People Who Went To School With Convicted Killers Describe What They Were Really Like

People that killed someone often exhibited concerning behavior far before they went on to commit the deed.
But there are also plenty of cases when the heinous act seemed to erupt out of thin air with no warning signs whatsoever.
A recent Reddit thread asked for a window in to the behavior of would-be killers in a very particular environment of early life: school.
And a whole internet's worth of people responded with their stories.
They discussed the kids at school that always seemed a little off. Maybe they had a clinically short fuse. Or perhaps there was a clear lack of empathy on display.
Plenty of Redditors described people that seemed totally normal, law abiding, and even docile. They couldn't believe when they heard the news later in life that the person took a life.
Whatever their original impression of the person was, it often only took on the appearance of a red flag or a haunting normalcy with 20/20 hindsight.
Unfortunately, the true weight of those signals only became clear after it was already too late.
xXDarkCubeXx asked, "People who have studied with convicted killers, how were they like in school?"
A Classic Sign
"One kid was a neighborhood friend of mine growing up. Super weird, terrible home life, not at all intelligent. Hung out with him because I thought everyone deserved a chance."
"Stopped hanging out when we collected crawdads (crayfish) from the creek; I was excited to make a little terrarium for them and watch them."
"I went home to eat dinner, and by the time I went back to his house he had pulled all their heads off and stuck them on to different bodies. Some were still twitching."
"20 years later, he was convicted of double homicide and arson. Could've seen that coming."
"Just realized this isn't quite what you were asking, but hey there's my story lol"
Being a Jerk Is One Thing...
"There was this guy who lived on my dorm floor during college who ended up murdering his wife when he found out she cheated on him."
"He was a douche."
"Plus he was super racist."
Out of Nowhere
"Went to an all girl catholic school. It was small so you got to know most other students. There was a sweet quiet girl in the trade below me. A bit shy but overall personable and nice. Had a good sense of humor and friends."
"I think 6 years after high school she and her boyfriend just decided they wanted to try murdering someone, so she called her police friend to meet her for a hike in the middle of nowhere and they killed her."
"Very odd."
-- Appledarling
Crime of Passion
"My older brother sat next to a dude in homeroom every day for 4 years of high school."
"Years later, when I was going through the same school, that dude my brother sat next to was involved in a big plot where he was having an affair with a married woman and they conspired to kill the husband."
"Did him with a shovel, buried him in the woods behind the high school just off a path a lot of kids used to walk to get to/from school. We got locked down one afternoon when the dogs found the shallow grave after a kid cutting class saw a shoe or something emerging from the dirt."
"Anyway, my brother has always maintained this guy was totally normal. None of the classic killer traits. Friendly enough, good for a joke, had a couple of tight friends, and never did anything obviously sketchy."
-- Shappomattox
As Simple As That
"Knew a guy who threw a chunk of sidewalk off an overpass and killed a truck driver."
"One day he's in school. The next day not."
"'Hey...where's Bobby?'"
"'He killed a guy with a chunk of cement.'"
"'Oh'"
Had No Idea How Bad It Was
"Ran cross country practice same time as the girls team, this girl one day wasn't picked up by her parents after practice and I usually ended late. When i finished i saw her alone i was concerned. She confided in me her mother was a drunk and very cruel and abusive."
"She cried and hugged me (first time we had ever spoken) . My mother arrived and we gave her a ride home and she talked to me more after that."
"I developed a crush on her, then suddenly she stopped coming to school."
"Years later we saw her on the news for luring her mother to a abandoned trailer and murdering her with a kitchen knife. I feel bad every day that i didn't see the warning signs and help her."
Skewed Priorities
"Sociopathic jerk who bullied everyone who was smaller than him. Went to jail for beating a man's face in, then ripping his eyeball out while he was alive."
"But it's okay, it was a small religious town, so everyone forgave him."
-- HTMyers
Again, a Surprise
"He was the last person I thought would be involved in moving drugs, let alone harming anyone."
"He had awesome SNES games. Like all of them, and came to my place regularly. Always laughing."
"Shot another kid dead on the sidewalk in a turf war."
"I didn't know him I guess."
-- mindfeces
A Love Too Intense?
