#KRITICIZM - The case of Banita Jacks remains one of the most disturbing child-murder cases in Washington, D.C., not only because four young sisters lost their lives, but because questions about mental illness, child welfare and missed opportunities surrounded the tragedy. In January 2008, authorities entered Jacks’ Southeast Washington home and discovered the decomposing bodies of her four daughters: Brittany, 17; Tatianna, 11; N’Kiah, 6; and Aja, 5. Investigators determined

#KRITICIZM - For many people, getting home after a night out means the danger is supposed to be over. For 27-year-old Sasha Samsudean, reaching her downtown Orlando apartment building in October 2015 should have meant she was finally safe. Instead, prosecutors said the security guard responsible for helping protect the building’s residents exploited her vulnerability, followed her inside and killed her in her own apartment. The murder of Sasha Samsudean became an especially d

#KRITICIZM - In October 2009, 39-year-old Dawn Marie Viens disappeared from Lomita, California. At first, her husband, restaurant chef David Viens, maintained that Dawn had simply left. He told friends and police she had run off, and prosecutors later said he even sent fake text messages from Dawn’s phone—including one suggesting she was in Florida. But Dawn’s sister knew something wasn’t right. She reported Dawn missing, beginning an investigation that would eventually uncov

#KRITICIZM - In 1983, Tammy Lynn Leppert appeared to be standing at the beginning of a promising career. The Florida teenager had spent much of her childhood modeling and competing in beauty pageants before making the transition into movies. But instead of becoming known for a long Hollywood career, Leppert became the center of a mystery that has remained unsolved for more than four decades. On July 6, 1983, the 18-year-old disappeared in Florida. She has never been found. He

#KRITICIZM - In the early morning hours of March 4, 1995, a horrifying triple murder inside a family-owned Vietnamese restaurant in New Orleans East became one of the most notorious crimes in the city’s history. What made the case almost unimaginable was the person at its center: Antoinette Frank, a New Orleans police officer sworn to protect the community. The killings occurred at the Kim Anh Vietnamese Restaurant on Bullard Road. Frank knew the Vu family and had previously

#KRITICIZM - Long before Sean “Diddy” Combs became one of the biggest names in hip-hop, his life was shaped by a tragedy he was initially too young to understand. His father, Melvin Earl Combs, was killed in New York City in 1972, leaving behind a wife, two children and questions that would follow the family for decades. Although Melvin never lived to witness his son’s success, his life and death became an important part of the story behind Diddy’s ambition. Over the years, d

#KRITICIZM - In the streets of West Baltimore, few names became surrounded by as much fear and notoriety as Montana “Tana” Barronette. The documentary “MOBB TIES: Montana ‘Devil’s Child’ Barronette” examines the story of a young man whom authorities identified as the leader of Trained To Go, commonly known as TTG. Behind the dramatic nickname was a devastating story involving neighborhood violence, drug trafficking, retaliation and lives permanently changed. Barronette’s rise

#KRITICIZM - During the late 1990s, Cash Money Records transformed New Orleans hip-hop into a national movement. Juvenile, B.G., Lil Wayne, Turk and the Big Tymers introduced the world to a lifestyle filled with expensive cars, oversized jewelry and unapologetic Southern confidence. The label’s artists became famous, but the full story of that era also includes people who operated outside the recording booth. One of the names connected through street history to Cash Money’s r

#KRITICIZM - James Cross, better known throughout Chicago and hip-hop circles as Duke the Jeweler, was building a name through ambition, craftsmanship and his connection to the culture. Duke was not a rapper attempting to become famous. He was an entrepreneur who understood the importance jewelry held within hip-hop. Custom chains, watches, pendants and diamond-covered pieces had become more than accessories—they represented success, identity and the ability to overcome diffi

#KRITICIZM - Jacksonville, Florida, has developed one of the most controversial rap scenes in the South. The city’s music became known nationally for aggressive diss records, neighborhood rivalries and lyrics that often appeared to reference real-life violence. Behind some of Jacksonville’s most recognizable artists was an older generation of street figures whose names were known long before the city’s drill scene reached YouTube. One of those men was Abdul “Blue” Robinson Sr