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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