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People Who've Actually Witnessed A Murder Share Their Story

People Who've Actually Witnessed A Murder Share Their Story
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Murder often seems to inhabit only Hollywood movies and the local news. Surely it could never impact your life, right?


Unfortunately, for all those murders we hear about in the new, there is a whole network of people affected.

There are family members forced to endure the tragic loss of a loved one. Good friends lose someone they could always trust. The murderer's life is changed radically if he's caught and imprisoned.

And beyond those close ties, there are the witnesses. These few people, though not necessarily directly connected to the people involved, still may endure the trauma of seeing the act.

TempestYGO asked, "Redditors who witnessed a murder, what is your story?"

A Lot to Carry 

"When I was 10 my uncle murdered my mom's boyfriend at our house. It wasn't in the house but he chased him through our house and killed him outside in front of the house."

"It really destroyed a part of our family as well as relationship between my mom and grandmother. It was 30 years ago and I am only one alive besides my uncle that was there that night."

"I wanted to thank everyone for the kind words and the questions. Kinda therapeutic to talk about."

-- madjervin

Seeing the Very End 

"I didn't actually witness the murder-suicide but I saw the direct aftermath seconds later. I was 6 years old at my babysitter's house after school."

"The husband came home drunk and demanded he speak with her in the back yard. A little bit afterwards their dog is freaking out demanding it come inside. I went out back and the dog lead me to them."

"The husband shot my babysitter and then himself. She was gone but he still had labored breathing before dying in front of me. It's still one of my most vivid memories 21 years later."

-- Nailclippings

Rough Carpool Day 

"This was when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, so late 80's. My friend's mom had picked us up from school in her station wagon and I was in the way-back."

"There were probably 6 or 7 of us kids in the car and we were stopped at a traffic light across from a homeless shelter, about to get onto the interstate."

"This guy is walking down the street with an armful of chewing tobacco and drops a pack. A homeless guy leaning up against the wall picked it up."

"There was an angry exchange in which the guy refused to give back the tobacco so the other guy kicked him and stomped him to death on the sidewalk."

-- neocondiment

An Image That Stuck With Them 

"A drunk man was pushed down some stairs by the bouncer. Unfortunately, the drunk man was unable to catch himself and instead spun around and landed on the pavement with the back of his head making first contact."

"He was alive for a little while but quickly succumbed to his wound and arrested on there on the pavement. He was declared dead 15 minutes later in ED after being transported by ambulance."


"There was no CCTV or clear evidence of malicious intent that would hold up in court, and the man was known as a drunk and a had no friends or family. It was ruled and accidental death."

"I had to walk past that spot most days going to work and will never forget his face, the look of mystified horror followed by the glassy-eyed slack-jawed expression that come with death."

"I was the medic that transported the man. I was by his side from start till the declaration. One of the most visceral experiences of my career thus far."

-- Majestic-Grim

Shockwaves 

"Was walking home one day and saw a couple arguing.. The dude started walking off away from the girlfriends car, and apparently she was not happy with that."

"She proceeded to get in the car and wait about 5 minutes till he was way off down the sidewalk. I was walking on the opposite side of the road as him and all of a sudden I see a blur and he goes flying like a rocket."


"She must have been going at least 60 mph. He flew through the air and hit a tree. died instantly. The women then screamed out the window at his body and drives away"

"There was blood smeared all over the crumpled hood and I'll never forget the sight of his contorted body at the base of the tree. Almost folded in half."

"I had to talk to the police and within the hour they caught her at a car wash, trying to clean the blood and chunks off the hood and grill of her car."

"I was 16 at the time."

-- happyhungarian12

Jealous Rage

"Saw my neighbor murdered in cold blood in my own driveway. My neighbor was helping his lady friend escape a very abusive relationship."

"Ladies ex hunted her down like a dog. Saw my neighbor walking back home with her after they went to get food for his kids. Heard 3 loud pops. I ran outside to find her screaming and him blown out of his shoes and into my driveway."