"Quiet, personable, devoted to his girlfriend. Married her after high school and within a couple of years murdered her."
"It was sad because she was a sweetheart and there were no indications he was unstable."
Goofy, Yet Violent
"I went to elementary school for a year or so with the guy who killed Whitey Bulger in prison."
"We weren't close, but played at recess and stuff like that. He was kinda goofy and seemed like a good kid. He definitely was not a bully-type or someone who caused trouble."
-- woodenman22
Caught in the Cross Fire
"One of my teachers in my community college committed a double-murder-suicide. The victims were his teenage sons."
"All to get back at his wife as they went through a messy divorce. The school actually shut down for the rest of the week."
Local InfamyÂ
"Not quite a convicted killer but I just saw him in a news story for attempting to kill a prison officer (he's there for attempted terrorism), he was honestly one of the nicest dudes ever when we were in school. Always super friendly, easy to talk to, funny."
"It was quite a shock to see his face on the news."
-- dustnbonesss
(Drugs)
"Editor of the yearbook and school paper. In lots of clubs. She was also a cheerleader for a year or two. I was friends with her so my freshman year I show up way too many times in the yearbook. Haha."
"She went to college and got into drugs. Dropped out, moved to Cali and became a sex worker, got deeper into drugs, and in her and some other people tried to kill 2 people. They only succeeded in killing one. All over credit card fraud."
"But it's weird to think that we would always partner up for sharing hotel rooms when we would travel for FBLA. Never would have guessed what the girl jumping on the bed next to me would grow up to be."
Family Business
"The sons (yes plural) of a local drug kingpin. They were the go to dealers in highschool for hard drugs. They ended up killing one of their customers thinking he was a snitch."
"Shot him with a crossbow, chopped him up, and failed to hide the body in an old mining town because they were too high."
"Ended up being caught on camera, dad and the oldest son are out of jail because of Covid, younger son got off because the other two confessed and took the fall."
"They are also suspects in no less than 6 unsolved drug related killings in the area."
-- Snakebiteloo
"Unremarkable"
"I was in one class with a dude who later carried out a terror attack. He was quiet and unremarkable."
(Drugs, again)
"A kid i went to grade school slit two peoples throats and lit their bodies on fire."
"He used to sh** and pi** his pants all the way through grade 6/7. Other than that he was fairly normal, maybe a bit on the wild side and not good at school but the shitting the pants was weird."
-- mancan
The Marks of Trauma
"I went to school with this girl who got arrested for handcuffing her children to their bed at night. There mattresses were heavily soiled. She was odd and acted up behind closed doors I guess."
"She also lived most her life in foster care with multiple other children it's really sad. Lack of parental figure left a void she didn't know how to fill I guess."
-- swamptalk
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Life can change in an instant.
It can always change for the better.
Just ask any lottery winner.
Sadly, life can also take a turn for the worst and leave people shattered beyond repair.
Watching someone's life fall apart in a short amount of time is difficult.
You have to wonder if there really is such a thing as karma, bad luck, or Voodoo.
Redditor OkImagination5852 wanted to hear about the times we've been witness to personal disaster. They asked:
"People who witness a person's life crumble in a single day, what happened?"
I have lived through a lot of bad days. But thankfully they've been one disaster at a time days. So I guess I'm lucky.
Horror
"A friend of a friend had his entire family killed overnight. He was from my college and was home visiting his family. His parents, siblings, and extended family were all there together. One night, while they were all asleep, his father got up, took out a gun, and went on a shooting spree. He then killed himself."
"Everyone except this guy died on the spot. When my friend visited him at the hospital, the guy was still in shock. He had no idea why his father did that. This was more than a decade ago, and I have no idea how he's doing now."
DeadOnDeparture98
The IRS Called
"Knew a guy who had a nice house, wife, 3 kids. Machine shop in his garage, Snap On tool truck, sign out front, great mechanic. Never incorporated, didn't pay taxes on his business, cash only. Took nice vacations, bought a boat, then a camper. Five years later, the IRS came. I don't know what they estimated he owed but they seized everything. He lives alone in a trailer now."
