A NewsBusters analysis of five leading liberal Capitol Hill reporters has found that, by a margin of roughly two-and-a-half-to-one (72 to 28), they have taken to X since the start of the government shutdown to condemn Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and the House for being out of session than they have highlighted crucial government programs like food stamps and pay for soldiers that have been affected by the Democrat-created crisis. With X posts starting with the shutdown itself on October 1 and running through Monday, NewsBusters chose five of the longest-tenured and well-known reporters on the Hill: PunchBowl’s John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman, The New York Times’s Annie Karni, independent reporter Jamie Dupree (formerly with Cox), and The Washington Post’s Paul Kane. Concerning attacks on Johnson and the House, we found 72 relevant tweets using the following terms: Calendar, district, House, out, session, votes, and work. Tweets specifically discussing Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) were not included. Karni had the fewest tweets with four and one was an X post of her October 25 article that read like a column: “Keeping the House Absent, Johnson Marginalizes Congress and Himself.” Showing the incestuous nature of the liberal D.C. press, Sherman shared Karni’s article as one of his 24 X posts about Johnson and the People’s House, calling it a “good [Annie Karni] story.” Back on October 3, Sherman posted on X that “House Republican leadership has been all over the map on whether to bring the House back.” Five days later, he huffed “House Republican leadership has felt fine keeping lawmakers at home and blaming the Senate.” Bresnahan also shared Karni’s punditry as one of his 13 whiny posts, adding a quote of hers: “Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to put the House on an indefinite hiatus … is the latest in a series of moves he has made that have diminished the role of Congress and shrunken the speakership at a critical moment.” “The government has been shut down for weeks & the House GOP leadership won’t bring their own members back. Pretty stunning,” Bresnahan said just over a week earlier on October 17. As for Dupree and Kane, they had 21 and ten X posts, respectively. This October 10 missive from Kane was particularly egregious in showing his bias. Check out his rejection of an argument that keeping the House around would make little sense (given they passed a clean continuing resolution): “This is a bonkers theory that some Rs are floating. Its core tenet suggests: Our members are too immature & insane to be here during important debates, better to hide them back in their districts. If this is the case, why should they ever be in DC? Abolish the House?” Last week, Kane blasted Johnson: “In Oct '23, Rs settled on a low-profile member to become speaker because he was only one who could get the votes & reopen House after 3-week shutdown. On Saturday @SpeakerJohnson celebrates 2-yr anniversary by overseeing 35-day-and-counting shutdown of House.” But when it came to substance, they were far less interested. To find our 28 X posts, we used these search terms: benefits, federal employee, federal pay, nutrition, pay, SNAP, troops, troop pay, veteran, and WIC. Kane and Karni tied for one X post each. Karni mentioned troop pay being in jeopardy on October 1, but as for Kane, he posted on October 16 about missed paychecks. However, he wasn’t concerned about missed pay for air traffic controllers, troops, or other government workers who defend country: “That’s a wrap on this week of shutdown. With Senate adjourned until 5:30 pm Monday, it’s official: Thousands of Senate staff will miss a full payment for time worked this month. They get paid 5th & 20th each month. They will get back pay at end of shutdown. But only then.” Brenahan was next as he fired off seven X posts on affected groups from October 1-27. Three were about troops, two on SNAP benefits, and one each on back pay and federal employees. Dupree had eight X posts about troop pay having been in question as a result of the shutdown. Incredibly, all of them were kvetching about the legality of finding work-arounds to continue paying our servicemen and women. “Maybe someone can cite the section of federal law which allows a President to move unused Pentagon funding into military pay for a new fiscal year - without Congressional approval,” he grumbled on October 11. In another, he complained four days later: “Is this constitutional?  31 U.S.C. §1301(a) states: ‘ Appropriations shall be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made.’ Does leftover Pentagon RDT&E funding have a 'reasonable, logical relationship' to military pay?  Doesn't seem like it.” Sherman had the most on 11 X posts about affected parties (seven on troops, three on back pay, and one on WIC). The liberal press have always been hostile toward Republicans and government shutdowns have long been an unfortunate but crystal clear contrast. But given the fact that this shutdown has been driven by their fellow liberals, these journalists have used social media to eschew the usual tactic of accusing Republicans of being heartless to instead complain about....process.

