placed over his head. The execution was stopped and Francis was returned to his cell. His survival made this the first failed execution in the United States involving the electric chair.

Alexxandra Morris was only 23 years-old when she was found murdered in Kansas City, Missouri on December 11th, 2017. Around 1:00 AM that day, Kansas City police were called to East 70th and Kensington near Swope Park. Once there, they found the body of a young woman near the road. She had been shot several times. 

Shortly thereafter, the deceased young woman was identified as Alexxandra Morris. It was clear that her death had been a brutal murder. Unfortunately, many questions still remain, such as: who killed Alexxandra? And why?

Alexxandra - who is sometimes referred to as Alexx, Lexi, or Sonny in other reports - was last seen by her family members on Thanksgiving Day. The family had gathered at Alexxandra's brother's house to celebrate the holiday. According to Alexxandra's mother, it was a good Thanksgiving. The family could have never predicted that it would be the last time they'd see Alexxandra alive. 

Very little information has been revealed about the investigation into Alexxandra's murder. A year after her death, Alexxandra's mother told reporters that she believed her daughter was killed elsewhere before being dumped at the intersection where she was found. Other than that, though, very few other details about Alexxandra's case are known. There are no known reports of witnesses or suspicious vehicles in the area from the time Alexxandra's body was found.