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America's absurd war on 'organized retail crime'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Tokyo police arrested a yakuza boss, accusing him of stealing Pokémon cards.</li><li>The yakuza once had a fearsome, violent reputation. This arrest marks a shift to petty crimes.</li></ul>Tokyo Metropolitan Police last week arrested an executive of the Takinogawa gang, a faction of Japan's second-most powerful organized crime syndicate — the Sumiyoshi-kai.His alleged crime? Police accuse him of stealing Pokémon cards.Yakuza are members of organized crime syndicates, the Japanese equivalents of gangsters or mafiosos. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/yakuza">Membership</a> peaked in the 1960s when numbers swelled to more than 180,000.In media, the yakuza are often depicted as terrifying figures, known for full-body tattoos and involvement in loansharking, extortion, and violence.The recent arrest challenges that stereotype.<div type="image" title="Yakuza members display their tattoos during the second day of the Sanja Matsuri Festival in Tokyo's Asakusa district on May 14, 2016." height="642" width="1024" msid="109955136" hostid="261" sizebytes="88220"></div><a target="_blank" href="https://japantoday.com/category/crime/yakuza-lieutenant-arrested-in-tokyo-for-stealing-pokemon-cards">SoraNews24 reported</a> that Keita Saito, a 39-year-old kanbu, or leader, was arrested in late April over a petty theft related to a December 2022 office break-in.According to the news outlet, items worth 252,000 yen, or $1,621, were stolen, which included 25 Pokémon trading cards.SoraNews24 noted an increase in trading card thefts in Japan due to their lightweight, easy conversion into cash, and difficult traceability.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/05/08/in-japan-yakuza-are-reduced-to-stealing-pokemon-cards_6670742_4.html?utm_source=flipboard&amp;utm_content=topic%2Fcrime">According to France's Le Monde,</a> it's surprising to see a gang member, let alone a leader, arrested for petty theft in Japan, especially given the yakuza's historical association with more serious crimes.Gangs have, in recent years, largely moved from violence toward white-collar crimes.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.dw.com/en/ranks-of-japans-once-feared-yakuza-shrink-as-new-laws-weak-economy-hit-home/a-62807886">According to DW</a>, as well as becoming less brutal, gang membership has steadily declined over the past few decades.Stringent anti-gang laws, targeting businesses associating with gangs and restricting members' access to financial services like credit cards and pensions have lessened the economic incentive to join, DW reported.The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this, the outlet said, noting that decreased demand for illegal activities like gambling, sex work, and drug trafficking impacted the yakuza's financial resources.Becoming a yakuza has become a less attractive career path for young Japanese, according to Tomohiko Suzuki, an expert on the yakuza, speaking to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/05/making-a-slow-getaway-ageing-population-japans-yakuza">The Guardian</a> back in 2020.He told the newspaper: "They have to sacrifice a lot to lead the life of a gangster, but for increasingly diminishing returns."The Guardian reported that the average age of a yakuza is now over 50, with a growing number in their 70s.

Japan's yakuza — once powerful organized crime figures — are reduced to stealing Pokémon cards

8 shows and movies like 'Woman of the Hour' to watch next for your true crime fix

