Unsolved Mysteries
Definitions in Criminal Justice
Serial Killers
Court
Crimes on Screen
100

This Victorian-era unidentified killer terrorized London’s Whitechapel district in 1888, murdering at least five women.

Who is Jack the Ripper?

100

The unlawful killing of another human being with malice aforethought.

What is murder?

100

This cult leader ordered multiple murders in 1969, including the shocking murder of actress Sharon Tate in her Los Angeles home.

Who is Charles Manson?

100

A lawyer representing the state in a criminal case.

Who is the prosecutor?

100

This long-running crime show follows a team of profilers in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit.

What is Criminal Minds?

200

This serial killer left cryptic letters signed with a crosshair symbol for newspapers in California in the late 1960s, and his identity has not been discovered to this day.

Who is the Zodiac Killer?

200

The standard of proof required in a criminal case.

What is beyond a reasonable doubt?

200

Serial killer Richard Ramirez was referred to by this nickname up until his arrest in 1985.

Who is The Night Stalker?

200

The term used to describe when a jury cannot reach a unanimous verdict.

What is a hung jury?

200

The 1991 film about a cannibalistic psychiatrist named Hannibal Lecter.

What is The Silence of the Lambs?

300

In 1971, this man hijacked a plane, demanded $200,000, and parachuted into the night, sparking many theories as to his identity or motive.

Who is D.B. Cooper?

300

Threatening someone to gain money or property.

What is extortion?

300

This man, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history, was responsible for the Chi Omega murders in 1978.

Who is Ted Bundy?

300

The 1954 Supreme Court case that ended racial segregation in public schools.

What is Brown v. Board of Education?

300

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as a con artist chased by the FBI in this true story.

What is Catch Me If You Can?

400

The identity of this 1970s California serial rapist and killer wasn’t revealed until 2018 via DNA evidence.

Who is the Golden State Killer (Joseph DeAngelo)?

400

The Latin term meaning “guilty mind,” required for most crimes.

What is mens rea?

400

Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, a sadistic, murderous Canadian couple became known by this nickname.

Who are The Barbie and Ken Killers?

400

Evidence that could prove a defendant’s innocence is called this.

What is exculpatory evidence?

400

The infamous serial killer who inspired various horror films including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Psycho, and The Silence of the Lambs?

Who is Ed Gein?

500

This 1959 disappearance of nine Russian hikers in the Ural Mountains remains unsolved and has sparked numerous theories ranging from a military cover-up to a Yeti attack.

What is the Dyatlov Pass Incident?

500

Killing another person in the heat of passion is called this.

What is voluntary manslaughter?

500

Known as “The Son of Sam,” this killer claimed a demon dog told him to kill.

Who is David Berkowitz?

500

The “not guilty by reason of insanity” defense was famously used by this attempted assassin of Reagan.

Who is John Hinckley Jr.?

500

This popular Netflix documentary tells the story of Christopher Watts who murdered his pregnant wife Shannan and their two daughters and buried their bodies in an oil field due to an affair he was having with his coworker. 

What is American Murder: The Family Next Door?