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True crime entails much more than what’s shown on the TV screen. Understandably, a lot about it gets left behind the scenes, which only more attentive and fascinated people may question and dig deeper into. Such persons tend to come together and discuss their findings and opinions, like those who share similar interests usually do. 

This time, our Bored Panda team found them gathered under this popular thread, discussing their controversial takes on true crime cases. If you’re curious, these hot takes can be found below, just a scroll away.

#1

Person wearing headphones filming a true crime interview scene with professional camera equipment in a dimly lit room. True crime fans aren’t as smart and intuitive as they think they are and have a totally unearned sense of arrogance from just being documentary watchers alone.

I work in documentary and have done true crime specifically. A lot of information is held back by LE and even gentle editing is by nature manipulative.

True crime fans are like, “You can tell just by looking at him in that photograph something is wrong with him.”

No, we’ve set you up to think that. By merely implying someone is tied to a crime in any way, your brain colors in the lines and tells you their eyes look empty. Doesn’t help that we put spooky music over their picture while we slowly zoom in on the image.

Conversely, take the same photo of a person but put different music over it and imply he’s a homicide victim, and the same true crime fan will be like, “Aw he looked so sweet 🥺”

And, look. I say this as a true crime fan.

But no one should be speaking so authoritatively , so gatekeeper-y, on anything just because of some documentary watching. Even the most well meaning and neutral documentary is biased.

bluejen , Alberto Calleja Report

Earonn -
Community Member
1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THIS! The amount of people (here on BP, too!) who claim that "the eyes are the windows to the soul" and all that shyte is frightening. It means you can present any not conventionally attractive person with a squint to them and they'd be willing to condemn or even l***h them.

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    #2

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Casey Anthony is guilty.

    Imnotatree30 , FL Gov't (PD) Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every member of that jury should never gets a good night's sleep again.

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    #3

    Man undergoing polygraph test while examiner monitors results on laptop and screen for true crime fans analysis. A polygraph is barely more reliable than flipping a coin and while some presenters are getting better at pointing out that they are not acceptable as evidence in a courtroom, they are still talked about too much which I feel gives them a false sense of reliability.

    dayison2 , Getty Images Report

    Tim Gibbs
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The FBI will tell you they are about as much use as a chocolate teapot they are used more as an intimidating tactic

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    #4

    Woman in tan prison uniform speaking during an interview, representing true crime fans discussing cases. Unpopular opinion? Gipsy Rose is not the golden child she's been elevated to be. She's a liar and manipulator and was basically in on the scam the whole time. Yes, she's a product of her environment but the whole 'blame Nick' thing she's doing is lies.

    anon , lifetime Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She threw him under the bus as soon as he served his purpose

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    #5

    Hotel Cecil exterior with cars and a delivery truck, a location known among true crime fans exploring iconic sites. I still believe Elisa Lam was having some kind of psychotic break and got into that water tank herself and drowned.

    Wild_Blue4242 , Jim Winstead , commons.wikimedia.org Report

    Potterhead934
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is what happened to her. She had bipolar and stopped taking her meds. It's on the Netflix documentary

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    #6

    Man hiking alone through dense forest near rocky cliff, nature exploration scene for true crime fans outdoors A lot of the mysterious disappearances aren’t mysterious. When people disappear in the wilderness, it isn’t a mystery. They’re often victims of unfortunate hiking accidents. Bodies aren’t easy to find so many of these people will never be found.

    Ironinvelvet , Suliman Sallehi Report

    Rika
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Too many people also seem to forget wild animals exist. They die too but how often do you go for a walk in the woods and you stumble upon a dead deer or another large animal ? It's extremely rare because in the wilderness, a corpse is just food.

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    #7

    Person using a laptop on a couch, typing with green nails and wearing casual brown shirt and blue jeans, true crime fan concept. Social media groups “discussing” active investigations do more harm than good.

    Unibean , Mikhail Nilov Report

    Earonn -
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If they point out weaknesses in the criminal's plan or how the criminal could be identified, he or she can make plans against that happening.

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    #8

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Madeline McCann's parents would have gone to jail if they weren't rich and white.

    anon , Quakerman Report

    Rika
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Definitely. It doesn't matter if you're at a restaurant a few feet away and regularly checking on your kid, they're way too young to be left alone for any period of time.

