This week in True Crime: A model kidnapped for sale on the dark web. Grisly discoveries. And police roll out facial recognition vans to hunt suspects on the move.

The #ChloeAyling Dark‑Web Kidnap Email

On a sweltering August afternoon in 2017, British model Chloe Ayling was led into what she thought was a Milan photo shoot. Instead, the door locked behind her, and a masked man lunged forward with a syringe. She woke in the trunk of a car, hands and feet bound, a gag pressed so tight she could barely breathe. Hours later, she found herself in a remote farmhouse, told she’d been “bought” and would be auctioned on the dark web.

At first, Italian police feared they were too late. Then, in the early hours of the second day, an email arrived, just three words, sent from her captor to law enforcement. The message was a mix of threat and proof of life, a taunt wrapped in digital fingerprints. For the next six days, Ayling endured psychological games, veiled promises of release, and chilling references to an online network known only as “Black Death.” It was a kidnapping built for the 21st century: international, encrypted, and laced with the infrastructure of human trafficking.

Her eventual release was as strange as her capture, her abductor claimed she’d been freed out of “kindness.” But the newly revealed email, made public this week for the first time, pulls the case back into the spotlight. Investigators now say it could offer fresh leads into dormant trafficking channels, while Ayling continues to speak out about the hidden dangers of online-facilitated crime. In her words, “It’s not just the dark web, it’s the darkness in people, and the tools they can now use

• Animal cruelty cult exposed: Investigators uncover a global network sharing graphic cat‑torture videos online. Experts warn that animal abuse is often a precursor to violence against humans
  

• Australian meth crisis: In Queensland, at least 30 parents have been prosecuted for meth‑related offences, including trafficking and child endangerment. Sentences ranged from probation to multi‑year prison terms
  

• Historic abuse probe in Bradford, UK: 10 men aged 49–71 arrested over alleged child sexual abuse dating back to 1994–1997. West Yorkshire Police emphasise safeguarding and multi‑agency victim support

ILondon’s Metropolitan Police are rolling out an expanded fleet of live facial recognition (LFR) units, doubling their deployments across high‑traffic areas. Mounted on mobile vans and linked to secure databases, the technology scans passing faces in real time, matching them against watchlists for wanted suspects and missing persons. Officers say the system has already flagged individuals in connection with violent assaults, knife crime, and serious fraud—often before a patrol officer could spot them.

Supporters argue this is policing’s next big leap, enabling faster suspect identification and the prevention of crimes before they escalate. The mobile setup means LFR can be rapidly deployed to public events, transport hubs, or crime hotspots, making it as flexible as it is fast. But privacy advocates warn of mission creep and potential algorithmic bias, with calls for stricter oversight and independent auditing.

The technology’s promise is undeniable—but so are the questions it raises about surveillance in public spaces.

In July 2024, the quiet streets of Bristol were jolted by a grisly discovery. Two suitcases, abandoned on the Clifton Suspension Bridge, were found to contain the dismembered bodies of Albert Alfonso and Paul Longworth. Police traced the trail back to a small flat in the city’s south, where blood spatter told a story more chaotic and violent than any neat theory could explain.

The man at the center of it all claimed self‑defense—that he’d been threatened, blackmailed, and attacked. But detectives weren’t convinced. Digital forensics unearthed deleted messages, searches about body disposal, and CCTV showing late‑night trips to the bridge. The case wound through months of testimony, psychiatric evaluations, and gut‑wrenching witness statements.

Last week, a jury delivered its verdict: guilty of murder. Sentencing is set for October 24, 2025, pending final mental health assessments. For many in Bristol, the trial’s end offers closure, but also lingering unease—a reminder that the city’s most photographed landmark can hold some of its darkest secrets.

Conversations with a Killer: The Son of Sam Tapes (Netflix, from July 30, 2025)
A three-part deep dive into David Berkowitz's psyche, spotlighting rare 1980 recordings from Attica with investigators, survivors, and reporters sharing chilling insight

Amy Bradley Is Missing (Netflix, from July 16, 2025)
A gripping three-episode documentary examining the 1998 disappearance of a young woman from a cruise ship—with fresh interviews, new leads, and haunting archival footage

One Night in Idaho: The College Murders (Prime Video, from July 11, 2025)
This four-part docuseries reconstructs the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students through family interviews and crime-scene reconstructions directed by Liz Garbus and Matthew Galkin