Nobody_Wins_13
2 at Once
"My mom’s dad and dad’s mom both died on the same day. Completely unrelated. We were pretty messed up for awhile. It was 2010. Mom's dad had emphysema (lifetime smoker) and was pretty sick for a few weeks. I was in college at the time and came home to be with him, because we knew he was about to pass. Dad's mom was in the nursing home, as she had had a stroke and also had dementia (she often thought I was my dad, she thought we were in the 70s, etc.)."
"She took a turn for the worst, and so my dad left the hospice my grandpa was at and went to be with her. The towns they were in were about an hour apart, so I stayed behind with my mom to comfort her when her dad passed. A few hours go by, and he passes peacefully (huge thanks to the hospice workers for their respect and grace during this time)."
"Within an hour or so of his passing, we get a call from my dad saying that his mother had passed as well. It was a terribly dark day in our family, and the next couple years for me in college were pretty much a blur. Thankfully, things got better in time and we are all doing well now."
She lost everything...
"Her husband left her after previously persuading her to remortgage their house to save his business and he's already made her take multiple credit cards out in her name. She lost everything. He did it the week after their youngest turned 18 so he wouldn't have to pay child support. He'd obviously been planning for years."
Ieatclowns
a black sheep...
"My cousin was in a motorcycle accident with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend died. She broke her back. When she was in the hospital she learned she was pregnant. It's been 16 years and we're still trying our best, she took an all too familiar path of drugs, burning bridges and more pregnancies."
"At this point she's fairly stable and clean as far as I know but a bit of a black sheep. Her mother has custody of all one of her kids. She has her youngest and seems to be doing good by her, but who knows. It's been hard on everyone, especially her mother and her brother."
Paradigm6790
Well this is the stuff of nightmares. I'm grateful for every moment I have alive.
Several lawsuits are filed...
"Here is multiple lives ruined in an instant. A friend was over at some other people house, drugs were involved. They had been playing with a gun. My friend points the gun at a girl, pulls the trigger and shoots her in the head. Girl dies, friend gets locked up until he turns 18. Parents at the house get arrested because they knew what the kids were doing. Friends mom goes into a depression and ends up getting evicted from her house. Several lawsuits are filed."
sentondan
Gone Forever
"It was me... got in a car accident and suffered a traumatic spinal and brain injury that I had no chance of surviving... a 7 vertebrae spinal fusion, yrs of physical and mental therapy... 18 yrs later and the pieces, though many forever gone, are finally coming back together."
2boneskuLL
A Bad Night
"He trashed his fathers vacation house with an axe before setting it on fire, stabbed the neighbor nearly to death, stole their car and then crashed it into a cop car so bad the cops were injured. He also got his girl pregnant, so once he is out of prison they're gonna start a family."
Dumbing_It_Down
"dangerous"
"Pregnant friend found out husband (43) was having an affair with young woman (19) who was a volunteer at their ecolodge. Friend had 'dangerous' pregnancy and had to spend a lot of time in bed. This betrayal destroyed their marriage, split the little town where they lived and caused two employees to quit because witnessing the affair going on was just too painful."
"She had a beautiful baby girl (to go with her other two girls, lol) and after the breakup was clinically depressed. Worked hard and got a divorce (she had a great lawyer); got the business back on track; beat her depression and now is planning a great vacation trip with her girls."
"Meantime, Dad has generous visitation but just 'hasn't gotten around to' buying a car seat so he can pick up the baby and for a long time asked my friend, 'Can you drop the girls off at my Mom's?'"
NoBSforGma
Lost it All...
"Recently, I know of a guy that had borrowed all his family’s life savings for the most part to participate in the whole game stop stock thing happening… he lost every penny of his money (credit card advances), and his parents retirement, and every other dime he could get… it makes me sick to even think of it."
Bangbangsmashsmash
Well those are A LOT of bad days. Good luck to all of you.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/
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Those who are wealthy have the luxury of acquiring the best of the best–whether it's dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant or status-identifying clothing from Chanel or Yves Saint Laurent.
But even the rich have their limits when it comes to frivolous spending before casting judgment on friends or colleagues.
Curious to hear examples of this, Redditor Sasquatchfl asked:
"Rich people of Reddit, what's the craziest/most unethical thing you've seen people in your circle spend money on?"
Expensive experiences were a priority over prized possessions.
