ADVERTISEMENT

Scientists say that you can't stop time. No matter how hard we try, we can't move at 100% the speed of light. But we can capture a moment in time where people and things exist as if they are suspended in time, always there in the moment of the photograph.

Sometimes, a photo is taken right before tragedy happens. Other times, the smiling people in a photograph might have a dark secret that only came to light many years after. Here we have a collection of photographs that might seem normal at first glance, but once you know the story behind them, they become much more sinister.

A friendly disclaimer to more sensitive Pandas: the list below contains some disturbing stories and may be upsetting to some.

#1

Last Photo Of My Daughter. She Was K**led Two Hours Later By A Drunk Driver. We Were Celebrating Her 21st Birthday. I Made Her From Scratch And She Was My Best Friend

Person holding a dessert with a lit candle in a restaurant setting, conveying an eerie vibe for photographs with backstories.

apocaloptimistnow Report

Add photo comments
POST
Lyone Fein
Community Member
1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now we all can remember her along with you. Her memory will go on.

View more commentsArrow down menu
RELATED:
    #2

    Jewish Children Holding Hands As They Unknowingly Walk To Their Deaths In The Gas Chambers At Auschwitz

    Jewish Children Holding Hands As They Unknowingly Walk To Their Deaths In The Gas Chambers At Auschwitz

    wikimedia , reddit.com Report

    #3

    Final Photo Of My Family Just Months Before They Were M**dered In The H*locaust. The Sad Thing Is, I Don't Know Much About Them. Like So Many Other Poor Souls, They Are Forever Lost To History

    Vintage family photo in a park, linked to terrifying backstories, with adults in hats and children in dresses.

    Miserable-Wish Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    i love hawaiian margarita pizz
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You want me to be a paid subscriber, BP? Then, STOP CENSORING “HOLOCAUST “!! It’s very disrespectful!

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Some iconic photographs have a really dark side. Think about the last photo of the Titanic before it sank. The image was taken by an Irish Jesuit priest, Francis Brown. He was only supposed to travel the first part of the journey from Southampton to Cobh, but received an invitation from a wealthy family he befriended on the ship to continue his journey.

    Upon arriving at Cobh, however, Brown got news from his superior back home that he was to return to Southampton immediately. Perhaps without knowing, the clerical superior saved Brown from a tragic fate.

    #4

    If You Ever Wondered How The American Buffalo Could Go From 30,000,000 To 300 In 50 Years, Pictures Like This May Give Some Idea (Buffalo Skulls)

    Massive pile of buffalo skulls with two men, capturing a chilling historical scene from the keywords: terrifying backstories.

    Photograph from 1892 of a pile of American bison skulls in Detroit (MI) waiting to be ground for fertilizer or charcoal.

    wikimedia , WeeHootieMctoo Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #5

    Last Picture Of My Sister-In-Law And Brother

    Couple embracing in a cozy room, one wearing a cap, evoking a serene moment despite terrifying backstories linked to photographs.

    This is the last picture of my older brother and sister-in-law. Three weeks later she died in my brothers arms by complications with her lungs. Exactly four months later, my brother committed s*icide. He basically died from a broken heart. I am the youngest of my dad’s children, (26f). And the only one left. My dad, and both of my brothers are all sadly passed. But my brother's story has resonated with me, and saddens me of how alone he felt.

    Crude_poison91 Report

    #6

    Blanche Monnier

    A frail person with long hair lying in bed, relating to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    Blanche Monnier was a French socialite who was locked in an attic by her mother for 25 years without sunlight. When discovered she was covered in old food and feces, with bugs all around the bed and floor, weighing barely 25 kilograms (55 lb).

    wikipedia , mujapie89 , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Kira Okah
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    All because she was in love with a man that her mother didn't approve of. Her mother, Louise, died 15 days after her discovery, her brother Marcel was convicted but acquitted on appeal due to being deemed mentally incapacitated and the law didn't actually have any duty to rescue. Blanche was severely mentally ill after she was freed and spent the rest of her life in a psychiatric facility.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Other iconic photographs are so ingrained in our memories that it's impossible to look at them and not know their context. For example, is there anyone who can look at the picture of the Falling Man and mistake it for some sort of art performance or an acrobatic trick?

