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Terms & Conditions.

Updated September 14, 2026

The rules for using this true-crime editorial archive, its research links, and its historical case material.

1. About these terms

Review these terms before using the site. If you disagree, discontinue use. These terms apply to the extent an enforceable agreement is formed under applicable law. They do not remove mandatory consumer protections or other rights that cannot legally be waived. Additional terms from a retailer, archive, hosting service, or other provider govern that provider’s services.

2. Purpose and audience

The site offers historical research, commentary, media discovery, and source references for adult readers. It is not a law firm, court, investigative agency, emergency service, or retailer. Material is not legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice and does not establish a professional relationship. Cases may discuss violence, abuse, death, and other distressing subjects. Use discretion when reading or sharing them.

3. Historical reporting and editorial accuracy

Allegations, charges, convictions, acquittals, and exonerations have different meanings. A person accused of a crime is not thereby proven guilty. Historical news may contain claims that were disputed, corrected, or superseded. Media nicknames are contextual labels, not independent findings. A link or quotation does not mean we adopt every statement in the source.

We aim to identify sources, distinguish fact from interpretation, and correct substantiated errors. Records and legal status can change, and the archive is not a live court docket. Dates, descriptions, availability, and links may be incomplete. Verify consequential information with the responsible authority. “Fiction Work” includes dramatizations and loose inspirations; invented dialogue, composite characters, and fictional plots are not evidence. “Positive Outcome” identifies documented changes or advocacy, not a claim that a tragedy was beneficial or that every reform achieved its goals.

4. Copyright, photographs, and source material

Original site text, design, and other original material are protected where applicable. Third-party photographs, book covers, articles, films, records, and trademarks remain subject to their owners’ rights. Follow the license attached to an item; credit alone is not permission. Public availability, a court filing, a subscription, or a link does not automatically authorize republication. Any reliance on fair use depends on the particular use and circumstances.

You may access material through the site’s ordinary functions and exercise rights granted by applicable law or an identified license. Do not reproduce full articles, books, videos, or image collections merely because they appear or are linked here. Nothing in these terms restricts lawful quotation, fair use, public-domain use, or other statutory rights. See copyright notices to report a specific concern.

5. Places and responsible use

“Roads Traveled” provides regional context and selected, sourced historical places. Regional highlights are not precise crime-scene coordinates. Addresses, ownership, appearance, and access rules may have changed; photographs can predate current conditions. A historical listing does not invite entry onto property or contact with occupants, survivors, relatives, or witnesses. Check the responsible venue’s current visitor information.

Do not use the site to trespass, stalk, threaten, harass, expose private personal information, distribute unlawful or sealed material, defeat access controls, introduce malicious code, or materially disrupt services. Do not misrepresent affiliation with the site or the people it covers. These rules do not prohibit lawful criticism, research, or reporting.

6. External services and affiliate links

Retailers and other providers control their prices, stock, subscriptions, territories, age restrictions, checkout, cancellations, and refunds. We do not process your purchases from them. Some marked links may earn a commission; read our affiliate disclosure. Availability and a link’s commercial status can change. A listing is not an endorsement by a victim’s family, a court, a platform, or a rights holder. Review the external provider’s terms and privacy notice before buying, subscribing, or signing in.

7. Corrections and submitted material

Visitors cannot directly publish to this site. Send only material you may lawfully share; do not send passwords, identity documents, sealed records, or unnecessary sensitive information. You retain your rights. Sending a correction gives us permission to assess it and use factual corrections necessary to update our reporting. It does not automatically grant permission to republish an entire protected work or disclose your identity. Obtain a separate agreement where needed for publication.

We may review, restrict, correct, or remove material for editorial, privacy, security, or legal reasons. A request does not automatically require removal of accurate, lawful historical reporting. Contact procedures are on our corrections page.

8. Availability and warranties

To the extent permitted by law, the site is provided “as is” and “as available,” without implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or noninfringement. We do not promise uninterrupted access, error-free content, complete records, or continuing availability of third-party material. Warranties and remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded remain in effect.

9. Limits on liability

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the operator is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential losses arising from use of the site. Where legally enforceable, the operator’s total liability arising from the site or these terms is limited to the greater of US $100 or amounts you paid directly to the operator for site services during the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim.

These exclusions and limits do not apply to fraud, willful misconduct, gross negligence, or liability or remedies that applicable law does not allow to be excluded or limited. Some jurisdictions do not permit particular exclusions or limits; those provisions apply only as far as the law allows.

10. Maryland law and disputes

Subject to applicable mandatory protections, these terms are governed by Maryland law and applicable United States federal law. Where an enforceable forum agreement is permitted, disputes may be brought in the state or federal courts located in Maryland that have jurisdiction. This provision does not override a mandatory right to use another forum, small-claims procedure, or government complaint process.

You may contact us to seek an informal resolution, but doing so is not required before exercising a nonwaivable right and does not extend a legal deadline. These terms do not impose arbitration or a class-action waiver. No terms or policy can guarantee immunity from lawsuits, liability, platform enforcement, or takedown requests.

11. Changes and interpretation

Updates will be dated here and apply prospectively, with additional notice or consent where legally required. If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to the extent permitted by law. Failure to enforce a provision on one occasion is not a continuing waiver. A separate express agreement remains effective according to its terms.