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    #9

    Close-up portrait of a serious woman against blue background, relevant to true crime fans and investigations. Eileen Wuormos didn’t deserve [it], she should’ve been sent to a mental institution for the rest of her days.

    MoonlitStar:

    The main thing I didn't get about her case is that she was so obviously mentally ill to the point of insanity- even a person without any professinal knowledge of mental health could blatantly see that- it wasn't something that was up for discussion to my mind so why wasn't she treated as such. The entire case was sensationalised beyond belief by the media it was akin to death according to the media circus and public opinion in the US. It's still sensationalised to this day over 20 years since.

    I agree she should have been placed in a secure mental health facility for life rather than what happened to her.

    anon , Florida Department of Corrections Report

    MsLou
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    With her upbringing, she did not stand a chance to survive in this world

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    #10

    Two investigators questioning a man in an orange prison jumpsuit during a true crime interrogation scene. Cops/detectives/police forces are often corrupt and [bad] at their jobs and mess up a lot of investigations through incompetence.

    Impossible-Size7519 , RDNE Stock project Report

    Robert Trebor
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    District Attorneys are notorious for refusing to admit their office ever screwed up even when absolute innocence is later proven. Even if is a case from several incumbent DAs before

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    #11

    Man in prison cell wearing gray uniform sitting on bed with hands clasped, reflecting true crime fan intrigue. Capital punishment should be abolished. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t a deterrent to crime, and it costs more than it does to keep an inmate incarcerated for their entire life.

    theloons:

    Agree. It’s barbaric and evil. Whether it’s a deterrent or not doesn’t matter to me. I agree that it isn’t, but even if it were it wouldn’t change my stance on it.

    morbidology , Ron Lach Report

    Sarah Kathrin Matsoukis
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just the fact that there's always a small chance someone innocent is sentenced should be reason enough to end the death penalty

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    #12

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking The jury in the Casey Anthony case failed Kaylee Anthony. In my opinion, I believe they did in fact have enough evidence. That little girl never got justice.

    z3r0suitsamus , Getty Images Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nor will she ever get justice. Same for JonBenet

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    #13

    Young boy sitting on tiled floor, smiling at camera, representing true crime fans with confident expressions. There should have been more repercussions for the social workers who failed Gabriel Fernandez.

    I try not to think about the fact that his two get to wake up every morning and see sunlight. Injustice.

    Munchkinpea:

    I couldn't agree more. I'm fairly desensitised to true crime stuff, but I found the Netflix documentary about Gabriel devastating. I had to keep taking breaks as I was crying so hard.

    I feel sorry for his teacher who seems to have tried repeatedly to get him help, but not received any support.

    He should have remained with his great-uncles who loved and cared for him, like parents are supposed to do.

    sodabuttons , Netflix Report

    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not knowing any of this particular case, our area has a terminal lack of child protective services people. You can't expect people to see and assess cases when they don't have enough people and the ones there get blamed for the fact they can't do enough with so few people and so little resources

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    #14

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Not unpopular bur black and brown victims of homicide especially women are left unsolved because the police and public don’t care.

    huelessheadhunter , Ben Iwara Report

    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A brown girl gets hate crime punched on the subway, the police barely show up, someone white gets punched, it's a manhunt. Not saying our former minister shouldn't have a right to walk in a park get to the trains, but how is anything else dealt with???

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    #15

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Brock Turner should have gotten years in prison. Disgusting.

    churchhill2578 , Matthew Ansley Report

    Upstaged75
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The judge who sentenced him was removed from his position. Absolutely disgusting.

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    #16

    Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with hoop earrings, representing true crime fans sharing bold opinions. Lacey Fletcher was not on the couch for 12 years.

    Humanehuman1:

    Right?? Like there has to be more to this! Also, I feel like this case is almost downplayed (for lack of a better word). She literally LIVED for a significant period of time with MAGGOTS eating her flesh. I feel nauseous even writing that out.

    Sethsears:

    I have some gross personal insight into this.

    My 90+ year old grandmother developed lymphoma directly on the top of her head. She saw a doctor and received treatment for it, but as she was getting treated, it began to rot. She couldn't simply have it removed in surgery due to its size and her age. She (and everyone around her) had to endure the tumor "dropping off" of her. (At least, that's how I remember it going, I was a kid at the time).