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    The photograph, taken by the Associated Press photographer Richard Drew on 9/11, sees a man in mid-air as he jumped to his fate from one of the World Trade Center towers. Few people want to look at it, as Jay Kernis wrote for CBS News. Perhaps better than any other photograph it captures the horrors of that day.

    #7

    Two Engineers Died When The Windmill They Were Working On Caught Fire. This Might Be The Last Picture Of Them

    Wind turbine engulfed in flames, black smoke rising; two individuals standing atop, related to terrifying backstories.

    On October 29th, 2013, four engineers were performing maintenance on 12 turbines at Deltawind's Piet de Wit wind farm in the Netherlands. During the maintenance work, a fire started in the engine room. While two of the workers managed to escape the blaze and save their lives, the remaining two were left stranded at the top of the turbine.

    The height of the turbine was approximately 80 meters or 260 feet, making it difficult for firefighters to combat the fire and rescue the trapped employees. Sadly, one of the men was found at the bottom of the turbine, having either intentionally jumped or accidentally fallen. The other engineer was retrieved several hours later. Before their tragic deaths, a photograph was taken of the two engineers embracing each other.

    ShortyDoowap06 , BUETK Central library Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #8

    An American Volcanologist Sitting Down While Studying Volcanic Activity At Mount St. Helens

    Man in a striped sweater sitting outdoors, linked to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    13 hours after the photograph was taken, on May 18, 1980, the volcano erupted and k**led 57 people including the volcanologist.

    Harry Glicken , God-of-War_0728 , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Carl Roberts
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "A volcanologist". His name was David Johnston. He worked for the USGS and was a world renowned volcanologist. His famous final words (transmitted over short wave radio to the USGS office in Vancouver, Washington), were "Vancouver, Vancouver, this is it!".

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #9

    An Armenian Man Dances In The Mountains For His Lost Son Who Was K**led In The Forced Displacement Of Armenian Christians By The Ottoman Turks In 1915

    Man celebrating outdoors, people in traditional attire in background, tied to terrifying backstories in photographs.

    antoineagoudjian , unbelievable-facts Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ethnic cleansing. 'twas ever thus. Bloody religion for you.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    One common issue people raise with photojournalism is that they see it as unethical. Richard Drew himself remembers how Ethel Kennedy asked him not to take pictures of Robert F. Kennedy lying on the ground after being shot. "That was her choice, but not mine," he told CBS News, remembering how he climbed up on the table to take the photographs. "My job is to record history, and I record history every day."

    #10

    Dark Shadows Of Humanity

    Images showing shadows burnt into surfaces, illustrating terrifying backstories related to intense thermal rays.

    Human Shadow Etched in Stone is an exhibition at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It is thought to be the shadow of a person who was sitting at the entrance of Hiroshima Branch of Sumitomo Bank when the atomic b**b was dropped over Hiroshima. It is also known as Human Shadow of Death or simply the Blast Shadow.

    Matsushige Yoshito , wikipedia Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #11

    Two Brothers Pose For A Photo In Sequoia National Park Moments Before Getting Struck By Lightning In August, 1975

    Two people with hair standing up in the foreground of a cloudy, eerie landscape. Photographs with terrifying backstories.

    reddit.com Report

    #12

    The Andersson Family Posing For A Portrait Together On April 5, 1912, Just Before Anders And Alfrida Andersson And Their Five Children (Aged Between 2 And 11) Were Due To Board The Titanic To Emigrate From Their Home In Sweden To Canada. Sadly, All Seven Of Them Were Lost In The Sinking

    A large group of people pose in front of an old house, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    HappyDays984 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Without photojournalism, we wouldn't have photographs like those of Alan Kurdi, Omayra Sánchez, or Phan Thị Kim Phúc. But according to Kelly McBride from the Poynter Institute for Journalism in St. Petersburg, Florida, these kinds of photos have to have a broader journalistic purpose.

    #13

    Peter, Sue Kim, And Christine Lee Hanson's Last Christmas Photo (2000). They Were Sadly K**led On Board United Airlines Flight 175 Nine Months Later, When It Was Crashed Into The South Tower Of The World Trade Center. Christine, Aged 2 1/2, Was The Youngest Victim Of 9/11

    Family posing in front of a Christmas tree, smiling; haunting backstory linked to the photograph.

