Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Serial Killers & Murders

Because You Were Home”: The True Story Behind “The Strangers

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’re looking at the case that inspired “The Strangers”: Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

Charles Manson was born on November 12^th, 1934, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Ada Kathleen Maddox, an unmarried 16-year-old. She later married William Eugene Manson, though the couple divorced in 1939. His early life was unstable: his mother was frequently absent or incarcerated, and Charles was shuffled between relatives and reform schools for much of his childhood. He spent the better part of his teens and twenties cycling in and out of prison. After the divorce, he took his stepfather’s surname due to Maddox’s neglect.

Kaylee FowlerApril 22, 2026April 21, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

Sharon Tate: The Night Hollywood Lost Its Innocence

Eight months pregnant and full of promise, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen in a crime that shocked the world. More than fifty years later, the horror of Cielo Drive still refuses to fade.

She was one of Hollywood’s brightest rising stars, a breathtaking actress, a devoted wife, and a mother-to-be just weeks away from welcoming her first child. But on the night of August 8–9, 1969, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen from her in one of the most shocking and brutal crimes America has ever seen.

NZGeekChicApril 21, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Twitter Killer: Takahiro Shiraishi and the Predator Who Hunted the Vulnerable

He offered help to those who wanted to die—but behind the screen was something far darker. This is the story of the man who turned compassion into a weapon.

We’ve all been there : scrolling through social media late at night, feeling vulnerable, perhaps a bit lost. In 2017, nine people in Japan reached out into the digital void looking for understanding. What they found instead was Takahiro Shiraishi, a predator who weaponized compassion.

NZGeekChicApril 6, 2026April 5, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Medicality, Serial Killers & Murders

The Girl Who Wasn’t a Child: The Barbora Škrlová Case and the Horror It Inspired

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’ll be discussing the Barbora Škrlová case, the basis of the 2009 movie Orphan, as well as the film’s tragic repercussions in the years that followed.

DISCLAIMER: I am neither a medical nor a mental health professional. Additionally, several details of the Škrlová case are related through hearsay and internet rumor. This article is for educational and entertainment purposes only. I have done my best to report the facts as they are and note a few places where urban legend has taken root.

Kaylee FowlerMarch 31, 2026March 30, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, Kaylee Fowler, Serial Killers & Murders

Reel Horror – The True Story Behind Ghostface

Hello and welcome to Reel Horror, where we discuss the real-world inspirations behind horror films. From true crime to paranormal happenings to mysterious, unexplained, or just plain strange phenomena, horror often finds its roots in its surroundings, and this new series is devoted to exploring where some of the most iconic films and villains find their origins.

Today, we’ll be looking at the inspiration behind Ghostface and the Scream franchise: Danny Rolling, also known as the Gainesville Ripper. Rolling was an American serial killer from Shreveport, Louisiana, who killed 5 college students in Gainesville, FL over four days in 1990.

Kaylee FowlerMarch 17, 2026March 16, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Story Behind The Movie Badlands

Serial killers are a fascinating subject but let’s not forget about the victims they leave behind and the lesson that sometimes we must learn. Here is the story of what inspired the movie Badlands.

The American Midwest in the 1950s was supposed to be safe. White picket fences, malt shops, and the promise of prosperity defined the era’s mythology. But in the winter of 1957-58, two young people shattered that illusion in the most brutal way imaginable.

NZGeekChicMarch 16, 2026March 16, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, Serial Killers & Murders

The Hello Kitty Murder: When Innocence Became Horror

What happens when a kid’s toy is used in the most gruesome way, and a murder turns into a cautionary tale? Come find out with us.

Hong Kong, 1999

Some crimes burrow beneath your skin and refuse to leave. The Hello Kitty murder is one of them, not because of its macabre nickname, but because of what it reveals about the human capacity for cruelty.

NZGeekChicFebruary 24, 2026February 20, 2026Leave a comment

Experts, NZGeekChic, YouTube

La Quintrala, A Chilean Drop Dead Gorgeous Beauty Killer

People don’t often think about women as serial killers, even less in aristocratic times. However, knowing it is a man’s world, only now do we discover women did more than first thought. How many women do YOU think got away with murder?

