Infamous America

In the weeks after the murder of Hollywood director William Desmond Taylor, detectives methodically investigate a long list of suspects. They – and the press – uncover scandalous information. Careers ...

On January 15, 1947, a dead body is discovered in a vacant lot on the edge of downtown Los Angeles, California. A young woman was brutally murdered and police identify her as Elizabeth Short. Investig...

The police and the press continue to learn more about the life story of murder victim, Elizabeth Short, and the information now includes the fact that she had been nicknamed “Black Dahlia” while worki...

Investigators struggle to find clues which will lead them to the killer. Suspects are interviewed and cleared. And then, the presumed Black Dahlia killer contacts a Los Angeles newspaper and provides ...

 Investigators and prosecutors build a case against Dr. George Hodel for the murder of Elizabeth Short. But for an unknown reason, it doesn’t lead to an arrest or an indictment. Dr. Hodel moves on wit...

The story of the Dixie Mafia begins in Phenix City, Alabama. The town was sometimes called “the wickedest city in America.” It was sometimes called “America’s original sin city.” By the 20th century, ...

America’s 13-year ban on alcohol doesn’t stop saloon owners and whiskey makers in Phenix City. After Prohibition ends, gambling takes center stage in town. Hoyt Shepherd and Jimmie Matthews run the mo...

Corruption and murder challenge the system of crime in Phenix City. Hoyt Shepherd and Jimmie Matthews work to rig local elections using every available method. They use illegal tactics to help the may...

Hoyt Shepherd and his brother go to trial for murder, and few people are surprised by the outcome. With corruption and crime on the rise, a new champion of reform leads the charge for change. Hugh Ben...

It’s election time again in Phenix City, and Hugh Bentley and his reformers vow to make it an honest process. In response, there’s bloodshed at polling places. Despite the corruption, Bentley’s friend...