Ellen Killoran

Ellen is a seasoned journalist and former media & entertainment reporter with a taste for true crime. Formerly a senior editor at IBTimes, her work has appeared in Forbes, Rolling Stone, Maxim, NYMag, Indiewire, and more. She co-produced the HBO documentary "Youth Knows No Pain" and appeared in a documentary series that aired alongside the Lifetime movie "Manson's Lost Girls." Tips: ekilloran@crimeonline.com

Evil mom who watched her daughter’s rape and murder said teen girl was a ‘non-entity,’ was ‘betrayed’ by killer boyfriend’s confession
Family Crime

The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was brutally raped, tortured, and killed at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend testified against the confessed murderer at his sentencing hearing on Wednesday. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Jacob Sullivan’s sentencing hearing is ongoing this week in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. In early 2017, Sullivan confessed to raping and …

Grace Packer parents
Family Crime
March 20, 2019

Murdered teen Grace Packer begged ‘mom’ for help, but Sara Packer ‘got off’ on watching boyfriend rape her daughter: Confession

The man who admitted to brutally raping and killing 14-year-old Grace Packer, his girlfriend’s adopted daughter, is awaiting his fate, and jurors at his sentencing hearing heard the confession he gave investigators in January 2017 as he was recovering from a suicide attempt. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Packer was raped, drugged, and left for dead …

Depressed, humiliated teen commits suicide after sexual abuse from married teacher; family of victim accuses school district of enabling ‘known sexual predator’
Juveniles
March 18, 2019

Depressed, humiliated teen commits suicide after sexual abuse from married teacher; family of victim accuses school district of enabling ‘known sexual predator’

The family of a teenager who committed suicide after becoming victimized by a teacher characterized as a “known sexual predator” has sued a school district for allegedly concealing the behavior of the married teacher who had sex with minor students. The Reno Gazette Journal reports that Tennille Whitaker, 41, is serving a maximum of 20 years …

URGENT: Police seek help in search for missing boy as both parents are arrested
Family Crime
March 14, 2019

URGENT: Police seek help in search for missing boy as both parents are arrested

The parents of a missing 8-year-old boy in California have been arrested for child abuse as authorities asked to the public’s help in finding the child. Fox 11 reports that Noah McIntosh, 8, has been missing from his Corona home for over two weeks. On Thursday, Corona police announced the arrest of Jillian Godfrey, 36, and …

Family-killer Chris Watts on SUICIDE WATCH in prison: Report
Family Crime
March 14, 2019

Family-killer Chris Watts on SUICIDE WATCH in prison: Report

Convicted family annihilator Chris Watts is reportedly in suicide watch in a Wisconsin prison where he is serving multiple life sentences for the murder of his pregnant wife Shanann Watts and two young daughters, Bella and Celeste Watts. Citing an unidentified Wisconsin Department of Corrections source, RadarOnline reports that Watts is under suicide watch. “Chris …

Jussie Smollett pleads NOT GUILTY to charges in alleged hate crime hoax, lying to police
Celebrity Justice
March 14, 2019

Jussie Smollett pleads NOT GUILTY to charges in alleged hate crime hoax, lying to police

“Empire” actor Jussie Smollett has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from an alleged hate crime hoax in which he is accused of lying to police. CBS News reports that Smollett’s attorney, Tina Glandian, pleaded not guilty on her client’s behalf to 16 counts of disorderly conduct stemming from the January 29 incident, when Smollett told …