
There are people in this world who have, for whatever reason, taken another's' life. For some it's a tragedy, and a hero for others. Some people didn't even know they were talking to a murderer until later.
How can you tell if someone is a murderer in the first place? They can seem just like regular people.
So VentSauxe went to Ask Reddit to find out what that experience was like.
VentSauxe asked the question:
"People who have met murderers, what were they like?"
What's most fascinating is the stories when we these people would be locked away forever are still out in life to this very day.
Dodged a bullet.
"I once accidentally scratched a car on a parking lot. When I went to find the owner to sort it out, (a friend lived there, he told me which door to knock) an old (about 60 yrs old) sweet tiny lady opened the door. She was really cool about the incident, told me not to worry about it and I went on with my day."
"Found out later that this woman had apparently been a part of several murders in the 80's where the victims had been chopped to pieces and stuffed into trash bags."
"Thanks for giving me a heads up several hours after it was necessary, unnamed friend."
"'Been a part'?"
"How was she involved? A suspect or what?"
"She was one of multiple (3 IIRC) perpetrators involved in these murders. I unfortunately don't have any more details, but I remember there were at least 3 or 4 murders."
"This is a second hand story from 5+ years ago, so take everything I say with a few grains of salt."
"How was she not in prison though? I mean you definitely dodged a bullet."
"Quite literally perhaps.Our justice system is disturbingly loose, especially regarding violent crimes. Apparently a "life" sentence means 12 years over here. (double checked, no set length for a life sentence, on average they serve 14 yrs)"
"Since these murders happened in the 80's, approximately 30 years before I met her, she could've served 2 life sentences. I'm just going to assume for my sanity's sake she did at least 10 years. Sadly I have no way to confirm if she served any time at all, or if these murders even really happened."
Not surprising.
"I have a relative who murdered someone and I saw him a few times decades before that when we were kids. He was a bully. I'm not surprised he turned out to be a murderer. He cheated on his wife and got the girl pregnant. She was going to tell his wife and he killed her."
- I_am_Mog
Was it justified?
"I owned a local bar and there was a couple who would come in about three times a week since they only lived around the corner. Both in their early sixties. He would occasionally come alone and sit on the patio and read his newspaper while having a drink. I would talk to them both together and him alone. Super nice ,friendly and great senses of humour."
"I learned that he killed his abusive father when he was nine and was in juvenile detention until being released at sixteen. It didn't change my opinion of him in the least."
- ppkgga
"I think your experience highlights the difference in situations surrounding the crimes. He was probably in living hell so its, [in my opinion], justified, whereas someone that has killed in true cold blood or taken away a life for no apparent reason does not deserve sympathy or kindness, again all in my opinion."
"It is very possible could be considered self defense or likely would not be pursued heavily given the circumstances. There was a good case that highlights this from I think Texas like a decade ago. A dad came home and found a tutor in the process of molesting his son. He either beat him to death or very very close and was never charged as the DA said and I agree, 'he was a father defending his son.' This does not obviously happen everyday but I think it is an excellent use of discretion on the part of the DA."
No regrets for revenge.
"I used have a buddy I met through work that went to prison for 25 years for killing the man that assaulted his little sister. He was a super chill person, he had no regrets about it all."
- Timshe
"He will probably get on pretty well all things considered. Most inmates will show him respect for his actions. The officers will like him too even if they aren't allowed to show it. I'm sure they all imagined being in that position of it was their little sister or daughter."
"Agreed. From what I've heard, rapists aren't treated well in jail so with what he's done, he will be alright."
He met the man that killed his father.
"Saw my dad's murderer in court. He smirked right at my younger brother when my little brother made eye contact with him."
"I think that should say enough."
"They say it's 'life time imprisonment' for his charge of second degree murder but really, he gets parole after 20 years."
"Yeah those are the kinds of people who are stains to society. I hope your family's ok."
"I hope he's off the streets in in prison for the rest of his life."
Best Excuses For Late Assignments That Were Actually True | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
"Write the parole board about the incident in court. There is no way he'll ever get parole after that."