"He had a hole in his chest big enough to put my fist in. There was nothing I could do to save him except sit with him and hold his hand while I prayed for him to pass quickly. I'll never forget that night."

"48 hours later I broke the lease on my house and moved in with my boyfriend who lives in a much safer borough. You were an awesome neighbor and a wonderful father, Kaine. You're certainly missed."

-- esprockerchick

Melee Weapon 

"I was around 8-9 years old and we were in a vacation in a vacation village. While we were doing checkout with my family (my father was a the desk while we were waiting at the lobby couches), an argument broke out between 2 guys who were at the lobby bar."

"I actually don't know what it was about, because it was in another language. One of the guys grabbed a bottle smashed it and attacked the other one, hit him in the neck. That guy fell on the floor, and there were blood all over the place."

"My mother closed my eyes after that, and took us out while other people get involved. Years later I've learned that guy lost his life."

-- Watchtheuniverseburn

A Sure Thing 

"In the parking lot of a strip mall in Washington state a guy walked into a jewelry store and did an armed robbery. Plainclothes security guard waited until the robber exited and shot the robber in the back."

"I was in a car and I didn't hear the shot but I did see him fall and some shoppers gathering around his body. We drove by slowly to see if help was needed."

"When I saw how fast the pool of blood was spreading I pretty much knew he would not survive."

-- Nachos_of_Nurgle

So Young 

"When I was 6 my family went to see Sesame Street on ice downtown. When we were leaving a little girl my age was struck by a van and drug across the parking lot. I remember the mother jumping on the windshield screaming at the driver while the van was still moving."

"My mom was a nurse and was helping until the ambulance arrived but she was already dead. I can still remember the screams and lifeless body of that little girl. This was over 30 years ago."

-- PITCHFORK_MAGNET

Another Young Girl 

"Worked at a skating rink in the late 80's/early 90's. I was in my late teens. It was Sunday Soul Night session. Very crowded. About 600 that night."

"As we were trying to clear the parking lot after closing, gunfire erupted between 2 gangs. Everybody hit the deck while the shootout happened."


"A 12 yo girl panicked while coming from inside and started running. She ran into the crossfire and took one to the head about 6 feet away from me. Killed instantly."

"Here is the article about the rink itself being a magnet for problems. I've seen people die in combat since but being a little girl is what haunts me about that one."

-- giantvoice

Invasion

5 years ago. There was an attempted home invasion at my house when I was 18. I was Downstairs watching top gear when I hear somebody trying to break in the door. My father (military type, very protective) confronted the guy and the guy turned around and shot my dad in the chest with a sawed-off shotgun. My dad was able to fire off a couple shots afterward killing him. But my father already was on the ground dead. This is a very short version. First time writing this out. Still surreal to think about.

Turned out the guy was a felon with 6 butcher knives down his pants. Presumingly trying to find some reason to hurt someone.

batmanbadass69

Black box 


I was in terminal two in Barcelona Airport the morning of March 24, 2015. There were only three flights leaving the terminal, and we were all delayed due to fog. 150 people boarded Germanwings flight 9525, 30 minutes before we boarded our flight. Although I didn't see it happen, we were the last people to see them alive. The first officer crashed the plane into the French Alps, killing himself and murdering the other 149 people on board. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.

TASpillthetea

Bloody Bonfire

Happened while hanging out at my bestie's house. For context I'd like to explain that: 1)her house faced the side of a popular bar in our town, 2)that particular night her husband was pretty buzzed and had the fire pit out front blazing, and 3)they had taken in my guinea pigs in addition to theirs when I moved to a place that wouldn't allow them.

