The Creepiest Declassified Documents That Are Available To The Public
While many classified documents of disturbing cases are now accessible to the public, there are some things that have happened throughout history that are better left unknown.
Still, there will always be curious minds wanting to know the details of some of the most disturbing cases that were once strictly confidential information.
Curious to hear what some of these unsettling things are, Redditor Imakillaholic opened Pandora's Box by asking:
"What are some of the creepiest declassified documents made available to the public?"
To say these are disturbing is an understatement.
Sweden's Sterilization Program
"Sweden had a compulsory sterilization program running from 1935-1979. It was state-sanctioned and given without consent, sometimes without the people knowing they were being sterilized."
"The three main reasons for these sterilizations were:"
"Health concerns for the mother."
"Eugenic (not wanting to pass on mental illnesses or any form of handicap)."
"Social (antisocial people, criminals, drunks etc.). In other words anyone who didn’t conform properly and was considered unfit to raise children.
– Sugary_skull
Graphic Method Descriptions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_Program
"Methods of reported torture that author Douglas Valentine wrote were used at the interrogation centers."
– MtnMaiden
The Coup In Guatemala
"Not exactly creepy, but Operation PBSUCCESS , the CIA backed Coup in Guatemala at the behest of the United Fruit Company and US State Department. The official CIA history of the operation is truly one of the most f'ked up things I’ve ever read. It was also the blue print for the Bay of Pigs and other CIA interventions around the world."
– anon
It's crazy to think we are run by governments that are capable of coming up with and concealing the following. Trust no one.
We're Not Alone
"Not really creepy but more weird:"
"The Pentagon commissioned an initiative called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program and they recently just released footage of US military aircraft approaching these 'advanced aerospace threats.'"
"I mean what the hell are these guys doing."
– anon
New Kind Of Weapon
"The CIA was working on a heart attack gun back in the 1960-70's. It started off as a conspiracy theory but gained enough momentum nationwide that it forced the US Government's's hand and they finally admitted the theory was "mostly accurate".
"Short version, they never had a fully functional heart attack gun, but they did have a 'nearly working prototype.' The idea was that it would have a very small projectile that would be laced with a chemical that would induce a heart attack and leave a hole smaller than one left behind by a syringe. While they never had a fully working version, they did have a prototype but abandoned the project once they more or less had to admit the conspiracy was mostly true."
– anon
Unexpected Turn
"I remember a US government funded project that involved teaching Dolphins how to talk."
– Sengura
Prepared For The Worst
"How about Nixon’s undelivered speech announcing that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were stranded alive on the moon with no hope of rescue:"
https://watergate.info/1969/07/20/an-undelivered-nixon-speech.html
– Qcastro
More was revealed about serial killers.
Toybox Killer Transcript
"Dude and his wife kidnapped young girls for his dungeon and played this tape for them when they woke up, detailing what he was going to do to them, including torture and how he doesn't get caught by brainwashing them to forget."
– theLast_brontosaurus
"Jeffrey Dahmer's full confession - a couple of hundred pages of pure madness. Dahmer became pretty close to his interrogating detectives (Dennis Murphy and Patrick Kennedy), and provided a lot of detail to them. A lot of it in a pretty candid, off-hand manner. It's incredibly hard to find Dahmer's confession online without it being behind a paywall, but it is in the public domain, so I've provided link to the pdf downloads. The first 63 pages are mainly forms and letters, the real meat of the confession starts afterwards."
– Miss_Musket
To Catch A Killer
"Dahmer was caught just after I had read Silence of the Lambs. A central plot point of the book is that they catch the serial killer by profiling him; one of their tenets (proved correct in the book) is that the guy must have his own relatively isolated house to himself or he couldn't get away with what he was doing. Then Dahmer is busted after years of living in an apartment building where everybody complained about the smell of rotting meat. And where the police actually brought his victims back to him."
– Garfield-1-23-23
The Jonestown Death Tape
"That sh*t proves to be a solid way to lose all chances of sleep."