    The smell was unbelievable. I can't even tell you. The smell of flesh rotting off a living person is so strong that when we took her to the library to pick up a book, we had to roll all the windows in the car down and stick our heads out each respective window to keep from gagging. That was from a golf ball sized tumor! I can't even imagine the smell around Lacey's couch. Even if you accept her parents were mentally ill/in denial/noseblind, I have no idea how the smell wouldn't have clung to them.

    Limp_Marionberry_900 , bakerfuneralhomeonline.com Report

    iseefractals
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My dad was paralyzed during vietnam. One of the big concerns for people in chairs, are pressure sores, sitting all day, poor circulation, loss of muscle and fat on lower half. The VA in Houston, is...f*****g criminally incompetent. They botched his rotator cuff surgery, his physical therapist made it even worse, and their solution was to just increase his oxy/vicodin/darvon/valium cocktail which caused him to develop pleurisy ....but after his surgery he was kept up in his chair for 10 to 12 hours at a stretch, moving around "helps with healing" He ended up with a pressure sore on his tailbone....looked like a little bruise the size of pencil eraser. All he could do was stay off of it, so confined to bed. Nothing he hadn't endured before. Well, i woke up one morning....and the entire apartment reeked of death. Bloated whale in the summer sun. Turns out that little bruise had opened up...to reveal a necrotic cavity the size of a grapefruit. Could smell it 40 ft outside the apartment.

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    #17

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Scott Peterson is guilty.

    ComteStGermain:

    I agree, although I think that in his case circumstancial evidence alone works for me. The timeline alone and the fact that he went "fishing" on Christmas Eve was enough for me.

    GoldenState_Thriller , San Quentin State Prison Staff Report

    nicholas nolan
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "the fact that he went "fishing" on Christmas Eve was enough for me." The Comte hasn't met anyone from Wisconsin, I take it.

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    #18

    Man in a suit analyzing a true crime investigation board filled with photos, notes, and maps in a dimly lit room. A lot of cases that didn’t get solved was due to inexperienced investigators (JonBenet), cops on the take (Keddie Cabin), or lazy police work (Kristin Smart).

    anon , cottonbro studio Report

    #19

    Silhouetted person looking through barred window in dark room, evoking themes of crime and true crime fans. Lots of corruption and oppression in law enforcement and the courts. There are far more innocent people than we realize who are incarcerated.

    Ok_Produce_9308 , Donald Tong Report

    Wendy
    Community Member
    Premium
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    .. and there are far too many guilty people that are NOT incarcerated and out there living their best life ...

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    #20

    People attending a funeral, reflecting on true crime fans and their unfiltered thoughts on complex cases. Not every [victim] was the bestest best friend, your best friend, a really great person a better person than everyone else, etc.

    whereismom , Pavel Danilyuk Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every victim in every documentary lights up a room & would give you the shirt off their back.

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    #21

    Young true crime fan watching TV intently, sitting on a couch with a bowl of popcorn in a dimly lit room. I guess my opinion isn’t unpopular within THIS community, but it is to others…

    I think it’s okay to be interested in listening to/watching true crime stories. I think there’s a lot we, as humans living in a society, can learn from these stories when we listen to them in a considerate way.

    I think it’s okay to make media about cases, as long as it’s done respectfully.

    I think some cases have really interesting ethical issues with no black or white answer and that’s okay. It’s important to be aware of these issues and think about them.

    betteroffinbed , Andrea Piacquadio Report

    Remi (He/Him)
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The crime reporting and the detective stories have been around forever. Saying people who like crime stories are somehow wicked isn't new either. Let people have fun ffs!

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    #22

    Dimly lit hospital corridor with an empty gurney and window casting shadows, evoking a true crime fan vibe. Andrea Yates should have been in a mental health facility until she is fit for release and while I can’t think of an exact criminal charge for her husband, he deserved to be held accountable.

    Rears4Tears:

    Andrea is in a mental hospital. Her attorneys successfully appealed her case, and the guilty verdict was overturned. She was found not guilty by reason of insanity. She can undergo a review every year to see if she is competent to leave the facility. But Yates opts each year to waive her right to be reviewed. She has never undergone review, choosing instead to continue treatment. And yes, her husband was horrible and should have been charged.