Live Sushi
"An ex worked for Dell in the late 90s/early 2000s. He was pretty high up and there were lots of partiers in his work circle. Went to a party hosted by one of the dellionaires and there was a body sushi girl. I don’t know what was paid to her, but it was one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen."
– 5hrs4hrs3hrs2hrs1mor
Pissing Contest
"Paid a group of homeless guys to only use the bathroom on a competitors business. Eventually bought that place for a massive discount."
– Haboobalub
Let's Work Out
"My mother woke up one morning and said she felt she was way too fat and she wanted to get a treadmill. The treadmill wouldn’t be a problem, but then she saw where it would be and didn’t like the lighting. Fast forward 2 months later there’s a 40k outdoor gym built and connected to the house. She hasn’t used it once."
– Herrera5449_
Taking A Leap
"Travelled with a bunch of ex 'friends' all fairly wealthy."
"First trip to SE Asia together and as an ex-local I was a de-facto tour guide (despite not being there in over a decade)"
"They somehow found and offered a bunch of kids diving off cliffs to jump for spare change."
"They increasingly challenged each other to land their coins as close to the cliff base and small surrounding rocks for the kids to dive for."
– Satakans
It's about the finer things in life.
Expensive Party Gag
"A 3k ouija board from Gwen Paltrow's store. I didn't even know it was a thing until the dude brought it out. I really wanted to cut it up and see what it was made from. Looked nice don't get me wrong but the thing is basically a party gag. For 3 grand, it better summon a demon that's all I'm saying."
– con_this
Slow Burn
"$600 USD for a candle."
– Jeffranks
It's not always about the things you acquire.
Minor Inconvenience
"I know a guy who went to get a new drivers license and had to pay ~$100k in back parking tickets, then joked about it after."
"Apparently he couldn't get a permit to park in front of his house, so he just did anyway, and accepted like a $200 fine everyday."
– melodyze
For A Successful Election
"Not me, but I know a guy who crowd funded (read: threw a bunch of money into, then solicited more at a flea market) $80,000 toward his friend's DA election campaign. The guy won. So far, this has paid back at least $120K in avoided legal fees. I know some rich people. Most of them are more boring than you think. Hell, most of them drive Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans."
– KP_Wrath
The Lance Corporal
"I was stationed with a Lance Corporal who was wealthy beyond means after selling some of his patents. He owned and piloted four helicopters. Lived in a palatial waterfront house in Jacksonville, NC."
"The cheapest one cost 400K. That's the one he trained on. The most expensive was about 1.2 million. That's 1.2 million 1981 dollars. The two he's got now are about 5 million each."
"Had a floating landing pad out back moored to his dock and another landing pad in the back yard. Kept two helicopters and a Rolls inside his custom-built hangar at Norfolk International Airport."
"He drove a pair of Rolls-Royces. He also toyed with a 900K Miami-Vice type speedboat. He also housed and transported his squad to Camp Lejeune and back in a custom mini-bus."
– ApplicationConnect55
The dude was very giving and lived a very clean life. He'd fly us to Norfolk, pickup the car and we'd do our shopping and eating. Hop in a chopper and return home. He'd fly his fire team down to Miami on weekends. He kept a Limo there and wore a chauffer's outfit and did all the driving.
He bought a full-service and licensed pub in Northern Ireland. He lives there with his wife. Does a lot of charity work there. We still keep in touch."
– ApplicationConnect55
When there's plenty of money going around, there's no need to worry about a single thing.
That peace of mind is a luxury in itself.
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When marriages or relationships fall apart, infidelity is not always the cause.
Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor Liam_Tang asked:
"People who've divorced, aside from adultery, what were the irreconcilable differences that ended the marriage?"

You think you know a person when you walk down the aisle.
These Redditors were in for a rude awakening.
Pet Neglect
"My wife divorced her ex for many reasons, but the final straw was when she went out of town for a few days, and when she got back he had not fed or given water to the dog. The dog lived a long and happy life after that."
– StrangeCrimes
Obsessed With A Crush
"Not me, but I had an old coworker that divorced his wife for spending their entire savings on candy crush and games of the same type."