    HappyDays984 Report

    #14

    Selfie Tragedy

    Three young women smiling for a selfie with a train approaching in the background, which adds a terrifying backstory.

    A laughing, smiling selfie of three young teen girls posing on train tracks. A train is passing by in front of them, and the strong winds from it is blowing their hair back. In the near background behind them, another train is approaching from the opposite direction but they don't hear it because of the one passing in front of them. In a few seconds they will be hit by that oncoming train.

    inside_track , larrieuxa Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Elwood Schwartz (it/that)
    Community Member
    1 month ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #15

    The Crew Of Space Shuttle Mission Sts-51-L Pose For Their Official Portrait On November 15, 1985

    Astronauts in blue NASA uniforms holding helmets, posing for a group photo. Photographs with terrifying backstories.

    STS-51-L was the disastrous 25th mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the final flight of Space Shuttle Challenger.
    It was planned as the first Teacher in Space Project flight in addition to observing Halley's Comet for six days and performing a routine satellite deployment. The mission never achieved orbit; a structural failure during its ascent phase 73 seconds after launch from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B on January 28, 1986, destroyed the orbiter and k**led all seven crew members—Commander Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik and Ronald E. McNair, and Payload Specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and S. Christa McAuliffe.

    NASA , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Sara Frazer
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You really gotta censor that man's name?? Fûçkíng asinine, BP.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    "It's an invasion of privacy to the people in the photo, and it's hurtful, harmful to the people who view the photo," McBride told NPR. "It's meant to reveal something to the audience so that the audience can uphold their Democratic duties." Photojournalism, in her eyes, has to be journalistic, nor voyeuristic.

    #16

    Harold Agnew Carrying The Plutonium Core Of The Nagasaki B*mb, Tinian Island, 1945

    Man in military uniform holding a device; linked to terrifying backstories.

    U.S. Government military personnel , wikipedia Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #17

    Last Image Of Uruguayan Flight 571, Before It Crashed In The Andes On October 13th, 1972. Out Of The 45 Onboard 28 Survived The Initial Crash, And Survivors Were Eventually Forced To Cannibalize The Dead To Survive. 16 Survivors Were Rescured 72 Days Later On December 23rd

    A group of people seated inside an airplane cabin, part of a photograph with a terrifying backstory.

    This is the last picture ever taken of Flight 571. After this snap was taken in 1972, Flight 571 flying from Uruguay crashed into the snowy mountains of Chile as it tried to land at arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago. Both of the wings and tail were ripped off on impact. The remainder of the aircraft toboggan-style fell down the steep mountains of Chile and came to rest on a glacier where it would be stuck there forever.

    The direct crash k**led the two pilots and three other people. However, this was only the tip of the iceberg of the hell they would endure. With little warm clothing and freezing temperatures, people froze to death quickly. The 27 out of 42 survivors huddled together within a crude shelter made of debris, snow and seats glued together. On the tenth day after the crash, food ran out. Desperately, people began eating anything they could get their hands on, including parts of the airplane like the cotton inside the seats and leather. One man ate a single peanut for over 3 days.

    But this wasn't enough. At high altitudes, the human caloric needs are extreme. If the survivors didn't get something proper in their mouths soon, they would perish.

    However, the only thing edible left was… the dead, and however disgusting it seemed, everyone knew that it was the only chance of survival.

    At first this was hard to come by, eating your family and friends. But as hunger really started to set in, they had no choice. One of the passengers called Canessa was the first to consume human flesh, using a knife to cut into the pilot’s body and remove a strip of frozen meat to eat. Soon, nearly everyone started eating the dead and a pact was made that, if one of the survivors died- they would be eaten too. When the dead turned to skeletons, they ate hearts, lungs and even brains.

    One midnight, an avalanche hit the airplane and 8 people were k**led en-impact. Things were getting too dangerous just sitting there, and since it seemed no one was looking for them, they decided to get help themselves. Two months after the crash, three volunteers went to get rescue. They had no technical gear, no map or compass, and no climbing experience.

    Luckily, they found three men on horseback who were kind enough to go get help. Soon, the Chilean army provided helicopters and with the direction of the three volunteers, were able to rescue the people stranded on the glacier.

