Knives at Midnight: The Strongsville Stabbing That Defied Belief

Dive into the shadows of humanity with this gripping true crime documentary compilation, unraveling three chilling cases that left investigators baffled and communities haunted. Each story peels back layers of mystery, deception, and forensic intrigue, exposing the darkest corners of human behavior. From a decades-old cold case cracked by modern technology to a twisted web of lies masking a killer’s identity, and an unsolved disappearance that still torments a small town—this compilation blends archival footage, expert interviews, and dramatic reenactments to piece together the truth.

In the early 1990’s, the French capital of Paris found itself the unwilling hunting ground of Nico Claux, a self-proclaimed Satanic, who spent years prowling the city’s cemeteries in order to unearth and mutilate corpses before moving onto the fresher flesh found within hospital morgues – until not even the dead could satisfy his gruesome proclivities.

The family of Anthony Tomaselli lived for years believing their beloved father and grandfather had died of natural causes. But his daughters shared a dark secret. Unfortunately, they also shared a lover, a man who would eventually blow the lid off the secret they’d sworn to take to their graves. Like that wasn’t bizarre enough already, as investigators dug deeper into the nature of the crime itself. the motives of the people involved would only become stranger and ever more perplexing.

Imagine waking up to an inbox full of life threatening messages each day. Unfortunately for Dave Kroupa, by the winter of 2012 this had become his reality. Within weeks of hopping onto an online dating site, he’d become the target of one of the most deranged stalkers to ever walk the planet. And these messages? They were just warm up exercises for the real hell that what was to come. You see, Dave’s stalker was not just obsessed with him, she’d already killed for him – and had plans to kill again.

Sasha Samsudean was last seen on her apartment surveillance camera not long after returning home after a night out with friends in downtown Orlando, Florida. Just hours later, police would find her dead in her bed, with no clues as to who had committed her murder.

It began like a plot from a horror film, with masked men peering through the windows of an ordinary suburban house and the chilling sound of door handles being turned in the night. Then, right on script, the strange occurrences that terrorised a Strongsville family from 2016 to 2017 culminated with a horrific stabbing murder in the kitchen of the family home – and a twist so shocking not even those closest to the family believed it to be true.

On August 7, 2014, Warriena Wright met her Tinder date 28-year-old Gable Tostee later that night she plunged fourteen stories to her death from the balcony of his high-rise apartment. Gable claimed she’d been so drunk she’d attempted to climb over and fell. Police would disagree and, several days later, charge Gable Tostee with her murder.

Victoria Mendoza was the female equivalent of a ‘bad boy’. Tattooed. Rebellious. Wild and willing to break the rules. But while her tough-girl persona held a certain appeal to peers, it masked a much, much darker reality. When 17-year-old Tawnee Baird fell for her in 2004, the warning signs were there from the start. But like so many abusive relationships, by the time Tawnee wanted out – it was too late. This case examines the shocking chain of events that led to the brutal murder of 21-year-old Tawnee Baird and the twisted mind of the girl who, after committing the crime, turned to TikTok to build her social media following.

39-year-old Jacque Sue Waller was reported missing on June 1, 2011, after her sister Cheryl Brenneke grew concerned over her whereabouts. Jacque was last seen by her estranged husband, Clay Waller, they met at an attorney’s office in Cape Girardeau to finalize paperwork for divorce proceedings. The couple had separated months prior and Jacque maintained primary custody over their three children. Clay later confessed to her murder.

The 4th of December 2020 began as a quiet morning at the Payne family home in Columbus, Ohio. The calm of the household was interrupted when 23 year-old Casey returned home from his dentist appointment. Casey was shot to death just inside the doorway of his grandmother’s house; crashing onto the kitchen floor, the sandwiches he purchased for lunch falling to the ground next to him.