Baltimore Crime Museum

09/04/2026

On this day in 1919, Eddie Waitkus was born. He was a ballplayer whose career was forever marked by a horrific crime.

On June 14, 1949, while playing first base for the Philadelphia , Waitkus was shot by Ruth Ann Steinhagen (second imagine), a stalker who had become obsessed with him. He barely survived and missed the rest of the season.

Waitkus returned in 1950 and helped lead the Phillies to the National League pennant, scoring a team-high 102 runs. He remained with the Phillies until the club sold him to the Baltimore ahead of their inaugural 1954 season.

After being released by the Orioles in 1955, Waitkus returned to the Phillies to finish the season—and his career.

Remarkably, as noted on his 1955 Bowman card, the shooting ultimately led to Waitkus meeting his future wife.

Steinhagen, meanwhile, spent decades avoiding the spotlight after release from the Kankakee State Hospital. She largely evaded journalists, historians, and the public, leaving much of her life after the shooting a mystery.

Waitkus's shooting is believed to have inspired The Natural, the 1952 novel and 1984 film about a baseball player whose career is nearly ended when he is shot by a woman. The connection was never confirmed by Bernard Malamud, author of the novel.

08/06/2026

Camden in Crisis: Many Orioles fans are upset about trading Adley Rutschman. Don't cry because it's over—smile because it happened.

06/26/2026

Did you know?

In May 1857, Samuel Green, an emancipated freeman, was sentenced to ten years in the Maryland State Penitentiary for possessing abolitionist literature, most notably a copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Augustus Bradford, Maryland's governor pardoned him in 1862 on the condition that Green leave the state within 60 days.

In 1870, he returned to Maryland and co-founded Morgan State University, then known as Centenary Biblical Institute.

Green died on February 28, 1877.

06/14/2026

Can you imagine if Fox 45 covered Oriole Park at Camden Yards the way they cover Fell's Point?

Let's try:

Shortly after Orioles superstar Gunnar Henderson was violently attacked by a member of the San Diego Padres, a rival baseball team, a large multi-agency police force maintains a visible presence throughout Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

No charges have been filed against Ron Marinaccio, the San Diego Padre who assaulted Gunnar Henderson. Eyewitnesses believe Marinaccio was attempting to strike Henderson in the head with a fastball, an act that has proven fatal in the past.

State's Attorney Ivan Bates has not commented on the incident or on his office's decision not to prosecute Marinaccio. Mayor Brandon Scott and Governor Wes Moore have also declined to comment on the failure of the Maryland State Police and the Baltimore Police Department to take action in response to the assault on Henderson.

The Orioles, once the pride of Baltimore, have become a troubled franchise since the team's last World Series championship. Disinterested ownership, players with alleged gang associations, convictions for sexual misconduct, other concerns regarding personal behavior, and poor decision-making at the executive level have long hobbled this once-great Baltimore institution.

Large crowds gathered in Fells Point on Saturday night as Baltimore police maintained a visible presence throughout the popular waterfront neighborhood.Baltimor

06/07/2026

Time for a meme!

06/04/2026

CNN is reporting that John Bolton, an Iraq War advocate and one of President Donald Trump’s national security advisers, has agreed to plead guilty to resolve his criminal case. Bolton was charged in October 2025 with eight counts of transmitting national defense information and 10 counts of unlawfully retaining national defense information.

If this plea deal holds, John Bolton will rank the most prominent criminals ever to come out of Baltimore.

05/12/2026

Random question: With all the alleged crime and hooliganism in Towson, has anyone reached out to Captain John Kenney, commander of the Towson Precinct, to ask for an explanation?

It is literally his job to prevent these things from happening.

04/10/2026

Educational graffiti.

Over by the Main Post Office

03/26/2026

New BPD color scheme.

03/03/2026

The Baltimore Crime Museum has repeatedly asked local politicians to complete this form so we can request access to their FBI files.

Department of Justice policy is to neither confirm nor deny the existence of such records unless this form is submitted.

The Baltimore Crime Museum believes that FBI files for political candidates and elected officials should be made public, with appropriate redactions where necessary. Transparency matters.
So far, none of these self-described law-abiding officials has agreed to participate. We will continue to press the issue.

Museum patrons: Which living Baltimore-area politician’s FBI file would you most like to see released? Tell us below, and we will do our best to encourage them to comply.