Lufthansa flight 431 from Chicago to Germany was forced to make an emergency landing in Boston on October 25 after an Indian national allegedly attacked multiple passengers.The suspect reportedly stabbed two minors, both 17, with a metal fork and slapped a female passenger before being subdued by crew members. The condition of the victims is unclear, but the injuries do not appear to be serious.He then allegedly 'raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger.'According to the Massachusetts District Attorney's Office, the assailant is Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, a 28-year-old Indian national who was previously admitted to the U.S. on a student visa and who enrolled in a master's program in biblical studies. According to the DA, "Usiripalli presently does not have lawful status in the United States."The DA report stated that Usiripalli allegedly struck the first victim, who was sleeping, in the shoulder area, then lashed out and attacked the second victim in the back of the head. The crew attempted to subdue him, and he then allegedly "raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth, and pulled an imaginary trigger." The DA stated that he allegedly managed to slap a female passenger and attempted to slap a crew member before being restrained.RELATED: Mass shootings at, near 2 historically black colleges on their homecoming weekends raise concerns about possible deadly trend Photo by Anadolu / Contributor via Getty ImagesThe flight was diverted to Boston Logan International Airport. Immediately upon landing, Usiripalli was taken into custody with the assistance of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations personnel. He has been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon while traveling on an aircraft with intent to do bodily harm. An initial court date has yet to be announced. The incident took place in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, meaning Usiripalli could face 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, as well as deportation if convicted.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The House Oversight Committee published a damning 100-page report on Tuesday deeming invalid those executive actions and pardons issued without proper authorization and with machine-generated signatures in former President Joe Biden's name.In a corresponding letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) noted that the committee had found "President Biden's aides coordinated a cover-up of the president's diminishing faculties" and "that these same aides utilized an ad hoc, inconsistent, and ineffective process to obtain President Biden's assent to certain key decisions, which raises significant questions about whether President Biden knew — let alone provided a decision regarding — the 'decisions' that, often through the use of an autopen, ultimately bore his signature."Comer asked Bondi to investigate all executive actions taken during Biden's time in office "to ascertain whether they were duly authorized by the president of the United States."Hours after the publication of the report and the committee's assertion that Biden's executive actions are "NULL and VOID," Bondi revealed on X that her "team has already initiated a review of the Biden administration's reported use of autopen for pardons."President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on June 4 directing the White House Counsel's Office to investigate, in consultation with Bondi and the head of any other relevant agency, "whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the president."Trump specifically tasked the investigators with looking into the "circumstances surrounding Biden's supposed execution of numerous executive actions" and reviewing the policy documents for which the autopen was used, including clemency grants and executive orders.RELATED: House committee declares unauthorized Biden autopen pardons 'void' in damning new report Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images The Oversight Project, a government watchdog group, concluded in a Monday report that after reviewing approximately 1,597 enrolled copies of documents bearing Biden's signature, 846 of 958 executive orders, pardons, commutations, and proclamations were signed with autopen.Of the Biden-era documents analyzed, Oversight Project indicated that 75% of the pardons — including for Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley, members of the Biden clan, and former members of the House Jan. 6 select committee — and 51.8% of the commutations were signed with autopen.'The "Pardons" that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT.'Bondi noted that Comer's "new information is extremely helpful, and his leadership on this issue is invaluable," adding that the DOJ will continue working with the House Oversight Committee "to deliver accountability for the American people."Ed Martin, the DOJ's pardon attorney who announced a similar investigation into the matter of Biden's alleged pardons in May, responded to Bondi's statement with emojis signifying police and the scales of justice. Martin also suggested that the Oversight Project's statistics regarding autopen usage during the Biden administration warrant "closer review."A determination that some or all of the Biden-era pardons are invalid could prove consequential for many of the recipients, including Fauci, the fifth director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who received a "full and unconditional" pass for possible federal crimes going back to 2014, and for Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whom Trump has accused of committing "treason." However, Trump has made clear that he especially wishes to see consequence visited on the former members of the House Jan. 6 select committee.Trump announced after the Oversight Project's initial exposé about the liberal use of the presidential autopen during the Biden administration,The "Pardons" that Sleepy Joe Biden gave to the Unselect Committee of Political Thugs, and many others, are hereby declared VOID, VACANT, AND OF NO FURTHER FORCE OR EFFECT, because of the fact that they were done by Autopen. In other words, Joe Biden did not sign them but, more importantly, he did not know anything about them! The necessary Pardoning Documents were not explained to, or approved by, Biden. He knew nothing about them, and the people that did may have committed a crime. Therefore, those on the Unselect Committee, who destroyed and deleted ALL evidence obtained during their two year Witch Hunt of me, and many other innocent people, should fully understand that they are subject to investigation at the highest level. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

