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St. Louis Crime Stories - Archive and Library Resources

This guide offers resources for exploring the history of crime in the St. Louis area, focusing on stories of people rather than statistics.

Contact Info

contact special collections

Archive, Manuscript & Rare Book collections are accessed in Olin Library at the Special Collections reading room.

HOURS:  Monday - Friday 9:00-5:00 by appointment

LOCATION:  Olin Library, 1st floor, Danforth Campus

REQUESTS / APPOINTMENTS:  314-935-5495  spec@wumail.wustl.edu

*collections stored offsite require advance notice for retrieval and use

Questions about a specific topic? Contact:

University Archives: Sonya Rooney

Rare Books: Cassie Brand

Manuscript: Joel Minor 

Local History: Miranda Rectenwald

Modern Graphic History Library: Skye Lacerte

Film & Media Archive: Andy Uhrich

Secondary Sources

A selection of published stories, which can serve as a good starting place for further research.

Primary Sources at Special Collections, Olin Library

Primary Sources - Newspapers

As of January 2021 only one newspaper (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) is available in searchable full-text online:


As of January 2021, only select issues of St. Louis African American / Black focused newspapers are available in digital format. As an alternative, online access and full-text search is available for the noted and long-running African American newspaper, Chicago Defender, which often covered national news as well as Midwest / St. Louis news:


Publications focused on and published by the LGBTQ+ / Queer communities began in 1970.  None of these are keyword searchable, but some selections have been digitized:

Additional Research Guides