Top 10 Criminal Conspiracy Theories

There is no shortage of conspiracy theories relating to the Titanic, and one of them involves the British investigation into the sinking. On the one hand, the American inquiry found numerous parties responsible for the disaster, primarily the British Board of Trade, whose lax safety regulations resulted in the limited number of lifeboats. However, in a sharp contrast, the British inquiry exonerated the Board of Trade, leading some to call it a “whitewash.” Many people involved in the investigation were Freemasons, including the presiding Judge, lead investigator Lord Mersey, and even the Board of Trade’s President, Sydney Buxton. Therefore, some contend that the Freemasons covered up the sinking to absolve themselves of all wrongdoing.

Yes, this theory is every bit as lurid as it sounds. Everyone loves a good political conspiracy, especially if it involves eliminating opponents in secret. Propagated since the early ‘90s, the Clinton conspiracy contends that Bill and Hillary Clinton have had dozens of political opponents murdered, including John F. Kennedy Jr. and Deputy White House counsel Vince Foster. It’s the type of garish theory that makes for a great movie, but it has no basis in reality. There is absolutely zero evidence linking the Clintons to any of these deaths. Furthermore, some of the people who were allegedly assassinated are actually still alive. So, you know…

On August 10, 2019, the most prominent - and for some, the most believable - conspiracy theory of our time was born. That’s when Jeffrey Epstein supposedly took his own life inside his New York City jail cell. Epstein had compromising information on a number of people, leading many to believe that he was killed. Exacerbating the conspiracy is the fact that standard prison procedures were not adhered to, allowing for many curious holes in the official story. Was a hitman actually responsible for Epstein’s death? Many people believe so, with a 2020 Rasmussen Reports poll showing that only 21% of Americans believe that Epstein took his own life.

The world lost an icon on December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was gunned down outside The Dakota. The perpetrator was Mark David Chapman, a mentally unstable Beatles fan who had become angry at Lennon’s public statements and hypocritical lifestyle. But some aren’t so sure. The CIA was actively monitoring Lennon, concerned about his left wing activism and the ability he had to sway the public against various government policies. Some believe that the agency went even further and had Lennon killed. Maybe a hitman assassinated Lennon and Chapman took the fall, or maybe Chapman had been brainwashed to do it, “Manchurian Candidate” style. Either way, everything comes back to the CIA and their desire to silence Lennon’s activism.

On March 8, 2014, the world lost sight of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The plane disappeared from radar screens and debris was later found in the Indian Ocean, confirming that it had been destroyed. However, the reason for its destruction remains unknown, prompting countless conspiracy theories. Many contend that hackers were behind the disappearance, with some believing that they took control of the plane’s autopilot system and remotely flew it to Antarctica. Others, including the UK government’s former scientific advisor Sally Leivesley, believe that the plane was the target of a violent cyberattack.

As in politics, the entertainment industry is filled with conspiracy theories, some of which are more believable than others. A major conspiracy concerns Marilyn Monroe, who died following a drug overdose in her Los Angeles home. The official story was that Monroe intentionally took her own life, but of course, some suspect foul play. The idea that Monroe was killed was first raised in Norman Mailer’s 1973 book “Marilyn: A Biography.” He contends that FBI and CIA agents orchestrated her death due to her personal involvement with Robert F. Kennedy. An L.A. District Attorney even attempted to open a criminal investigation into her supposed murder, but this was stopped owing to a lack of evidence.

As fun as they are, some conspiracy theories just don’t make a whole lot of sense. This is undoubtedly one of them. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig suffered a massive blowout, resulting in a devastating fire that killed eleven people and sank the rig. It also caused the largest environmental disaster in American history, with the destroyed rig spilling 210 million gallons of oil into the ocean. Political commentator Rush Limbaugh posited that the disaster was not an accident, but an intentional act done by “hardcore environmentalist wackos” to “head off more [ocean] drilling.” Because nothing screams environmentalism quite like spilling 200 million gallons of oil into the ocean…

What we’re learning throughout this list is that a lot of people view the FBI as violent and dishonest. The FBI targeted King during their COINTELPRO operation, deeming him a political subversive owing to his civil rights activism. They not only spied on him, but they sent him a blackmail letter in 1964, positing that King was a sexual deviant and that he should end his own life to avoid public embarrassment. This is all fact. What some question is the involvement, or at least the intention, of King’s killer, James Earl Ray. Many people, including the King family, believe that Ray was a scapegoat for a larger conspiracy meant to silence the civil rights activist.

There are a few dates where the world stood still, and August 31, 1997 was undoubtedly one of them. That was when Diana, Princess of Wales passed away from injuries incurred in a horrible car accident. The accident occurred just hours earlier when Diana’s car hit a pillar in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris, France. Blame was placed on the inebriated driver, Henri Paul, and the paparazzi chasing the car. But many believe that the Royal family was responsible, having planned the crash so that Prince Charles could marry Tiggy Legge-Bourke. The British Metropolitan Police even set up an inquiry called Operation Paget to explore the possibility, but they found no evidence linking the crash to the Royal family.

There’s one conspiracy theory that has captured America’s attention more than any other, and that’s the JFK assassination. On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy was shot and killed while riding through Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Blame was immediately placed on a retired soldier named Lee Harvey Oswald, but he was killed by a vengeful nightclub owner before he could properly talk. Before his death, Oswald claimed that he was a scapegoat. Kennedy’s assassination has spawned countless conspiracy theories, with blame being spread around to the FBI, the KGB, the Mafia, and many other organizations. While evidence has continuously supported the idea that Oswald acted alone, most Americans aren’t convinced, signaling what could be the greatest cover-up in the country’s history.

Do you buy into these theories? Let us know in the comments below!