    Mr_Funnybone , imgur.com Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was 4 yo when this happened, but I vividly remember stories about this went on for years after in the newspapers. I read the book in my teens. Never wanted to see the film as it somehow felt it would cheapen it.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #18

    The Last Picture Tweeted By A 21 Year Old Before Going Missing In A Flood Yesterday In Texas

    Car interior submerged in brown water, related to terrifying backstories.

    The man's name was Darren Mitchell, and according to witnesses, he was trying to help another person who was trapped in the flood. Unable to help, he got back into his truck, which soon flipped over and was washed over a bridge. Mitchell then called his mother to tell her he was trapped in the flood and posted this photo on Facebook, with the caption, "And all I wanted to do was go home." Authorities found his overturned truck the next morning, but with no sign of Mitchell. He is still missing.

    LaingMachine666 Report

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Some people might even find unsettling pictures in their old family albums. Back in the day, photography of the deceased was quite popular. In Victorian England, for example, people would often photograph their deceased because it was the only way they could have a picture of that family member.

    #19

    Last Image Of 17-Year Old Jonna, Who On This Day 10 Years Ago Went Missing After Leaving Home To Go Jogging. She Was Later Found Burned Alive From An Abandoned Barn

    Person sitting on a tree branch in a schoolyard, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    FINLAND 2015. Jonna had broken up with her 25-year old boyfriend due to the age difference. She moved on and he fell into depression, because he had wanted to marry her.

    So he abducted her from her usual jogging route he had memorised due to stalking and drove a bit before he SA'd her and knocked her unconscious. Then he drove to an abandoned barn where he tied her to a table, doused the place in gasoline, and lit the place on fire. Second degree burn marks imply he watched as the flames grew and Jonna burned alive.

    He insisted that the burns were from him trying to lit the barn to commit s**cide, changing his mind but the match fell and he saw Jonna walk into the flames willingly. At court his story wasn't believed and he received life in prison for the crime.

    Emergency_Pizza1803 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Shame he didn't burn alive unintentionally, or otherwise suffer from burns for the rest of his hopefully short life.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #20

    Actual Last Photo Of Everly Livingston, 11, And Older Sister Alydia, 14. They Died Along With Parents Donna And Peter, In The Crash On January 29, 2025 Along The Potomac River

    Airplane passengers sitting, two wearing maroon sweaters, unrelated to terrifying backstories.

    Additional-Catch-140 , wolfecasper Report

    #21

    Missing Person

    Hiker posing at a snowy mountain base; missing person poster hints at photographs with terrifying backstories.

    This is the last image of a woman called Corrie Van Veggel, who went missing on her descent of the Mardi Himal trek in Nepal in Feb 2018. I was lucky enough to meet her in a hot spring a couple days before, she'd come to Nepal on her own to do some trekking and a yoga retreat.

    She only had 4/5 days of trekking left which included a hike up from the hot springs to Mardi Himal basecamp and then back down to the city Pokhara. I only knew she'd gone missing because I saw her missing person poster in the mountain village I was staying in a few weeks later.

    She was a lovely person full of life and adventure, sociable and kind and its weird to think I was one of the last people she'd ever met. Rest in peace.

    imgur.com , DeclanBarnett , albertdascoyne Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always think it's strange when people use the phrase 'full of life' about the deceased. It happens a lot. Watch for it in newspaper reports.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    As having a portrait of a deceased family member painted was quite expensive, a daguerreotype was the most affordable option. Many children would pass away before the age of five from measles, diphtheria, scarlet fever, or rubella. So, parents would get a family portrait with a deceased child: a chance to have a permanent record of a beloved family member.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #22

    M*rder Of The Lawson Family

    A vintage family photo with a hidden terrifying backstory, showing three adults and four pixelated children.

    In 1929, days prior to Christmas, Lawson took his wife Fannie and their seven children, Arthur, Marie, Carrie, Maybell, James, Raymond and Mary Lou into town to buy new clothes and to have a family portrait taken.

    On the afternoon of December 25, Lawson first shot his daughters, Carrie and Maybell, as they were setting out to their uncle and aunt's house. He waited for them by the tobacco barn until they were in range, shot them with a 12-gauge shotgun, then ensured that they were dead by bludgeoning them. He placed the bodies in the tobacco barn.

