12 Mysterious Deaths in New England 🕵️‍♂️ | Crypto Ransom Horror in Paris 💰✂️ | Poison Mushroom Trial Grips Australia 🍄⚖️ — This Week in True Crime 🔎🌍

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🔍 HEADLINE CASE: 

The New England Mystery: Are 12 Deaths Linked?

Between March and April 2025, twelve bodies—some decomposed beyond recognition—were discovered across Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. While police departments downplay any connection, the sheer number of unexplained deaths across state lines has ignited fears of a serial predator operating in New England. Former FBI agents and true crime sleuths alike are raising red flags, pointing to the clustered timing, geography, and similar disposal methods of the remains.

Theories abound: Is this the work of a long-dormant killer resurfacing? A trafficker covering their tracks? Or is it a terrifying coincidence no one wants to admit? Law enforcement insists there's “no confirmed link,” but they’ve also refused to release key details, including cause of death for multiple victims. Locals are on edge, Reddit is ablaze with speculation, and families of the deceased are demanding transparency.

This might be America’s next big true crime obsession—or the unraveling of a regional cover-up.

⚖️ QUICK CUTS

• Crypto Kidnapping in Paris: In a harrowing incident, the father of a cryptocurrency billionaire was abducted in Paris by masked assailants who demanded a €5–7 million ransom. To pressure payment, the kidnappers severed the victim's finger and sent a video to his son. French police rescued the father after a two-day ordeal and arrested five suspects aged 23 to 27.
  

• Australia's 'Poison Mushroom' Trial: Erin Patterson, 50, is on trial in Australia for allegedly serving a beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms, resulting in the deaths of her in-laws and critically injuring another guest. Prosecutors argue the act was premeditated, citing her history of concealing mushrooms in dishes and her online activity discussing mushroom cooking. Patterson has pleaded not guilty to all charges
  

• Cold Case Breakthrough in Washington: Seventeen years after the murder of former Navy paralegal Linda Malcom, investigators have made significant progress using investigative genetic genealogy. Malcom was found stabbed 24 times in a house that was later set ablaze. New leads have emerged, including recent phone records and a detailed tip from a former Navy colleague
  

• Mystery in Manchester: The body of an unidentified woman was discovered near the former Burnage Cricket Club in Greater Manchester. Authorities are working to identify the woman and determine the cause of death. The area has been cordoned off as police continue to search the field for clues.

🧪 CRIME TECH: 

DNA Testing Reopens Lindbergh Baby Case

Nearly a century after the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh Jr., researchers are seeking to reopen the case using modern DNA techniques. A new lawsuit filed in New Jersey aims to compel state police to allow mitochondrial DNA testing on saliva residues from ransom letter stamps and envelopes. Advocates argue that careful, non-destructive DNA extraction is feasible and critical as the documents deteriorate.

🧠 SPOTLIGHT: 

April Wilkens and the Oklahoma Survivors Act

April Wilkens, incarcerated for the 1997 killing of her abusive ex-fiancé, is seeking a resentencing hearing under the Oklahoma Survivors Act. Her attorneys argue that her incarceration is unlawful and a violation of her constitutional rights. A habeas corpus hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2025

 🧰 The Criminal Toolkit:

When federal agents finally caught up with Thomas Weddle in Phoenix this March, they discovered he’d been living under a series of aliases, using rented mailboxes from UPS Stores and lesser-known private mailbox shops. Weddle, who vanished in 2017 after being indicted for securities fraud, kept his paper trail clean by avoiding permanent addresses and using prepaid debit cards linked to pseudonyms. He maintained a low profile by picking up mail in person and never registering utilities or phones in his real name. Investigators say he bounced between multiple states, relying on Craigslist gig work and staying in short-term rentals booked under friends’ names. His luck ran out only when a facial recognition sweep matched him at a DMV camera—not a mailbox.

🎬 TRUE CRIME WATCHLIST

The Hunt For Shannon Matthews (Prime Video): A new documentary revisiting the 2008 fake kidnapping of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. The film examines the elaborate scheme orchestrated by her mother and the subsequent media frenzy.

Dept Q (Netflix): A new crime series from Scott Frank, the creator of "The Queen’s Gambit," focusing on cold cases and complex investigation

Footprint to Murder (WCCO): A documentary exploring the 1993 murder case of Jeanie Childs, which remained unsolved for 26 years until DNA evidence brought new insights.

Until next time,

Until next time, stay curious. Stay skeptical. Stay safe.

— True Crime Dispatch Team 🔍