Wait, They Actually Knew These Criminals Before? Wild Stories!

One of my parents' friends used to hang around a lot. Super nice dude, probably around 21, wouldn't hurt a fly. Then, bam! A couple years later, we catch him on the news for straight-up murder. The story? He and his girlfriend killed her ex, then tried to hide him in concrete – but left their names scribbled in it, so oops, got caught!

I had this awesome computer science prof during my first semester. Super nice guy who even shared pics of his autistic son on a GoFundMe page after a pool accident. Then, months later, I get calls from reporters. Turns out, he was arrested for leaving his son unattended, leading to a tragic death. Shocked doesn’t cut it. Who’d have thought Mr. Nice Guy was hiding that?

This is tough to say, but my dad was a murderer. The guy I loved watching Batman with turned out to be a nightmare. He killed his parents and set the house on fire. It haunted me forever because everyone pretended it was "just bad behavior." It wasn't. It changed my life, left me angry for years, and the state executed him. Watching that? Not the closure I wanted. Just sad.

Back in grade school, I sat next to this quiet kid named George and sometimes visited his place. Years later in college, the NY Post showed George on the front page with a horrifying story: he beat his mom to death with a baseball bat. Then, surprise! We bumped into him on the subway after he got out. Definitely the weirdest small talk ever.

I knew this kid in Boy Scouts who later beat a homeless man to death at 17. I sorta expected trouble since I’d heard he used to kill kittens as a kid. Plus, his scoutmaster - who's like a father figure - wasn't exactly a saint either. Not a surprise but still super creepy.

Grew up around this guy Donald who babysat my sister sometimes. Huge collection of horror VHS tapes, seemed chill and normal if a bit shy. Then, bam! He turned out to be a serial attacker. When it was all happening, my mom told him she was scared to wait at bus stops. He said, “Nah, no worries!” Guess we were the lucky friends.

Went to high school with a socially awkward guy who ended up tying two hitchhikers to a tree and bayoneting them to death. The summer before, he kept trying to date me, but I had a boyfriend - probably saved my life. Always the loner with poor social skills, but who’d think he’d do THAT?

I know a guy who worked with Jeffrey Dahmer. Everyone thought Dahmer was just a quiet, normal-looking guy. No one suspected the monster beneath. My aunt said he was a nice but quiet kid too. Guess you never really know.

I dated a guy who ended up stabbing his own mother to death. Complete psycho and a***hole. I ran away because I feared for my life. Turns out he killed her just months after our breakup. He's still in prison, and I still get nightmares thinking about it.

I once hired a father-son handyman duo to fix my house. Dad seemed super nice, even did some work for free. But three days after leaving my place, he killed his new clients over a job dispute and then started shooting at neighbors. Terrifying until he was caught!

Worked with a guy who seemed like a typical stoner bragging about parties. After I left, he killed his ex-girlfriend with her 5-year-old kid in the apartment. Then he took the kid on a road trip, smothered the mom on Christmas and left the body in a suitcase. Creepy, right?

Knew James Holmes back in college. He was paranoid, refused to fill out medical forms easily, and was already unraveling before his big crime. When Aurora happened, I was shocked to realize I saw him almost every day. Creepy how normal he seemed.

Ted Bundy worked on a suicide hotline during those late-night shifts. His coworker chatted with him about the murders but never suspected a thing. She was a police officer and now writes true crime. Oddly, he saved more lives on the hotline than he took. Talk about a chilling twist!

My parents were close with a couple, M & J, who felt like family. Then M got arrested for murder, confessing to three killings of young women, even storing a body in their garage. J lost her job and pretty much disappeared, coming back only recently. It still messes with me years later.

I spent months with a guy named Joe during a study abroad. He was intense but kind, protected the group, and even scared off some robbers with a big knife. Years later, he killed his commander at work then himself when told he wasn't fit for a new position. Whoa.