So my bf at the time and I at one point go to the basement to give out treats to the piggies. Through the open side door we could hear some commotion going on outside. Didn't think much of it at first, until I realize that my inebriated could possibly be involved. Bf and I run out the side door to find the husband nowhere in sight, and the commotion is coming from two guys across the street from the bar and one guy in the parking lot arguing. We go back into the basement where we found the husband (he had went inside to grab a beer and then came down the basement steps to gather more cardboard to burn while the fire pit was going) and the three of us begin to chat.


Fast forward a few minutes and we all hear 'pop pop pop pop pop'. For a split second we all just look at each other wide-eyed knowing those pops were unquestionably gunshots. The three of us run out the side door again just in time to see one of the guys from across the street is now in the bar parking lot, and the other guy involved in the argument shoots him five more times. The victim goes down and the shooter stood over him and shot him three more times before taking off running up my bestie's street.

Probably the worst part was that the victim's mom was inside the bar. Her cries were so heartbreaking to hear. Later learned that the victim lived across the street from the bar and his two young children ended up seeing their dad bleed out through the window. The killer was found within the hour and stated the argument was over $20 and a woman they were both trying to date. He was charged with first-degree murder and 13 counts of wanton endangerment.

ImAF-ingLady

Close call


I was standing at a crosswalk. The guy next to me started walking. It was pre-dawn, and without looking so did I.

The guy behind me grabbed my collar and yanked me back to the sidewalk.

I spun around pissed off. The guy in front of me got hit by a car speeding through the intersection.

I freaked out and called 911, but the guy died before the ambulance got there. The guy that pulled me back was gone.

White guy, sunglasses. Tan coat. Guy that got hit was fit as hell, wearing a grey wind-breaker.

Smurf_Berries

Better angels


The same thing happened to my grandma: she was running errands in town and was standing on a corner waiting to cross. Traffic cleared a bit and she wasn't really paying attention, so she started to walk across the street. She felt a strong hand grab her shoulder and pull her back to the curb - just as a bus came careening by. She turned around to thank whoever it was, but there was no one there. She claimed it was an angel till the day she died.

mill2524


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Small Slights That Made People Feel Majorly Betrayed By Their Significant Other

Reddit user _Halboro_ asked: 'What was something fairly small that made you feel betrayed by your SO?'

a man and a woman walking in the desert

NEOM on Unsplash

When you're in a relationship, the things your significant other—or sig-O—does hit different.

Teasing remarks you'd laugh off from friends can feel like a knife in the heart when your romantic partner says it.

Minor slights can easily become major issues in your relationship if you feel vulnerable.

Keep reading...Show less

There's this ongoing, universal joke that no one reads user's manuals for new items, so often items aren't built or used quite the way they were intended.

But some products, whether there's a user's manual involved or not, will be used for activities that they were in no way designed for.

Redditor OfficialDampSquid asked:

"What product is rarely used for its intended purpose?"

Clothespins

"Clothespins have spent years keeping bags of chips closed in my house, not a minute hanging up clothes."

- jpiro

"Great in the shop as mini clamps, specifically when gluing the linings to acoustic guitars."

- Fluffy-Anything-5528

Free Parking Corner

"The corner that says FREE PARKING on the Monopoly board."

- DanielleAntenucci

"I don’t know one single person who plays that game correctly. It’s insane how house rules caught on and became almost universal."

- Dr_broadnoodle

Cotton Swaps

"I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I use a Q-Tip correctly."

- PM_DEGRADING

"95 percent for cleaning electronics. Five percent for cleaning your ears."

- Fried-Pig-Dogs

Bubble Wrap

"Bubble wrap. It was invented as a wallpaper in the 1950s."

- fuzzysarge

"Just mist down your windows with plain water and the bubble wrap just sticks by itself."

"I didn't know this trick when I had to make a bathroom more private. As a stopgap, I just sprayed the windows with fake Christmas snow."

- RedditZamak

For Surgical Purposes

"K-Y Jelly was originally developed as a surgical lubricant."

