Josh Levin shows how it’s done. This is a little different for this blog, but unsolved cases are a part of this fascinating and terrifying piece about Linda Taylor, the woman Ronald Reagan liked to use as an example of how the welfare system was broken. Apparently, he didn’t know the half of it. From the story:

“When I set out in search of Linda Taylor, I hoped to find the real story of the woman who played such an outsize role in American politics—who she was, where she came from, and what her life was like before and after she became the national symbol of unearned prosperity. What I found was a woman who destroyed lives, someone far more depraved than even Ronald Reagan could have imagined. In the 1970s alone, Taylor was investigated for homicide, kidnapping, and baby trafficking. The detective who tried desperately to put her away believes she’s responsible for one of Chicago’s most legendary crimes, one that remains unsolved to this day. Welfare fraud was likely the least of the welfare queen’s offenses.”

You can read the full piece here.

This picture is a detail from a photograph from the piece.