    Touchthef**kingfrog , fitra zulfy Report

    Deeelite
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just LOVE how men want "as many kids as possible" and then leave the home for 10-12 hours a day and expect the woman to cater for kids 24/7 cuz she's a "mom"

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    #23

    Person holding a missing person flyer outdoors, illustrating true crime fans' interest in unsolved cases. Many parents' lies mean that disappearance of their children will never be solved and they are to blame for this.

    Whether it's to protect themselves or others, the lies, hiring of spin doctors and refusal to cooperate with the police means they bear some responsibility for the unsolved crime.

    bsa554:

    Oh yeah...in a LARGE percentage of "missing child" cases at least one parent knows well what happened to their kid.
    Don't know how these people can live with themselves.

    anon , Ron Lach Report

    Rika
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There have been a few noticeable cases like that in France: parents were literally crying for the cameras and begging for their kid to be found. It turned out they had k*lled the kid. While the crime is horrible, I find it scarier to see that people are able to keep up with this kind of lie for weeks of giving tearful interviews.

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    #24

    Reporter interviewing a man outdoors with a camera crew filming, capturing true crime fans discussing popular cases and opinions. True crime adjacent: documentaries are not the word of god. They are fallible, they have an angle, they are meant to entertain, sometimes the producer ends up dating the suspect (I’m looking at you Staircase).

    Kurt Cobain is a great example of this. There’s one documentary that can have you 100% sure Courtney Love is to blame and another can make you feel 100% sure [is not].

    reckless_reck , Mido Makasardi Report

    #25

    A maroon minivan parked outside a store, representing a typical setting for true crime fans discussing cases. That Diane Schuler’s loser husband knew she had a drinking problem. But he will never admit it because he let her drive those kids. His insistence that she was not an alcoholic is not to clear her name. It’s to cover his own [bum].

    Sad-Reminders , IFCAR Report

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    #26

    Woman in a red coat standing alone in a dark, eerie forest at night representing true crime fans' mysterious appeal. Maura Murray ran into the woods to hide from the cops and got lost. Animals scattered her remains.

    Rripurnia:

    That has been my take all along but I wonder if the stranger abduction theory holds any water after all - someone volunteering to help her go somewhere else and return to her car later on but things went sideways.

    I’m listening to her sister’s new podcast and I’m eager to finally hear her thoughts on the case.

    anon , Alexey Demidov Report

    Grace Knowlton
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Was the bus driver ever officially cleared?

    #27

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Child Protective Services will never change. The number of children who slip through the cracks is tragic. Government beauracracy is responsible.

    YugeMalakas , Richard Stachmann Report

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    #28

    Missing person flyers and photos pinned on a board, representing true crime fans investigating real cases. Rex Heuermann [is responsible for] a lot more women whose bodies have not been found and whose loved ones may not even realize are missing.

    DogMom814 , Netflix Report

    General Anaesthesia
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the OP [is responsible for] = has kіllеd. For dog's sake, if you're going to censor it don't post it, BP.

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    #29

    Portrait of a young girl with blonde hair, representing a case related to true crime fans and missing children awareness. Summer Wells’ parents know what happened to her.

    Opening_Raspberry_91:

    oh man this case kept me up at night when it first happened.

    anon:

    I think they sold her to someone.

    nittiesthequeen , Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Report

    Grace Knowlton
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't think they are smart enough to successfully cover it up, either she would have been found or some other clue to her whereabouts would have been found by now.

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    #30

    Man covering face with hands, wearing glasses and a grey shirt, expressing stress in a dimly lit environment, true crime fan. Kendrick Johnson & Kenneka Jenkins were both freak accidents. Elisa Lam had a psychotic break. It’s not always foul play.

    so_much_volume , Hanna Saad Report

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    #31

    Man adjusting tie in front of mirror in wooden room, focused and dressed sharply, related to true crime fans theme. Not every [criminal] is a narcissist, sociopath, or psychopath.

    Equivalent_Spite_583:

    It irks me to my core that ‘narcissist’ is thrown around so casually. While some people were dealing with one, they ‘pick up’ some of the traits done by said narcissist. That doesn’t make them one themselves, it just means they’ve been picked up learned behavior while enduring abuse. Not every ‘mean’ person is a narcissist, contrary to today’s young tiktokers’ standards.

    charactergallery , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

    Lost Panda
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I will agree. There is a difference between a narcissist and a person with narcissistic qualities. Most everyone is guilty of some form of narcissism in their life.

