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Original poster

What crime stories have you been obsessed by?

598 replies

WomenHour · 27/08/2020 21:43

I was griped by the James Bulger murder 25 years ago

OP posts:
vanillandhoney · 30/08/2020 19:27

I am staggered, and quite disturbed by how many people are 'obsessed with' such awful, disturbing crimes. 22 pages in, and - with some exceptions who explain that they are 'haunted by' or 'often think of' - there are over 500 posts of people picking over the bones of murders.

You're "staggered"? Really?

There are entire TV channels dedicated to true crime. Entire TV series, books, newspaper columns - or has all that just completely passed you by?

PhilSwagielka · 30/08/2020 19:28

@BackforGood

I am staggered, and quite disturbed by how many people are 'obsessed with' such awful, disturbing crimes. 22 pages in, and - with some exceptions who explain that they are 'haunted by' or 'often think of' - there are over 500 posts of people picking over the bones of murders.

These aren't story books, or films. These are real people - with families, potentially on MN.
People are talking about them as if it is a drama written for people to watch and chat about Hmm

I understand people being haunted by a crime - as some have said, where they used that park, or where they had a child that age. Thinking about the 'what ifs' when your child of the same age reaches milestones the victim never will, but some of this discussion doesn't sound at all healthy to me.

I wouldn't say I'm obsessed exactly, but I am interested. Part of it is because of my old job.
Zaphodsotherhead · 30/08/2020 19:43

@BackforGood

I am staggered, and quite disturbed by how many people are 'obsessed with' such awful, disturbing crimes. 22 pages in, and - with some exceptions who explain that they are 'haunted by' or 'often think of' - there are over 500 posts of people picking over the bones of murders.

These aren't story books, or films. These are real people - with families, potentially on MN.
People are talking about them as if it is a drama written for people to watch and chat about Hmm

I understand people being haunted by a crime - as some have said, where they used that park, or where they had a child that age. Thinking about the 'what ifs' when your child of the same age reaches milestones the victim never will, but some of this discussion doesn't sound at all healthy to me.

But if you'd lost a child or a relative to an horrific crime, wouldn't you feel slightly reassured to know that people still remembered the crime? Still felt for your loss? Were still committed to seeking justice for you and your family?

That the name of your loved one was still being spoken and honoured?

I think I would.

BackforGood · 30/08/2020 19:52

or has all that just completely passed you by?

Well, yes. It has.

I get the "well I wonder what has gone on there then?" thinking. Indeed there was a murder very close to home last week, that the chain of events between the man being found and arrests made, and then who has been arrested, is all very strange and makes you curious to understand it a bit more.

I get the thinking about the family some years later, say if your child was the same age as a little one that was killed, or there was some other circumstance similar to your own, or something.

I don't get the poring over gruesome details of horrific events - obviously unless you work for a department trying to solve those crimes, or as part of serious case reviews where you are looking for any points where things could have been done differently to prevent such a thing happening again.

Its the fact that there are so many people doing it for entertainment that seems so alien to me.

PablosHoney · 30/08/2020 20:08

I don’t think entertainment is the right word here, I mean obviously it fits your narrative but a grim fascination is very common, what makes people tick? What would posses someone to do such things? If it’s passed you by you must be living under a rock.

CerealBeacon · 30/08/2020 20:10

But if you'd lost a child or a relative to an horrific crime, wouldn't you feel slightly reassured to know that people still remembered the crime? Still felt for your loss? Were still committed to seeking justice for you and your family?

That the name of your loved one was still being spoken and honoured?

Only most of the thread and the subreddits etc dedicated to true crime are not generally about 'honouring' the name of the victim of a horrible crime, but about speculation, arguments about alternative theories, rubber-necking and a prurient attitude to the smallest details of rape, torture and murder.

gingganggooleywotsit · 30/08/2020 20:12

The twilight killers. So strange they were so young and so cold.

Muser314 · 30/08/2020 20:13

Graham Dwyer's murder of Elaine O'Hara

vanillandhoney · 30/08/2020 20:15

Well, yes. It has.

Really? You're totally unaware of programmes like Crimewatch, then? Or the fact that SKY has an entire channel dedicated to real life crime? Or the entire sections in bookshops dedicated to it? Or all the documentaries on Netflix about various crimes and serial killers? Piers Morgan has just released several filmed interviews with serial killers, for example. I very much doubt that all that has totally passed you by - unless you've been living under a rock for the past forty years.

What you really mean, is that you think people who are interested in true crime are freaks or weirdos, so you're pretending you're totally oblivious to the whole thing.

PablosHoney · 30/08/2020 20:16

I didn’t see that people had gone in to detail about rape and torture, sorry it’s a very long thread.

Thisismytimetoshine · 30/08/2020 20:18

Only most of the thread and the subreddits etc dedicated to true crime are not generally about 'honouring' the name of the victim of a horrible crime, but about speculation, arguments about alternative theories, rubber-necking and a prurient attitude to the smallest details of rape, torture and murder.
Not on this thread, I don't think?

