Killer@Craigslist (October 2009)

The “Craigslist Murder” was a crime made possible by the Internet, and the prime suspect was apprehended through online sleuthing. But the killing of Julissa Brisman allegedly by Boston University medical student Philip Markoff is still a very human mystery, with dark sexual overtones and surprising contradictions.

Michael Jackson Is Gone, but the Sad Facts Remain (June 26, 2009)

A New Start (March 2009)

President Barack Obama, his family, and his team of experts bring a welcome dose of fresh vitality to the White House. As the hard work begins, Maureen Orth assesses a moment and a movement.

Can Desiree Rogers Make Washington Fun Again? (February 2, 2009)

Can Obama’s New Team Make Government Cool Again? (February 2, 2009)

Inside Colombia’s Hostage War (November 2008)

Upon Ingrid Betancourt’s liberation, last July, the world was eager for her story: the patrician politician held hostage in Colombia’s rain-forest jungle for six often brutal years by the revolutionary farc guerrillas. In addition to meeting the most famous kidnap victim since Patti Hearst, the author interviews three of Betancourt’s fellow hostages (including her closest confidant), Colombian president Álvaro Uribe, and the man who oversaw the daring rescue, to explain how it all plays into a four-decade war.

Paris Match (September 2008)

Just months after his May 2007 election, French president Nicolas Sarkozy faced growing criticism over his stalled reforms, flashy style, and stormy divorce. The last straw should have been his whirlwind remarriage, to an Italian heiress, ex-model, and singer who had past liaisons with Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, among others, and nude photos all over the Internet. But the lady in question, Carla Bruni, is proving an unexpected asset.

Hurly Birley (February 2008)

Supreme arbiter of aristocratic London nightlife, Mark Birley poured all his charm, generosity, and taste into his portfolio of clubs, including the fabled Annabel’s, until he abruptly sold them right before his death, last August. But, as a battle over his $200 million estate reveals, he left his own family tragically damaged.

When Washington Was Fun (December 2007)

The grand hostesses are history, the president would rather be in bed, and there’s a price tag on every evening these days. Who killed Washington society?

Black Mischief (February 2007)

Facing trial in Chicago for massive criminal fraud, Conrad Black, once chairman of the world’s third-largest newspaper group, Hollinger International, has vowed to take the stand and expose the conspiracy against him. As friends and colleagues dissect the mogul’s spectacular fall, Maureen Orth delves into the influence of Black’s dazzling second wife, Barbara Amiel; the blow of his longtime partner, David Radler, turning prosecution witness; and the role of Hollinger’s high-profile board, which allegedly let the company become a private piggy bank.

C.S.I. Neverland (July 2005)

Disfigured, deeply in debt, and with a history of drug addiction—at 46, Michael Jackson is also at the end of a criminal trial for allegedly molesting a 13-year-old cancer patient. After 12 years of covering Jackson’s downward spiral and the recurring allegations of pedophilia, Maureen Orth explores the absurd and painful spectacle of this courtroom reckoning, the dysfunctional families on both sides of the case, and the dark tactics of Jackson’s entourage.

Neverland’s Lost Boys (March 2004)

The latest charges against Michael Jackson—of molesting a 13-year-old cancer patient—are more than a déjà vu of allegations that led to his $25 million settlement with young Jordie Chandler in 1994. Once again, Jackson and his lawyers are saying the motive of the boy and his family is pure greed. But the King of Pop’s shield of fame and money is wearing thin.

A Made-for-Tabloid Murder (August 2003)

On Christmas Eve, a pretty, young, pregnant wife goes missing. Right after the Iraq war, her body washes up, and her husband is arrested. With its heartbreaking details and perfect timing, the Laci Peterson murder has become America’s No. 1 crime and human-interest story. Maureen Orth visits Modesto, California, where National Enquirer reporters wield huge checks, cable-news anchors fight over gruesome autopsy exclusives, and the most elusive prey is Scott Peterson’s “motive,” Amber Frey.

Losing His Grip (April 2003)

From Michael Jackson’s increasingly freakish appearance to his voodoo death spells, to the disturbing revelations in a $21.2 million civil suit against him, the pop star’s life has been spinning out of control. Investigating his spiraling debt, his grandiose schemes, and his controversial relationship with children, Maureen Orth wonders if Jackson is as crazy as he seems—or a cool manipulator of his own fame.

Fort Bragg’s Deadly Summer (December 2002)

After a string of slayings and suicides at the base, the army is grappling with its domestic-violence problem. In three cases, model soldiers who’d served in Afghanistan killed their wives. Were they simply unable to leave the war behind, or did an anti-malaria drug turn them psychotic?