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    #32

    Mugshots of two men featured in true crime stories, appealing to true crime fans interested in cases and suspects. I have come to believe that the Menendez brothers truly were horrifically [mistreated] by their father and that they were unfairly railroaded because of the family’s wealth. The more I learn about them, the worse I feel for those guys….

    Necessary-Koala1840 , Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego, California Report

    Deeelite
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not all children who suffer a***e move on to k**l - just saying.

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    #33

    Sketch of a man with glasses, showcasing a classic true crime case suspect drawing for true crime fans. Someone knows who the Zodiac is and no one believes them.

    sai_gunslinger:

    I know someone who thinks it may have been her grandfather. He was stationed in Cali and resembles the sketch. Some believe Zodiac moved to NY which is where we are. He was always doing cryptogram puzzles. He once made a suggestion for material to use to make a Zodiac costume. And some bodies were found in the woods near where he lived in NY.

    Does anyone believe her? Not really. I'm not sure she believes herself. Stranger things have happened, but odds are low it's really him.

    Certain_Departure716 , San Francisco Police Department Report

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    #34

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Very few cops actually know how to conduct an interview.

    Responsible-Two6561 , Getty Images Report

    Miss Ann Thrope
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've seen enough videos on youtube to believe this.

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    #35

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking I think it’s dumb to base guilty or innocent on body behavior alone. Especially when people react to traumatic events like their love ones going missing differently.

    whatthefuckisupkyle8 , Tingey Injury Law Firm Report

    Stephanie Did It
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The sentence should have read, "Especially when people react differently to traumatic events like their loved ones going missing." It was simply a badly worded statement.

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    #36

    Four mourners at a gravesite showing grief and support, illustrating emotions often explored by true crime fans. Sometimes an “unsolved” case is 90% the family being in denial.

    beeboopbeepKt:

    Diane Schuler comes to mind when mentioning family denial too.

    theacondaa:


    Kendrick Johnson comes to mind here. Very sad and unfortunate case. It was an accident, imo.

    flat_tire_fire:

    Yeah Maura Murray definitely just wandered into the winter and died of exposure and never got found. I feel bad for her family but dragging it out seems more traumatic than just accepting it.

    mangocucumbers , Ivan Samkov Report

    Dee Tag
    Community Member
    3 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Kendrick Johnson was not an accident. Just like shanquella Robinson was not an accident. So many unsloved murders have been solved because families never gave up.

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    #37

    Person wearing a hood and carrying a large backpack in a foggy forest, appealing to true crime fans and adventurers. I think at least one of Ivan Milat's brothers was involved in some of the backpacker [homicide]. The majority of the family is a half-step away from inbred.

    truckturner5164 , Lalu Fatoni Report

    Miss Tinker
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He gave family members items belonging to the victims (camping equipment)… some of the items had their names on them. Of course they knew.

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    #38

    Man in dark hooded jacket and cap standing outside at night, evoking a true crime fan atmosphere. The [criminals] are more like us than we want to believe.

    TrueCrimeCases2024 , Imad92 Asad Report

    Michael None
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We are more like the criminals than we want to believe. Fixed it.

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    #39

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Scott Peterson is guilty and I can’t believe anyone thinks otherwise.

    Maura Murray sadly passed away in the woods and she will hopefully be found one day.

    Adnan is guilty.

    The West Memphis Three are innocent.

    Kendrick Johnson was a tragic accident.

    anon , Curated Lifestyle Report

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    #40

    Defence attorneys/barristers/solicitors (etc) aren’t immoral monsters. They’re doing the job they’re paid to do and it’s a really important job.

    FWIW- NAL but I am a paralegal in criminal defence in the U.K.

    A LOT of people don’t realise that defence lawyers (using a catch-all term for brevity) are duty bound to act on their client’s instructions. If the client says they’re not guilty, it doesn’t matter what you personally as their lawyer believe, you represent them as not guilty. If, as their lawyer, you believe that the evidence against them is overwhelming and they stand little chance at trial, you can advise them of that however, you are ultimately bound by your client’s instructions.

    You •cannot• represent your client in the event that they plead not guilty but tell you in private that they committed the offence. In the U.K. you have to withdraw from representing them due to “professional embarrassment”. The amount of people/podcasters I see/hear going on about defence lawyers as though they’re the devil incarnate for representing clearly guilty people is infuriating.