    Afterwards, Lawson returned to the house and shot Fannie, who was on the porch. As soon as the gun was fired, Marie, who was inside, screamed, while the two small boys, James and Raymond, attempted to find a hiding place. Lawson shot Marie, and then found and k**led the two boys. Lastly, he k**led the baby, Mary Lou; it is thought that she was bludgeoned to death. After the m*rders, he went into the nearby woods and, several hours later, shot himself. The only survivor was his eldest son, 19-year-old Arthur, whom he had sent on an errand just before committing the crime.

    wikimedia , wikimedia Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #23

    My Great Uncle. He Was K**led In Ww1 - A Young Soldier From Newfoundland. His Sister, Shown With Him, Died In 1918 Of The Spanish Influenza

    Vintage photograph of a couple standing together, related to terrifying backstories.

    Earl_I_Lark Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Elwood Schwartz (it/that)
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    War and illness have killed a lot of people throughout history. EDIT: How can you downvote monkeys downvote a FACT???

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #24

    This Is The Last Picture Of My Aunt Kathy Before She Disappeared A Month Later In 1999. She Has Never Been Found

    Person in a playful pumpkin costume, smiling inside a home, with a terrifying backstory.

    pennylane3339 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Lyone Fein
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So sorry to hear about this. I hope your family has found some peace over the years.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Sometimes, people would paint eyes over the deceased's eyes after developing the photograph to make them more life-like. Other times, family members would pose next to their deceased loved ones, and in some instances, they would even be propped up by stands.

    #25

    Japanese Exchange Student (In Red) Moments Before Losing Her Footing And Being Swept Over Niagara Falls To Her Death

    Couple posing at a railing while others look over; linked to terrifying photographic backstories.

    LoraxlRose Report

    #26

    Ad From The 70s For FN Children Adoption

    Children's adoption poster with highlighted section, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    This was during a time called the 60s scoop where hospitals would claim that children had passed during delivery, and would be put into foster care from there. Neither kid nor parent would know. They are finding their way home but the road is long.

    This-Strawberry Report

    #27

    One Of The Last Known Photos Of Will Norton At His Graduation From Joplin High School On May 22, 2011. Sadly, He Was K**led While On His Way Home From The Ceremony When The Infamous Ef5 Tornado Hit Joplin

    Graduate in cap and gown holds diploma, linked to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    aldisneygirl91 , Help Find Will Norton Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    GreatWhiteNorth
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do not understand where all this mass censoring is coming from. I and millions of others grew up reading these words and we are fine. We did not turn into phycos or need counseling. When did this start and why.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda

    In some photographs, it can be hard to tell whether the subject is alive or not. One giveaway was that the deceased appeared more sharply in the photographs. Because of long exposures when taking the photos, the living would sometimes appear slightly blurred. Lack of movement from the deceased would guarantee a more clear-cut image.

    #28

    Last Image Of April Holt Posted To Social Media On July 7 2023, Her 29th Birthday. She Was Found Deceased On July 29 2023

    Woman in a floral dress enjoying a red cocktail, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    Her death was originally ruled a s**cide, but it was later determined she was m**dered by her husband.

    KingK**lKannon Report

    #29

    This Is The Class Photo From Columbine. Look In The Top Left Corner

    Large group photo in a gymnasium setting, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    Eric David Harris and Dylan Bennet Klebold were two American high school seniors and mass m**derers who perpetrated the Columbine High School m******e at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, in Columbine, Colorado.

    Harris and Klebold k**led 12 students and one teacher and wounded 24 others. After k**ling most of their victims in the school's library, they died by s**cide. At the time, it was the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.

    bushwickbill , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    AtMostAFabulist
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A group of six kids up there are acting like they are pointing guns. Kind of chilling.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #30

    18 Year Old Jolee Callan

    Woman standing on a cliff edge, facing misty forest, linked to terrifying backstories.

    This is the last photo of her alive which was taken sometime in August 2017. Within minutes of this photo, her boyfriend Loren Bunner pulled out a gun and shot Jollee 2 times in the back of the head on the Pinhoti Trail, Alabama.

