For armchair detectives, knowing all of the ins and outs of famous—or infamous, rather—cases comes with the territory.
Whether you've scoured the internet for details on the Manson family, John Lennon's untimely death, or think you can recite the facts from the first season of Serial better than Sarah Koenig, there's always more to know.
But instead of reliving the tragic crimes themselves, let's delve into the aftermath of several headline-making events and get an update on those who are currently behind bars…and are desperately trying to be released.
Drew Peterson: The former police officer was found guilty of the murder of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, in 2012 and received a 38-year sentence. However, in May of 2016, he was sentenced to an additional 40 years for two felonies: solicitation of murder and solicitation of murder for hire for attempting to have state attorney James Glasgow murdered. Peterson has maintained his innocence throughout both cases. He has been scheduled for parole in 2047.
Charles Manson: Now 81, the convicted criminal and leader of the 1960's commune has repeatedly been denied parole—12 times in fact. Manson, who is serving a life sentence for seven murders, even told a California prison psychologist that he's a "very dangerous man" back in 2012. This ultimately lead to his most recent denial of parole by a California parole board.
Leslie Van Houten: While we're on the subject of Manson, one of his most devout followers was denied parole by California Governor Jerry Brown this summer. Van Houten is serving a life sentence for the murder of a husband and wife over 40 years ago. She claimed that she is no longer a threat to society, and is no longer violent, however, Brown denied her plea for release.
Mark David Chapman: After being convicted for the murder of the Beatles singer, Chapman repeatedly explained that the classic novel The Catcher in the Rye was his formal statement and response to the killing. He has been paroled nearly 10 times over the course of the last few decades and has been in prison since 1981.
Adnan Syed: The Baltimore native is currently incarcerated for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Syed was convicted of first degree murder during his second trial—his first resulted in a mistrial—and was granted yet another trial in July 2016 after his original attorney was "rendered ineffective assistance when she failed to cross-examine the state's expert regarding the reliability of cell tower location evidence." Only time will tell what is in store for Syed's future.
Michael Skakel: The murder of 15-year-old Martha Moxley rocked the nation after it was revealed that a Kennedy family member was a suspect. Skakel, the nephew of Ethel Skakel Kennedy, was granted a new trial in 2013 and released on $1.2 million bail. As of now, the case is currently being appealed by the prosecution.
O.J. Simpson: The former football star is currently serving time at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada for criminal conspiracy, robbery, kidnapping, assault and the use of a deadly weapon. While Simpson was sentenced to life in prison and he is eligible for parole next year.