Daily Bites of True Crime

The Loomis Fargo heist, one of the largest cash thefts in U.S. history, took place on October 4, 1997, when over $17 million was stolen from a Loomis Fargo vault in Charlotte, North Carolina. The heist was orchestrated by Loomis Fargo employee David Ghantt, who collaborated with a small group of accomplices, including Kelly Campbell, a former co-worker, and Steve Chambers, the mastermind behind the operation. Ghantt loaded the cash into a van and fled to Mexico, but the group’s lavish spending and amateur mistakes quickly attracted the attention of authorities. After several months, the FBI apprehended the culprits, and much of the stolen money was recovered. The heist inspired several films and books, including the 2016 comedy Masterminds

The Brianna Williams case revolves around the tragic death of her 5-year-old daughter, Taylor Rose Williams, in 2019. Brianna, a former Naval officer, initially reported Taylor missing from their Jacksonville, Florida, home, leading to a massive search effort. However, as the investigation unfolded, authorities discovered inconsistencies in Williams' account. Days before Taylor’s disappearance, Williams had traveled to a remote area in Alabama, where her daughter's decomposed remains were eventually found buried in a shallow grave.Williams was charged with second-degree murder after evidence revealed that Taylor had been subjected to severe neglect and abuse. Court documents indicated that Williams had tortured and malnourished Taylor in the months leading up to her death. Despite her emotional appearance when reporting Taylor missing, she became uncooperative with investigators and was found guilty of lying about key details. Williams has pleaded guilty and faces a sentence ranging from 20 years to life in prison

Brian Cohee Jr.'s case is one of the more chilling examples of extreme violence. In 2021, Cohee, then 19 years old, brutally murdered and dismembered Warren Barnes, a 69-year-old homeless man, in Idaho. After killing Barnes, Cohee took parts of the dismembered body back to his home, where his mother eventually discovered a severed head and hands in his closet. The discovery led to Cohee's arrest, where he calmly admitted to the crime during a police interrogation. He later pleaded insanity, but a psychological evaluation deemed him competent to stand trial. Cohee was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole

Shawn Grate, an Ohio serial killer, was arrested in 2016 after a woman he kidnapped called 911 while being held captive. Grate was convicted of murdering five women between 2006 and 2016. His victims were often vulnerable women whom he lured into abandoned houses. Grate’s crimes came to light when his final victim bravely escaped and alerted authorities, leading to his arrest. After his capture, he confessed to multiple murders, showing little remorse. In 2018, he was sentenced to death, with additional life sentences for rape, kidnapping, and other charges. Grate’s chilling confessions and the bravery of the surviving victim captivated public attention, underscoring both the horror of his crimes and the failures in identifying him sooner.