The most infamous crime stories of the '90s that still shock us today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Netflix continues to seek out true-crime shows despite the legal risks.</li><li>The streamer is facing a growing number of defamation lawsuits, which can increase production costs.</li></ul>"Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," about the title characters' 1989 murders of their parents, quickly shot to No. 1 on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-netflix-is-changing-the-entertainment-industry-2021-8">Netflix</a>, and just as quickly sparked <a target="_blank" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/monsters-cast-netflix-show-menendez-reaction-1236018420/#:~:text=As%20the%20controversy%20over%20Monsters,the%20hit%20Netflix%20show%20and">backlash</a> from people the show portrays over its accuracy.Meanwhile, Netflix faces defamation lawsuits over other popular titles based on real-life drama, such as the stalker saga <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/30/entertainment/baby-reindeer-lawsuit-intl-scli/index.html">"Baby Reindeer"</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inventing-anna-lawsuit-rachel-williams-journalist-notes-anna-delvey-2024-9">"Inventing Anna"</a> about the Anna Sorokin (aka Anna Delvey) scam. By <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/media/netflix-true-stories-lawsuits-77b3494e?mod=e2tw">The Wall Street Journal's count</a>, there have been more than 20 defamation suits filed in the US against Netflix and its production partners since 2019 over real-life stories that were the subject of Netflix programming, with at least six such suits filed this year. The Journal reported that the rise in litigation has driven up the cost of making such programming.But that hasn't dulled Netflix's thirst for crime fare, which shows no sign of letting up, according to Business Insider's interviews with agents and producers, as well as commissioning data from Ampere Analysis.Other streamers like Hulu and Peacock have also stocked their libraries with true crime, but none has the ability to give it the attention that Netflix can, with its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-has-a-key-advantage-over-amazon-in-advertising-2024-6">massive reach</a> of over 282 million global subscribers.Guy Bisson, executive director of Ampere Analysis, said that among the six biggest streamers' commission activity, crime titles have seen the biggest percentage increase so far this year compared to a year earlier, representing one-fourth of all global, scripted, first-run content. Meanwhile, traditionally expensive genres like sci-fi and fantasy are down the most, he added."What generally is going on is, you could almost call a broadcastification of streaming — the pullback from expensive content," Bisson said. "Streaming needs to attract that generalist audience. So they're looking to get more bang for their buck."True-crime shows are regularly among Netflix's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/united-states/tv">top-watched</a>. "Dahmer," from mega-producer Ryan Murphy, was No. 3 on Netflix's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/most-popular/tv">most popular TV shows viewed of all time</a>, as of September 29, with more than 1 billion hours viewed. The next Murphy special in the same anthology series, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," also hit the top of Netflix's list of 10 US TV shows in its first two weeks. According to Digital i, a streaming measurement and research service, two of Netflix's top 10 TV shows in Q3 were crime series ("Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story," "American Murder: Laci Peterson")."Clearly, it's working for them," a top TV agent said, speaking anonymously to protect business relationships, adding that Netflix, like other platforms, is "reacting to what people want."<h2 id="b54bfad7-3f6f-43b5-b257-d3d9a86461f8">Netflix faces lawsuits over true-crime shows</h2>While true-crime shows often have the potential to become low-budget hits, they can also involve legal risks and associated costs."Baby Reindeer," another smash hit, spent eight weeks on Netflix's Global Top 10 TV list and won six Emmys. But it also sparked a lawsuit. Netflix has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj31lpvnzl3o">failed to get a judge to dismiss</a> the defamation suit brought by the woman who inspired the drama series, who is seeking at least $170 million. Netflix has argued that most viewers would understand the show's claims weren't factual because it was dramatized. The judge ruled that even though certain events in the show didn't happen, it's billed as "a true story," inviting the audience to accept it as so. Nevertheless, the legal drama didn't stop Netflix from inking a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/richard-gadd-netflix-deal-scripted-series">new partnership</a> with the show's creator, Richard Gadd, in September.Netflix is also being <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inventing-anna-lawsuit-rachel-williams-journalist-notes-anna-delvey-2024-9">sued</a> by a friend of Anna Sorokin's, Rachel Williams, who claims she was portrayed in "Inventing Anna" — created by superstar showrunner Shonda Rhimes — as an opportunistic sidekick rather than a dupe. Netflix recently sought to protect the notes of the New York magazine writer whose story inspired the series.With all the legal headaches, one might expect Netflix to pull back from the genre, but that hasn't been the case. One reason: <a target="_blank" href="https://today.yougov.com/entertainment/articles/43762-half-of-americans-enjoy-true-crime-yougov-poll">Polls</a> have shown people <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wuwm.com/2023-01-20/the-double-edged-sword-of-true-crime-stories-popularity-a-uwm-professor-explains">love</a> watching portrayals of true crime on the screen, with half of Americans saying they enjoy the genre."I don't think it's going to stop them," said a second agent of the legal issues around some crime shows. "They're going to continue to look for things that are popular and cool."It's possible people will burn out from Ryan Murphy, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/ryan-murphy-six-shows-on-air-overload-1236167417/">who seems to be everywhere</a>, and turn to less gory shows for entertainment; or that the true-crime phenomenon will lose some steam. Data from Parrot Analytics suggested viewer demand for true-crime documentaries — as opposed to scripted shows — on Netflix is far outweighed by supply. The second agent said Netflix is wary of topics that have become too saturated."There's too many serial killers now, so I think that's harder," the agent added.Still, for now, Netflix is likely to keep giving people what they want.The third installment of "Monsters," starring serial killer Ed Gein, has already been announced.