As the government heads into its fifth week of a shutdown, critical programs are beginning to unravel. The military is now being funded by private dollars; air traffic controllers will stop receiving paychecks tomorrow; and SNAP food stamp benefits are next on the chopping block.Democrats may claim to be the party of the people, but it’s they who are preventing Congress from passing a continuing resolution, Glenn Beck says. “The party that purports to represent the weakest among us, the ones who are like, ‘They want your children to starve in the middle of the street!’ ... are going to take the food out of their mouth,” he says.Horrible as it is, it gives the country an honest picture of who the Democratic Party really is at its core: not the party of the people.“Their inaction is truly a choice. ... After they have enslaved people on these government programs, they’re just yanking the carpet out,” Glenn says.SNAP currently feeds roughly 42 million people a month. “That’s 12% of all of the people that live here in the United States in fiscal year 2024.”What we are witnessing right now, Glenn says, is the Democrats “weaponizing hunger,” even though “the SNAP program traces all of its roots back to the Democrats.”While Glenn loves a good government shutdown, as it shows the nation exactly which federal employees are nonessential, he draws the line at genuine hunger. “Now we have a shutdown that threatens to pull the food out from American children. I say this kind of with glee because they’ve always said we want to harm children. ... It is their choice to pull funding they say is absolutely necessary to feed children in America, and they’re okay with it,” he scoffs. “This is the party of social compassion, remember.”“Democrats are now leading us into the longest shutdown in our history, and they are knowingly using hungry children and babies to do it.”But the most important question is, why are they doing it? Glenn says there are two reasons.Number one: “Chuck Schumer is doing it so he is not primaried by the left wing of his own party.”Reason number two is as sinister as it gets. They want revolution.Glenn explains that the loss of SNAP benefits means more than just hungry people. It also means stress will skyrocket. Suicide, sickness, and hospitalizations will increase. Food banks will be overrun. Theft and other crimes will surge. Public unrest will explode.“Gee, now who would want that except all of those Democrats who are already sowing the seeds of revolution, pushing for chaos in the streets, and taking officers off the field while putting criminals back into the game?” Glenn asks.“The seeds of desperation have been sown by this party. And what are they doing? They’re turning up the heat. And then what does this mean?” he continues.“If the government doesn’t pay for it, that means the states have to pay for it, which will make all of our states more vulnerable because they’ll all have to dip into their rainy-day fund, which makes what? All of our states more vulnerable to collapse.”Which is precisely the point: They want national collapse.This is evident, Glenn says, in the fact that Democrats are trying to stop conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon from donating his personal money to help cover active-duty military pay during the ongoing government shutdown while simultaneously funding the No Kings protests to the tune of $300 million.“You can’t rely on a party that refuses to pass a clean funding bill when they actually say out loud all the time that the ends justify the means,” Glenn says.He then tells listeners how they can help struggling communities amid the shutdown and looming loss of food benefits. Watch the clip above for Glenn’s call to action.Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

In the fiercely competitive race for New Jersey governor, just one point separates the Democratic and Republican candidates, a new poll shows.Mikie Sherrill (D), a current U.S. representative, held a narrow lead against Jack Ciattarelli (R), a former New Jersey state representative, in an October 27 co/efficient poll. Males, individuals ages 55 and older, and those with no party affiliation preferred Ciattarelli, while females and those ages 18 to 54 favored Sherrill, according to the recent survey.'Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World?'Separate poll results from Emerson College, dated September 25, gave Ciattarelli the best odds, showing the two candidates tied.All other polls gave Sherrill a more substantial lead over Ciattarelli, ranging from one to seven points, with the RealClearPolitics poll average showing her 3.8 points ahead of her Republican rival.By Sunday, roughly 90,500 New Jersey residents had returned their early-voter ballots, according to Newsweek. Of those turned in, 38,039 were from registered Democrats, 35,512 were from Republicans, and another 16,895 ballots belonged to those with other party affiliations.Only New Jersey and Virginia are holding gubernatorial races this year.RELATED: Trump DOJ to monitor polling sites in 2 blue states in response to concerns about voter fraud, 'irregularities' Mikie Sherrill. Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump has weighed in on these races, stating Sunday in a post on Truth Social, “Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World? VOTE REPUBLICAN for massive Energy Cost reductions, large scale Tax Cuts, and basic Common Sense!”Trump endorsed Ciattarelli in May, calling him “a terrific America First Candidate.”While New Jersey has traditionally been a blue stronghold, Ciattarelli has grabbed at least eight endorsements from local Democrats, according to the New York Post. RELATED: Pressure mounts for New Jersey Democrat gubernatorial candidate as past catches up to her Jack Ciattarelli. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesOn Saturday, New Era Democrats President Celia Iervasi stated, “We are proud to endorse Jack Ciattarelli for Governor of New Jersey.”“As life continues to become unaffordable for the working class and New Jersey continues to be one of the highest taxed states in the country, Jack is the right person that is needed to make life more affordable for the residents of the Garden State,” Iervasi said. “We look forward to joining a coalition of organizations that are supporting Jack in the upcoming election and know that he is the right person to lead New Jersey in the right direction.”Other New Jersey Democrats to support Ciattarelli include North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco, North Bergen Commissioner Allen Pascual, Dover Mayor Jim Dodd, Branchville Mayor Anthony Frato, Branchville Councilman Jeff Lewis, and former Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Anthony Vainieri. Garfield Mayor Everett Garnto also endorsed Ciattarelli and, at the same time, announced he was leaving the Democratic Party to switch to the GOP.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A trio dressed in Halloween horror costumes were caught on doorbell video banging on the front door of a Northern Virginia home late at night and threatening those inside earlier this month."It's either you coming out or we coming in!" one voice can be heard on the video, WUSA-TV reported, adding that another shouted, "Open the door!"'My heart dropped when they said that they were gonna take a chair and break down the door.'A woman named Shayla — who told the station she was staying with her mother in her Alexandria home — added that "they kept, like, knocking on the door. The knocks would get harder and harder."Shayla told WUSA she called 911 and warned the group that police were on the way, but she said that didn't deter them, and they continued shouting and trying to force their way in.Worse still, Shayla told the station the trio "threatened to kill us."Plus, she added to WUSA that when they couldn't get in through the front door, they moved to the back of the house."This whole thing they broke down, as you can tell," Shayla explained to the station in the aftermath as she showed damage to the backyard fence."They hopped up on here and went through there," she added to WUSA as she showed a now-damaged screen-in back porch.Shayla also told the station that the intruders still ramped things up: "They were just hitting the window. My heart dropped when they said that they were gonna take a chair and break down the door. That is just too much."RELATED: NYPD vehicle trashed while cops respond to domestic violence call on Halloween: 'Trick or treat, motherf**kers' She added to WUSA that "they tried to enter into the home." Shayla explained to the station that other factors made the ordeal worse, especially for her mother: "My dad recently just died, so it's just, like, I'm just glad I was there. But now [my mother's] in fear. She don't wanna stay there by herself."Fortunately, the ordeal ended after 10 minutes, as she remarked what could have happened — to the intruders."It could have been bad," Shayla told WUSA. "Our Second Amendment right was not used and could have been, like being very transparent."She added a message to the perps, the station said: "The time frame alone, 10 o'clock at night to knock on someone's door in costume is never OK. Halloween, not Halloween, it's never OK."By Oct. 17, police said they were investigating the case as an attempted burglary."This is a very serious matter," Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire said in a news conference, WUSA noted in a follow-up story. "They began to make threatening and alarming comments to the family ... specifically, they said, 'If you do not come out, we will come in,' and also threatened to do bodily harm, stating that they would ultimately kill them."Well, police eventually got to the bottom of it — and considering what could have happened, the revelations were disturbing to say the least.It turns out relatives of the victims in the home were responsible and had been recording video of what they called a prank, WRC-TV reported.McGuire in a Monday update told WRC that the prank “could have been deadly," especially considering that one of the victims called her brother for help prior to calling police — and he arrived with a gun.RELATED: Missouri town's residents are finding creepy dolls everywhere, and police warn someone might get hurt What's more, McGuire added to the station that several officers dedicated over 100 hours to the investigation.Several tips from the community led to the suspects — and a female relative confessed, saying that she, her two teenage sons, and a teen nephew approached the home as two adults and a child stood in the background recording video, McGuire noted to WRC.In the end, the victims didn't press charges, and neither will police, the chief added to the station — with the following caveat: “This will hopefully be a learning experience for this family."McGuire added to WRC that the adults were guilty of a “moral failure” since they "were engaging in this behavior but also encouraging this behavior."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

This handsome new hardcover book is stocked with factual details on every album, along with analyses of the music within. The post Willie Nelson: A New Book Analyzes His Massive Album Catalog appeared first on Best Classic Bands.