    According to reports, after he had shot and k**led her. He then pushed her body down the cliff.

    lorendaniel , bendubberley_ , bendubberley_ Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Dog Mom to Zoe
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Googled: It was actually 2015 and they had apparently broken up and he couldn't move on according to her father but if that was the case, why was she on the mountain with him? Regardless, it's truly heartbreaking.

    View more commentsArrow down menu

    Which of these photographs disturbed you the most, Pandas? Do you think we've missed any that were worth making it to this list? Share some of your most memorable photographs that have dark backstories in the comments below! And if you want to see more similar pictures, check out our previous collection right here!

    #31

    This Church In Germany Has Three Hanging Cages That Remain From The 1500's. Three Men Were Tortured And Their Remains Left To Rot In These Cages

    Gothic cathedral towers with ominous cages; notable for terrifying backstories.

    The failure of the one year radical anabaptist Münster rebellion in 1535 led to the capture and t*****e of John of Leiden, Bernhard Knipperdolling, and Bernhard Krechting. Following the e*******n of the three men in January 1536, the remains of their bodies were placed in the three cages for 50 years as a warning to other would-be rebels.

    malgoya , malgoya , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Gibbet cages were quite common for highwaymen and pirates as a warning to others, so birds could basically pull the bodies apart through the cage bars.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #32

    On August 20th, 2022. This Man And His Girlfriend Took A Selfie In Rotzo, Italy. After The Photo Was Taken, He Dropped His Phone And Tried To Retrieve It. Because Of This, He Fell Off The Cliff Beside Them And Died Instantly

    Couple taking a selfie on a mountain overlook, related to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    sara_bragante , bendubberley_ Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Never, EVER scramble to retrieve your phone - whether it's fallen off a cliff, into the water from a boat or bridge, or even into the gutter/roadway. So many people have died trying to retrieve their phones. I know it's near-instinctual for us to grab at our phones if we drop them, but it is so much better to be out a couple hundred(ish) dollars to get a new phone than for your family to have to mourn your death. IMO, don't take risky selfies like this on a cliff in the FIRST place, but if you do, don't try to get your phone if you drop it off the cliff.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    #33

    This Picture Of First Lady Rosalynn Carter Shaking Hands With Serial K**ler John Wayne Gacy, Who Was Active In Politics At The Time

    A man and woman in red outfits posing together, linked to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    John Wayne Gacy was an American serial k**ler and s*x offender who r*ped, tortured, and m**dered at least 33 young men and boys in Norwood Park Township, near Chicago, Illinois. He became known as "the K**ler Clown" due to his public performances as a clown prior to the discovery of his crimes.

    White House photographer , TheButterBug , wikipedia Report

    #34

    Corll, Pictured With His Half-Sister, Joyce West

    A grainy black and white photograph showing a man and a child with a terrifying backstory.

    Dean Arnold Corll was an American serial k**ler and s*x offender who abducted, r*ped, tortured and m*rdered a minimum of twenty-eight teenage boys and young men between 1970 and 1973 in Houston and Pasadena, Texas.

    He was aided by two teenaged accomplices, David Owen Brooks and Elmer Wayne Henley. The crimes, which became known as the Houston Mass M*rders, came to light after Henley fatally shot Corll. Upon discovery, the case was considered the worst example of serial m*rder in United States history.

    Mary Robinson , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    MargyB
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I only learnt of him 2 days ago. How he is not more well known is strange. His methods were copied by John Wayne Gacy. Sick people!!

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #35

    Two Children Posing As Mt St Helens Erupted Behind Them. May 18 1980

    Two children with pixelated faces pose outside, with a terrifying backstory of a large cloud looming in the background.

    About 57 people were k**led. Hundreds of square miles were reduced to wasteland, causing over $1 billion in damage (equivalent to $3.4 billion in 2023), thousands of animals were k**led, and Mount St. Helens was left with a crater on its north side.

