20 Most Notorious and Infamous Crimes of the 2000s
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at some of the most heinous, infamous crimes that defined the 2000s.
The 26/11 Mumbai Attacks
2008
Several countries found themselves on the receiving end of terrorist attacks throughout the 2000s. One of the most infamous was the 2008 onslaught in Mumbai, carried out by the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba. It consisted of 12 coordinated strikes at various buildings, from hospitals to luxury hotels. The attacks began on November 26th and lasted for three agonizing days before the assailants were finally stopped. By then, 166 innocent people had been killed, and hundreds more had been injured. While it wasnt the first act of terrorism Mumbai faced in the 2000s, the sheer scale of 26/11 is what made it so infamous.
Madrid Train Incident
2004
When commuters in Madrid boarded the Cercanías train on the morning of March 11th, 2004, they couldve never expected what horrors would await them. That day, 10 bombs planted on four separate trains exploded, killing nearly 200 people. The Spanish government and media blamed the Basque separatist group ETA. Later, a spokesman from al-Qaeda claimed responsibility, but no concrete links were found. Several suspects were arrested and later convicted, but to this day, the coordinators havent been confirmed. Beyond the violence itself, the alleged government mishandling of the situationincluding a false arresthas made it one of the more controversial tragedies of the decade.
The Craigslist Killer
2009
For years, Craigslist was the go-to place for any service, from finding apartments to job hunting. But the site started getting heat for its personal ads during the 2000s. Things came to a head in 2009, when Philip Markoff was arrested for robbing three women and killing one of them. The discovery of a handgun and restraints in his home pointed to his involvement. He maintained his innocence, but ultimately took his own life on August 15th, 2010, before his trial began. Following his death, more evidence came to lightand while it wasnt confirmed to be the reason, Craigslists erotic services section was removed a month later.
The Fritzl Case
2008
The act of imprisoning a stranger is horrific enough. Doing it to your own child is even more unfathomable. For over two decades, Josef Fritzl lived a double-life, one as a man and one as a monster. He converted his basement into a dungeon and trapped his daughter Elisabeth inside in 1984. He assaulted her constantly and told others shed joined a cult. His abuse resulted in her having seven children, three of which remained in captivity. They were finally freed in 200824 years after her capture. In 2009, Fritzl was sentenced to life in prison, where he still remains today. However, a 2024 decision to transfer him to a non-psychiatric unit means he could be eligible for paroleand potentially even released.
Moscow Theater Crisis
2002
Going out to see a show is supposed to be a relaxing eventnot one where you fear for your life. In 2002, a performance of Nord-Ost was interrupted by dozens of attackers firing bullets in the auditorium. They took hundreds of Russian spectators hostage, and threatened to kill them should the government not withdraw troops from Chechnya within a week. Four days and multiple casualties later, authorities released sleeping gas into the building, before opening fire. While this led to the deaths of all the captors, it also resulted in around 700 captives being poisoned, and some even dying. Both the inciting incident and the violent rescue efforts have made it one of the most unfortunate and infamous events of the 21st century.
Beslan School Siege
2004
Just two years after the tragic Moscow theater hostage crisis, Russian citizens faced another massive tragedy. School #1 in Beslan was the victim of a multi-day attack by a guerrilla militia. On September 1st, 2004, they took hundreds of students as hostages and even forced them to be human shields, all while destroying the interior with homemade bombs. On the third day, medical personnel attempted to enter, leading to the perpetrators setting off two large explosions. A bloody battle ensued, and when the smoke cleared, all but one of the militants had been slain. He was later apprehended and sentenced to life in prison. Though investigations were launched, many criticized them for being incomplete and lacking transparency.
The Abduction of Elizabeth Smart
2002-03
When thinking of home, many envision a safe space. No one would ever assume it would be the site of their disappearance, which was unfortunately the case for Elizabeth Smart. She was just 14 years old when she was kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell in the summer of 2002. He made her hike for miles before forcing her to marry him. Throughout her capture, she was assaulted daily and was forced to travel to San Diego with him and his accomplice, Wanda Barzee. Months later, in March of 2003, she was finally rescued. Both captors were sentencedMitchell for life and Barzee for 15 years.