Karen Engstrom/Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty ImagesInvestigators carrying the human remains found beneath the home of Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy in 1978. Nothing strikes terror in a person quite like a serial killer. Just reading about these notorious murderers will make you want to lock your doors, even if it’s been years since they were imprisoned or executed. Indeed, these 11 American serial killers are a special kind of terrifying. One was described by neighbors as a friendly and likable man. Another was a six-foot, nine-inch sociopath with a violent past and an IQ of 145. These serial killers from the United States might have looked different on the surface, but underneath, they all shared a menacing hunger for bloodshed. Jeffrey Dahmer, The Infamous American Serial Killer Known For His Cannibalism Jeffrey Dahmer, a man whose crimes were shocking even among the ranks of other American serial killers, once acknowledged that the carnage he left behind is hard to comprehend, even for him. Curt Borgwardt/Sygma via Getty ImagesJeffrey Lionel Dahmer, also known as the “Milwaukee Cannibal.” “It’s hard for me to believe that a human being could have done what I’ve done,” Dahmer said. “But I know that I did it.” Born to middle-class parents Joyce Flint and Lionel Dahmer in Milwaukee in 1960, Dahmer started to display troubling behavior as a small child. He was infatuated with the concept of death, he collected the carcasses of dead animals, and he was “oddly thrilled” by the sound of clacking animal bones. Dahmer and his family moved to a suburb of Akron, Ohio, around the time he started high school. Socially ostracized, he soon turned to alcohol. While he was in high school, Dahmer realized that he was gay. He also began to have alarming sexual fantasies where he would rape men. Just three weeks after graduating high school, Dahmer acted on these fantasies. Wikimedia CommonsJeffrey Dahmer’s high school yearbook photo. He picked up Steven Mark Hicks, an 18-year-old hitchhiker, and convinced him to come over to his house. When Hicks attempted to leave the home, Dahmer lost it: He brutally bludgeoned Hicks and strangled him. Chillingly, Dahmer also stripped Hicks naked and masturbated on his corpse. Dahmer then took the body to the crawl space, removed the bones, smashed them into a fine powder, and dissolved the flesh with acid. After the murder, Dahmer briefly served in the U.S. Army. During his service, he drugged and raped two soldiers, and upon his return to civilian life, he continued to drug and rape unsuspecting male victims. His crimes turned deadly again in 1987 when he met 25-year-old Steven Tuomi at a bar. He claimed that he only intended to drug and rape Tuomi, but he woke up to find his corpse underneath his hotel room bed. Later, Dahmer spent time in jail for child molestation. Upon his release, he met 24-year-old aspiring model Anthony Sears in a bar and took him home. Dahmer drugged, raped, and killed Sears. He preserved Sears’ head and genitals in jars, the demented trophies of his murder. Jeffrey Dahmer talking about his early fascination with animal parts in a 1994 interview with Stone Phillips. Dahmer eventually returned to Milwaukee, and the next two years were the most violent and disturbing of his life. He kept pieces of his victims as trophies, used their bodies for experiments, drilled holes into their skulls while they were still alive, and stored body parts in his fridge to eat later. Dahmer’s downfall came on July 22, 1991, when he convinced 32-year-old Tracy Edwards to come home with him. Before long, Edwards began to fear for his life, especially when Dahmer threatened him with a knife and told him that he was going to cut out his heart and eat it. Edwards briefly played along, but when Dahmer briefly left himself exposed, Edwards punched him in the face, escaped, and immediately led the police to Dahmer’s apartment. The authorities soon found one of the grisliest crime scenes in the history of American serial killers. Dahmer admitted to all 17 of his murders and was sentenced to life in prison plus 70 years. He wouldn’t serve most of his sentence, however, because a fellow inmate named Christopher Scarver beat him to death with a metal bar in a prison bathroom on Nov. 28, 1994. According to his murderer, Dahmer did not defend himself or fight back. The post Inside The Horrific Stories Of 11 American Serial Killers, From The ‘Beast Of Chicago’ To ‘Hell’s Belle’ appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis/Getty ImagesGilles de Rais disposing of a corpse. Gilles de Rais was an esteemed 15th-century nobleman and warrior. He spent much of his life defending France from England and fought bravely in the Hundred Years’ War alongside Joan of Arc. But Gilles de Rais is best known for murdering more than 100 children in dark occultist rituals. His true nature wasn’t revealed until 1440. Then, during a shocking trial, de Rais was found guilty of heresy, sodomy, torture, and murder. His accusers alleged that de Rais had committed the gruesome crimes because of his interest in the occult, and his hope to summon demons. Sentenced to death, de Rais was hanged and burned, and his grisly story would go on to inspire the macabre legend of Bluebeard. But not everyone today believes that Gilles de Rais was guilty. How Gilles De Rais Became A French Hero Born Gilles de Montmorency-Laval in 1404 in Champtocé-sur-Loire, France, Gilles De Rais grew up in the lap of luxury. The son of wealthy nobles, he was a bright child who spent his youth studying Latin, reading and illustrating illuminated manuscripts, and learning