    At the time of the eruption, the summit of the volcano was owned by the Burlington Northern Railroad, but afterward, the railroad donated the land to the United States Forest Service. The area was later preserved in the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and due to the eruption, the state recognized the month of May as "Volcano Awareness Month" and events are held at Mt. St. Helens, or within the region, to discuss the eruption, safety concerns, and to commemorate lives lost during the natural disaster.

    xj3kx , wikipedia.org Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Sara Frazer
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mom was 11 when this happened, and lived in Spokane, WA. She has spoken about how the ash covered everything like a deep snow. A couple weeks ago I was on a plane that flew over Mt. St. Helens and seeing that whole area of the mountain just missing is truly mind-blowing

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #36

    The Water Looks Scary

    Colorful sneakers dangling over a cliff edge with waves below, capturing a frightening moment related to terrifying backstories.

    Shannon Nunez captured this photo just before leaping from a cliff in Hawaii, at a well-known cliff-diving spot. Her jump was not an act of s**cide but a recreational dive. Tragically, after the jump, she was swept away by strong currents and drowned.

    RelatocuriosoK Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #37

    Last Known Photo Of 8-Year-Old Ann Marie Burr, Taken Two Weeks Before She Went Missing From Her Home On The Night Of August 31, 1961

    A young girl in a white dress and veil stands outdoors, associated with photographs with terrifying backstories.

    Ann Marie Burr (December 14, 1952 – disappeared August 31, 1961) was an American child who vanished under mysterious circumstances from her home in the North End section of Tacoma, Washington in August 1961. Her disappearance, which made national headlines, received renewed attention when it was theorized that serial k**ler Ted Bundy – who lived in Tacoma as a teenager at the time – might have been responsible for her abduction.

    HappyDays984 , wikipedia Report

    #38

    Alan Hruby, Freshman At The University Of Oklahoma In 2014, M*rdered His Entire Family On Friday

    Young man in sunglasses using a phone, sitting on a bed beside a woman, related to terrifying backstories.

    The next day, he drove down to Dallas for the OU-Texas football game, where he stayed in a hotel with his friends and posted this candid photo on Instagram, in what I assume would be an attempt to build an alibi. Didn't work, as he quickly confessed and received multiple life sentences.

    Still, I can't imagine what the people in this photo -- and others who were probably in that hotel room -- must've felt when they learned what had happened.

    mcdiego Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mixture of relief he didn't continue with them and deep horror, I expect

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    See Also on Bored Panda
    #39

    Jim Jones With His Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award

    A man in a suit holding a plaque and speaking into a microphone, with a photo projected behind him.

    James Warren Jones was an American cult leader and mass m**derer who founded and led the People's Temple between 1955 and 1978. In what Jones termed "revolutionary s*icide", Jones and the members of his inner circle planned and orchestrated a mass m****r-s*****e in his remote jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978.

    Nancy Wong , wikipedia Report

    #40

    David Shaw (Left) Moments Before His Final Deep Water Dive

    Divers in a cave pool with international flags overhead, relating to photographs and their terrifying backstories.

    Shaw died on 8 January 2005 while attempting to recover the body of Deon Dreyer.

    Shaw recorded his dive with an underwater camera, which allowed researchers to determine that he suffered from respiratory issues due to the high pressure. Shaw ran into difficulties when the body unexpectedly began to float. Shaw had been advised by various experts that the body would remain negatively buoyant because the visible parts were reduced to the skeleton. However, within his drysuit, Dreyer's corpse had turned into a soap-like substance called adipocere, which floats. Shaw had been working with both hands, and so had been resting his can light on the cave floor. The powerful underwater lights that cave divers use are connected by wires to heavy battery canisters, normally worn on the cave diver's waist, or sometimes attached to their tanks. Normally he would have wrapped the wire behind his neck, but he was unable to do so; the lines from the body bag appear to have become entangled with the light head, and the physical effort of trying to free himself led to his death. Three days later, both of the bodies that had become entangled in the lines were pulled up to near the surface as the dive team was retrieving their equipment.

    Shaw's close friend and support diver, Don Shirley, nearly died as well and was left with permanent damage that has impaired his balance.

    The dive on which Shaw died was the 333rd of his career. At the time of his world record dive, he had been diving for a little over five years.

    rosey203 , wikipedia.org Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    G A
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Terrible. I find it difficult to justify why people risk their lives to do these dives.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #41

    Last Images Of Kevin Jiang (26) Proposing To His Girlfriend In Connecticut. He Was Shot And K**led A Week Later On February 6 2021. On February 27 2024, Qinxuan Pan Pled Guilty To Kevin's M*rder

    Man kneeling in the snow, proposing with a ring, as a woman smiles at a scenic icy backdrop. Photographs with terrifying backstories.