The D.C. Sniper Attacks
2002
Imagine having to live in fear, worried that the moment you step outside could be the last choice you ever make. That was the reality for the citizens living in or near Washington D.C., who were subject to the whims of mystery ambushes. They began in February 2002 as a series of shootings spread out across several months, before escalating to constant sniper attacks in October of that year. Throughout the month, 10 people were randomly killed. The city lived in fear, and several precautions were taken. After a lengthy investigation, both perpetratorsJohn Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 at the timewere taken into custody. The former was executed by lethal injection, while Malvo was given multiple life sentences.
Chris Benoits Familicide
2007
On the surface, Chris Benoit seemed to have it all as a highly successful wrestler and family man. The nation was shocked when it was revealed that he not only took his own life, but also killed his wife and son in 2007. While he didn't leave behind a clear motive, several theories cropped up from both the medical community and fans. Some speculated that the constant concussions he received at work couldve played a role, while others insisted it was the result of steroid use. As a result, World Wrestling Entertainment made all of their content rated PG and removed him from most of their published media.
The Ariel Castro Kidnappings
2002-04
It may not have come to national prominence until 2013, but this series of heinous crimes first began over a decade beforehand. From 2002 to 2004, Ariel Castro kidnapped three young women: Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Gina DeJesus. They were imprisoned in his home and subjected to constant abuse, with Berry being forced to have his child. Despite their suspicious disappearances, there were several systemic flaws that caused them to slip through the cracks, including the removal of Knight from a victim database and the lack of an Amber Alert for DeJesus. In May of 2013, they were finally found and rescued. Castro was apprehended and given a life sentence, but only served a month before dying by his own hand.
The Virginia Tech Incident
2007
The campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was never the same after April 16, 2007. That morning, undergraduate student Seung-Hui Cho shot two people in his dormitory before chaining the doors of the Norris Hall building and taking another 30 lives, then his own. Almost two dozen more students were injured, some while trying to flee. The tragedy sparked criticism of Americas gun laws and mental health resources. Four years later, the US Department of Education fined the university for failing to alert everyone on campus in the two hours between the first and second attacks. While it wasnt the first and far from the last, Virginia Tech is still considered the deadliest school shooting in the U.S..
The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway
2005
On May 26, 2005, Alabama teen Natalee Holloway arrived in Aruba with 124 fellow graduating high school seniors. Four days later, she didnt make her return flight home. Classmates remembered last seeing her leaving a nightclub and getting into a vehicle with three young men around 1:30 that morning. Joran van der Sloot and brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe were arrested multiple times but never charged. However, due to van der Sloots lies and attempts to extort money from Holloways parents in exchange for information, he remained the prime suspect. On January 11, 2012, he pleaded guilty to the murder of a woman in Peru. The next day, Holloway was officially declared deceased. In October 2023, van der Sloot finally confessed to killing her.
The Murder of Meredith Kercher
2007
In 2007, American exchange student Amanda Knox was studying abroad in Perugia, Italy when she and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were accused of murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher. The couple were ridiculed in the Italian press, particularly Knox, who was painted as a devious seductress motivated by sex. In 2009, both Knox and Sollecito were convicted of multiple charges, including murder and sexual violence, with Knox sentenced to 26 years in prison, and 25 for Sollecito. Italys legal process and interrogation tactics were widely criticized, eventually leading to Knoxs acquittal and release in 2011. But it wasnt until 2015 that she and Sollecito were officially exonerated.