Netflix keeps getting sued over true-crime shows. It's thirsty for more.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Until I Kill You" is about Delia Balmer, who survived a relationship with serial killer John Sweeney.</li><li>The four-part drama is based on Balmer's book about her ordeal.</li></ul>True crime dramas "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/until-i-kill-you-john-sweeney-delia-balmer-scalp-hunter-2024-11">Until I Kill You</a>" and the Netflix megahit "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-reindeer-timeline-fiona-harvey-richard-gadd-piers-morgan-martha-2024-5">Baby Reindeer</a>" share a surprising connection: they both involve the same London pub."Until I Kill You" is about Delia Balmer (Anna Maxwell Martin), a nurse, who survived being attacked by her ex-boyfriend, John Sweeney (Shaun Evans), a serial killer dubbed the "Scalp Hunter."The four-part drama, released on the weekend by British network ITV, starts with the pair meeting in a pub and ends with Balmer testifying against Sweeney in court several years later. Sweeney was convicted of killing two women, Melissa Halstead and Paula Fields, and was sentenced to life in prison.ITV also released a documentary to accompany the series called "Until I Kill You: The Real Story," which features the real Balmer sharing the details of her ordeal. At the beginning, she recalls the day she met Sweeney in 1991 at a London pub called the Hawley Arms in the borough of Camden.She said: "It was a bank holiday Monday, I went to the Hawley Arms pub. They had a good jukebox there."The Hawley Arms is also the pub where "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-reindeer-explained-martha-scott-real-stalker-true-story-2024-4">Baby Reindeer</a>" creator Richard Gadd met Fiona Harvey, the woman the show's stalking character is based on, for the first time.In court documents Gadd filed in July in response to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-reindeer-fiona-harvey-netflix-disguising-her-fearful-home-2024-6">Harvey's legal case</a> against Netflix, he said: "In 2014, I met Harvey at the pub where I worked at the time, the Hawley Arms. I noticed that Harvey looked distressed and offered her a cup of tea on the house."In "Baby Reindeer," Donny Dunn (Gadd) works in a fictionalized version of the pub, called The Heart when his stalker, Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), becomes obsessed with him after he shows her a moment of kindness.<div type="image" title="A photo of a brick building with a white roof that as black writing that reads &quot;The Hawley Arms.&quot; The bottom section of the building is red and features a gold sign that also reads &quot;The Hawley Arms.&quot;" height="2400" width="3600" msid="115020414" hostid="261" sizebytes="300942"></div>Featuring in these series isn't the pub's only claim to fame. British singer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amy-winehouse-friend-she-would-not-approve-back-to-black-2024-5">Amy Winehouse</a> frequented it in the 2000s, according to its manager Craig Seymour. In 2017, he told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/hawley-arms-camden-pub-amy-winehouse-indie-2000s/">Vice</a>: "She used to come in and say: 'Craig, babydoll, can I serve some drinks?' I've seen grown men break down in tears after being served by Amy."Vice reported that other British stars, including Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, The Libertines singer Pete Doherty, and "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/contestants-on-what-great-british-baking-show-judges-and-hosts-are-like">The Great British Bake Off</a>" host Noel Fielding, also frequently visited the pub.In February 2008, a fire broke out in Camden Market which spread and damaged the Hawley Arms. Musicians such as UK rock band Razorlight held charity gigs to raise money for its repair, and it eventually reopened in October that same year.