    Yale graduate student Kevin Jiang was shot and k**led in New Haven on February 6. He was 26-years-old. As a result of his death, Police have started a homicide investigation and a multi-state manhunt for a person of interest for 29-year-old MIT graduate Qinxuan Pan Jiang served in the US Army National Guard, distributed food to and cooked for a homeless shelter, and even mentored youth. He was enrolled at the Yale School of Environment and was part of the class of 2022. A week before his death, Jiang proposed to his girlfriend Zion Perry. His 27th birthday was this month.

    KingK**lKannon , KingK**lKannon Report

    ADVERTISEMENT
    #42

    This Photo Was Taken At A Nightclub Before It Caught On Fire By Fireworks Leaving 100 People Dead

    Los Angeles Times headline about the 2003 Station nightclub fire, highlighting photographs with terrifying backstories.

    The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003, at The Station, a nightclub and hard rock music venue located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, k**ling 100 people and injuring 230. During a concert by the rock band Jack Russell's Great White, an offshoot of the original Great White band, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage.

    Within six minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. The fire remains the deadliest firework accident in U.S. history and the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. It was also the second-deadliest nightclub fire in New England, behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire.

    RetroNewsNow , AffectionateBat2687 , wikipedia Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    Sven Horlemann
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For me, the nightclub owners killed them. 6 minutes? The whole building must have been built with whatever should not have been used.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #43

    My Friends And I Found A 22 Year Old Girl, Face Down In The Mud, Both Legs Broken With Compound Fractures. She Had No Cell Phone, No Water, No Food, And Nothing To Keep Her Warm. Her Friend Was Dead

    Climber on a rocky path with a hidden snake, illustrating terrifying backstories of photographs in nature.

    A little backstory - my 2 friends and I were hiking in a pretty popular spot in our area. it's a 150-ft waterfall that takes about 45 mins of uphill hiking to get to.

    Qe decided to go bouldering around the bottom of the waterfall, there are various little pools and boulders where the water runs off from the waterfall. This bouldering trail is not on the main trail, and not many hikers ever veer off of the main trail.

    Qhen we found her, obviously we called 911 and gave her any supplies we had. eventually a helicopter showed up and they flew her to the nearest hospital. turns out she was hiking with her friend the NIGHT BEFORE when they both fell off of the waterfall.

    Her friend must have gone to get help, but unfortunately died less than 100 yds from where we found the girl. So no one knew she was hurt or that she was even there. It's a miracle she was still alive and mind blowing to think what she had gone through when we found her 20 hours later.

    gadela08 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    GreatWhiteNorth
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This story was in the news but the OP is not the one who found her. This is a stolen story . The OP needs to get a life and stop pretending the story belongs to them.

    View more commentsArrow down menu
    ADVERTISEMENT
    #44

    One Of The Last Pictures Taken Of My Filming Friend, Harper, Before She Passed On Christmas Morning 2021. She Was Only 11

    Person decorating a holiday tree in a living room; scene with a television in the background related to photographs' backstories.

    During the entirety of the filming, Harper was a sweet and loving girl, and I was so glad to have her as a friend. When the rest of my filming friends and I were notified of Harper's sudden passing by her mom, we were all left heartbroken. It is unknown what the cause of her death was, but it was just a sad moment for all of us to believe that such a kind soul was taken from us far too soon. Ever since Harper passed, Christmas just hasn't felt the same for me anymore. I hope you're doing well in Heaven, my friend. Me and the rest of the cast of Go Iguanas (on Premiere+) will never forget you.

    iReekOfLemons Report

    #45

    Last Photo Taken By A Passenger On The Doomed Flight That Would Crash In Washington, DC With No Survivors

    Airplane wing on the tarmac at sunrise, with the text "ICT→DCA," linked to photographs with terrifying backstories.

    JBAnswers26 , spencerskates26 Report

    Add photo comments
    POST
    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His name was Spencer Lane. He was 16 years old and a member of The Skating Club of Boston.

    View more commentsArrow down menu