2002: Timed to Kill the Survivors: the Bali Nightclub Bombings

On 12 October 2002, a suicide bomber walked into Paddy’s Pub in Bali’s Kuta district and detonated an explosive vest on the crowded dance floor. Twenty seconds later, as survivors fled into the street to see what had happened, a second bomb hidden in a van outside the Sari Club tore through the crowd gathered there, killing many who had just escaped the first blast. The attack claimed 202 lives, including 88 Australians, the deadliest act of terrorism in Indonesia’s history. Three men were convicted of orchestrating the bombings and sentenced to death. They were executed by firing squad on Nusakambangan island in November 2008. In their final moments, the three men showed no remorse, shouting loudly, rather than any word of apology.

Kuta carnival 2010. Paddle for peace. Bali. Annual Kuta beach carnival celebration. Initially organized as a response to the Bali terrorist attack of October 2002, the event has now become a regular fixture on Bali's busy calendar of yearly events. October 2010. Among majority of events - every year all surfers padles to the mid of the ocean to make the circle, unite the hands, put flowers into the water and pray for victims of terrorist attack. The name of this part is Paddle for piece | ID 16538257 Β© Evgeniya Bolyukh | Dreamstime.com
ID 16538257 Β© Evgeniya Bolyukh | Dreamstime.com

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2004: From Family Holiday to Front-Page News: the Arrest of Schapelle Corby in Bali

Schapelle Corby was flying from Brisbane via Sydney to Bali for a family holiday when customs officers at Denpasar airport opened her unlocked bodyboard bag and found 4.2 kilograms of cannabis sealed inside a vacuum-packed bag. The amount alone, under Indonesian law, carried the weight of a major trafficking charge rather than simple possession.

Corby insisted from the moment of her arrest that she had no idea the drugs were there, a claim she would repeat throughout a trial that drew intense media coverage back in Australia. The case became one of the most closely watched Australian legal dramas of the decade, dividing public opinion over whether she was a trafficker or a victim of baggage handlers exploiting an unlocked bag.

Island Paradise Bali
Island Paradise Bali

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On This Day in True Crime History – 12th October

Today we rewind the clock to the 12th of October on This Day in True Crime History.

1609: 🎡 Hidden Horrors in Harmony: The Dark Tale Behind Three Blind Mice 🐁

On this day in 1609, London witnessed the publication of what seemed to be a simple nursery rhyme, “Three Blind Mice.” While it enchanted children with its catchy tune, some historians theorize that the “three blind mice” are believed to represent three Protestant bishops who conspired against Queen Mary I of England, infamously known as “Bloody Mary”. Their failed plot led to their conviction for treason and subsequent execution by being burned at the stake. The “farmer’s wife” cutting off their tails with a carving knife? None other than Queen Mary herself. 🎢πŸ”₯πŸ‘‘

1933: πŸ”’ From Island to Infamy: Alcatraz’s Transformation into America’s Most Dreaded Prison 🌊

On this day in 1933 Alcatraz Island, formerly a military fortification, underwent its most notorious transformation: it became a federal maximum-security prison designed to hold the nation’s most dangerous criminals. Alcatraz was the ultimate punishment – a remote, inescapable fortress where inmates faced a life of strict discipline amidst the chilling winds and unforgiving waves. Names like Al “Scarface” Capone and Robert “Birdman” Stroud would soon echo through its cells, cementing Alcatraz’s reputation in true crime lore. πŸ’πŸ¦œπŸš”

1949: 🌍 Birth of a Mercenary – The Early Days of Carlos the Jackal πŸ”«

On this day in 1949, Ilich RamΓ­rez SΓ‘nchez was born in Venezuela. He would later become infamously known to the world as Carlos the Jackal, responsible for a series of terrorist attacks and hostage takings across Europe during the 1970s and early 1980s. Raised by a devoutly Catholic mother and a Marxist father, his early introduction to communism set the stage for his future activities. πŸŒŽβœˆοΈπŸ•΅οΈβ€β™‚οΈπŸ§¨

South America

1960: πŸ“Ί A Live Broadcast Turned Tragedy: The Assassination of Inejiro Asanuma πŸ—‘οΈ

On this day in 1960, televisions across Japan showed what would become one of the most shocking moments in the nation’s modern history. Inejiro Asanuma, leader of the Japan Socialist Party, was addressing a political gathering when a young nationalist named Otoya Yamaguchi rushed onto the stage and assassinated Asanuma with a samurai sword. The horrifying act was witnessed in real time by countless viewers. πŸ‡―πŸ‡΅πŸŽ₯🚫

Assassin

1984: πŸ’₯ Brighton’s Dark Day: The IRA’s Attempt on Thatcher 🏨

On this day in 1984, the serene coastal town of Brighton, England, became the epicentre of a chilling political assassination attempt aiming to eliminate British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet, who were staying there for the Conservative Party Conference. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) orchestrated a bomb attack at the Grand Hotel; nevertheless, the Prime Minister narrowly escaped, but the blast claimed the lives of five individuals and injured 31 others. πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§πŸ”πŸš‘

Margaret Thatcher

1988: πŸ” Melbourne’s Unsolved Mystery: The Walsh Street Shootings πŸš“

On this day in 1988, a tragic incident unfolded in South Yarra, Melbourne. Constables Steven Tynan, aged 22, and Damian Eyre, aged 20, members of the Victoria Police force, were ambushed and tragically killed during the early hours πŸ•°οΈ. The Walsh Street police shootings sent shockwaves 🌊 through Melbourne, leading to an intense and prolonged investigation which to this day remains unsolved. πŸ”

Walsh St

2002: πŸ’₯ Bali’s Night of Horror πŸ’₯🌴

On this day in 2002, Indonesia faced its deadliest act of terrorism. The Bali bombings resulted in the tragic loss of 202 lives, and among the casualties, 88 were Australians πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί. The bustling nightlife of Bali’s Kuta district was shattered when blasts from two bombs ripped through popular nightclubs. 🌌

Bali Today
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On This Day in True Crime History

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