True crime shows 'Baby Reindeer' and 'Until I Kill You' share a strange real-life connection

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The UN warns of 'atrocity crimes' if Israel moves in on Rafah, where over a million are sheltering. </li><li>Israel has already conducted strikes in Rafah, including one that hit a residential building.</li></ul>The United Nations warned of increased "atrocity crimes" if Israel moves forward with an assault on Rafah in southern Gaza.The stark <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-briefing-notes/2024/03/fears-over-gaza-catastrophe-brutal-conflict-enters-sixth-month">warning</a> came as Israeli forces <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-strikes-landmark-residential-tower-southern-rafah-truce-talks-stall-2024-03-09/">prepare</a> for an assault on Rafah, where well over a million people are sheltering as international aid groups warn of mass displacement, disease, and starvation."We fear that this already catastrophic situation may slide deeper into the abyss as many Palestinians mark the holy month of Ramadan — a period that is meant to honor peace and tolerance — should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into Rafah, where 1.5 million people have been displaced in deplorable sub-human conditions," said Jeremy Laurence, the spokesperson from the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights."Any ground assault on Rafah would incur massive loss of life and would heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes. This must not be allowed to happen," Laurence added.Israeli forces struck a Rafah residential building housing 300 families, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/israel-strikes-landmark-residential-building-in-rafah-206010949935">NBC News</a> reported on Saturday. One resident told NBC News they were given a 30-minute warning to evacuate the building.Some fear the assault could move forward while Americans are watching the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday evening. In February, Israel conducted a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/super-bowl-rafah-israel-gaza/">devastating offensive</a> in Rafah as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/dozens-killed-in-rafah-after-israel-ignores-international-criticism">Americans watched the Super Bowl</a>. Israeli authorities said the offensive freed two hostages, while officials in Gaza said nearly 70 people were killed, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/12/world/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news">The New York Times</a>.In his remarks, Laurence condemned extreme violence from both sides of the conflict, calling violations of international law "a stain on the collective conscience of humanity."

UN warns of 'massive loss of life' and 'atrocity crimes' if Israel moves in on Rafah

Actor <keyword id="19897962" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tamannaah-Bhatia" source="keywords">Tamannaah Bhatia</keyword>, who made waves with her recent cameo in Stree 2, is in the news again — but for a very unexpected reason this time. The actor was questioned by the <keyword id="19895344" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Enforcement-Directorate" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Enforcement Directorate" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Enforcement Directorate">Enforcement Directorate</keyword> (ED) in Guwahati on Thursday in connection with a high-profile <keyword id="19899231" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-laundering" source="keywords">money laundering</keyword> case involving the ‘<keyword id="19984854" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HPZ-Token" source="keywords">HPZ Token</keyword>’ mobile app, where several investors were allegedly duped on the pretext of <keyword id="23296351" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cryptocurrency-mining" source="keywords">cryptocurrency mining</keyword>. The 34-year-old actor’s statement was recorded under the <keyword id="19912399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prevention-of-Money-Laundering-Act" source="keywords">Prevention of Money Laundering Act</keyword> (PMLA), according to the Press Trust of India (PTI). Bhatia allegedly received payments for making a "<keyword id="23595308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="celebrity-appearance" source="keywords">celebrity appearance</keyword>" at an event linked to the app, though there were no incriminating charges against her. Initially called for questioning earlier, she deferred the summons due to professional commitments but appeared on Thursday, as per PTI. The money laundering probe is tied to an FIR filed by the <keyword id="21156024" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyber-crimes-unit" source="keywords">cyber crimes unit</keyword> of Kohima Police, where several accused were booked under the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act. The app in question, 'HPZ Token,' was reportedly used to deceive investors by promising hefty returns on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency mining. For an investment of ₹57,000, investors were promised returns of ₹4,000 per day for three months, but payments were halted after the first round, and fresh funds were solicited. The ED’s investigation uncovered 299 entities involved, including 76 Chinese-controlled entities, accused of creating "shell entities" to launder funds. The agency seized assets worth ₹455 crore following searches across the country. This case is part of a broader crackdown on fraudulent online schemes and <keyword id="20454123" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="illegal-betting" source="keywords">illegal betting</keyword> tied to cryptocurrency investments. (With inputs from sources)