CerealBeacon · 30/08/2020 20:22

I didn’t see that people had gone in to detail about rape and torture, sorry it’s a very long thread.

Sorry, @PablosHoney -- not exactly that they were going into explicit detail on the thread itself, more that people were saying 'You need a strong stomach for what was done to X' and 'Whatever you do, don't Google what Y did to Z' and people were responding and saying Ugh, they had googled and how horrifying it was.

Not everyone, obviously, but some of it seems to have sent people off looking for gruesome details about what some murderer did to his victims.

KittCat · 30/08/2020 20:26

Jack the ripper
Rillington place (on drama channel)
Yorkshire Ripper
Ron Whitting (poor Sarah Payne)😞
Soham murders

AdoptedBumpkin · 30/08/2020 20:32

@Zaphodsotherhead That must be so strange.

Butterer · 30/08/2020 20:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ihaventgottimeforthis · 30/08/2020 20:40

I have an interest in the stories surrounding the Brinks Mat robbery & other 'criminal underworld' type stuff from S London & Kent, leading up to Hatton Garden. I used to live in that area and worked in a pub once owned by someone involved & there were all sorts of stories.
Old school crime, interesting enough to follow but not tragic, gruesome or sad.
www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/ruthless-hitmen-jailed-for-at--a31051/

NotEverythingIsBlackandWhite · 30/08/2020 20:57

Madelaine McCann

bornninthe80s · 30/08/2020 20:57

McCanns ☹️

tobee · 30/08/2020 20:59

Just seen (again) the trailer for I'll Be Gone in the Dark starting on Sky Crime. About Michelle McNamara and her search to find the identity of the Golden State Killer.

When I was on maternity leave and spending hours breast feeding dd, 😴, I spent lots of time watching the live coverage of the OJ Simpson trial. I thought I'd heard all I could take from that case, but when DH and the dc were out a couple of years ago, I spent a day binge watching the entire documentary OJ Simpson Made in America. Nearly 8 hours but the stuff from his childhood and career made the context of the trial fascinating. I was gripped. But the crime scene photos of the murders of Nicole and Ron were very upsetting.

dayswithaY · 30/08/2020 21:31

I think people's interest in true crime is just human nature - anyone of us could be a murder victim. There's also an aspect of self preservation involved. People think if they pore over every detail of a crime then may be they can avoid being a victim too. People have and always will have a morbid fascination with the dark side, you can't change that.

If I or anyone that I loved became a victim and the crime was unsolved I would be grateful for amateur online sleuths keeping it in the public eye.

SideEyeing · 30/08/2020 21:34

I do wonder if I'm a bit weird about true crime.. But then again, I can't stomach horror or any violence in a tv drama so perhaps it's just horses for courses. I think @BackforGood has a point but I think for it to be valid you're going to have to be horrified by a far greater number of people than you'd imagine!

BackforGood · 30/08/2020 22:04

Really? You're totally unaware of programmes like Crimewatch, then? Or the fact that SKY has an entire channel dedicated to real life crime? Or the entire sections in bookshops dedicated to it? Or all the documentaries on Netflix about various crimes and serial killers? Piers Morgan has just released several filmed interviews with serial killers, for example. I very much doubt that all that has totally passed you by - unless you've been living under a rock for the past forty years.

What you really mean, is that you think people who are interested in true crime are freaks or weirdos, so you're pretending you're totally oblivious to the whole thing.

I'm aware of Crimewatch. A programme that puts out appeals to try to help solve crimes. That isn't what we are talking about.

I wasn't aware Sky had a channel entirely dedicated to real life crime, no. Why would I be ? I don't have Sky, and I don't have an interest in poring over gruesome crimes. Confused
I don't have Netflix either, so, again, wouldn't happen upon it there.
I have been in bookshops, obviously, but only tend to go to one very occasionally when looking for a specific book, and I'm sure there are books on any subject you want if you go looking for them, but I've not 'happened upon' the fact there are so many, though I'm aware there are always people out there ready to try and make money on the back of someone's misery.

I very much doubt that all that has totally passed you by - unless you've been living under a rock for the past forty years.

Well, putting aside the fact that neither Sky nor Netflix have been around anywhere like that long, I haven't 'been under a rock', just clearly have other interests. That's not so strange is it ?

PablosHoney · 30/08/2020 22:07

Crime documentaries etc have been available on main stream media for years, no it’s not unusual that you aren’t interested but it’s a stretch to pretend you didn’t realise others were. I don’t watch any soaps but I know they exist and thousands do.

BackforGood · 30/08/2020 22:07

That's fine @SideEyeing. I am truely surprised how mainstream a fascination it is.
Not a criticism, just noting that it really surprised me.

PablosHoney · 30/08/2020 22:08

I don’t personally don’t feel criticised and there is definitely room for healthy debate over a controversial subject.