10 Times Criminals Died Before They Could Face Justice
Amado Carrillo Fuentes
Taking over the Juárez Cartel, Amado Carrillo Fuentes became one of the most infamous and illusive drug lords of his generation. He literally flew over the DEA’s radar, moving drugs via jets. Earning the nickname “Lord of the Skies,” Carrillo’s reign came crashing down in July 1997. The 40-year-old kingpin checked into a small, Mexican clinic for liposuction, as well as plastic surgery to drastically alter his face. It’s believed that Carrillo wanted to change his appearance to evade authorities. This ironically proved to be Carrillo’s undoing. After eight hours of surgery, Carrillo died in his hospital bed, apparently due to complications. DEA Administrator Thomas A. Constantine found some satisfaction in Carrillo’s death, saying, “There is a special place in Hell for those like him.”
Somen Banerjee
Behind the bowties, collars, and “SNL” sketches, Chippendales houses a dark story laced with money, fire, and murder-for-hire. Somen “Steve” Banerjee founded Chippendales, trailblazing the idea of male dancers taking it off for the ladies. Banerjee was intimidated by competition, plotting to burn down rival club Moody’s Disco. He also had a bone to pick with business partner and choreographer Nick De Noia, ordering his assassination. In addition to having De Noia killed, Banerjee conspired to take out three other former Chippendales employees before being apprehended. Shortly after accepting a plea bargain of 26 years, Banerjee was found dead in his cell with a bedsheet piece around his neck. Chippendales and its assets went to Banerjee’s wife, who sold the brand for $2.5 million.
Béla Kiss
10 Times Serial Killers Faced Justice
Béla Kiss stands out since the whereabouts of his body are unknown. Considering that he was born in the late nineteenth century and disappeared in 1916, though, it’s safe to say he went to the grave without confronting justice. Claiming no less than 24 lives, 23 being women, this Hungarian serial killer was known for pickling victims, encapsulating them in metal drums. When the bodies were discovered, Kiss was away at war. The military was alerted about Kiss, who was tracked down to a Serbian hospital. Before he could be apprehended, Kiss flew the coop. Kiss was supposedly spotted a few times afterward, the most recent alleged sighting being in 1932 in New York. Whether or not this was Kiss, justice remained a step behind.
Philip Markoff
On paper, Philip Markoff had a bright future ahead of him, attending Boston University School of Medicine and engaged to a fellow medical volunteer. Markoff’s desktop painted another portrait. The medical student was linked to three robberies, one of which ended in murder. The three victims had all posted ads on Craigslist, which Markoff allegedly responded to. Dubbed “The Craigslist Killer,” Markoff insisted that he was innocent, although his actions while incarcerated suggested otherwise. After multiple attempts to take his own life, Markoff’s body was discovered in his cell. At the time of his demise, Markoff was facing charges of armed robbery and first-degree murder, among others. His death occurred almost exactly one year after he was supposed to get married.
Alva Campbell
Committing multiple crimes across various countries, Alva Campbell was convicted of murdering a man at a Cleveland bar in 1972. He was paroled after two decades, but he returned to court in 1997, facing armed robbery charges. Faking being paralyzed, Campbell leapt from his wheelchair, carjacked teenager Charles Dials, killed him, and was eventually caught again. Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien described Campbell as “the poster child for the death penalty.” While Campbell was scheduled to be executed in 2017, the medical team struggled to find a vein to inject the lethal dose. The execution was postponed to 2019, although it was believed that Campbell wouldn’t live that long due to his deteriorating health. These suspicions were correct. Campbell died from terminal conditions in March 2018.
Doyle Hamm
Doyle Hamm was sentenced to death in 1987 after murdering motel clerk Patrick Cunningham in 1987. Like Alva Campbell, though, Hamm’s health declined faster than the wheels of the justice system. In addition to being diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 2014, Hamm lived with Hepatitis C. The medical staff spent over two hours trying to locate a suitable vein, missing the execution deadline. You could say that Hamm cheated death, but the effects of the failed execution reportedly left him as “a shadow of himself.” Although Hamm pursued legal attraction as a second execution was pursued, the cancer ultimately claimed his life in 2021. While he dodged the death chamber, Hamm arguably traded one grim fate or an even slower, more painful end.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey
Coming from a legal background, Deborah Jeane Palfrey was driven to start her own escort business. This led to a 1992 conviction with Palfrey spending one-and-a-half years behind bars. She went on to create another escort agency, Pamela Martin and Associates, in Washington, D.C. Nicknamed the “D. C. Madam,” Martin amassed a list of prominent clients, including Louisiana Senator David Vitter. Although Martin claimed that her business was legit, she was convicted of money laundering, racketeering, and using the mail illegally. Facing 6-55 years, Martin’s body was found in a storage shed with multiple notes left behind in her bedroom. Although her death sparked plenty of online conspiracy theories, Martin had sworn that she’d never return to prison and the autopsy backed this up.
Josef Mengele
Nazi Germany produced numerous monsters. So, the fact that Josef Mengele was dubbed the “Angel of Death” is saying something. In addition to conducting fatal experiments at Auschwitz, Mengele played a role in selecting who entered the gas chambers and would release the poison himself. When World War II ended, Mengele fled from Argentina to Paraguay, to Brazil as West Germany and Israel attempted to track him down. Yet, even Nazi hunters like Simon Wiesenthal were unable to bring Mengele to trial. While Mengele was never captured, he did get his comeuppance. After enduring a stroke while swimming in Brazil, Mengele drowned in 1979. Mengele had adopted a new name, but the authorities would connect his remains to the Angel of Death six years later.
Jeffrey Epstein
Times Jeffrey Dahmer Almost Got Caught
The downfall of Jeffrey Epstein is among the most notorious and surreal true crime stories of the past century (or any century). It’s hard to say what’s more shocking: how many famous names were linked to Epstein or the fact that he only served 13 months when initially convicted in 2008. However, we can all agree that the most bizarre chapter came in 2019 when Epstein was arrested again for sex trafficking. Just over a month later, it was determined that Epstein hanged himself in his cell. Countless conspiracy theories followed in place of what undoubtedly would’ve been a trial for the ages. Epstein didn’t get his day in court, but his partner Ghislaine Maxwell did, being sentenced to two decades in federal prison.
Lee Harvey Oswald
Top 50 Times Karens Faced Justice
Another conspiracy theory magnet, Lee Harvey Oswald would go down in infamy as the man who shot President Kennedy. Surprisingly, Oswald initially wasn’t arrested for Kennedy’s assassination, but for the killing of Officer J. D. Tippit, who he shot after fleeing from the book depository. It didn’t take long for the authorities to link Osward to Kennedy’s murder. With the nation grieving, many felt that justice couldn’t be served soon enough. Nightclub owner Jack Rudy took matters into his own hands, fatally shooting Osward two days later during a police escort. Rudy wanted to spare Jackie Kennedy “the discomfiture of coming back to trial.” Although Rudy’s conviction and death sentence were overturned, a pulmonary embolism claimed his life before he could receive a new trial.
