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In this series, L.A. Times staff writer Christopher Goffard revisits old crimes in Los Angeles and beyond, from the famous to the forgotten, the consequential to the obscure, diving into archives and the memories of those who were there.
L.A. Times reporter Christopher Goffard cuts through common myths and misconceptions to uncover what really happened in the most compelling cases from L.A. and beyond.
If you have information on old crimes, famous, once-famous or obscure, contact [email protected]
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was one of Charles Manson’s earliest disciples and remained devoted to him long after he went to prison. In September 1975, she brought a loaded gun to Sacramento’s Capitol Park with plans to confront President Ford.
The criminal trial was fresh in memory when the DMC-12 — equipped with the mysterious “flux capacitor” — served as a time machine in the 1985 hit “Back to the Future,” enshrining it in pop culture.
The McMartin Preschool trial ended with zero convictions. “McMartin” became a byword for social contagion, hysteria and the epic failure of trusted institutions: law enforcement, courts, the child-therapy establishment and the media.
Ronald Hughes was supposed to be another puppet, a neophyte attorney who would be easily manipulated — or intimidated — to do whatever Charles Manson demanded.
About 100 workers were in the Los Angeles Times building at 1:07 a.m. Oct. 1, 1910. Then 16 sticks of dynamite exploded at the anti-union newspaper, and people began dying.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Chang
Research: Cary Schneider, Scott Wilson
Photo editor: Marc Martin
Design: Taylor Le
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