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From cross-country manhunts to high-profile homicides that shook local communities, 2025 saw a string of crime cases that captured national attention.
Authorities in cities large and small faced complex investigations and fast-moving developments throughout the year.
Many of the incidents sparked urgent questions about public safety, mental-health gaps, and rising political tensions.
Several cases unfolded in real time, drawing widespread scrutiny as details emerged from law enforcement and prosecutors
Here are 10 of the most shocking cases of 2025.
Disappearance of 9-year-old Zemar King
Nine-year-old Zemar King was living with his mother in Detroit, Michigan, in the fall of 2024 and was last seen in October.
Months later, on January 6, 2025, a landlord preparing a vacant home on Woodingham Drive contacted police after noticing what appeared to be human remains buried in the backyard.
Detroit police responded to the scene and recovered a body from a shallow grave, which was later identified as Zemar.
As investigators worked to piece together what had happened, authorities revealed that Zemar had never been reported missing, and no search for him had been underway.
Brandee Katrice Pierce was charged. Image credits: Detroit Police
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said an autopsy determined Zemar died from smothering and neck compression.
Investigators believe he was killed in late October, and allege that his body was then buried in the garden in an attempt to conceal his death.
Detectives determined Zemar had been living at the home with his mother, Brandee Katrice Pierce, who had since moved out of state with another child.
Pierce was later located in Georgia, arrested, and extradited to Michigan. She was charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree child abuse, tampering with evidence, and concealing the death of an individual.
Pierce is accused of assaulting Zemar, binding him, killing him, and burying his body behind the home before fleeing the state.
Worthy described the case as “shocking” and said the evidence showed a deliberate effort to conceal the child’s death.
The torture and murder of Sam Nordquist
Sam Nordquist, a 24-year-old transgender man from Minnesota, was reported missing in early February after family members lost contact with him while he was on a trip to New York.
Nordquist had traveled to the state in December to visit a woman he described as his girlfriend. She was later charged in connection with his death.
After Nordquist was reported missing, authorities conducted multiple welfare checks at locations connected to his stay in New York, including a motel in Ontario County, but were unable to locate him.
Nordquist was tortured before his death. Image credits: New York State Police
On February 13, Nordquist’s body was found in a rural field in Yates County, New York. Investigators said his remains had been moved in an apparent effort to conceal the crime.
In the days that followed, authorities announced evidence indicating Nordquist had been subjected to prolonged physical abuse and torture over a period of weeks.
Seven people were arrested and charged in connection with his death: Precious Arzuaga, Jennifer Quijano, Kyle Sage, Patrick Goodwin, Emily Motyka, Kimberly Sochia, and Thomas Eaves.
All were charged with second-degree murder and related offenses.
Nordquist’s family asked for multiple welfare checks. Image credits: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
According to the indictment, prosecutors allege the defendants acted together to restrain, assault, and torture Nordquist over an extended period before his death.
Ontario County District Attorney Kelly Wolford described the case as “one of the most disturbing investigations” her office had handled and said the alleged abuse spanned weeks.
Wolford also said the case did not initially meet the legal standard for a hate crime, noting that the suspects and the victim were known to one another.
Capital Jewish Museum shooting
A young couple was murdered outside of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on May 21.
Yaron Lischinsky, 28, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, had just left the American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception when they were shot at close range.
At the event, Lischinsky, who was planning to propose to Milgrim, had shared how excited he was to be going back home to spend the Jewish holiday of Shavuot with his family in Israel.
Lischinsky and Milgrim were shot at close range. Image credits: Embassy of Israel
Police arrested suspected gunman Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago shortly after the incident.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said that before the shooting, Rodriguez was observed pacing back and forth outside the museum.
He then approached a group of four people, produced a handgun, and opened fire, fatally striking Lischinsky and Milgrim, Smith said.
During the shooting, he called out, “Free Palestine.”
Moments afterwards, Rodriguez entered the CJM, where several event attendees were still present, displayed a red keffiyeh, and allegedly said, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
Rodriguez was charged with the murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Lischinsky was planning to propose to Milgrim. Image credits: Facebook
In addition, he was charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code, two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two local counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
According to an indictment unsealed by the U.S., Rodriguez made multiple statements prior to the killings in which he advocated for violence against Israelis.