about military strategy. Wikimedia CommonsGilles de Rais in armor. However, tragedy struck when de Rais was around 10 years old. Then, his father, Guy de Laval, was killed in a hunting accident which de Rais may have witnessed. Shortly thereafter, his mother, Marie de Craon, also died. In the aftermath, de Rais was raised by his maternal grandfather, Jean de Craon. When de Craon’s son died during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, he made Gilles de Rais his official heir, and arranged his marriage to the wealthy Catherine de Thouars. This increased de Rais’ power and prestige. And when the Hundred Years’ War reignited in 1422 after a brief period of peace, Gilles de Rais leapt into the conflict — and became a national hero. On the battlefield, de Rais was lauded for his bravery and determination. Then, in, 1429, he was tasked with accompanying Joan of Arc, a young Frenchwoman who claimed she had been instructed by angels to lead France to victory in the conflict. The two fought bravely in several key battles, including at Orléans, as well as Jargeau and Patay. Joan of Arc became a national figure, and Gilles de Rais was given the high honor of being named Marshal of France, as well as a royal fleur-de-lis on his coat of arms. Jean-Jacques Scherrer/Wikimedia CommonsAn 1887 painting of Joan of Arc liberating Orléans during the Siege of Orléans. But in 1430, Joan of Arc was captured by the English. The next year, on May 30, 1431, she was burned to death in the city of Rouen. Shortly thereafter, in 1435, Gilles de Rais ended his own military career and retreated to his estate. By then, he had allegedly been murdering children for two years. The Dark Crimes Of Gilles De Rais After Gilles de Rais retired from military service, his lifestyle grew decadent. He squandered his fortune on servants and his household, and through his patronage of the play Le Mistère du Siège d’Orléans (“Mystery Play of the Siege of Orléans”) on which de Rais spent the modern-day equivalent of millions of dollars. de Rais also became interested in the occult — and how he could use alchemy to regrow his fortune. Wikimedia CommonsAn 1862 drawing depicting Gilles de Rais performing sorcery on his victims. In this pursuit, Gilles de Rais purportedly started killing children. His crimes began in 1433, when he began to murder his victims at his childhood home of Champtocé. According to trial documents, most of his murders occured at his castle, Machecoul, where he sodomized his victims before bludgeoning them to death. Then, he decapitated their bodies and kept their severed heads on display — kissing his favorites from time to time. He was allegedly encouraged by a cleric named Prelati. Alongside Prelati, de Rais would use blood and dismembered body parts from his victims to cast spells and try to summon demons. However, on May 15, 1440, de Rais and his men abducted a cleric from the Church of Saint-Étienne-de-Mer-Morte following a dispute. The Bishop of Nantes rapidly launched an investigation, which led church officials and lawmen to uncover evidence that de Rais had murdered 140 children. When lawmen interviewed Gilles de Rais’ servants, they admitted to abducting children for him. The servants testified that he would masturbate on and molest the children before cutting off their heads. Two French clerics also testified de Rais engaged in alchemy and was obsessed with the dark arts — and that he used the limbs of victims for his rituals. Wikimedia CommonsMiniature representing the trial of Gilles de Rais. Several servants from neighboring villages also came forward to testify about children that had gone missing after begging near de Rais’ castle. In one instance, a furrier relayed how de Rais’ cousin had borrowed his 12-year-old apprentice, who was never seen again. Under threat of torture, de Rais confessed to everything — murder, sodomy, hersey, torture, and necrophilia — on October 21, 1440. The disgraced nobleman told the court: “I have told you… enough to hang 10,000 men.” He was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to die by hanging, with a fire lit beneath the gallows. Gilles de Rais was executed on Oct. 26, though his body was saved before the flames entirely reduced it to ash. Centuries later, however, some believe that Gilles de Rais was not guilty at all — but the victim of a 15th-century witch hunt. History’s First Serial Killer? Or An Innocent Man? Though his guilt has been long accepted — Gilles de Rais even inspired the 1697 “Bluebeard” fairytale — some experts have come to question the official story. Historian Margot K. Juby, the author of The Martyrdom of Gilles de Rais, believes the threat of torture was so terrifying that de Rais confessed out of fear, or to save himself from excommunication. Wikimedia CommonsA depiction of Gilles de Rais’ execution. “It seems impossibly quaint in the 21st century to read a text that fully accepts the validity of an Inquisition trial with the use of torture,” she remarked. What’s more, the Duke of Brittany, who prosecuted the case that saw de Rais convicted, wound up receiving all the titles to de Rais’ lands after his execution. Some historians point to this as evidence of a political scheme. And in 1992, a French writer named Gilbert Prouteau went as far as organizing a mock trial to investigate de Rais’ guilt.Comprised of French ministers, parliament members, and UNESCO experts, the court investigated all available evidence and came back with a verdict of not guilty. However, even Prouteau called the trial “an absolute joke” and it has no legal standing. Ultimately, the truth of Gilles de Rais is impossible to know. Was he truly