True Crime Reality

The pitch went like this: Chris Butler, a retired cop, ran a private investigator firm in Concord, California. His business had a fascinating angle - his firm was staffed entirely by soccer moms. In fact, Butler employed PI Super Moms: attractive, organized, smart, and trained in investigative techniques, self-defense, and weaponry. This American Life host Ira Glass described them as "MILF: Charlie's Angels." When this story came across Pete Crooks's desk when he was working at Diablo magazine in 2010, he was instantly hooked.

We may not always see what truly hides within the minds and hearts of certain people, and where we believe is a good, pure individual, lays a terrible murderer capable of the most horrible acts. Robert Berdella was one such man, a helpful and friendly individual who - in a spree separated by a few years - managed to capture and horrifically torture seven young men, murdering six along the way. Control and dominance were his tools, pain was his method.

Gabbi loves her wine almost as much as she loves her men. But being the attention whore that she is, she couldn't hang in there when her marriage needed mending; instead she ran to an old high school sweetheart, making up stories that her husband abused her so all would feel sorry for her. When friends would confront Gabbi with their disbelief of Travis' abusiveness, she would say that he put on a good act. Gabbi got what she wanted - for a while.

Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous detective in the world. The tales of his exploits have been seen in magazines, books, television screens, the movies and even in computer games. And yet, there is a mysterious side to this fictional character that has eluded and yet drawn us for decades.