- JiveChicken00

Fixes Everything

"Duct tape. Works on everything but ducts. (They make a special tape for that, and it’s not called duct tape.)"

- ImpliedSlashS

From War to Screen Doors

"WD-40 was originally created to stop nuclear missiles from rusting."

- ShoopufJockey

Great for Kids Crafts

"I want to say pool noodles. I see a new craft for them weekly and rarely see them actually in a pool."

- gigieileen

Baking Powder Uses

"Not 'rarely used' per se, but the amount of baking powder not used for baking things is quite high."

- DayOk6350

"You can use it to instantly set super glue and create a stronger bond that is as hard as plastic and nowhere near as brittle as a regular superglue bonding."

- Happy-Personality-23

The Question Is In the Name

"Glove compartment in a car. Who actually has gloves in them? I think they are a throwback to when people had driving gloves."

- Urbanredneck2

Yardstick Purpose

"Yardsticks."

- procrastinatorsuprem

"When I was in school, all the teacher ever used it for was to smack the chalkboard to get everybody's attention when the class was acting up."

- Rich_handsome

"We use it to push the button on the smoke alarm, get spider webs on the ceiling, and every once in a while measure how deep a snow storm is."

- procrastinatorsuprem

Treadmill... Closets

"Treadmills at home."

"Or any exercising equipment at home... ends up being a clothes holder."

- shubidoobie

Mouths Instead

"Listerine was originally sold as a floor cleaner."

- mtgkajhit

"Listerine was one of those products which was marketed to do literally anything to do with clearing."

"It was also used as a medical antiseptic during surgery."

- Woffingshire

Great for Crafts

"Pipe cleaners."

"Does that count if they’re called “chenille stems”, brightly colored, and for sale alongside kids’ craft supplies?"

"Because if that does count, so should Play-Doh. It was originally invented to clean wallpaper, but once kids started playing with it (it had been nontoxic from the beginning IIRC) they changed the marketing and sold it in lots of colors."

- DBSeamZ

Cell Phones

"Mobile phones, used for anything, except for making phone calls."

- FatCat_85

"Mobile phones are used for their intended purposes, but that purpose has just changed over time."

- Reddit

These products are all a great example of how products can have multiple purposes, which technically means we can have fewer items in our homes, which means fewer things to clean!

And if cleaning the floor is a concern, apparently we can use the Listerine... while brushing our teeth. Who knew?

Stacked burger
Lefteris kallergis/GettyImages

The food industry is highly competitive with restaurants duking it out to stay relevant.

They do this by presenting diners a spin or a gimmick on classic entrees.

While some eateries succeed by a wide margin, many fail by coming up with bizarre dishes that may seem inventive but fall flat on the palate.

This just goes to show that you shouldn't mess with what already works. But playing it safe is just bad for business, though. Right?

Well, customers chimed in when RedditorFremblem_Feldsher asked:

"What is the most overrated dish in the world?"

Some people thought gourmet burgers were all hype and in bad taste.

Bigger Isn't Better

"'Gourmet' burgers. You pay top dollar and get a burger that's difficult to eat (stacked to high and falls apart) and where there's so much attention to toppings you can hardly taste the beef and cheese."

"Anything made with truffle oil gets an honorable mention."

– Treantmonk

Too Many Toppings

"$18, tall, stacked, giant burgers slathered in fifteen different condiments and toppings. They're hard to eat and usually not as good as a simple burger."

– hiro111

"Burgers should be wider not taller. I don't want to take a single bite only to lose half the toppings from the other side."

– ProphetOfPhil

Not Lovin' It

"Knife and fork burgers are bullsh*t. I hate the feeling of having to rush through eating my burger because my hands and gave are slathered in sauce."

"If it's stacked and/or messy af, it's not a good burger, even if it tastes good. It's some kind of knife and fork entree but definitely not a burger."

– FictionalContext

Sometimes people want something sweet without going over the top.