Why is actor Tamannaah Bhatia being questioned by the ED for a money laundering case?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thieves stole a famous Winston Churchill portrait from an Ottawa hotel in late 2021.</li><li>The 1941 portrait was replaced with a forgery and went unnoticed for over 6 months.</li></ul>A famous Winston Churchill portrait that thieves replaced with a forgery two years ago will soon be back on display.Police say thieves stole the famous portrait from the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa in the weeks after Christmas 2021. The 1941 portrait — titled "The Roaring Lion" — was captured by Yousouf Karsh, an Armenian-Canadian photographer known for portraits of famous people like Martin Luther King Jr.,<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-family-holiday-cards-through-the-years#1914-king-george-v-and-his-wife-mary-sent-these-stoic-portraits-to-british-troops-to-send-their-best-wishes-for-christmas-1"> Queen Elizabeth</a>, and Alfred Hitchcock.The theft went unnoticed until August 2022 when a hotel worker spotted that the frame looked different from others on the wall and the picture was hanging crooked, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/canada-italy-winston-churchill-portrait-stolen-55f30b9f63b95f24fa4280451620cde3">The Associated Press</a>.Police found the portrait after it resurfaced in an auction house in London where two unknowing buyers from Italy purchased it, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ottawapolice.ca/en/news/stolen-canadian-treasure-returning-to-canada.aspx">Ottawa Police</a> said in a press release. Police charged Jeffrey Iain James Wood, 43, from Powassan, Ontario, with forgery, theft, and trafficking charges related to the crime.Nicola Cassinelli, a lawyer from Genoa, Italy, purchased the portrait at auction for 5,292 British pounds, according to the AP.Cassinelli told the outlet that the auction house called him in October and advised him not to sell or transfer the portrait due to the investigation into the theft in Ottowa.Ottowa police said in the statement that it worked closely with the Italian police and the portrait's purchaser to bring it back to Canada.Ottawa police Detective Akiva Gellar told the outlet that police conducted "a very extensive investigation" that took more than two years to recover the portrait.Gellar said that much of the investigation is "still very sensitive because the matter is before the courts" and "a lot of the details about how we found it" will be released at a ceremony in Rome on Thursday.

How a thief replaced a famous Winston Churchill portrait with a forgery that went unnoticed for months