- D1rty87
"You can even attend in certain situations. Depending on the state I would visit their parole board site and read about your rights as a victim."
"Here is a a really good guide that gives an overview of rights by state, looks like it's from 2019 so fairly recent. This shows what kind of rights you have (notification, ability to write or ability to be present) for most inmate circumstance changes (early release, furlough, clemency, escape, death etc)."
"Also, once his 20 years are up there will be a few parole hearing every x amount of years so it's usually not a one-and-done. Here is an excerpt as an example:"
"For some inmates, federal law requires a parole hearing every two years. Many inmates have several parole hearings before they are found suitable for release by the Parole Commission. Some parole-eligible inmates are never released to parole supervision."
- JBits001
Not what you'd expect.
"He was an angry drunk. When he wasn't drunk, he was funny and gentlemanly. He ended up murdering my mom."
"That ending caught me off guard, I'm so sorry."
"Please tell me that guy is in prison for life without the possibility of parole. I'm so sorry for your loss. May she rest in peace. Stay strong. My heart goes out to you and your family. Hope the guy gets what's coming to him. Hope you and your family got justice and that you guys are doing ok."
"No. He only spent a year. He still lives in the same house where he shot her to death. We never got justice. He took away my best friend and a grandma to my kids."
Housing a escapee.
"An escaped convicted murderer stayed in our student house (our group took him in while drunk after he approached us claiming to be a former student who missed his bus)."
"He was small nerdy and awkward. Funniest part was us laying down the law not to eat our food just before we left him sleeping in the common room."
"It was sometime later we connected that he'd escaped that night and was convicted of murdering his parents."
The Redditor continued the story in a comment:
"In our drunken haze we were suspicious that something was awry, he was wearing an assortment of uncoordinated light clothing and it was in the middle of winter, he claimed he attended the university but had no idea about the campus layout, the classes he claimed he took didn't match up, etc."
"That all said we were too tired to figure it out and just crashed in our rooms, by the morning he was gone."
"We didn't realize he was an escapee until some time later, one of our housemates who hadn't gone out that night with us, casually asked at dinner who the f was that person was eating cereal at 4am. He'd assumed it was a friend of ours but 'he looked liked that escaped murderer that was on the news.'"
"We kept quiet."
"We never told the police or even the rest of the house what happened and he was caught shortly after."
"Yeah, you see, this is why I don't pick up hitchhikers. I know, different situation, but same idea."
"This just reinforced that rule in my head."
"The irony is that our house didn't even volunteer to take him in, after the murderer gave us the sob story of old times missing the bus etc., one of our friends from a different house said 'you can go stay at JiltedJohn's,' we were just too spaced out to say f no."
A county jail worker's perspective.
We left part of this comment out because of the extremely graphic nature.
"I worked at a county jail that housed federal inmates and also a state prison. Most of my time at the state prison I spent in a unit that housed inmates who had committed serious offenses like murder and also had some kind of mental health issue like schizophrenia or anything like that. It was one of two maximum-security units in my state.
"It goes without saying that all people, and by extension murderers, are different. Some show regret for what they've done while others are completely remorseless. One cried at night sometimes because he felt bad he'd killed a man and he knew that he would probably do it again if let out due to a number of mental health issues."
"Some are incredibly aggressive and openly violent. Almost more animal than human. They will take any opportunity presented to assault treatment, medical, or security staff. These aren't the scary ones though. I would always try to explain this to new officers I was training. The ones who are known for assaulting staff and are openly malevolent are intimidating to new officers because they're often big, loud, and show an appetite for violence."
"But, because of that you're always on guard around them. There's always extra officers present when those inmates are out of their cells and you know what to expect when you open that door. The scary ones are those that are feeble looking, smallish, and well spoken. They don't use profanity or have lots of tattoos. They aren't physically intimidating. They are always yes sir and no sir and greet you when you come on the unit for the day. They are also the ones who will be friendly with you for months while they plan to assault you or even attempt to kill you. This happened to a friend of mine. He was slashed with a sharpened toothbrush in his neck. 97 stitches and missed his jugular vein by 4 millimeters."
