what was the first true crime story you remember hearing about?

[BrickPoet]

it was Damilola Taylor for myself

Jeffrey dahmer

The Cannock Chase murders of the 1960s.

Peter sutcliffe

Jonbenet

Jamie Bulger. God bless him.

The Soham murders. I was 4 and my parents didn’t let me watch the news but I heard about it in school and remember finding it very upsetting.

I think I’d call that a crime rather than a true crime story. The latter is a dramatisation based on a crime.

I know that sounds pedantic but there’s something a bit distasteful about describing the murder of someone as a true crime story. I appreciate you aren’t intending to minimise it.

Marie Payne. I lived near there at the time 😔

Five-year-old Sukina Hammond, who was killed by her own father. IIRC, her last words were, “Daddy, I’m sorry”. I was only about six at the time, but I will never forget hearing about Sukina.

The Yorkshire ripper. Terrified me throughout my childhood years.

Mary Bell. She was 10 when she killed two boys. 1968

A local child abduction,I was ten at the time very scary as nothing like that happened our way.the couple were caught on the Monday but not before torturing and raping the girl.
I'm not giving location as the victim was identified at the time and would be early 60s now.

Also James bulger. I'm not much older than him and lived locally to the family at the time.
We moved from Liverpool away within a year or so of that happening.
It just traumatised the entire community. I've had people come at me over saying this before that I'm being a grief tourist but it genuinely just devastated everyone locally. I remember kids in school just crying about it if it was mentioned. We had an assembly about safety not long after and teachers welled up.
Grown men in the 90s who'd rather pull teeth out than show emotion cried when they learned the details. Surreal as fuck as a child to process. I think of his parents loads, they seem such good people. I just hope that they have joy and comfort in their lives, despite such loss.
I think with James's murder being such a huge part of life growing up it made me hyper vigilant with children, not even just my own but if I ever see something like a little one upset with older kids then I interfere, every time. I'd rather piss someone off by asking (nicely) if I can help or anything than be someone who could have helped and didn't.
If I see something that doesn't look/feel right I absolutely will involve myself until I feel secure nothing dodgy is happening. It's obviously not a common thing (rare as rocking horse shit tbh) but a few times I've had concerns and once, only once I definitely helped.

The Cannock Chase murders and the Yorkshire Ripper.
Donald Neilson and poor Lesley Whittle who he murdered 😢

The Moors Murders, Brady and Hindley and the poor mother of Keith Bennett as they refused to say where they had buried him.

The Black Donnelly family

I remember the moon landings in 1969 when I was 6, and being quite unimpressed with the grainy images.

I also remember Maria Colwell, killed by her stepfather. I was 9, and she lived in Brighton which was relatively local to me. We said prayers for her in assembly at school. She was 7, and we had the same haircut. I remember thinking she could have been my little sister if I had one.

The three policemen who were murdered in Shepherd's Bush and the subsequent hunt for one of the perpetrators . . . . it was a major story when i was young and I can remember being very scared

The surviving murderer was released a few years back. I've seen him in our local shopping centre. Scary to think of the crimes he has committed.

My first was Jack the Ripper.

I’ve just now looked up the James Bulger case, and I’m so horrified and sad. Why would they do this?!
and why would so much trouble be taken over protecting that evil murderer’s identity? I’m so angry and upset over this.

that poor little innocent. :(

Not sure if it made national news or not as I was only 9 at the time.
A boy in my brother's year at school was murdered by his father.The father attacked and killed his son,daughter and mother in law with a hammer whilst they slept.This was in the early 70s.

I grew up in police housing as a kid and one of the policemen on the street was murdered at work.

The black panther ( Lesley Whittle). I was so scared

This. I would have been about 7. Suddenly the name Christine Darby was on everyone's lips and stranger danger was everywhere. My childhood changed forever.

Moors murders. (Lesley Anne and I were the same age). Then Mary Bell and the three policemen mentioned upthread.