– Hexis40
Compatibility Musts
"ITT: Intimacy (sex/romance), beliefs (religion/spirituality/politics), kids, and I haven’t seen it yet but it’s coming: finances."
"The big four. You REALLY need to discuss these things in detail BEFORE getting married."
– rabbiskittles
Physical violence is a legit reason for people to peace out of a relationship.
The Flattening
"She threatened to hit me with a hammer."
– michaelrohansmith
Hitting The Bottle
"She became an abusive alcoholic. It was sad but I had to get out."
– diegojones4
Emotional pain is too damaging to recover from.
Truth Hurts
"She told me as we stood in front of the judge ending our 7 year marriage, 'I never loved you, I just wanted kids.'"
– Pinch_Dogs
Can't Fix Angry
"She was beautiful/smart but an angry angry person. I thought I could be sweet to her and 'fix' that. Heh. She kicked the crap out of me emotionally. Wife II has been a walk in the roses for 32 years now :)"
– lowlandr
A change of heart is worthless if comes too late.
"We Could've Had A Nice Marriage
"He could not understand that my wants and needs were as important as his wants and needs. We tried to make it work for 7 years. During that time, for things that were really important to me, I tried explaining logically, asking nicely, begging, crying, yelling, passive aggressiveness... cycled back through all of these options multiple times."
"(If I knew something was important to him, I would do that. For example, he was really into sports, so I went to all his events, even though that is not at all my thing.) When I finally threw up my hands and told him it was time to get a divorce, he suddenly panicked and said 'What can I do? Do you want me to do half the chores? I'll do it! Do you want me to get a job? I'll do it! Do you want me to buy you presents for your birthday? I'll do it!'"
"So, in other words, he could have been doing that all along, but just couldn't be bothered. That made me so angry. We could have had a nice marriage that we both enjoyed, but no, by the time he saw the light, that ship had sailed."
"We are both happily remarried now (to different people) and I joke that his new wife owes me a thank you note. It was his experience with me that taught him to listen to her and take her needs seriously."
– Bluebird-True
"What Can I Do?"
"My ex was exactly like this. I didn't marry him but when I told him let's break up, he went all like, what can I do? Let's get engaged, let's look at houses, etc. Basically all the pre-marriage topics that we should be discussing about after being together for 7 years."
"I got so angry and straight up told him it's too late... I don't need you anymore."
– gudetarako
As much as a couple wants to stay together, unforeseen circumstances can eventually tear people apart.
Very few people can maintain healthy long-distance relationships.
When a new job opportunity takes a significant other away, would you begrudge them for wanting a better position to earn more money? Or is it better for them to reluctantly turn down the opportunity so they could stay with you? Do either scenarios breed resentment?
These were questions I've often asked myself with past relationships, and my answers varied depending on the person I was with.
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Childhood can seem like a magical time.
Anything is possible.
But that magic doesn't always make it to adulthood.
Redditor tobybarron16 asked:
"What strange abilities did you have as a child that you have since lost?"
Teleportation
"I could teleport. I fell asleep in the car and woke up in my bed."
- mightaswellgiveup87
Flexibility
"I could bend over without groaning."
- jugularhealer16
"I could put my feet behind my head and walk on my hands. I'll be 40 this year and I pulled a muscle in my neck getting dressed for work this morning."
- ATXKLIPHURD
*yawn*
"I didn't wake up tired."
- N013
Happiness
"I had the ability to be happy."
- TabbsTheBat
Dreams
"Lucid dreaming. I used to have lucid dreams almost every night. As an adult, I have them very rarely, almost never."
-SenorKaboom
Looks
"Attractiveness. I used to be a model as a kid. I did not age well."
- BlahGame
Energy
"I could stay up til 3-4am and be fresh as a daisy in the morning."
"Now, I come home from work or training, wash, eat and I'm passed out by 9ish lmao."
- iJustRollBrrrrr...
"I used to be 100% impervious to cold when I was a kid. I could run out in the snow in my underwear for hours and be just fine."
"Now here I am, where a slightly chilly breeze could freeze me to death."
- DeltaSolana
Entertaining
"I used to be able to entertain myself by doing nothing. For hours and days. Now sometimes I am quite restless doing nothing, not sure where that happened."
- SafeDress9950
What abilities did you lose with age?
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