"So, here’s some context. Jim Jones started a cult called the Peoples Temple (yes, without the apostrophe) and eventually they moved to a new settlement they built in Guyana called Jonestown, named after their leader. Since he made them believe he was some form of the messiah (as a lot of cult leaders did), he could control them all to do whatever he pleases, and one of the things they did was practice drinking Flavor-Aid - not Kool-Aid as commonly believed - to prepare themselves for the time when they commit 'revolutionary suicide'. These practices were just normal Flavor-Aid / Kool-Aid, but Jones told them it was poisoned just to see their reactions."
"When the time came, someone recorded what was, essentially, the sounds of people drinking Flavor-Aid laced with cyanide, alongside a fatal cocktail of other substances, many victims including young children (which you could hear screaming in te audio). 900 or so people died, only a few didn’t. This was the biggest loss of American life in a deliberate act until 9/11, and there is an audio recording of it. And just a VERY strong reminder: This wasn’t mass suicide, this was mass murder. Many people were willing to die at his hands, but all the children and some of the adults didn’t. Since all of them were forced to take the drink, it wasn’t their own choice to drink it, it was Jones’s. So, whilst people believe that it was a suicide, they were all duped into being murdered by Jim Jones."
– EbmocwenHsimah
Do you think some of the most captivating crime dramas on TV are original stories?
Think again. Many of the cases you see dramatized are inspired by actual events, a preface often shown at the start of a program.
People are capable of some of the most twisted forms of violence. We see it everyday in real life.
So much for escaping from reality.
Documentary shows like Unsolved Mysteries are deeply disturbing to watch. Yet, these unresolved cases have an unexplainable allure that draws people in.
Is the killer still out there? Were there many more undiscovered bodies tossed in a ditch somewhere in the desert? Or was the death of an individual purely accidental?
Equally compelling are the investigators who explore every possible theory to track down a criminal.
These cases continue to prompt intrigue because we all have an innate desire to have closure.
"What's the creepiest unsolved mystery you know?"
Multiple bodies were found and not a single killer was identified.
Family Murder
"Dardeen Family Murders. Husband, pregnant wife and young son. Wife and son bludgeoned in their bed the mother gave birth where the perpetrator(s) then bludgeoned the newborn. They found the husband shot execution style outside. No fingerprints or DNA found at the scene it was completely clean."
– Kooky-Farm-1653
Beach Graveyard
"In the area I grew up, there was someone killing sand dunes and burying them in the sand dunes by the beach. They would sporadically show up. To my knowledge, the person was never found."
– AverageSizeWayne
"Cleveland Torso Murderer"
"Back in the 1930s, there was a serial killer called the Cleveland Torso Murderer who would cut off people's limbs, heads, and genitals, then leave the torsos behind for the police to find them. Not only did they never figure out who the killer was, but they also never figured out who most of the victims were."
– RockVonCleveland
Bodies On The Road
"The Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders in 1972-73. I grew up in the area but didn't hear anything about it until a couple years ago. Seven girls and women were murdered and dumped along rural roads in Sonoma County. The case is often overshadowed by the Golden State Killer and Zodiac Killer. Who murdered these girls in sleepy Sonoma County remains a mystery to this day."
– chachinstock
The following Redditors discussed cases involving missing people and unknown causes of death.
Missing Bride
"Mary Shotwell Little has always kept me up at night."
"Went missing after shopping at Lenox Mall in Atlanta in 1965. She was a newlywed so she was called the Missing Bride. She was reported missing by coworkers the next morning but her car was no longer in the Lenox parking lot. Her husband was out of town and when he returned and went to Lenox to look for her, her car was now there. The car had her groceries, blood spots, and a folded pair of women's underwear on the console. Lots of weird details in this case like the car being returned in daylight, her credit card being used and her being spotted in NC under duress and with two men. Her body has never been found and the case is still unsolved."
– nessie_truther
The Dad That Stayed Home
"I forgot the names, but a family was going on a vacation to a sports game, but the dad stayed home because he wanted to record it, and his TV didn't have an auto-record function, meaning he had to be there to hit record."
"The family gets home and the dad is missing. The game is recorded on the TV, meaning he had to have been there when it aired. The fridge had two turkey sandwiches freshly made."
