Chat: Behind The Big Crime

Ever since he was a little boy, Shelley Malil dreamt of a Hollywood career. Big ambitions for a young lad growing up in a small fishing village in India. As a youngster, he’d watched Bob Hope on a neighbour’s TV, and set his sights on comedy, too. Aged 10, he moved to America with his family, and went on to perform in school plays. And, after two years at a New York acting academy, he moved to the bright lights of Los Angeles. Like thousands of other young hopefuls in the 80s, he wanted to be a star. He bagged small parts in films, TV and adverts, and became a household face after appearing in one of Budweiser’s ‘Whassup?’ spin-off adverts. Parts in TV shows Scrubs, ER and Seinfield followed.…

In the early hours of Sunday 2 September 2018, Charisse Stinson, then 21, stumbled into a hotel. She collapsed at the reception desk. A scrape on the side of her head. Frantic, she claimed her toddler son, Jordan Belliveau, 2, had been kidnapped and she needed to call police. And when officers arrived, she proceeded to tell them a terrifying story. Charisse, who was six months pregnant, said that she had been walking to a friend’s place at 9.30pm, carrying Jordan. A man in a white Toyota Camry, called Antwan, had offered to give them a lift. She’d still had some way to walk. Her toddler was heavy, so she’d accepted. But, then, Antwan had beaten her unconscious. And when she’d come round hours later at 1.30am, in a nearby…

When a young woman was jailed for life for killing Sunday-school teacher and community champion Johnny Allen, it seemed like justice had been served. Another brutal killer behind bars. Case closed. But there was more to this murder than first met the eye. Cyntoia Brown was just 16 years old when she pulled the trigger and killed Johnny, 43, in August 2004. Johnny, a former estate agent, was well-known for his community work as a Sunday-school teacher and youth minister. He was divorced when he met Cyntoia at a fast-food restaurant in East Nashville, USA. And he was there for a clear reason – to have sex with her. Cyntoia was under the control of her boyfriend and pimp, 24-year-old Garion McGlothen, known by the nickname Kut Throat. Cyntoia had…

Before Magic Mike and The Full Monty came Chippendales, a troupe of muscly, tanned male dancers, oiled up and wearing little more than dickie bows and cuffs. Women would flock to see them, sipping cocktails and erupting with screams of ‘take it off’ as the lads stripped to their scanty posing pouches. But, while the dancers were making dreams come true, behind the scenes things were less than squeaky clean. Chippendales founder, Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee, had originally emigrated from India to California in 1969, keen to live his ‘American dream’. Banerjee had big plans to open a nightclub, make a fortune. He started saving, working as a caretaker and running two petrol stations. By 1975, he had enough cash to rent a run-down bar in West LA. He put on…

When 35-year-old Mitchelle Blair fell behind on her rent, it came as no surprise. Living in one of the most impoverished cities in the US, the single mum-of-four was unemployed, had little education. She’d had two daughters with Alexander J Dorsey, 35, who she’d lived with for several years. But, when they separated, Dorsey showed little interest in any contact with the family, and a court would later hear he owed around $39,000 (nearly £30,000) in child support. Mitchelle went on to have two sons with another ex-partner Steven Berry, 31, but he was in and out of prison and, according to a court hearing, he also owed around $12,000 (about £9,000) in child support. Despite this, Mitchelle’s children were homeschooled and she was proud of their achievements, even sticking…

When 28-year-old Heather Bogle took a job at a Whirlpool washing-machine factory in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, she hoped it’d be temporary. Having just finished nursing school, the young mum dreamt of a new career in healthcare. To build a better life for her 5-year-old daughter. Heather did night shifts. But although she worked hard and was well-liked amongst colleagues, behind closed doors, she was having a tough time. Despite her best efforts, Heather had failed one of her nursing exams. She was devastated. And her one-year relationship with girlfriend Carmella Badillo had ended, as the couple rarely saw each other. On 9 April 2015, Heather clocked off at 6.17am. Then, she simply vanished. When she failed to collect her little girl from school, Heather’s mother panicked and raised the alarm.…