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"Monsters" is a fictional show based on the trial of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who shot their parents in 1989.</li><li>The Menendezes have claimed the Netflix series is inaccurate.</li></ul>Erik Menendez and his family have criticized Netflix's new true crime series, "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-where-are-lyle-and-erik-menendez-brothers-now-2024-9">Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story</a>," claiming that multiple scenes are inaccurate."Monsters," a sequel to "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dahmer-victims-family-lawyer-ryan-murphy-should-share-netflix-profits-2022-10">Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story</a>," is described by Netflix as a fictional show based on the murder trial of brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez, who shot and killed their parents in 1989.The brothers' case was one of the biggest media sensations of the '90s and is the subject of multiple movies and TV shows.Co-creator Ryan Murphy said the story was accurate during a Q&amp;A for the show in New York, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/the-wild-true-tale-behind-monsters-the-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story">Vanity Fair</a> reported last week."All the stuff in here, by the way, is true," he said. "We spent many, many, many years researching this."However, since the show was released last week, multiple viewers, including the Menendez family, have criticized its makers for including what they claimed were inaccurate scenes. It was not clear which specific scenes their comments referred to.On Friday, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-wife-tammi-menendez-2024-9">Tammi Menendez</a> shared a statement on X from her husband, Erik Menendez, in which he criticized how the show portrayed Lyle Menendez."I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show. I can only believe they were done so on purpose," Erik Menedez wrote. "It is with a heavy heart that I say, I believe Ryan Murphy cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent." Erik Menendez also criticized how the series portrayed the sexual abuse the brothers claim their father, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-cast-real-life-netflix-2024-9">José Menendez, </a>inflicted upon them. During the trial, it was debated whether the brothers killed their parents to inherit their money or out of self defense. The brothers, who are currently appealing their life sentences, claimed their father physically and sexually abused them, and they shot him to protect themselves."It is sad for me to know that Netflix's dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backward — back through time to an era when the prosecution built a narrative on a belief system that males were not sexually abused, and that males experienced rape trauma differently than women," Erik Menendez wrote in his statement. "Those awful lies have been disrupted and exposed by countless brave victims over the last two decades who have broken through their personal shame and bravely spoken out."So now Murphy shapes his horrible narrative through vile and appalling character portrayals of Lyle and of me and disheartening slander."Tammi Menendez also shared her own criticisms of the series, before and after it premiered on Netflix."The Menendez drama on Netflix is a complete train wreck! The portrayal of the events is so exaggerated and untrue, it feels more like a dark soap opera than a drama. They really missed the mark on the facts!" she wrote before the show was released. After the show's release, she added in a separate post, "I'm sorry to know I was right. The Netflix show was a insane perversion of the truth and a complete and tragic misrepresentation of Erik and Lyle!"A Facebook page that appeared to be run by a family member of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/monsters-lyle-and-erik-menendez-story-where-judalon-smyth-now-2024-9">Lyle Menendez</a>, which has been cited widely by news outlets, also slammed the series, sharing their thoughts on each episode before telling followers to stop watching the show.Business Insider contacted the account to verify if it is run by a relative of Lyle Menendez.In one post, the user <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.facebook.com/MenendezBrothers/posts/pfbid02imAUN9ii4RaX2eeKDzMDZqdNprvQhakMN9hos7SSHCZcLP9xbMFiPTncjxhA98r5l">wrote</a>: "They had a plethora of material to draw from, and this is what they chose to do????? It's laughable. It's pathetic. And it is re-victimizing. It is imaginary. It is fiction. And to put out into the world the absurd notion that the brothers were lovers is the height of pure evil."The last line refers to multiple scenes in the series where the brothers kiss or are implied to be secret lovers.<div type="image" title="A composite of images of Lyle and Erik Menendez in blue prison outfits taken during their trial in 1994." height="1080" width="1440" msid="113603784" hostid="261" sizebytes="110814"></div>In 1995, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-12-08-me-11837-story.html">Los Angeles Times</a> reported that Erik Menendez testified during a retrial that Lyle Menendez molested him when they were children. But there was no evidence or testimonies during any trial that the pair had a secret relationship.Other viewers criticized a kiss between the brothers on the show, writing on X that it was wrong to include a fake incest storyline when the brothers alleged they were victims of abuse. The first season of "Monsters" was also criticized when it was released in 2022. Multiple family members of Dahmer's victims said Murphy and Netflix were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-monster-families-victims-emmy-nominations-2023-7">profiting from their pain</a>, and claimed neither contacted them to ask for their approval to tell their stories.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ryan-murphy-says-he-reached-out-to-20-of-the-victims-family-and-friends-for-dahmer-series-not-a-single-person-responded-to-us-1235250610/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> reported in October 2022 that Murphy told a Directors Guild of America event in Los Angeles that they contacted 20 of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rita-isbell-sister-jeffrey-dahmer-victim-talks-about-netflix-show-2022-9">victims' families</a> and friends and received no responses.A representative for Netflix did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.

Erik Menendez and the brothers' family criticize Netflix's true crime drama 'Monsters': 'Is the truth not enough?'