    Defence lawyers, in the U.K. at least, do not invent theories for why their client is not guilty. They review the evidence with their client, take the client’s instructions, and then highlight any inconsistencies between the client’s story and the evidence and ASK THEM how that could be explained. They don’t fill in the gaps for the client.

    Defence lawyers are the only people looking out for clients. Their objective is not to keep guilty people out of prison, their objective is to make sure they receive a fair trial and the justice system follows protocol in the prosecution of the client.

    They’re not monsters. Phew, vent over!

    mamahurricane Report

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    #41

    40 True Crime Fans Who Aren’t Afraid To Say What Everyone Else Is Thinking Adnan is 100% guilty.

    TheMobHasSpoken:

    I'm not sure if it's true (partly because I can't remember where I read it), but I read once that he was calling her cell phone constantly in the days leading up to her disappearance and then, once she disappeared, never dialed her number again. That sealed it for me.

    ItsDarwinMan82 , Tommy van Kessel Report

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    #42

    Young woman with blonde hair wearing a black top, representing true crime fans expressing bold opinions. I believe that Brittany Murphy and Simon Monjack’s [cases] are TOO coincidental.

    Additionally, BMs mom was probably in love with SM.

    Content_Pool_1391:

    I feel exactly the same way. It just felt like they closed both cases with a nice little bow and brushed it under the rug. It doesn't feel like anyone cares enough to say something isn't right.

    Shelisheli1 , Columbia Pictures Report

    Deeelite
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I always thought it was suspicious that 2 young healthy people perished from THE SAME THING within 6 months. Seriously- no one else found this odd???

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    #43

    Barron Trump is the one who made the phone call to the Feds about all of the classified documents.

    It will be resurrected just for my “I told you so” when it’s revealed.

    spanishpeanut Report

    #44

    The Menendez brothers should be released.

    The parents were literal monsters.

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    Nichole Harris
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So much a***e and then so many years in such a hostile environment, they probably couldn't transition....poor boys

    #45

    Not an unpopular opinion but definitely my hill.. PATSY WROTE THE NOTE!

    wellgroomedmcpoyle:

    Practice notes in the trash, their pen, their legal pad, “movie like” language and unbelievable length…fancy unnecessary words like “attaché”…one of the parents definitely wrote the note and it was more than likely Patsy. Also the fact that she, a woman near obsessed with keeping up appearances, was still dressed in the same outfit she wore to the party the night before…she never went to sleep that night.

    1nktoriou5 Report

    Jesse
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What case is this about? Please for the love of f*ck provide additional info for readers who don't study the FBI files like religious scripture

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    #46

    Nicole Kessinger is obsessed with Chris Watts/stalked him and Shanann online/is extremely creepy but did not participate or know about the crimes (until later).

    Shelisheli1 Report

    Barbara Hill
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can't say what i want to say about him on this site. BP won't let me. But all he had to do was get a divorce and 4 people would be alive.

    #47

    Asha degree's family is not telling the full truth. i'm not necessarily saying they're responsible for her disappearance, but it seems like they know more than they let on. maybe an argument happened that night that led Asha to become so upset she ran away once everyone went to bed, or she actually had a history of running away (even if it was just down the road to her relative's house) but her family didn't divulge this to LE because they were afraid they would not be taken seriously.

    I think the most likely scenario is that her family is aware of something that happened that drove Asha to become distraught enough to decide to run away, but her family doesn't want to disclose it because it makes them look bad or they feel ashamed of it.

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    Rika
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I believe in the theory that she wanted to go on an adventure and unfortunately met the wrong person on the way. As adults, we assume running away means wanting to escape from something bad, but young kids don't think like that: a lot of time, they "run away" because it sounds exciting and they're curious to see what's out there in the world, they don't really want to leave their home and family.

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    #48

    Bryan Kohberger is guilty and acted alone.

    anon Report

    #49

    Elisa Lam stopped taking her meds and had a psychotic break. The Netflix doc is absolutely disgusting for how they twisted her case. And I feel so bad for that metal band guy who was caught up in all that. Let her rest and let her family grieve.

    anon Report

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    #50

    The True Crime community is one of the worst online communities in terms of actual effects they have on the people they center on.