Taught a rough kid named Sam who was aggressive and a pain but seemed to connect with me. Years later, he ran over two girls on purpose. Hit hard realizing sometimes you just can't change people. Still trying, though!

Played darts and pool with a chill dude. Turns out, he had about a dozen bodies hidden on his property! He even escaped jail using bedsheets and threw his cellmate down a flight of stairs. Friendly but super scary psychopath, no joke.

My neighbor's dad killed his whole family then himself before being indicted for a Ponzi scheme. Dude was always a bit off, wearing suits to kids' soccer games, but no one saw violence coming. Tragic all around.

My sister dated a seemingly normal guy who later murdered a couple he owed money to, using a microphone stand and hammer. He’s serving life with no parole. Quiet dude turned deadly - never saw it coming.

Graduated with Chris Duntsch aka Dr. Death. Total jerk, charming to some but mean to many. He bullied people and lost his cool easily. Folks just said, “that’s Chris,” never thinking this guy would be a deadly disaster.

College guy was friendly and funny... until the booze showed up. He got a wild look, sought fights, and ended up killing a girl after a baseball game. Now serving 35 years. Part scary, part sad.

In high school, this odd kid dressed and talked funny, made weird and threatening comments mostly towards girls. After graduation, he butchered a homeless woman and proudly admitted to it in court. Yikes.

My sister’s fiancé seemed pretty normal - helped care for her after surgery, shy, a bit weird. Then I cleaned out their place and found guns and knives galore. Never saw the darker side until it was too late.

Grew up with a dude who killed his mom and her boyfriend with a baseball bat when we were 16. Part of some twisted nerd plan to kill parents and flee to Florida. Dude was always a bit socially awkward and fought a lot, but no one saw THIS coming.

Went to high school with a girl who poisoned her father. She was a little weird but no one suspected she could do that. Shocked us all when she confessed a year later in college. Yikes.

My dad's friend killed his wife to pay off debts and collect insurance. He’s doing around 40 years now. Dad was super shocked since the dude was at church every Sunday and seemed normal as can be. Goes to show you never really know.

My brother’s been in and out of jail for violent crimes his whole adult life. In 2011, he beat and stabbed a girl to death after a baseball game. He bragged about it after getting only 8 months. Now he’s in jail for punching an 8-week-old baby. Yeah, family drama for sure.

I knew a guy after prison who admitted to killing multiple people over gang and drug stuff. Paradoxically, he was one of the kindest, most gentle folks I've met - loving animals, smart, insightful. Never guessed he had that dark past until after he passed away. Life’s weird.

Years ago, a sweet guy I knew killed his mum, stepdad, and little sister, then offed himself. He sent a text saying his mum was a violent alcoholic and death was the only way out. Shocking for everyone.

A kid I grew up with murdered his entire family except his older brother. He filmed his sister showering and then did the unthinkable. Nice kid? Nope, just a devastating shock to everyone. The surviving brother still visits him in prison. Bleak story.

Worked with a seemingly nice guy who had pics of his kids on his desk but never talked family stuff. One day he vanished, then news broke - he'd killed his ex-wife and kids to avoid child support and fled. Got caught when he tried to get a new license. Crazy.

My work manager was a chill, nerdy guy I almost called a friend. Then he smothered his infant son! Everyone was shocked and didn’t know how to act. We whispered about it when no customers were around, but man... what a dark twist.

I worked with a dude who turned out to murder his girlfriend. We had lunch together often, talked football, life, all normal stuff. He was never aggressive. No one would’ve guessed.

Friend’s younger brother struggled a lot and was groomed by an older man. After trying to break free and start a new life, he killed that man in self-defense during a knife attack but hid the body. He got a life sentence longer than a human lifespan. Tough story and sad truth.

Known this guy the night before he killed his girlfriend’s mother. Brain tumor survivor, a little slow, a bit of a jerk as a teen. He seemed happy with his daughter and girlfriend. That night, he disappeared, never the same after. Court sentenced him, but I still don’t get it.