a vicious serial killer, one who murdered more than 100 children in his pursuit of the occult? Or was he a French war hero, unjustly accused and executed? Centuries later, the truth is lost. But Gilles de Rais will certainly be remembered by history. After learning about Gilles De Rais, the child serial killer who aided Joan of Arc, discover the strange and chilling story of the Beast of Gévaudan, the mysterious monster that terrorized villagers in 18th-century France. Then, read about Henri Landru, France’s modern Bluebeard serial killer. The post Gilles De Rais, The 15th-Century French Nobleman Who Was Found Guilty Of Torturing And Murdering More Than 100 Children appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Russian Interior MinistryAnatoly Moskvin’s mugshot from 2011. Anatoly Moskvin loved history. He spoke 13 languages, traveled extensively, taught at the college level, and was a well-known local historian in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia’s fifth-largest city. Moskvin was also a “necropolist,” or expert on cemeteries. But Moskvin eventually took his expertise to an incredibly disturbing new level. In 2011, he was arrested after the bodies of 29 girls and young women were found mummified in his apartment. As it turned out, Moskvin had stolen the bodies from local graves, preserved the remains using a homemade solution, and decorated them to look like life-size “dolls.” How Anatoly Moskvin Developed An Unhealthy Obsession With The Dead Born in 1966, Anatoly Moskvin would go on to become the ultimate expert on cemeteries in his city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Moskvin once attributed his obsession with the macabre to a 1979 incident that happened when he was 13 years old. He shared this story in Necrologies, a weekly publication in Russia that focused on cemeteries and obituaries. Moskvin regularly contributed to the publication, and in his last article, dated Oct. 26, 2011, he divulged how a group of men in black suits had stopped him on the way home from school. They were allegedly on their way to the funeral of 11-year-old Natasha Petrova and dragged young Anatoly along to her coffin, where they forced him to kiss the deceased girl. East 2 West NewsOne of the many female corpses discovered in Moskvin’s home. Anatoly Moskvin wrote, “I kissed her once, then again, then again.” The girl’s grieving mother purportedly put a wedding ring on Anatoly’s finger and a wedding ring on her dead daughter’s finger as well. “My strange marriage with Natasha Petrova was useful,” Moskvin wrote in the article. Strange, indeed. He said it led to a belief in magic and a fascination with the dead. Whether the story is even true is beside the point by now, as his disturbing thoughts would clearly go unchecked for decades. A Growing Interest In Cemeteries, Burials, And The Macabre Anatoly Moskvin’s obsession with the corpse-kissing incident apparently never abated. He began to wander through cemeteries as a schoolboy. East 2 West NewsAnatoly Moskvin, pictured after his arrest. His macabre interests eventually informed his studies. Moskvin earned an advanced degree in Celtic studies, a culture in which the mythology often blurs the lines between life and death. The historian also became fluent in some 13 languages and saw his scholarly work published many times. Meanwhile, Moskvin roamed from cemetery to cemetery. “I don’t think anyone in the city knows them better than I do,” he said of his extensive knowledge of the region’s gravesites. From 2005 to 2007, Moskvin claimed to have visited 752 cemeteries across the region surrounding Nizhny Novgorod. He took detailed notes on each one, even delving into the histories of those buried there. Moskvin claimed to have walked up to 20 miles per day to reach and explore the gravesites, sometimes sleeping on hay bales and drinking rainwater from puddles during his journeys to the cemeteries. He created in-depth reports on his travels and discoveries, with titles like What the Dead Said and Great Walks Around Cemeteries. He even said he spent one night sleeping in a coffin ahead of a deceased person’s funeral. But as it would turn out, Anatoly Moskvin’s observations about cemeteries and burials were more than just observations. The Mass Desecration Of Graves In And Around Nizhny Novgorod In 2009, many locals in and around Nizhny Novgorod discovered the graves of their loved ones desecrated. In some cases, they were completely dug up. Russian Interior Ministry spokesman Gen. Valery Gribakin told CNN: “Our leading theory was that it was done by some extremist organizations. We decided to beef up our police units and set up… groups composed of our most experienced detectives who specialize in extremist crimes.” Иван Зарубин/YouTubeMoskvin’s parents reportedly believed the female corpses in their home were just toys. But for nearly two years, the Russian Interior Ministry’s leads went nowhere. Graves continued to be vandalized, and no one knew why. It’s somewhat unclear exactly how Anatoly Moskvin was caught in 2011, with some sources reporting that police grew suspicious after they questioned the cemetery expert about recent grave desecrations and other sources claiming that authorities caught him carrying a bag of bones. What is clear is that the police quickly went to Moskvin’s apartment to investigate. What they found there was shocking, to say the least. The Discovery Of Anatoly Moskvin’s Horrific “Doll” Collection Anatoly Moskvin, who was 45 years old when he was arrested, lived with his parents in a small apartment. As authorities investigated the home, they soon found numerous life-sized, doll-like