Latest Stories

Most recently published stories in Criminal.

Story of Larry Hoover
Larry Hoover Legacy in Reform and Pop Culture For more than half a century, the name Larry Hoover has carried a weight that echoes through Chicago’s history and American urban culture. Often discussed in connection with crime, controversy, or organized street life, Hoover’s identity became a symbol far larger than the man himself. But beyond the headlines, beyond the mythology, and beyond the notoriety, there exists a lesser‑known story: the story of a human being who evolved, reflected, transformed, and worked to redirect others from the path he once walked. It is this story — the one buried beneath decades of public narrative — that reveals the depth of Larry Hoover’s transformation.
By Organic Products about a month ago in Criminal
The Man Who Never Stole Twice
They said the city raised criminals the way oceans raised storms—slowly, inevitably, without apology. Every alley had a memory, every cracked sidewalk knew a name that never made it into daylight. In this city, crime wasn’t rebellion. It was inheritance.
By Jhon smithabout a month ago in Criminal
Ephrata Mayor Ralph Mowen & The 'House of Skulls': The Man Who Was Actually in Charge
The Great Escape Timing is everything. On Monday, January 5, 2026, Ralph Mowen walked out of Ephrata Borough Hall for the last time. After 30 years as Mayor, he was given a hero’s farewell. There were handshakes, a commemorative plaque, and speeches about his "legacy of service." He was the friendly grandfather of the Borough, the man who handed out candy at the Fair and cut the ribbons at the Rec Center. He got to retire on his own terms, with his reputation sparkling clean.
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal
The Mayor’s Silence: Thomas Reinhold, Jonathan Gerlach, and Ephrata's 'House of Skulls'
The Promotion to Failure Thomas G. Reinhold isn’t a newcomer to Ephrata’s power structure; he is its architect. After spending over a decade (2012–2025) as Council President—rubber-stamping police budgets and prioritizing quick, unanimous meetings over deep scrutiny—Reinhold finally ascended to the Mayor’s office in January 2026.
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal
Multinational Crisis Part 2
Let’s go into the wild, where we don’t know what lurks in dark corners. Swamps, quicksand, and creatures, waiting to devour you, await. They will hunt you, subdue you, and then ravage you. Sounds fun, right? Didn’t think so.
By Alexandra Grantabout a month ago in Criminal
Who Was The Lady in Room 2805?
Jennifer Fairgate, a friendly woman who spoke with a German accent, checked into Room 2805 at the Oslo Plaza Hotel in Norway on May 31, 1995. She arrived alone and paid for the room in cash. Hotel staff did not request identification.
By Criminal Mattersabout a month ago in Criminal
The $23,000-a-Day Question: Ephrata spends $8.5 million a year for police. What are we actually buying?
The Invoice Arrives Every year, Ephrata property owners receive a tax bill. A massive chunk of that bill goes to one place: The Police Department. We are told this is the price of safety. We are told that we have a "Gold Standard" department that warrants premium funding.
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal
My Husband’s Dark Price for Wealth
Please don't be a ghost reader, do engage, let me also learn from you My husband asked me to ab0rt our babies for money r!tual after four years of childlessness, so that he can make money and take care of his poor mother and also relocate to UK.
By Edward Smithabout a month ago in Criminal
The Quiet Code of Broken Men
They called the place the Yard, though no grass ever grew there. It was a cracked rectangle of concrete behind an abandoned textile mill, fenced with rusted wire and watched by nobody who officially existed. To the city, it was a dead zone. To the men who gathered there after midnight, it was a community.
By luna hartabout a month ago in Criminal
One Mile Away: Why the Yeadon Police Department had to drive an hour to do Ephrata’s Job
The Commute to Justice On the morning of January 7, 2026, a convoy of unmarked police vehicles merged onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike. They were driving West, away from Philadelphia. They were detectives from the Yeadon Police Department (Delaware County).
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal
The "Revitalization" Lie: How Ephrata’s Obsession with 'Curb Appeal' Hid a House of Horrors
The Brand vs. The Bodies If you walk down Main Street today, you will see the banners. You will see the matching flower pots. You will see the "Welcome to Ephrata" signs designed to project an image of quaint, small-town prosperity.
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal
The $1 Deed: Did Jonathan Gerlach Transfer His Ephrata Property to Hide Assets?
The Paper Trail While the investigation into the Mount Moriah Cemetery grave robberies was quietly building, Jonathan Gerlach was already making moves to separate himself from his most valuable asset.
By Sunshine Firecrackerabout a month ago in Criminal