In May, he allegedly authored a manifesto that he called “Explication,” in which he argued for the “morality of armed demonstration” and wrote that “[t]hose of us against the genocide take satisfaction in arguing that the perpetrators and abettors have forfeited their humanity.”
Decker children killings
On May 30, three young sisters, Paityn, 9, Evelyn, 8, and Olivia, 5, were reported missing in Wenatchee, Washington, after they failed to return home from a scheduled visitation with their father, Travis Decker, 32.
A multi-day search followed as investigators worked to locate the missing children and their father across central Washington.
On June 2, police discovered Decker’s abandoned truck near the Rock Island Campground in Chelan County and, nearby, the bodies of the three girls.
The girls were killed by their father. Image credits: Brookside Funeral Home
Each child had been bound and found with plastic bags over her head, with a preliminary examination determining they died of asphyxiation.
Decker, a former Army soldier who had been living out of his vehicle, became the focus of an extensive nationwide manhunt.
He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree kidnapping, and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, though he was not in custody at the time.
For more than three months, law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI, searched remote areas of Washington state for Decker, warning he was considered dangerous.
Travis Decker. Image credits: Kittitas County Sheriff
On September 25, remains believed to be those of Decker were found in the mountains near Leavenworth and later confirmed by authorities, effectively ending the manhunt.
The killings shocked the community and prompted renewed discussion about missing-persons protocols during family custody visits, though investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive.
The assassination of Melissa Hortman and her husband
On June 14, 2025, a man pretending to be a police officer shot and killed Minnesota House of Representatives Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home.
Vance Boelter, 57, has been indicted on six federal charges in connection with the stalking and murders of the Hortmans, as well as the stalking and shooting of Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman, his wife Yvette Hoffman, and the attempted shooting of their daughter Hope Hoffman.
Boelter, who was arrested after a two-day manhunt, is alleged to have murdered the Hortmans after impersonating a police officer and entering the Hoffman home.
The Hortmans were killed in their own home. Image credits: Steven Garcia/Getty Images
Both the senator and his wife, Yvette, were shot, but their adult daughter managed to call for help.
After learning a politician had been attacked, Brooklyn Park Police sent officers to check on Rep. Hortman, who lived around 9 miles away.
They found the front door open and allegedly saw Boelter shooting Mark Hortman.
Officers exchanged gunfire with Boelter, but he managed to flee the scene, and Melissa Hortman was found dead inside the home, police said.
“Vance Boelter planned and carried out a night of terror that shook Minnesota to its core,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a statement at the time.
Boelter was traced after a manhunt. Image credits: Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office
“He carried out targeted political assassinations the likes of which have never been seen in Minnesota.”
“Let me be clear: Boelter will see justice,” Thompson added.
Boelter is also accused of travelling to the homes of two other Minnesota elected officials, only to find that no one was home.
The killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska
On August 22, Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska, 23, was killed on a train in North Carolina.
She had only been onboard for minutes when Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, allegedly lunged at her with a pocket knife and stabbed her in the neck.
Zarutska could not be saved and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Brown, a homeless career criminal who reportedly suffered from schizophrenia, was taken to hospital for a minor wound and later arrested.
Zarutska was a refugee from Ukraine. Image credits: James Funeral Home
Reports soon emerged of his extensive criminal history, sparking outrage from Republicans who accused Democrats of being too soft on crime.
WCNC reported that Brown has 14 previous court cases in Mecklenburg County and in 2015 was sentenced to six years imprisonment for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny.
The outlet said he also faced a case of alleged 911 misuse in July. His attorney had filed a motion to have his competency assessed.
Brown was charged with first-degree murder and is facing a federal charge of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system.
Brown was charged with first-degree murder. Image credits: Facebook
U.S. President Donald Trump was one of those to comment on the tragedy.
“I have seen the horrific video of a beautiful, young Ukrainian refugee, who came to America to escape the vicious War in Ukraine, and was innocently riding the Metro in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she was brutally ambushed by a mentally deranged lunatic,” he posted on Truth Social.
“The perpetrator was a well known career criminal, who had been previously arrested and released on CASHLESS BAIL in January, a total of 14 TIMES. What the hell was he doing riding the train, and walking the streets? Criminals like this need to be LOCKED UP.”