    I’ve been in a lot of different community spaces. Went through the one direction craze. Kpop Stan’s. The whole lot. Still have never been a part of another community that houses individuals so willing to be as obtrusive and annoying as possible about their theories and beliefs.

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    #51

    Brittany Murphy and her husband. Has anyone truly questioned her MOTHER??

    dangerangel13 Report

    #52

    Steven Avery is guilty.

    Yes, the police and the prosecutor involved did some awful things. I think he deserves a new trial. But i still think he’s guilty.

    andthenshewrote Report

    #53

    I believe the foster parents were involved in the disappearance of William Tyrrell. I remember watching a documentary on the case and the producers of the documentary were so dismissive of their possible involvement and I remember saying to myself: “Um, why? This case feels like it has way more to it.”

    z3r0suitsamus Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They were treated with kid gloves but the parents were vilified. Disgusting

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    #54

    True crime internet sleuths that come up with something law enforcement missed are probably wrong. Coverups can happen, but they’re not as common as people think. Most law enforcement wants to get to the bottom of stuff as much as anyone else, but they are way better at it and have access to much more information that anyone on the internet does.

    I_Am_A_Cucumber1 Report

    #55

    Brian Shaffer left the bar.

    IamL0rdV0ldem0rt:

    To add to this, I have never seen conversations about WHY everyone thinks he didn’t make it home that night. I think he probably did and whatever happened was the following day.

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    #56

    Baby Deorr was never at the campsite and his parents know more.

    nevertotwice_:

    I don’t doubt their grief but the parents absolutely know more than they’re saying.

    Virtual-Nobody-6630 Report

    #57

    The Delphi [case] should have been solved within days or weeks, and justice may be denied because of investigative incompetence.

    Agent847 Report

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    #58

    Maura Murray ran into the woods, hid somewhere to keep warm and succumbed to the elements. Her body is likely less than a mile from where her car was parked.

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    #59

    Darlie did it and Darren had more involvement than thought. I was her neighbor and while I was young my mom always said they were "off".

    senna4815:

    Her sister is on TikTok fighting for her innocence and giving “proof” as to how it couldn’t have been her. Something about a sock found outside. Gives me OJ “the glove don’t fit obviously it wasn’t me!” Vibes.

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    #60

    The Anglin brothers successfully escaped from Alcatraz and lived long lives in South America.

    Also I really want there to be some crazy conspiracy behind the Dyatlov Pass hikers.

    JudgeJuryEx78 Report

    T'Mar of Vulcan
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sadly, the Dyatlov Pass hikers got caught in a whole series of events. An avalanche, paradoxical undressing, wild animal predation and probably some kind of radiation from a nearby base. All can be true at the same time.

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    #61

    John Wayne Gacy had accomplices.

    nomobjustice Report

    iseefractals
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, he said he had accomplices, and it's very likely that he was involved in a S*x trafficking ring. John David Norman, one of the most notorious and public facing pedophiles, had moved to chicago in 1973, was quickly sent to prison where he began to rebuild his little p**o circus with help from another inmate, Phillip Paske....who continued to do norman's bidding upon release.....Gacy employed Paske at one point. Gacy was a dedicated member of the local political party, even serving as democratic precinct captain in the years before his arrest. He was friends with cops in the area, familiar with powerful bosses, and would throw barbecues in his back yard to bring that community together. Hard to believe none were aware of him sodomizing an underage boy in the mid 60's given that it led to one of his divorces.

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    #62

    Whew lots of unpopular opinions and theories:
    Damien Echols was not just a misfit who was judged for liking rock music. He had documented homicidal delusions and was very mentally ill. Investigators didn’t assume he was into sacrifices because he liked Metallica, it’s because he would tell doctors he wanted to sacrifice a child. He also didn’t get a fair trial, but that doesn’t change the other facts.

    The jury was correct to find Casey Anthony not guilty. I’m confident she is guilty but the prosecution did not prove that at trial.

    There has not ever been a clear timeline of what happened in the Degree house on the night of Asha’s disappearance. I’m not saying the family is guilty, but almost every major detail about what happened during that time has multiple different versions.

    anon Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Asha and Kaylee will never get justice. It's extremely unlikely Asha will come home.

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    #63

    Bryce Laspisa's parents were too strict and bigoted mormons, and they caused his issues and him to flee. I really hope he's okay somewhere far from them..

    smurfette4 Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And why tf didn't they even make the 3 hour drive to Buttonwillow during the time Bryce was sitting in his car. The mechanic on the scene showed more concern for his well being than they did.

