Today in True Crime History: November 2

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

1859 — John Brown, an abolitionist, is found guilty of murder. He had conspired with slaves to revolt. He was sentenced to death.

1870 — Thomas James Smith, sometimes called Bear River, is killed in the line of duty. He was nearly decapitated while working as a lawman.

1973 — Gerald Ford, vice-president, approves the decision to investigate President Richard Nixon as part of the Watergate Scandal.

2016 — Sherri Papini claims she was abducted while jogging in Redding, California on this day. She was found alive three weeks later, claiming she’d been freed by her captors. No arrests have been made.