Only Men Can Be Serial Killers

When the general public hears the word ‘serial killer’ or a crime has been committed, more often than not, their minds will automatically go to seeing the criminal as a male.

That is often because eighty-five percent of serial killers are male, and only fifteen percent are female. Also, women don’t seem to be in it for publicity. However, regardless of gender, one is always motivated by a reason to kill. Then again, when it comes to women, the kills are more personal compared to men.

NZGeekChicMay 10, 2023May 9, 20231 Comment

Experts, Indie Community, Interviews, NZGeekChic

Gothic Bite Magazine Interviews Their Writer, Paula Phillips

At Gothic Bite Magazine, we love welcoming new patients to become part of our asylum. We question them and learn about them. It doesn’t matter what creative field they are part of because they’re our patients now. This week, we welcome Paula Phillips.

Patient Name: Paula Phillips

Hi, my name is Paula Phillips. I live in New Zealand and have always had a passion for books and writing. I have been running a book blog since July 2010, when I decided to combine my passion for reading books and writing reviews and to share my knowledge of books with the world.

I have also been writing online for various publications since 2006-2007, after I finished my second bit of study, a Diploma in Freelance Journalism.

NZGeekChicApril 27, 2023April 26, 2023Leave a comment

Gothic Bite Magazine

Where the news come from beyond the grave

Tag: True Crime

Because You Were Home”: The True Story Behind “The Strangers

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’re looking at the case that inspired “The Strangers”: Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

Sharon Tate: The Night Hollywood Lost Its Innocence

Eight months pregnant and full of promise, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen in a crime that shocked the world. More than fifty years later, the horror of Cielo Drive still refuses to fade.

The Girl Who Wasn’t a Child: The Barbora Škrlová Case and the Horror It Inspired

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’ll be discussing the Barbora Škrlová case, the basis of the 2009 movie Orphan, as well as the film’s tragic repercussions in the years that followed.

Reel Horror – The True Story Behind Ghostface

The Story Behind The Movie Badlands

Serial killers are a fascinating subject but let’s not forget about the victims they leave behind and the lesson that sometimes we must learn. Here is the story of what inspired the movie Badlands.

The Hello Kitty Murder: When Innocence Became Horror

What happens when a kid’s toy is used in the most gruesome way, and a murder turns into a cautionary tale? Come find out with us.

La Quintrala, A Chilean Drop Dead Gorgeous Beauty Killer

People don’t often think about women as serial killers, even less in aristocratic times. However, knowing it is a man’s world, only now do we discover women did more than first thought. How many women do YOU think got away with murder?

Only Men Can Be Serial Killers

Gothic Bite Magazine Interviews Their Writer, Paula Phillips

At Gothic Bite Magazine, we love welcoming new patients to become part of our asylum. We question them and learn about them. It doesn’t matter what creative field they are part of because they’re our patients now. This week, we welcome Paula Phillips.

Patient Name: Paula Phillips

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’re looking at the case that inspired “The Strangers”: Charles Manson and the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

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Eight months pregnant and full of promise, Sharon Tate’s life was stolen in a crime that shocked the world. More than fifty years later, the horror of Cielo Drive still refuses to fade.

Share this:

He offered help to those who wanted to die—but behind the screen was something far darker. This is the story of the man who turned compassion into a weapon.

Share this:

Welcome back to Reel Horror! Today, we’ll be discussing the Barbora Škrlová case, the basis of the 2009 movie Orphan, as well as the film’s tragic repercussions in the years that followed.

Share this:

Share this:

Serial killers are a fascinating subject but let’s not forget about the victims they leave behind and the lesson that sometimes we must learn. Here is the story of what inspired the movie Badlands.

Share this:

What happens when a kid’s toy is used in the most gruesome way, and a murder turns into a cautionary tale? Come find out with us.

Share this:

People don’t often think about women as serial killers, even less in aristocratic times. However, knowing it is a man’s world, only now do we discover women did more than first thought. How many women do YOU think got away with murder?

Only Men Can Be Serial Killers

Share this:

At Gothic Bite Magazine, we love welcoming new patients to become part of our asylum. We question them and learn about them. It doesn’t matter what creative field they are part of because they’re our patients now. This week, we welcome Paula Phillips.

Patient Name: Paula Phillips

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