"Someone driving down the highway near their house spotted a body on the side of the road. They turned around to find it, but it was gone."
Last Seen Arguing
"Local bar, missing man from a few years ago. Nowhere to be found. He was drunk and had gotten into an argument at the bar. Walked to an Arby's at some point. His glasses were found on the ground, but no trace of him otherwise."
These bodies were found in small spaces.
The Missing Kid
"Probably that one kid that went out and disappeared but was found mangled up in a chimney a decade later by his parents."
Stuck
"Last year i worked for DEMA (Danish Emergency Management Agency), we were called out to a case of a man losing contact to his partner who was inside a chimney at a Danish art project. He was supposed to uninstall some lights, but when his partner radioed him, there was radio silence. His partner was controlling the mobile crane used to lower him inside, which was the only way up there. When we arrived the man had been inside the chimney/cylinder for about 2-3 hours. There was drones installed with heat reading cameras in the air trying to see if he was alive, and when we got the picture his body was still warm. Since we had no way of getting up there we had called for another mobile crane with which we could get to the top. My partner and our sergeant went up, and when they pulled out the man, he was already dead. We couldn't figure out how it happened, but when we got the report back it said he died from his injuries. But there was no major bruising on his body!"
"I still don't know how he died till this day."
There were no deaths in the following cases but still caused intense fear.
Repeat Break-In
"About 1.5 years ago I was broken into. They stole essentially all my life savings which was in precious medals, along with a bunch of other misc personal belongings. The police never found them. 3 days later, I see my door is broken in again and thieves came back and put a couple things back, including a gold ounce coin with a note attached that my dad had written to me when I was an infant, telling me he loved me. Less creepy just strange; criminals with a conscience."
– Able-Ad191
Almost Abducted
"Whenever I was a small kid I was almost kidnapped when my mom had a seizure at the grocery store some man had grabbed me saying that he was my uncle but luckily a family friend happened to be there too and the dude ran off before police got there I was only around 5-7 at the time so I came very close to being kidnapped I have very little memory of that moment tho I only remember riding in the ambulance."
– Mickey0110
Mystery Scar
"How did I get this scar and dent in my skull. It must have been a major event with lots of bleeding, but my parents know nothing of it."
– CptKillsteal
It's one thing to be haunted by the unsettling cases presented on television, but it's another to learn of one through a friend or have firsthand knowledge.
And in the digital age, where our every move is being monitored through our digital devices or surveillance cameras capturing our movements, you would think more cases of foul play would quickly reveal the murderous culprit.
But with lawbreakers always managing to stay a step ahead and adapting to technology, it's not that easy to close a case.
As with many complicated cases spanning years, we still have to trust and rely on the fact that time will eventually bring malefactors to justice.
Not all of your cases are going to be things you agree with.
Lawyers have to do the job they're given. It's part of the oath they swore when they passed the bar. And unfortunately, it's not always going to align with their values.
Sometimes, they're even rooting against their own cases. And when they lose, it's a relief.
u/Mapo1 asked:
Lawyers of Reddit, What is a case you are glad you lost?
Here were some of those answers.
Retrospect
Not me but a senior lawyer I met at a law school event. Before he went into civil litigation, he used to be a prosecutor. He told me of a case where an accused was facing murder charges. He was the prosecutor responsible for handling the file. He was convinced of the accused's guilt and had substantial evidence pointing in the accused's direction. The senior lawyer fought hard to secure a conviction but the accused had excellent counsel who created doubt and identified defects in the evidence.
The accused was acquitted. The senior lawyer was pissed. Many years later, however, new evidence emerged showing decisively that the accused definitely did not commit the crime and, in fact, it was another person. The senior lawyer said that he was happy he lost the case because, if he prevailed, an innocent man could have spent years in prison.
Comes With The Territory
I remember being in a reporting class and shadowing a court reporter at a trial. The accused was this guy in his late 30s who, along with a few other guys, had broken into this house and terrorized a family they mistakenly believed had a stash of drugs. While no one was killed, some of the details were pretty repulsive. There was enough physical evidence against the others that they all took plea deals, but there was apparently no physical/DNA evidence against the man a day of whose trial we attended.