    #64

    Amanda Knox is 100% innocent.

    MyPunchableFace Report

    WalterWhiteSavannah
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And was found to be and widely reported to be. I'm assuming that was a very old post. Not really a hot take in 2025.

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    #65

    Darlie Routier is 100% guilty.

    KinkySpork Report

    Linda Roy
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don't know if she's guilty, but that silly string footage is creepy

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    #66

    There was no owl on the staircase.

    I’ve volunteered in a bird sanctuary, and any bird ever attacks you or comes into close involuntarily contact with you- there will be no question about what happened. Owls are precision hunters, and the thought that the owl somehow couldn’t avoid bumping into Kathleen seems very far fetched. But for arguments sake: If the owl was really startled or ill or whatever and flew into Kathleen, there would have been so much owl-evidence. You just cannot wrestle/fight/ward off any bird without it losing TONS of feathers . There would be feathers and plumes everywhere. Ever seen the bottom of a bird cage? Exactly.

    Kathleen had only microscopic feathers on her, which she most likely picked up just from walking outside or under a structure where an owl once sat. The defence read about the feathers in the report and ran with the story, hoping people didn’t know too much about owls (and succeeded).

    offermelove Report

    Rika
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Volunteering at a bird sanctuary doesn't make anyone an expert. One piece of evidence was videos from a supermarket's security cameras showing an owl attacking employees who were leaving the place late at night. It happened over a few days so it wasn't an isolated incident, and there have been many reports of people getting attacked by owls as well. Now whether or not an owl did it in this case can be up for debate, but it's a fact owls do sometimes see humans as prey and fighting back probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when they dig those talons into your skull, it's best to try and flee.

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    #67

    I will get so much hate for this but i feel uneasy about The West Memphis Three. Not so sure about the innocence...

    Sexyhorsegirl666 Report

    Dee Tag
    Community Member
    3 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same. Don't care but these guys did it. Sorry.

    #68

    Nicole Kessinger was at best aware that Chris Watts was going to [commit a crime] and at worst she helped him!!!!!!!!!!! The only reason she wasn’t investigated further is because Chris admitted to the crime and the case was closed. Idc idc idc!!!

    attunedmuse Report

    Dee Tag
    Community Member
    3 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Watched the Netflix documentary. Shanann was annoying as heck. At one point, she had me questioning my own sanity. Surprised he had two kids with her. Sheesh!

    #69

    Jeffery Epstein [ended his life]. There's no evidence that doesn't square with "American prisons suck" and he had plenty of motive.

    ASigIAm213 Report

    WalterWhiteSavannah
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah. Not buying that one, or more accurately, if he did people made sure to give him every opportunity to do so and likely pressured him to ensure he followed through.

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    #70

    My absolute favorite case is the Isdal Woman. I know many people disagree and have other theories, but I still believe that she was an agent or spy of some kind. There are too many clues to simply toss away - removed clothing labels, bogus names, secretive meetups, observing submarine drills, etc. I don’t know who she was an agent for (I believe the USSR and Mossad are likely guesses).

    GroundbreakingAge254 Report

    #71

    Sandra Melgar is innocent.

    SurrealCollagist:

    The second I saw her interrogation years ago I totally thought she was innocent. I've heard/read people who said that there were things/facts mentioned at trial that show guilt, and I imagine there has to be Something or the jury wouldn't have found her guilty. I suppose I should look into it more. Because all the prosecution could come up with as a motive is that she was bored with him... Would be interesting to hear from jurors.

    anon Report

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    #72

    The Zodiac is not Arthur Leigh Allen.

    Wrong-Intention7725 Report

    #73

    That Jeffery Dahmer will always be the most fascinating case of all time for people who are actually really into psychology and true crime.

    JJETTAS188 Report

    Dee Tag
    Community Member
    3 days ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nah, the police handing over a d*****d incoherent victim back to Dahmer will always be the most fascinating case of all time for people who are into psychology.

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    #74

    That all criminals can benefit from counselling, no matter what armchair psychologists think.

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    #75

    Nobody under the age of 18 should ever be tried a an adult.

    SupersoftBday_party Report

    Michael None
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Nope. A number does not make you less able to be responsible for your actions.

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