Love and money, are the two things most people would die for — or in some cases, kill for. Yet when all is said and done, these 10 true crime cases will leave you wondering, was it all for love or money?
Some people are willing to do whatever it takes to find their special someone and then use them. In these too-bizarre-to-be-believed true crime documentaries, we take a look at some of the most notorious love gone wrong cases in the books. These bad romances left people with more than just a broken heart, they left them without love, or money and in some cases behind bars. See this special genre of true crime termed “Rom-Cons,”:the place where love and money, go truly wrong.
Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife
While lying to your romantic partner doesn’t always lead to jail time, lying to patients about the success rate of your surgical method, now that could get criminal. Dr. Paolo Macchiarini found this lesson out the hard way when lying to his former NBC producer fiancée, led to the truth about his shoddy surgical methods. His former fiancée, Benita Alexander, not only shared her story, but she saved patients’ lives in the process. Watch her horror story unfold in this romantic con gone viral, available on Netflix.
Betrayal: The Perfect Husband
Producer Jennifer Faison thought she had the perfect life and the perfect marriage, until she didn’t. When she came home to find her devoted husband of seven years, Spencer Herron, in handcuffs, she wanted to know why. Yet going through his email and social media would leave her with more questions than answers.
It turned out Herron had had 60 known affairs, some of them spanning 2 or 3 years. He had been with sex workers and escorts, and had even cheated with friends. Yet, believe it or not, that wasn’t the worst of it. Being a bad husband, even that bad of a husband, isn’t a criminal offense, but sexually exploiting a student is. Spencer Herron, former Teacher of the Year at the local high school, had been arrested and pled guilty to six counts of sexual assault of a student.
Check out all the disturbing details, and see how Jennifer not only picked up the pieces of her life, but created an entirely new and improved one.
Bad Vegan
Sarma Melngailis had it all. She was the “Vegan raw food queen” kicking off the raw food vegan movement in New York City with her popular restaurant, Pure Food and Wine. She was close friends with celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, and it was through him that she met the man who would be her downfall, Anthony Strangis.
Strangis roped Sarma into a world of lies, manipulation, and deceit. Utilizing cult-like brainwashing techniques, he convinced Sarma they existed in their own reality. In order to further this “reality,” Sarma would drain money from her restaurant, including its employees. When all was said and done, Strangis would have swindled over $2 million through Sarma, and the pair would end up on the run.
See how the “Vegan queen” was transformed into the “Vegan Bernie Madoff” in this Netflix original documentary.
The Tinder Swindler
It’s every modern dater’s worst nightmare. They meet a special someone online and before they know it, they are out thousands of dollars. Dating apps, like Tinder, have opened the door to more active dating lives than ever before, yet they have also opened the door to some serious scammers, such as the subject of The Tinder Swindler.
Simon Leviev, known as the “Tinder Swindler,” between the years of 2017 to 2019 was able to steal $10 million dollars from victims across the globe. Using a sort of Ponzi scheme, he would lure women into his orbit, convincing them he was the son of an Israeli diamond magnate. He would use money swindled from one woman to convince another of his wealth, and eventually, would steal from that one as well. His scheme was complex, yet also very simple. He used love to get money.
See exactly how the Tinder Swindler pulled off one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in recent history, and how he was finally caught.
Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story
Love sure can make us do some crazy things sometimes, even criminal ones. Lifetime Network presents the story of prison guard Vicky White, as she is roped into risking it all for love. In 2022, Vicky White helped Alabama prison inmate Casey White (no relation) escape. The two went on the run, eluding capture for several weeks before finally being caught in a bullet-ridden standoff that ended in bloodshed.
Watch the romance between guard and inmate blossom in this Romeo and Juliet-esque romance that ends in tragedy.
Escaping Twin Flames
Some people use the promise of money to gain love, the Escaping Twin Flames cult used the promise of love to gain money. Jeff and Shaleia promised people the perfect relationship — for a price. They convinced people that through their one-on-one sessions, group coaching, and online community that they would be able to find their happily ever after. The only catch? The happily ever afters didn’t seem so happy. Either the matches weren’t coming at all, or worse, people were being matched with complete online strangers! Even restraining orders were encouraged to be ignored, landing one of their members behind bars.
The couple walked away with millions of dollars and a lavish lifestyle, all supported by its members. See how this dynamic duo brought the downfall of several of its members in the Netflix documentary.
Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom
Love, lies, and murder. Till Murder Do Us Part has all the makings of a Shakespearean tragedy as Kate Haysom and Jens Soering face off against each other in one of the most watched trials of our time. The pair were on trial for the murder of Haysom’s wealthy parents. Soering had confessed to the murders, claiming he had done it all for love. Yet when the tables turned and Haysom ended the relationship, Soering’s story turned to one of betrayal. It was classic, he said/she said. So who was telling the truth?
Till Murder Do Us Part‘s bizarre love story and subsequent trial left many wondering — what was the point? Murder and money, that’s what.
I Love You, Now Die
Young love can certainly feel like a fairytale, yet the ending of this twisted tale is one no one would expect. Michelle Carter and Conrad Roy shared a romance that seemed every bit the youthful love story. Yet it ended with Michelle Carter on trial for contributing to the death of Conrad, as she had encouraged him to take his own life.
The motives behind this ultimate betrayal seem shocking to have come from a teenage girl. Yet the proof was there in print, documented through the multitude of text messages and emails shared between the two. Michelle Carter was found responsible for the death of her boyfriend, Conrad. Check out this HBO exclusive documentary to learn how.
Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Larry Ray was 63 years old and living in the dorms of Sarah Lawrence College. Following his release from prison, he moved in with his college-aged daughter, and before long, became too close for comfort with her friends.
When all was said and done, he would have a romantic relationship with several of them, creating a cult-like dynamic. He manipulated them into “paying him back” for various alleged infractions. The students asked for large sums of money from their parents, or in some cases worked demeaning and illegal jobs in order to repay Ray. In total Ray scammed the students out of several million dollars — and even more regrettably, their youth.
Watch this horrifying blend of true crime “cult classic” blended with “rom-con” on Hulu.
Wild Crime: Murder in the Rockies
Toni and Harold Henthorn seemed to have a solid marriage, and when they left on a surprise trip to celebrate their anniversary, no one would have suspected it would end in tragedy. It was even more shocking when it was revealed to be murder — and not the first for Harold Henthorn. Hulu’s Wild Crime documents Toni’s family’s pursuit of justice, and reveals how one couple’s hike in the woods could end with one person dead, and one behind bars.
Love, money, and even murder in the world of true crime often go hand in hand. One is used to gain another, and by the end, there is a truly twisted love triangle between the three. These true crime cases highlight some of the most notorious “rom-cons” out there, so remember when meeting a new partner — buyer beware.