Inside the plot by Russian exiles to overthrow Putin

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hvaldimir, a beluga whale accused of being a Russian spy, was found dead off the coast of Norway.</li><li>Animal rights groups have filed a police report saying they believe the whale was shot to death.</li></ul>A white beluga whale nicknamed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beluga-whale-spy-russia-found-dead-hvaldimir-norway-coast-2024-9">Hvaldimir,</a> beloved in Norway and believed to have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beluga-whale-rumored-russian-spy-wears-harness-pops-up-sweden-2023-5">trained to spy for Russia</a>, was found dead in Norwegian waters over the weekend.A group of veterinarians now say the whale was shot to death.On Wednesday, two animal-rights organizations, OneWhale and NOAH, announced that they have filed a police report with local authorities and Norway's national authority on environmental crimes.In the report, they raised the possibility of "intentional human-inflicted injury," their statement said."When I saw his body and the multiple injuries, I immediately knew he had been killed by gunshots," Regina Haug, founder of OneWhale, which had been involved in the protection of Hvaldimir, said in the statement."I even saw a bullet lodged in his body," she continued. "There is no question that this kind, gentle animal was senselessly murdered."The animal-rights groups provided Business Insider with images of the whale's body, which appeared to show bullet holes.The lifeless body of <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beluga-whale-rumored-russian-spy-wears-harness-pops-up-sweden-2023-5">Hvaldimir</a> was discovered by a teenage fisherman and his father near the town of Risavika on Saturday morning.Hvaldimir was believed to be about 15 years old, and beluga whales can live up to <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" class="" href="https://us.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/beluga-whale/#:~:text=There%20are%20thought%20to%20be,30%20and%20sometimes%20much%20earlier.">60 years in the wild.</a>His name was a pun on the Norwegian word for "whale" and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's name, in keeping with the "Equipment St. Petersburg" label on his harness and GoPro camera when he was spotted off Norway's northern coast in 2019.That sighting fueled a theory that <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-doubles-trained-dolphin-pens-near-ukraine-guard-navy-uk-2023-6">Hvaldimir was trained by Russia's military</a>, which has a <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-doubles-trained-dolphin-pens-near-ukraine-guard-navy-uk-2023-6">history of using marine animals</a> like dolphins and beluga whales.Hvaldimir <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQvVZGLvCdY">gained celebrity status</a> in Norway, with viral videos showing the whale <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.thedodo.com/in-the-wild/beluga-whale-returns-kayakers-gopro-camera">returning lost items</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sfgate.com/world/article/See-the-alleged-Russian-spy-whale-retrieve-13829172.php">to their owners</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/that-viral-video-of-a-beluga-whale-playing-fetch-is-probably-not-what-it-seems/">playing with a rugby ball.</a>The death of Hvaldimir comes amid <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-demands-norway-pay-millions-for-reindeer-border-crossing-2023-8">growing tensions between Russia and Norway,</a> an active NATO member that has been ramping up military drills and exercises in the region due to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nordic-navies-focus-on-submarine-warfare-amid-tensions-with-russia-2023-7">fears of Russian aggression.</a>"The injuries on the whale are alarming and of a nature that cannot rule out a criminal act — it is shocking," Siri Martinsen, a veterinarian and the leader of animal-rights group NOAH, said in the statement.She added: "Given the suspicion of a criminal act, it is crucial that the police are involved quickly. Hvaldimir was significant to many, and all facts must be brought to light regarding his death."In a conversation with Business Insider, Martinsen said it's not clear who may have shot Hvaldimir."No, we have no information about that, and that is why we are filing a report this early in the process," she said.Martinsen said that before the whale's death, her organization had assessed the risk level of Russia attempting to kill or capture the whale as "extremely low."Sebastian Strand, the founder of Marine Mind, an organization that cared for Hvladimir, told BI that he's holding off on jumping to any conclusions, describing the allegations as "speculation."He added that Norway's veterinary institute "has not released their findings yet."In a follow-up message, Strand confirmed that the photos show "presumed bullet wounds" and that the "same thought has, of course, crossed everybody's mind," but he warned against "jumping the gun."A spokesperson for the Norwegian Veterinary Institute said it cannot comment on any results as Hvladimir's autopsy is still ongoing.In an email to BI, they said: "We have, together with the Directorate of Fisheries of Norway, been in contact with the police ahead of the autopsy, and will, of course, involve them if we uncover anything indicating anything suspicious."

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