figures. Many of the figures resembled vintage or antique dolls, but they were all wearing different types of clothing. Some wore knee-length boots, while others donned frilly dresses. Some had makeup on their faces. Police soon realized that these large “dolls” were not dolls at all — they were the mummified corpses of human girls and young women. When authorities moved one of the bodies, they were shocked to hear it played music, as if on cue. It was later learned that Moskvin had embedded music boxes and toys so they’d make noise when he touched them. Elsewhere in the apartment, there were plaques that he had taken off of the victims’ gravestones, doll-making manuals, and maps of local cemeteries. Crucially, there were also shoes in the apartment that were a match to footprints found near many of the desecrated graves. East 2 West NewsMoskvin’s parents were present at his hearing. Inside the mummies, investigators found a variety of disturbing items. One mummy even had a piece of her own gravestone stuffed inside her body. Another one contained a hospital tag with the date and the cause of the girl’s death. A dried human heart was found inside a third body. Anatoly Moskvin later admitted that he would stuff the decayed corpses with rags, presumably to ensure they kept their original shape. Then, he would wrap nylon tights around their faces or place fashion doll faces onto them. He would also sometimes insert buttons or toy eyes into the girls’ eye sockets so that they could “watch cartoons” with him. Moskvin was allegedly motivated to rob the graves and desecrate the bodies because he was lonely and desperately wanted a daughter, but he had been rejected after he tried to adopt a girl due to his low income. He denied being attracted to his “dolls” and claimed that he considered them his children. He also claimed that he was hoping science would eventually be able to bring the girls and women back to life. In the meantime, he used a solution with salt and baking soda to preserve the corpses as best as he could. As for Anatoly Moskvin’s parents, who lived with their son, they claimed to know nothing of the true origin of Moskvin’s “doll” collection. East 2 West NewsAnatoly Moskvin’s parents. Elvira, Moskvin’s then-76-year-old mom, said, “We saw these dolls but we did not suspect there were dead bodies inside. We thought it was his hobby to make such big dolls and did not see anything wrong with it.” Anatoly Moskvin’s Dark “Hobby” Shocked Those Who Knew Him In all, authorities discovered 29 life-size dolls in Anatoly Moskvin’s apartment. They ranged in age from three to 25. Shockingly, he had reportedly kept one corpse as long as nine years. Moskvin was charged with desecrating both the bodies and the graves. As the horrific news spread in the media, he became known as “The Lord of the Mummies” and “Perfumer” (inspired by the Patrick Süskind novel Perfume). East 2 West NewsMoskvin walking with his attorney Dmitry Repkin. Neighbors were shocked. They said that the renowned historian was quiet and that Moskvin’s parents seemed to be nice people. Sure, their apartment smelled bad sometimes, but neighbors excused it by thinking it was the “stink of something that rots in the basements” of many local buildings. Moskvin’s editor at Necrologies, Alexei Yesin, didn’t think much of his writer’s eccentricities and quirks. Yesin certainly never thought that Moskvin would collect and mummify young women and girls. Perhaps most shocking, Moskvin confessed his horrific crimes in court and refused to apologize to the girls’ parents. Instead, he said, “You abandoned your girls, I brought them home and warmed them up.” Will Anatoly Moskvin Ever Go Free? Not long after his arrest, Anatoly Moskvin was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and declared unfit to stand trial for his crimes. Instead, he was sent to a psychiatric hospital for mental health treatment. In 2018, it was reported that some psychiatrists at the hospital had recommended his release, claiming that it was safe for him to live at home with his parents and continue his treatment from there. These reports outraged the families of victims he desecrated. Natalia Chardymova, the mother of Moskvin’s victim Olga, firmly believes that Moskvin should stay locked up for the rest of his life. Police PhotosA photo of one of Moskvin’s victims and her mummified corpse. “I shudder to think that he will have freedom to go where he wants,” Chardymova said. “Neither my family nor the families of the other victims will be able to sleep peacefully. He needs to be kept under surveillance.” Prosecutors ultimately agreed with Chardymova’s assessment, ensuring that Moskvin would remain in the hospital for the foreseeable future. Since then, some reports have stated that Moskvin continues to “improve” with regular treatment, and some of his psychiatrists — as well as his lawyers — have continued to push for his freedom and outpatient care. As of October 2025, Moskvin remains in the hospital, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll stay there for the rest of his days. Chillingly, he allegedly told authorities at one point not to “rebury the girls too deeply because I will gather them again when I am free.” After reading about Anatoly Moskvin, learn about Carl Tanzler, the Key West doctor who fell in love with a tuberculosis patient and then kept her corpse after she died from her disease. Then, go inside the case of Sada Abe, the Japanese geisha who killed her lover — then kept his penis. The post The Crimes Of Anatoly Moskvin, The Grave Robber Who Stole Female Corpses And Dressed Them Up Like Dolls appeared first on All That's Interesting.