"Keep in mind these are the worst of the worst in my state and most of what I've said doesn't really apply to the kind of guy that has one too many beers and causes a DUI death. I guess if you want real specifics you'd have to specify what kind of killer."
A man on the run.
"The name he went by was Sid. I didn't know much about him except that he came from out West, he was quiet, Mexican and a hard worker. I was running a tire shop with a max of two other employees and some nights it was just me (27F) and Sid closing the shop."
"At one point Sid, who had only worked at my shop for about a month, stopped showing up. We had a high turnover rate, so I thought nothing of it. Months later a pair of detectives show up at my shop with some pictures of a man that looked familiar. It was Sid, of course! They wouldn't tell me why they were looking for him, but a quick Google search pulled up his warrants for arrest in several states, including Arkansas and Texas. He had murder charges for several people, not to mention firearms charges and theft. Turns out, when my company hires someone, they only check your background for local warrants, not federal , so my guy truly worked just long enough to round up a couple paychecks, and then disappeared off to who knows where!"
Many of these stories brought up questions in our justice system. Who get's to decide who is a hero and who is a villain? When they are back in society, can we justify their crimes when they integrate back?
It makes you wonder about our societies moral compass and how we decide who we want in community with us.
"Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here."
History is made on a daily basis.
Indeed, there is little more exciting than having witnessed the accomplishments of people like Barack Obama, Stacey Abrams, and Greta Thunberg knowing that they have firmly reserved a space for themselves in history books.
Of course, most of the people who paved the way to make the world what it is today have long since passed away.
Not all of them, though!
It may surprise you to learn that there are people who made an indelible impression on history who are still much alive today.
Some of whom even continue to make a difference to this very day
Redditor enginearz was eager to hear about historical figures people were surprised to learn were still alive, leading them to ask:
"What famous person from history is still alive?"
Forever Leaving His Name In Science
"Yuri Oganessian."
"He's the only currently living man with an element on the periodic table named after him."- snowflake247
Quite The Story To Tell
"Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha."
"Last human to hold the title of Tsar, as leader of the Kingdom of Bulgaria."
"He was exiled along with his family when the Soviets invaded Bulgaria in 1944."
"In 1990, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Simeon returned from exile to Bulgaria and July 2001, was democratically elected prime minister."
"The private citizen is now 85."- DirectionNew5328
Making Nature Cool For Decades
"Jane Goodall."
"David Attenborough."- random_username_96
The Fought For Freedom And Justice
"John Hemingway."
"The last surviving airman of the battle of Britain."
"He is 103 years old."
"Ivan Martynushkin."
"He helped with the liberation of Auschwitz."
"He is 99 years old."
"Benjamin Ferencz."
"He was a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials."
"He is 102 years old."- Ashtar-the-Squid
"Traute Lafrenz."
"The last living member of the german anti-nazi resistance group 'White Rose".
"Most well-known members were the sibling Sophie and Hans Scholl, who were executed by the Nazis when they were identified."- ChrisTinnef
The One Who Made One Giant Leap For Mankind
"Buzz Aldrin, and I’m not even American."- mukaltin
Opening Doors For So Many Others
"Ruby Bridges."
"She was one of the first black kids to go to an all-white school."
"There is a famous picture of that first day."- mumwifealcoholic
He Continues To Surprise Us
"Ozzy Osbourne."- CaptinDerpI
Admirably Defying So Many Odds
"Jimmy Carter."
"98 years old."- Back2Bach
We've Still Got Two Out Of Four
"Paul and Ringo"- HMKingHenryIX
Inching Close To The Big One Double Oh...
"Kissinger."- LucyVialli
Who Could Forget About Dick Van Dyke ?!?!?!?!
"Everyone just forgetting about Dick Van Dyke, he's like 97 and still going."
