24/7 Wall St. Key Takeaways:

• People murder for all sorts of reasons, but some conduct elaborate plots, complete with disguises and betrayals. 
• Modern forensics see through many of these murder plots, even those undertaken with more unusual implements. 
• Also, read “The Next NVIDIA.“

Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction!

There are a handful of murder cases where the killer almost came to pulling off the perfect crime. These are some of the strangest true crime murder stories of twisted planning and clever disguises. 

From killers who infiltrated the victim’s life unnoticed to those who boldly posed as trusted professionals, here are 15 stories of the most brazen murderers who nearly got away with it.

Why We’re Covering This

Who doesn’t like a good murder story? Well, it would appear that murder sells! At least 84% of the population consumes true crime, making it a potentially lucrative industry. Here at 24/7 Wall St., we cover the entertainment industry regularly, including well-performing stocks to watch. 

1. Disguised Health Worker

In England, a man of Asian descent tried to murder his stepfather in one of the most unusual ways: disguised as a public health worker. He posed as an official to give his stepfather a Covid-19 shot. However, he injected him with a lethal poison instead, aiming to eliminate him and prevent him from inheriting his mother’s state. 

2. Deadly Ice Bullet

In 1930s New York, a man attempted what he believed would be an untraceable murder by using an ice bullet. He assumed that the bullet would melt and leave behind no trace. However, the autopsy revealed some unusual findings, which eventually led to his arrest. 

3. Poisoned Tea Party

In 1970s Tokyo, a woman invited her wealthy aunt to a “special tea.” As you might guess, she laced her aunt’s tea with poison, hoping that her death would look like a heart attack. Luckily, a sudden inheritance change in the niece’s favor helped the police catch on. 

4. The Framed Robbery

In the 1990s, a young husband in California staged an elaborate break-in to disguise the murder of his wife. He trashed his own home, called the police, and claimed that he was the victim of a robbery. The police believed him at first, but he was found out when it came to light that he had taken a substantial life insurance policy on his wife. 

5. The “Overseas” Alibi

An ambitious lawyer in Germany crafted an airtight alibi by planning a murder while on vacation. He hired a hitman to kill his business partner back home while he posted scenic photos of his vacation. 

However, his alibi crumbled when his hired murderer did. 

6. The Lover’s Fake Suicide

In France, a woman concocted an elaborate plan to kill her wealthy lover by staging his death as a suicide. She arranged the scene as you would expect, with a fake suicide note and all. However, the forensic experts soon caught on, and eventually, she was arrested. 

7. The Arsonist

In a small American town, a man tried to cover up the murder of his wife by setting their house ablaze, hoping the fire would erase all evidence. However, it became obvious that the fire was set on purpose, and he confessed to the crime. 

8. The Deadly Snake Bite

In India, a man devised an unusual plan to kill his wife by obtaining a venomous snake and planting it in her bed while she slept. He hoped that the snakebite would be written off as an obvious accident. His plan almost worked, but police noticed strange communications between the man and reptile dealers. 

9. The Wedding Day Tragedy

A jealous ex-boyfriend in Italy tried to ruin his former lover’s wedding by disguising himself as a photograph. He attended the ceremony and waited for the right moment to poison the groom’s drink at the reception. However, security footage caught him in the act, and the police intervened before the plan could succeed. 

10. The Fake Doctor

In Brazil, a man posed as a doctor to get close to his estranged wife, who was recovering in the hospital after a car accident. Under the guise of a doctor, he administered a fatal dose of medication, trying to make it look accidental. However, he was recognized before he could pull off the murder. 

11. The Doppelganger

A woman in Russia went to extremes to escape her debt by faking her own death. She found a lookalike on social media, befriended her, and ultimately murdered her to pass the body off as her own. The plan would have worked, but the two doppelganger’s teeth were not a close enough match. 

12. The Honeymoon

During their honeymoon in Southeast Asia, a husband tried to make his wife’s death look like a drowning accident. He staged a snorkeling excursion and intended to make her disappear in open water. However, his strange behaviors with authorities afterward raised suspicions among local authorities. 

13. An “Accidental” Car Crash

In the UK, a man tampered with his partner’s car brakes, hoping a crash would eliminate her without suspicion. However, a mechanic noticed the tampering in the brake line and reported it to the police. 

14. The Therapist

In the United States, a therapist poisoned a client over several months, hoping to inherit a large sum by being named as a beneficiary in her will. Because the poisoning was so slow, it was undetected for a while. Instead, the client simply thought her illness was natural. A toxicology screening proved otherwise, though, and the authorities eventually linked the finding to the therapist. 

15. Poisoned Pasta

In Sweden, a woman attempted to murder her husband by lacing his favorite pasta dish with a lethal dose of antifreeze. She masked the taste with sugar, hoping he would be none the wiser. However, the dose ended up not being enough to kill him, and the man noted the strange aftertaste. Eventually, doctors and authorities were able to figure out the plot. 

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