During a recess, the reporter met with the lawyers. The public defender told him, "I just hope nobody hates me for defending this guy."
Insurance Companies Are Scum
I used to work for a law firm specializing in subrogation cases on behalf of insurance companies. Basically, if you file an insurance claim for something that wasn't your fault, your insurance company will pay you, but then go after the person whose fault it was to recover their money.
My lowest point as a lawyer involved a customer who made a claim for a car accident. The accident happened because a dog ran out into the street and the car didn't have enough time to stop.
Unfortunately, the dog was killed in the impact. There was also some damage to the car, which the insurance company paid to the car owner, but it turned out there was an ordinance in the accident location requiring dogs to be on a leash in public areas at all times. Meaning, technically the dog owner was at fault in the accident.
So my job was to write a demand letter to the owner of the dog who just died, demanding that he pay for the damage that was caused to the car during the accident THAT KILLED HIS DOG. The dog owner never responded, and luckily the insurance company decided it wasn't worth additional legal fees of pursuing it further. It just about killed me to write that letter. Luckily I don't work there anymore and haven't done any subrogation work since.
Despicability
I presented a domestic violence case for civil protection order for a parent who had custody of two kids. Got lots of evidence of defendant showing up and screaming at my client, past history of abuse, corroborating testimony from family members of my client.
The night before trial, our client finally gives us two + years of instagram, phone, and facebook messaging. Our client and defendant's new partner taunt each other, sending photos as defendant goes back and forth between them. Defendant is focused only on getting visitation with the children, repeatedly asks too see them - sets up a date, and my client misses the hand-off and taunts defendant. Defendant shows up to Court and will clearly be AMAZING on the stand, my client is...not.
We negotiated a settlement that included specific visitation, and helped our client finally begin divorce proceedings which would, as part of them, have a judge make a determination on the best interest of the children which would be way more shared visitation than these two could work out between themselves. Our client wanted to use the Court to avoid sharing custody out of spite, but what our client and the children needed was stability - not more drama.
Psychosis
I might be in the minority, but I'm not happy when I lose any case. I hate losing, and if I'm going to trial on a case, I'm never playing to lose. Once a case reaches trial, there is no point in doing anything else, except whatever you can to win.
I've defended some people accused of some pretty nasty things (my caseload these days consists of a number of murders and serious rapes). I've tried quite a few of them. I've won several, and lost a couple - and I hate every loss. Those stick with you, and can really eat away at you if you're not careful.
I don't do this job to lose.
Did some of my clients probably deserve the prison sentence they got? According to the judge, yes they did. Maybe even according to the law they did. But I was still upset when I lost the argument to keep them out of prison.
Trial psychosis is real, and it's how I do my job. If you don't believe you can win - and should win - you can't be a great trial lawyer.
Keep Him In
I was appointed to do a review hearing for a guy that had been deemed a sexually violent predator. After serving 20 years in prison for two abduction rapes, he had been committed to a state hospital under the SVP statute. He got an annual review to see if he should continue to be held which is what I was handling.
I fundamentally disagree with this law but am glad I lost that one. All of the discovery materials from his old cases were provided to me. Raped one woman while holding her boyfriend at gunpoint and shot the second one when she fought back. He was a suspect in a half dozen more where he wasn't prosecuted. Dude is a flat out serial rapist and it wouldn't surprise me if there were some murdered women in his wake as well. I hope he never gets out.
Frivolous lawsuits. Greed. Stupidity. Suing people is the American way, and people conjure up all sorts of reasons for trying to screw someone over in court. Lawyers know what's up, though, and the things people try to sue for are truly bonkers.
ThyDillyDilly asked lawyers of Reddit: What's the most cringey case you've had?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
Ever wonder why lawyers defend guilty people? Especially those that are downright dumb? It's not just for the stories; it's necessary to preserve our system of rights. Sometimes they're simply hilarious.
-lifealert- asked lawyers of Reddit: What was the least defendable case ever brought to you?
Submissions have been edited for clarity, context, and profanity.
What's the silliest lawsuit you've ever heard of?