Identity Crisis

"It’s not a dish, but those milkshakes that you see that have chocolate all over the glass and a giant piece of cake on top. Ruins the milkshake with the crumbs mixing into it, and honestly could of put the cake on a plate and let us eat it normally".

– Meckles94

Dough-Not Want It

"Donuts from places known for 'cRaZy' donuts. The most 'extreme' donuts I’ve ever had were the most mediocre. They tasted like somebody put stale cereal on top of grocery store donuts."

– cppadam

Behind The Scenes

"I work with a guy whose wife runs her own bakery. He told me that most of the places selling donuts these days don't actually make their own donuts. They buy pre-made dough that is uncooked. Then the places doctor them up. Hence, the stale cereal on grocery store donuts taste. It's because that's exactly what they are."

"Apparently, making multiple types of all homemade donuts is a lot of work. I go to a Mennonite bakery at a farmers market who make all of their own stuff, dough and all. They are legit working from before they open until after they close."

– qotsa_gibs

A Big Twist...And Not The Glazed Kind

"There's a place in Niagara Falls called Country Fresh Donuts and they've got some of the best donuts I've ever had. Their long johns are the stars of the show, but their other donuts are also super good."

"Big twist? They excel at wonton soup. Anyone who goes there goes for the soup first, donuts later. It helps that they're open 24 hours a day (or, they were at one point). 3am wonton soup and a donut is mana from heaven."

– SimonCallahan

Mini Cakes

"Cupcakes during their 2009-2014 reign of terror."

– JonathanWattsAuthor

"With the icing piled so high it would go up your nose"

– Live_Reindeer7833

Not everyone fancies a fancy meal.

History Of Lobster

"Lobsters used to be peasant food - they literally fed it to prisoners. It's weird how things change, but like most things it just comes down to supply and demand."

"Lobster is quite hard to farm so, although it's not a hard-to-come-by food unless you're very far from the sea, there is still a bit more effort required in producing them. Couple that with their image as a 'luxury' seafood, which increases demand, and you get high prices."

– fantalemon

Not Worth The Hype

"Any steak from Salt Bae’s restaurants."

– WishboneCrazy9289

"Controversial but I think steak in general is overrated. I love steak and have some really good servings in nice places but I still think it isn’t as good as people go on about."

– itsyaboigreg

How Posh

"Expensive food with gold shavings. What's that about? Do you eat it to feel rich and powerful or something? I'm sure gold doesn't taste very good and is not normally supposed to be eaten."

– thegreatc*msl*t

"You can buy the gold foil on its own and it's cheaper than you'd expect (still expensive)"

"After trying on on its own, I can say gold is one of the lower ranking metals that I've tasted. Silver, stainless steel, and titanium all taste better. I'd put gold in the same tier as copper, above aluminum."

"Edit: to explain how I know this, someone asked me for advice on different types of silverware and I had to try it out myself before recommending anything. The copper is an exception as that was a dare."

– Notbbupdate

I see the appeal for Instagramming food, but if the beautiful food items photographed in portrait mode are making me salivate, they better deliver on my taste buds.

I actually patronized a diner that advertised an amazing pancake dish that had caramel sauce with crushed pecan and whipped cream. The idea looked better on paper.

When I order the breakfast delight in question, it looked nothing like how it was pictured. It was flat, messy, and undesirable.

And of course it tasted horrible. I was a sucker for that damn Instagram post.

Sometimes food is all hype. That's the worst kind, especially if you're a sucker like me and you fall for it.

As children, when we saw grown-ups behave in certain ways, we more than likely promised ourselves we would never be like them.

That we would never lose our temper at minor things, groan over the slightest ache in our bodies, or choose work over fun.

However, when adulthood creeps up on us, certain things about the person you become you have little to no control over.

As a result, you might find yourself screaming at children for being too noisy or going to bed at 9:15 instead of seeing a midnight screening of your favorite movie and realizing that you have become the very thing you've been trying to avoid your entire life.

