True Crime Cases from 2021
Cases from 2021 include criminal investigations, trials, and notable events that occurred during the year. Whether they involved new charges, breakthroughs in cold cases, high-profile trials, or tragic incidents that captured national attention, the cases documented here reflect the state of the criminal justice system in 2021. CaseSleuth provides detailed, chronological coverage of each case with timelines, evidence breakdowns, profiles of key people involved, and links to primary sources and media coverage.
4 cases found
Rust On-Set Shooting / Halyna Hutchins
ConvictedSanta Fe, NM · 2021
On October 21, 2021, at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in Bonanza City, New Mexico, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot and director Joel Souza was injured on the set of the film Rust when a live round was discharged from a revolver that actor Alec Baldwin was using as a prop.
Brian Laundrie Manhunt
Cold CaseNorth Port, FL · 2021
Brian Laundrie, fiancé of Gabby Petito, returned home alone from their cross-country trip. After Petito was found murdered, Laundrie fled and was found dead with a confession notebook.
Gabby Petito
ConvictedMoran, WY · 2021
In August 2021, 22-year-old American travelling vlogger Gabrielle Venora Petito was killed by her fiancé Brian Christopher Laundrie while they were traveling together on a vanlife journey across the United States. The trip was planned to last for four months and began on July 2, 2021, but Petito disappeared on August 27.
Alex Murdaugh / Murdaugh Family Murders
ConvictedIslandton, SC · 2021
The Murdaugh family is an American family from the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. Three generations named Randolph Murdaugh served consecutively as circuit solicitor for the state's 14th judicial district between 1920 and 2006. The family's prominence led locals to call the five-county district "Murdaugh Country". In addition to the legal positions, Randolph Murdaugh Sr. established the Murdaugh family law firm, now called the Parker Law Group, which specializes in personal injury litigation.