Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, died on her Hawaii vacation in 1905 after drinking from a bottle of mineral water that had been laced with pure strychnine. The university president, David Starr Jordan, claimed she died of ‘natural causes,’ though Jane had survived an attempt on her life only weeks prior after drinking from a different mineral water that was found to contain rat poison. No one really believed she died naturally. And while some conjectured that Jane decided to die by suicide on that Hawaii getaway, there is far more evidence to suggest that Jane was murdered. But who actually poisoned her has never been solved.

When Trinity University student, Cayley Mandadi was rushed to a local hospital by her boyfriend, doctors originally treated Cayley for a potential drug overdose. However, when she died, the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and her boyfriend was arrested. But when his trial ended in a hung jury, it begged the question: did Cayley’s boyfriend actually murder her?

A 19-year old fraternity pledge at Virginia Commonwealth University must drink a handle of whiskey as part of his initiation ceremony. He does, and dies. Eleven fraternity brothers let him. On the surface, this case seems cold, calculated, and maybe even insidious. But the truth of Adam Oakes’ untimely death is much more complicated.