"If you've never heard of him, he played in Marry Poppins, along with a bunch more movies"- Longjumping_Drag2752
And Still Stunning
"Sophia Loren is still kicking."- The_REAL_McWeasel
Continuing To Go Where No Man Has Gone Before
"William Shatner doesn't look it but that dude is in his 90s wtf."- flubberF*ck
Perhaps what's most admirable, is that even when these astonishing people do eventually pass, they will continue to live on and change the world with the remarkable work they did.
We all indulge in fast food from time to time.
Even if we know what we're eating isn't exactly healthy, sometimes the salty, fatty mass-produced food is the only thing we want.
Resulting in our making weekly, if not daily, visits to a nearby chain.
Then, of course, there are the chains that we make every effort to avoid.
We've likely tried places at least once simply because everyone is always talking about them.
But after having one bite, we have trouble seeing exactly what all the fuss was about and vow to never return.
Even if it might be the only option at a rest stop or even the only available food for miles, we instead opt to wait and be hungry.
Redditor BungOnMimosas was curious to hear what people considered to be the most overhyped fast food chains around, leading them to ask:
"What do you think are the most overrated fast-food chains? Why?"
"Food As It Should Be"... Or Not...
"I know it's not technically 'fast food', but Panera Bread pisses me off."
"Insanely expensive for extremely average food." - Reddit
"Panera."
"Their quality has decreased so much in the past few years and they’ve added weird sh*t to their menu like pizza and chicken sandwiches."
"Massive identity crisis and crap food."- asm233
Things Ain't What They Used To Be...
"All of them, now that they charge real restaurant prices."- P00pf4rt5
Golden Arches
"As much as I hate to say it, McDonald's is the only place that I can think of that the quality hasn't changed much."
"I mean, that's a pretty low bar, but it is what it is."- gnatman66
"The majority of them, especially the really big ones (McDonald's, Wendy's, BK, Pizza Hut, etc)."
"The prices are no longer fast food prices and the quality is not there like it used to be."
"Far better local options that cost roughly the same at the end of the day."- senorita_diablo
Consistency Is Key...
"Dunkin."
"You can go to the same location three separate times, have the food made by the same staff, and receive 3 wildly different results."- AndrewLampart
Not So Popular Anywhere, It seems...
"KFC in France became so bad."- SterBout
Likely Won't Go National...
"Idk how wide spread they are, but in the Buffalo NY area there is a chain called Mighty Taco."
"They were even voted best tacos a few years ago."
"It is absolutely terrible food."
"I’ve tried to like it and given them 3 chances."
"Each time I couldn’t eat more than a couple bites."
"Absolutely terrible and I’m disgusted even thinking about their sour vomit in a tortilla."- aa-2020
"Eat Fresh"...
"I think I’ve answered this question before but definitely for me, it’s Subway."
"Nothing but a giant hunk of bread."
"I’m editing this to add that part of my anger about Subway is how good it used to be."
"I can remember the days of nearly a whole can of tuna salad delicious sub."
"And a Veggie sub with Swiss cheese and piles of yummy veggies and the sweet Vidalia onion sauce."
"It’s all gone to sh*t."
"I would’ve been perfectly OK with increasing price but the big drop in quality pissed me off."
"Oh woe is me with my first world problems."- Mysterious-Region640
Quantity Doesn't Guarantee Quality...
"Starbucks is a scam."- cmkeller62
Tasty, But Not Worth It...
"I’m going to say Five Guys."
"Not because the food isn’t good, but because I’m not paying $20 for a burger meal."- 2PacTookMyLunchMoney
"Dairy queen grill and Chill for sure."
"I worked at one for a lil' while and 1 burger combo is $14.56 CAD."- lolidk13
And Not In A Good Way...
Big Kahuna Burger, it kills you."-Darklock2022
No two people have the same taste in food.
Some people know to avoid crappy food, while others eat literally nothing else.
People Break Down Which Movies They Wish They Could Watch Again For The First Time
There are several movies I've watched so many times I think the viewings outnumber the days I've lived.
And much like a favorite tv series or movie, who wouldn't love to start again anew?