Unholy Communion (August 2002)

For more than 30 years as a Catholic priest, Father Paul Shanley moved among Massachusetts parishes, a Boston youth ministry, and a gay motel in Palm Springs, California. Everywhere he went, he allegedly created a special kind of hell for the boys, some as young as six, who have since accused him of rape and abuse. As Shanley faces trial, Maureen Orth discovers the devastation left in his wake, finds evidence that his fellow clergy suspected him, and exposes the grotesque indifference of the Boston Archdiocese to anything but the threat of scandal.

Afghanistan’s Deadly Habit (March 2002)

No matter who controls Afghanistan, its opium crop—more than 70 percent of the world’s supply—is creating narco-societies throughout Central Asia, from Russia to Pakistan. In Tajikistan, Maureen Orth discovers the extent of the region’s drug corruption, which may prove more destructive than any terrorist threat.

The Face of Scandal (June 2001)

Denise Rich is all about connections: her hit songwriting powered her social aspirations, which powered her fund-raising. Marc Rich is defined by his money, the kind of wealth that moves governments and transcends borders. But despite their bitter divorce, Denise says, what drove her to seek a pardon for her ex-husband from Bill Clinton was a deeply personal tragedy—the death of their daughter.

Magnificent Voyage (February 2001)

In 1944, with a temporary commission as a general, 32-year-old reporter Ruth Gruber brought 1,000 World War II refugees to America aboard a U.S. military transport ship. That journey, recounted in her book Haven and in a CBS mini-series, inspired Gruber’s still-vital career as a warrior of word and image.

Russia’s Dark Master (October 2000)

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s new president, won the admiration of his people for his iron grasp on power. Then came the Kursk submarine crisis. Will the Kremlin’s mystery man be able to rein in a massively corrupt oligarchy, or will he wake the ghost of Stalin?

Leveraging the Stars (April 2000)

For wealthy young Hollywood—Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Cameron Diaz, among others—the cool money manager was Dana Giacchetto. But with his breezy accounting, media hotdogging, and risky ventures, such as the multifaceted Paradise Music & Entertainment, the high-flying, Prada-suited 37-year-old appears to have invested way too heavily in glamour.

The Killer’s Trail (September 1997)

The shocking Mob-style execution of fashion designer Gianni Versace appears to have been the crescendo of a cross-country murder spree that landed 27-year-old Andrew Cunanan on the F.B.I.’s Ten Most Wanted list. From the truth about Cunanan’s childhood, through his free-spending days at the heart of San Diego’s gay society, to the bloody crime scenes he left behind in Minneapolis, Chicago, New Jersey, and Miami, Maureen Orth follows the twisted psychological path that ended only when Cunanan turned the .40-caliber murder weapon on himself.

The Jackson Jive (September 1995)

Michael Jackson’s interview with ABC News’s PrimeTime Live was a public-relations triumph, in which 60 million viewers got anything but the truth.

Nightmare in Neverland (January 1994)

While Michael Jackson was whisked away to detox treatment, the star’s lawyers fought a desperate battle to protect him from facing the sexual-abuse charges brought by his 13-year-old accuser. Maureen Orth untangles the whole painful story to provide the definitive account of Jackson’s fall, and in it finds a late-20th-century parable of manipulation, corrupted fantasy, and lost innocence.

Mia’s Story (November 1992)

Whatever you already know about this tangled and painful situation, you’ve only heard half: the case against Mia Farrow. This is the other half and it isn’t any prettier. It concerns Woody Allen’s behavior and what it has done to Mia Farrow and the 11 children involved. Maureen Orth breaks new ground on one of the year’s most shocking stories.

Madonna in Wonderland (October 1992)

Sex, Madonna’s shocking new book of erotic photos, is about to make taboo something chic for the 90s. On the eve of the controversial book’s publication, the star gave Maureen Orth an advance peek and posed exclusively for Vanity Fair and Steven Meisel.

Kaiser Karl: Behind the Mask (February 1992)

Karl Lagerfeld is couture’s undisputed philosopher prince. He saved Chanel and made it the most sought-after line in the world, revived Chloé and Fendi, and launched his own KL. But has his personal loss changed the meaning of success?

Maggie’s Big Problem (June 1991)

While Margaret Thatcher is washed-up in England, the post–Gulf War American right has taken the warrior queen to its heart—and she’s determined to reinvent herself as an international power player. But Thatcher’s plans to create a new world forum may be foundering thanks to the storm of controversy raging around her maladroit millionaire son. Has Mrs. T. missed her moment?