The Murder of Laci Peterson
2002
On December 24, 2002, soon-to-be mom 27-year-old Laci Peterson went missing. Her body wasnt found until April 14, 2003, one day after her unborn son Conner was discovered a mile away. Since the beginning of the investigation, Lacis husband Scott Peterson was a suspect, due to his odd behavior in the midst of his wifes disappearance. Investigators learned that he was having an affair when his girlfriend Amber Frey came forward. She had been unaware that he was married. Scott was arrested on April 18th and charged with the first-degree murder of his wife and second-degree of Conner. He was found guilty and sentenced to death in December 2004. However, he was resentenced in 2021 to life in prison without parole.
Bernie Madoffs Investment Scandal
2008
After decades of a seemingly successful career as a stockbroker, former chairman of the NASDAQ stock exchange Bernard Madoff admitted it was all one big lie. In December 2008, he confessed to his sons Mark and Andrew, who both worked for him, that the business wealth management arm was actually a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. Madoff defrauded thousands of clients, including charitable organizations. In the years since, a number of clients reportedly took their own lives including his son Mark in 2010. Madoff died of natural causes in 2021 while serving a 150-year sentence.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
2007
While vacationing in Praia da Luz, Portugal, British couple Kate and Gerry McCann experienced a parents worst nightmare. On the night of May 3, 2007, the McCanns went to dinner at a restaurant with friends while their children slept in the apartment nearby. The parents took turns checking in on them throughout the night. When Kate went in, her twin toddlers were asleep but 3-year-old daughter Madeleine had vanished. Portugal authorities launched an investigation that was later criticized because residents werent interviewed and the crime scene wasnt properly secured, among other mistakes. A media circus ensued, with tabloids turning on the McCanns. The search for Madeleine continues, and in 2020, German police announced they had a potential suspect. As of 2025, no charges have been filed.
The Enron Scandal
2001
Considered one of the largest bankruptcy filings in U.S. history, the fall of Houston-based energy company Enron is synonymous with scandal. For years, executives used fraudulent accounting practices and inaccurate financial reporting to cover up debts and failed ventures amounting to billions of dollars. On December 2, 2001, Enron filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Thousands of Enron employees lost their pensions and 401ks, along with their jobs. Several executives were charged with federal fraud with some sentenced to prison, including CEO Jeffrey Skilling and CFO Andrew Fastow. Enrons founder Kenneth Lay died of heart disease before his scheduled sentencing.
The Death of Caylee Anthony
2008
On July 15, 2008, just one month before she turned 3, Caylee Anthony was reported missing by her grandmother. But according to her mother Casey, shed actually been missing since mid-June, supposedly kidnapped by a babysitter - a story that was immediately suspicious. Casey was charged with murder in October, and Caylees remains were found near the Anthonys home in December. Because of her conduct and lies to authorities, Casey became the most hated mom in America. The case was a media sensation, especially during the 2011 televised trial. Her defense team argued that Caylee had accidentally drowned, and that Casey and her father tried to cover it up. Perhaps the most shocking part of the case was the verdict: not guilty.
London 7/7 Attack
2005
In the early hours of July 7, 2005, Londoners made their commutes during the citys morning rush hour. Within seconds of each other, there were three explosions on the London Underground just before 9:00 AM, orchestrated by Islamist terrorists. Bombs were detonated on three train cars outside different stations Liverpool Street, Edgware Road, and between Kings Cross and Russell Square. Almost an hour later, a fourth explosion happened on a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square. The bombings took the lives of 52 victims, in addition to the four perpetrators, and left 784 injured. Later that month, more attacks on the transit system were carried out, but fortunately didnt fully detonate.
September 11th
2001
Since the tragic events of 2001, September 11th has become a day of mourning for Americans. The first attacks took place that morning when 19 Islamic terrorists hijacked four flights traveling to California. Two planes were redirected to New York, crashing into the World Trade Centers Twin Towers. The third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia, while a passenger revolt on the fourth caused it to crash into a field in Pennsylvania, rather than its intended target, believed to be the White House or State Capitol. Between the four locations, 2,996 people were killed, and many thousands more injured. 9/11 remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history.
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