Experiencing that first time but with that feeling of... "I'm gonna love this forever."
We never appreciate the first time enough.
But that's life.
Warning: there are spoilers below.
Redditor Jacale1 wanted to discuss all the movies we wish we could experience new all over again, so they asked:
"What is one movie that you wish you could watch again for the first time?"
There are a lot of mystery movies I'd love to redo, just to figure out the killer sooner.
Gasps!
"The Shawshank Redemption."
MisOlga26
"A great nominee. Will never forget gasping when that rock went through the poster, and again when the warden pushed his arm through and ripped it down.... wow."
GalavantingRhino
Over and Over
"Edge of Tomorrow."
jeanrbel
"Is it bad that I got enjoyment knowing Tom Cruise died a lot in that movie. Never on screen, but it happened. Over and over. I hate that guy. How the hell was he the same height as Nichole Kidman in the movies they acted in together. Rhetorical question."
monrovista
"Honestly the whole reason I watched the movie to begin with is that he kept dying over and over."
AutomaticMethod2437
Swooned Away
“'Stardust'- if you don’t know you’ll never know."
jthekoker
"I’m surprised that a fantasy romcom can be so enjoyable, for a straight guy. It’s just the right balance between fantasy, comedy, drama, and romance. Most of the female cast are very easy on the eyes too."
"I swooned when Yvaine glows while dancing on the ship, and when she talks emphatically to the mouse in the caravan. This movie has a lot of A listers, and they deliver. I’m not gonna lie, I have probably watched it half a dozen times."
Redcarborundum
"The book has so much more in it, even having seen the movie you'll feel like a child again."
Beowulf33232
Hail Sigourney
"Alien."
NearDeafExperience
"I watched this with my wife, who has never seen it, and that's about as close as you can get to watching it for the first time. It really displayed just how good the movie is. Also I love Aliens just as much for different reasons."
QueafyGreens
"Came here looking for this! I watched it for the first time with my dad when I was 11, and it’s one of my favorite childhood memories. Amazing movie."
_shes_a_jar
Hey Arnold
"Terminator 2."
lobotomek
"I first watched this as a kid when I knew Arnold was the good guy in movies, and I had not seen T1. I wish I watched T2 for the first time after having watched T1. The mall scene would have been even more mind blowing."
Volvulus
T2 was definitely bada**!! I'd redo that.
Brilliant
"The Departed."
Lineworker2448
"Bro, I'll go further. If I could watch the Nicholson covered in blood scene or the final scene between Damon and Wahlberg, I would be so freaking happy. The sheer acting clout on display for the first is near a masterclass while the last scene was just so business like, I'd love to relive that scene with fresh eyes. I love this freaking movie."
DaBearsMan_72
Originality
"The original Star Wars. Man, that blew our minds! It totally changed movies from then on. We'd never seen such incredible special effects. The story was so fun and the experience was amazing."
Raggmommy
"Even though I’m not a franchise fan, I can get behind this answer. Because when I saw it first run, I was fourteen, and nothing like it had ever been done. I think it was the first movie where the special effects were the movie? Now that’s standard. It’s a reason people see many films now."
"So, for sheer originality, I’d watch it again, but only for the first time. I barely recall the second movie."
Alexbmac
SURPRISE!!
"The 6th Sense. I audibly gasped in the theater. All the clues are obvious on rewatch but that first time, before anyone knew M. Knight Shyamalan was a twist guy... wow."
GalavantingRhino
"I never got to see it the first time. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) inadvertently let slip the ending thinking I had already seen it. I have never seen the point in watching it knowing the ending. But I did enjoy The Village."
failurebeatssuccess
"I watched it again and it was more of a sad film than a thriller."
anotherbarry
Just Beautiful!
"Spirited Away. I was blown away by how beautiful and bonkers it is."
Lizziebunnypie
"Saaaaame! Every single Studio Ghibli film, but Spirited Away especially! I’ve still watched it a million times though, and it’s always special. If I’m in a bad mood that film always cheers me up!"
