There are many reasons that crimes are committed, and while most crimes are quickly forgotten, except by the people directly involved, some are still remembered and talked about decades laterbrIn "The Most Notorious Crimes in American History," Life magazine rounds up some of the most mysterious, gruesome, and shocking crimes in American history.br- The assassination of Abraham Lincoln — April 14, 1865brFresh off his second inauguration and the salvation of the Union, Lincoln went to see the popular comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 1865brOne of the most notorious assassinations in American history took place there, as the actor turned Confederate radical John Wilkes Booth sneaked up behind the president, drew a pistol, and fired a single shot at the back of Lincoln's head. Lincoln died the next morningbrBooth, who had previously performed in Ford's theater, knew the scene of the crime well. He had also been stalking Lincoln for some time. He held a fanatically pro-slavery position and desperately wanted to see the South freed from the rule of LincolnbrIt is rumored that Booth belonged to the clandestine Knights of the Golden Circle, whose members were fierce opponents of the Union. At one point he planned to kidnap the president in exchange for thousands of Confederate soldiers, but he was foiled by a last-minute itinerary changebrOn March 4, 1865, at Lincoln's second inauguration, Booth stood on a balcony behind the president. The Civil War ended a month later, and days later Booth killed one of the greatest US presidents of all timebr- The assassination of President John F. Kennedy — November 22, 1963brThe assassination of President Kennedy is maybe the most researched, talked about, debated, and contested crimes in American historybrThe Warren Commission, which was assigned to investigate the murder, found that a 24-year-old Marine veteran named Lee Harvey Oswald, and Oswald alone, shot Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas.brBut for many skeptics, the findings of the Warren Commission raised more questions than answersbrOswald was raised by a single mother in New Orleans. Throughout his life, he showed an inability to settle down. He became enamored with communism and tried to live in Moscow, but he was denied citizenshipbrAfter shooting Kennedy, Oswald fled the building and killed a police officer along the way. When he was finally apprehended, he famously said, "I'm just a patsy.