The assassination of Charlie Kirk
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, a friend and ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck while he was speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The murder sparked an outpouring of rage and grief from around the world, with many in the Trump administration mourning Kirk.
Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Image credits: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images
Tyler Robinson, 22, from Utah, was arrested two days after the shooting after surveillance images were released and his parents recognized him, persuading him to hand himself over to authorities.
He is alleged to have fired a single shot from the Losee Center area toward the outdoor event, striking Kirk in the neck in front of a crowd of thousands.
Kirk later died from his injuries.
Robinson was booked into Utah County Jail and charged with aggravated murder and multiple related offenses, including witness tampering and obstruction of justice.
Robinson is facing the death penalty. Image credits: Handout
Prosecutors have indicated they intend to seek the death penalty.
In December, Robinson made his first in-person court appearance amid tightly controlled proceedings.
He has not entered a plea, and a preliminary hearing is set for May 18, 2026.
Stockton birthday party mass shooting
Four people were killed, and at least 13 others were wounded when gunfire erupted at a child’s birthday party in Stockton, California, on November 29.
The shooting happened inside a rented event hall where a family was celebrating a two-year-old’s birthday with about 100 guests, including many children.
Police said a shooter opened fire inside the venue, sending partygoers scrambling for cover as chaos unfolded, and that gunfire continued outside.
Three children, aged eight, nine, and 14, and a 21-year-old died in the incident, with a total of 15 people hit by gunfire.
The gunman has not been found. Image credits: Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images
Emergency crews rushed the wounded to local hospitals, with some victims listed in critical condition.
Authorities said the shooting appeared to be targeted, though investigators have not publicly identified a motive, and it is believed there was more than one shooter.
No arrests were announced in the immediate aftermath, and police said they were working to identify the suspects involved.
Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden described the scene as “absolutely tragic” and said the violence had devastated families and first responders alike.
Community members gathered for vigils in the days following the shooting, as grieving families called for justice and accountability.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Brown University mass shooting and subsequent killing of MIT professor
On December 13, a gunman opened fire at Brown University’s engineering building in Providence, Rhode Island, killing two students and wounding nine others during a review session ahead of final exams.
The victims killed at Brown were identified as Ella Cook, 19, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18.
Police said the shooter fled the scene before officers arrived, prompting a statewide search that soon expanded into a multi-state manhunt.
Two students were killed at Brown University. Image credits: Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Two days later, on December 15, authorities in Brookline, Massachusetts, responded to a shooting at the home of Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a 47-year-old professor of plasma science and fusion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Loureiro was shot multiple times and later died from his injuries at a Boston hospital, officials said.
Investigators later linked the Brown University and MIT shootings to the same suspect, Cláudio Neves Valente, 48, a Portuguese national and former Brown graduate physics student.
Authorities said surveillance footage and rental-car records tied Valente to both attacks.
Cláudio Neves Valente. Image credits: X
Then, on December 18, authorities found Valente dead inside a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire.
Officials said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, effectively ending the search.
Investigators confirmed that one of the firearms found with Valente’s body was used in the Brown University shooting, and the other was used in the killing of Loureiro.
The motive for the attacks has not been publicly established, and authorities continue to investigate.
Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner’s murder
Legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, December 14.
The couple’s son, Nick Reiner, 32, has been charged in connection with their deaths. He is facing two counts of first-degree murder and has not entered a plea in court.
An arraignment has been scheduled for January 7.
Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner. Image credits: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said in a report that the Reiners’ cause of death was “multiple sharp force injuries” and “homicide” was the manner of death.
Police had earlier said the couple suffered fatal stab wounds.
Nick, who appeared in court wearing an anti-suicide smock, is also facing one charge of using a deadly and dangerous weapon, a knife.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said Nick is alleged to have stabbed his parents in the early hours of the morning and then fled the scene.
“Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation. His murder and his wife of more than 35 years, Michele Singer Reiner’s murder, are shocking and tragic,” Hochman said in a statement.
“We owe it to their memory to pursue justice and accountability for the lives that were taken.”
Nick Reiner. Image credits: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
The Reiners’ bodies were discovered after their daughter, Romy, went to check on them.
Romy and her brother Jake paid tribute to their parents in a joint statement, saying, “The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience.
“They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
“We are grateful for the outpouring of condolences, kindness, and support we have received not only from family and friends but people from all walks of life,” they added.
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