This week in true crime: Influencer Gunned Down on Livestream 📱 40 Year Cold Case Cracked 🧬 AI crime fighting tools 🤖

Murder Livestreamed—The Death of Valeria Marquez

On May 13, 2025, a moment of glamour turned to horror when 23-year-old Mexican beauty influencer Valeria Marquez was gunned down, live on TikTok. Streaming from her Jalisco salon, Marquez was in the middle of chatting with followers when two men entered, one dressed as a delivery driver. Within moments, she was fatally shot in what authorities now suspect was a chillingly coordinated hit.

What makes this more than just another violent tragedy is the eerie sense that Marquez saw it coming. Just before her death, she mentioned feeling uneasy, even voicing fears that something might happen to her. That fear proved heartbreakingly prescient. Now, investigators are probing possible ties to organized crime, with whispers that this might not have been a random act but part of a broader campaign of targeted violence. Hours earlier, a former congressman was executed in a strikingly similar style: motorcycle gunmen, broad daylight, public location.

Was Marquez silenced for what she knew, or for who she was connected to? The hunt for answers is underway, and the digital trail left behind might be the key.

• Kerry Farmer's Murder Investigation: Investigators have discovered partial human remains near the farm of Michael Gaine, a 56-year-old farmer who had been missing since March 20, 2025. The remains were found in a slurry tank, leading authorities to reclassify the case as a homicide.
  

• Wrongful Conviction Overturned After 38 Years: Peter Sullivan has been released after serving 38 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, marking what is believed to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history.
  

• 40-Year-Old Cold Case Cracked: Utah authorities have identified the suspect in the 1985 murder and rape of teenager Christine Gallegos, bringing closure to a case that remained unsolved for four decades.

In a groundbreaking development, UK police are leveraging an Australian-developed AI tool named 'Söze' to tackle some of the nation's most perplexing cold cases. This advanced software can analyze vast amounts of evidence—ranging from video footage and financial records to social media activity and emails—in a fraction of the time it would take human investigators. In a recent trial by Avon and Somerset Police, Söze reviewed 27 complex cases in just 30 hours, a task estimated to require 81 years of manual detective work.

Named after the elusive character Keyser Söze from "The Usual Suspects," the AI tool identifies patterns and connections that might elude traditional investigative methods. Its ability to swiftly process and cross-reference diverse data sources offers new avenues for solving long-standing cases that have stumped detectives for decades. As law enforcement agencies continue to adopt such technologies, the integration of AI like Söze could mark a significant shift in criminal investigations, bringing renewed hope to unresolved cases and the families affected by them.

El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), opened in 2023, has drawn international criticism for its harsh conditions and lack of due process. The prison, intended to showcase the government's tough stance on gangs, has been likened to a "human zoo" due to its treatment of inmates and use as a political spectacle. Many detainees have not been convicted of crimes, raising concerns about human rights violations.

The Breakthrough: A Swedish series dramatizing the use of forensic genetic genealogy to solve a 2004 double murder

Department Q: A British crime thriller following detective Carl Morck as he tackles cold cases in Edinburgh.

The Lady: A dramatization of the life of Jane Andrews, former royal dresser convicted of murder in 2001.

Scam Goddess: A documentary series exploring high-profile fraud cases, based on the popular podcast