Houston's Darkest Hours

When Death Came to the Alley Theatre—and Not on the Stage

Iris Siff was working late inside her office when a man entered and strangled her with a phone cord.

11/26/2018 By Morgan Kinney

Houston's Darkest Hours

The Candy Man Who Wasn't So Sweet After All

Dean Corll was known for passing out sweets to kids in the Heights. But he turned out to be one of the most brutal, calculating serial killers of the 20th century.

11/26/2018 By Timothy Malcolm

Houston's Darkest Hours

How the Sharpstown State Bank Brought Down Texas’s Top Politicians

It all started when Frank Sharp wanted to see some favorable banking bills pushed through the Texas legislature.

11/26/2018 By Dianna Wray

Houston's Darkest Hours

Murder and Intrigue in River Oaks Proves Truth Is Stranger than Fiction

This notorious case gripped the city for years, each twist and turn more unbelievable than the last.

11/26/2018 By Abby Ledoux

Houston's Darkest Hours

The Chilling Tale of the Icebox Murders

Houston’s most infamous unsolved crime starts with a horrifying discovery.

11/26/2018 By Nicki Koetting

Houston's Darkest Hours

The Strange Case of the William Marsh Rice Murder

Spoiler: The butler (and another guy) did it.

11/26/2018 By Catherine Matusow

Ice House

How to Thwart Porch Pirates This Holiday Season

Real-life Grinches are out there.

11/26/2018 By Gwendolyn Knapp

Bad Business

19 Houston Businesses Cited in Illegal Fish Trade Crackdown

Local businesses took the bait in a Texas Parks and Wildlife sting.

04/18/2018 By Cory Garcia

Holiday Thievery

'Tis The Season For... Wallet and Purse Snatching?

At a Target in December, I got robbed in the Christmas section.

12/22/2017 With Gwendolyn Knapp

The Information Superhighway

Are You Easy Prey for Cyber Criminals?

We've got 8 ways to protect yourself from hackers and phishers.

08/17/2017 By Jason Bargas

Crime Lit

Karin Slaughter's The Good Daughter is a Small-Town Thriller With a Strong Female Lead

“As a writer, I wanted that challenge to write about a difficult woman and the daughters that she raised.”

08/08/2017 By Allyson Waller

Law & Order

An HPD Meet-and-Greet Underscores the Importance of Community

"We’re concerned with what’s happening here in Northside," says HPD Vice Division Captain Dan Harris.

07/18/2017 By Julia Gsell

Murder is No Joke

5 True Crime Podcasts to Kill Time While Traveling this Summer

Featuring several Houston-specific episodes.

06/16/2017 By Kyndall Krist

Heroes

Houston Indian-American Nonprofit Rewards Man Who Intervened in Deadly Shooting

India House Houston presented Ian Grillot with a $100,000 check for his bravery.

03/30/2017 By Roxanna Asgarian

Ice House

Welcome to Houston, the Armored Car Robbery Capital of the World

Houston doesn’t have particularly high rates of other violent crimes, so why is it that our town has suddenly become The Town?

03/21/2017 By Sarah Rufca Nielsen

Ice House

How Did the Once-Largest Bank Heist in Houston History Happen?

Fifty years ago, with the Bayou City exploding, a bank that couldn’t keep up paid the price.

01/23/2017 By Adam Doster

News

Texas’s 2016 Execution Tally Was the Lowest Since 1996 — Here's Why

Houston-based Texas Defender Services is trying to ensure the judicial system functions properly even in the most extreme circumstances.

12/29/2016 By Adam Doster

Crime

The Harris County DA Invites Law-Breaking Citizens to "Make It Right"

A new program allows those with non-violent misdemeanors to have offenses and warrants removed from their records.

07/18/2016 By Liz Hardaway

News

Study Suggests Lethal Police Shootings Less Likely in Houston

A Harvard study examines use of police force in 10 cities across the nation, including our own.

07/12/2016 By Katharine Shilcutt

Poughkeepsie to Polunsky

In Texas, Death Row Inmates Through the Eyes of a New York Artist

A supermax prison isn't the best place to sit for a portrait, but Peter Charlap's subjects have no other choice.

04/28/2016 By Roxanna Asgarian