"Also, Avatar-the last air bender. I know it’s not a movie, but I felt like it deserved a mention. I’ve watched the whole thing several times, and it’s always great, but I do wish I could forget it and rewatch it. I’m 35 btw... lol."
Mimi_315
Great Scott!
"Back to the Future."
dwkindig
"I'd love to watch that in the cinemas... Now from the future."
billieboop
Now I want to go to the movies.
There is no one way to anybody's heart or libido.
Sexy doesn't always have to equal raunchy.
I've known people turned on by music, books, nature, and even funerals (don't ask).
What starts someone's engine is a mystery.
Redditor asexyjohn18 wanted to hear about all the things that get people in the mood, so they asked:
"What is a non sexual trait that turns you on?"
I love a walk. A little strut. Nothing like getting the heart racing.
Tingles
"Getting my head scratched or having someone run their fingers through my hair."
SensitiveDolphin55
"Same. It’s so pleasant when the tingles run down your spine... ;-) "
PumpkinSpiceMaster
LOLOL
"When a girl genuinely laughs at jokes I make."
Realistic_Practice16
"I remember being on a first date with a beautiful woman and I made a bit of corny joke/comment and she laughed at it. I remember thinking, damn, wait till I get to my good stuff. I did get to my good material apparently as we were married. She gives me as many laughs as I give her."
CarlJustCarl
Do Right
"Kindness. When I see someone going out of their way to help others for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do… that is some truly attractive vibes."
Electrical-Bid-9577
"Apparently it's vanishing from this world really fast. People who show kindness often end up in losses (of course not everytime but most of the time yes). It really breaks my heart."
Walker1798
"Probably the sexiest thing out there. Someone can be smoking hot, funny, talented, etc. But if they're not kind, they're unattractive."
sravll
Oh Yes...
"Smiling right at me, and men stretching. LAWD HAVE MERCY!!"
Skwiddling
"I have trouble smiling at women. Is this a turnoff for them? And ones I like are really hard to smile at. Because I know it's always going to be some really weird big smile if I am crushing which makes me feel like a super duper creep."
Maximum_Knee_4622
Simplicity
"Sorry if this is too kinky but i like it when they care about me."
SirReal10000
"Too far man. You need to rethink your choices."
Funkeysismychildhood
Sometimes it's all about the heart.
Eye 2 Eye
"When a guy explains something to you in a calm and understanding voice. Bonus points for gentle eye contact."
Belphiespillow666
GENIUS!!
"Being crazily intelligent. Screw dirty talk, I want you to explain some unexplainable s**t in my ear."
-F**KINGUSERNAME
"Heck yes. My best connections have been with a philosophy/history professor turned chancellor, an environmental engineer, and a neurosurgeon, all 3 Summa cum laude grads and conference speakers in their fields. The downside to genius though is complete absorption in their fields leaving little time for in person connection."
__trezora__
Yummies
"Everyone should know how to cook. Hunger knows no gender. I like to eat good food so I learned how to cook. I asked my mom one day and she reacted surprised. She was more than grateful to have an opportunity to teach me the ‘finer’ aspects of cooking, as she called it. Lol. I love food."
"My girlfriend, now wife, likes to jokingly say I got her into bed with a well seasoned steak and homemade fries. I mean we did sleep together almost immediately after we finished dinner so maybe she’s right. That old saying comes to mind. 'The quickest way to the heart is though the stomach.'"
SaiyanGodKing
Getting Green
"When I ask my husband for help when I repot my plants and he delicately cleans and moves the leaves. He is a mechanical engineer and he works with huge pieces of industrial equipment, seeing him so tenderly caring for my plants just makes me melt."
BoysenberryNo3877
Limbs A Lot
"Men doing intricate work with their hands."
GooglePixel69
"I second this, also someone who can play guitar/bass real real well... just watching their hands, whoa mama."
squeaky-mcgee
Well, it seems that just about anything can get someone in the mood, especially if you're kind, courteous, and especially a good cook.
Anything to add? Let us know in the comments below!