Redditor UglyLikeCaillou was curious to hear what type of person the Reddit community ended up becoming, despite vowing they wouldn't, leading them to ask:

"What type of person did you swear to never turn into growing up, but did anyway?"

Letting It Out Can Ease The Pain...

"The one that makes noises when I get up off the floor."- tutohooto

The Wise Know The Vital Importance Of Being Silly

"I swore I’d never stop being goofy."

"That I’d always try to find the positive and wouldn’t give up hope."

"But then life happened."

"It’s hard staying an emotionally sensitive and caring person when so many people are just plain mean."- Lucky_Garbage5537

It's Possible, Even In A Room Full Of People...

"I never thought I would grow up to be so lonely, but here I am."- oldbaldgrumpy

Sad Season 2 GIF by FriendsGiphy

Temper Temper...

"An angry person."

"Life and people are just too much all the time."-Jumpy-Air-3385

Some Call It Frugal, Others Call It Cheap....

"The kind that put something back cause the store brand was 20 cents cheaper."- penndelnj

A Far Too Common Occurrence

"I never thought I'd live paycheck to paycheck by my age."

"I thought I'd be on my way to being financially independent by now, in fact."

"It's always been my goal, I was willing to work so hard from such a young age and never scared to make sacrifices but unfortunately my people-reader is skewed and all I ever really got was taken advantage of."

"It's not too late, I'm smarter now and I'll get there."- FriendCountZero

2 Chainz Pockets GIF by MOST EXPENSIVESTGiphy

Working Hard For The Money...

"A corporate slave."- lapdanze

"My dad was an engineer and I vowed to never be like him in any way."

"Growing up, I always said over my dead body would i become a corporate slave chained to a desk."

"Guess who is a desk jockey engineer now."- Lame_usernames_left

Watch Your Mouth!

"If my child self met my adult self, he’d tell me that I shouldn’t say so many bad words."- BarthRevan

The Apple Doesn't Fall Very Far From The Tree...

"My dad."- PolarBearChuck

"The most relatable one, nobody wants to become their parents, it’s horrible (unless you have good parents)."- Fine-Macaroon-3202

season 2 episode 6 GIFGiphy

The Comfort Of Your Own Home...

"A homebody."

"In my early 20’s I would never miss an opportunity to go out on Thurs, Friday, or Sat night and couldn’t understand why my parents would ‘waste’ a perfectly good weekend night, just to stay home."

"Now I get it. MAN, do I get it."

Derogatory Term, Or Term Of Endearment?

"I remember learning what a nerd was and thinking 'thank God I'm not a nerd' as I went home from school to play Pokemon Emerald and talk on Pokemon message boards about the upcoming Diamond and Pearl games."- hectoByte

Early To Bed, Early To Rise

"The dad that gets up at 4:30 am to exercise, and is ready for bed by 9 pm."- GreyPilgrim1973

Work Out Pain GIF by I Want You Back MovieGiphy

Beauty Comes In All Sizes...

"Overweight."

"Not super big, but not skinny anymore."- hoosierhiver

One Can Indeed Be The Loneliest Number...

"Crotchety, single old lady."

"I'm only sometimes crotchety, but I'm almost fifty and still single!"- GimmeUrNachos

Love What You Do! If You Can...

"An office drone."

"Redditing as we speak to avoid looking at yet another ghastly eyesore of a spreadsheet.'

"Why have we done this to ourselves as a civilization?"- onemanmelee

Still Waiting Office Tv GIF by The OfficeGiphy

Growing up can be scary, hence why we always promise ourselves we won't turn out a certain way.

Even so, some things about the type of person we grow up to be are completely out of our control.

And rather than bemoan our current situation, it's always best to embrace it and enjoy the precious time we have on Earth with our family and friends.

And maybe cut our parents a little slack for the behavior we judged them so harshly on as children...