Went to school with a popular athlete type who was cool but kept to himself. Later he killed his girlfriend, her mom, and little sister in a horrific domestic violence event. He was caught walking down the street covered in blood. Knowing him makes it all feel unreal.

My aunt strangled her 5-month-old baby and tried to hide him in a neighbor’s basement. The family was close and devastated. She showed zero remorse, saying she hated the baby. This split our family and left everyone sick and divided. She might be out of jail soon, which is terrifying.

While researching family trees, my mom casually mentioned Aunt Tillie, who strangled a little boy who came by for cookies. She heard voices and ended up in an asylum for 7 years. Found an old newspaper article, but it still haunts me thinking about the boy and his family’s pain.

Back in 2002, a guy named Sean crashed a car killing his friends. His mom vanished after a huge family fight - police only ever found blood traces. Sean never got convicted due to no evidence. The full story? Still a mystery to me.

I had a class with Aaron Hernandez at University of Florida. He asked me for a pencil before an exam but I only had one, sorry dude! He walked out and didn’t take the test. Little did I know he’d go down in infamy later.

Middle school buddy is now serving 400+ years. Killed his dad with a machete, tried to kill his stepmom (she survived), then stole a truck and went on a shooting spree. Middle school me thought he was just angry and withdrawn. Guess I wasn’t wrong.

Mom dated a doctor from a singles group. After messy divorce talks, dude shot and decapitated his ex-wife, cut off fingertips, dumped her body in a field, then killed himself before the cops got him. Met him a few times, never creepy vibes. Yikes.

Brother went to school with twins who stabbed classmates' heads with sharpened pencils! Parents complained and, years later, the twins murdered a woman together. Creepy how bad kids can turn.

Knew a guy whose relative was like Ted Bundy - charismatic, handsome, super smart. Women vanished, and pressure mounted. One victim escaped and he’s now serving life. Now he’s a prison library regular, probably even more dangerous. Yay?

Family member dated a girl who had killed a guy with her ex before meeting us. She helped decorate Christmas tree, seemed nice. Found out months later. Felt weird and gross. Really, really weird.

Worked with a nice dude in culinary school - servers and good friends. Years later, he almost got life for killing one of his kids and attempting murder on others. Went heavy into meth after moving to the Midwest. Sad transformation.

Used to work at a gas station near hotels. One maintenance guy, my fave, helped me practice Spanish, always brightened my day. Then he died in a tragic incident after a shooting spree at his job. Broke my heart. Missed him a lot.

Played Halo 3 with a quiet guy who suddenly disappeared. Turns out he killed both his parents. Weird how complaints about family turned into full-blown tragedy. Never saw it coming in the gaming lobby.

Neighbor killed his wife and her sister, buried them in the yard. His son went to my school and he was always yelling and acting crazy. Property turned into creepy unregulated camp now. I avoid the area, it freaks me out.

A kid from my English class killed his girlfriend. Seemed like a normal, friendly guy - never expected this mess.

Went K-12 with this guy who, along with his brother, killed their parents. Terrible news when I got a text about it. Turns out younger brother got cleared later. Still shocking.

Best friend at Fort Bragg got into a drunken fight later in life, shot a guy, and got 25 years. Never showed violent tendencies growing up. Last talked to him days before trial. Life can flip in a heartbeat.

Friend murdered his family unexpectedly. We all thought it was his brother who snapped. He calls police admitting to the murders. Now life’s life without parole and went white power in prison. Senior year was messy.

Sat next to a nice but awkward guy in drafting class. Later, he robbed a pizza joint and shot three workers finishing their shift. Didn’t see it coming from the quiet kid.

High school guy beat his girlfriend and stomped her new puppy to death. The girl survived and reported him, but then started saying she couldn’t wait to marry him. Crazy world.

My childhood speech therapist turned out to be prime suspect in a murder case involving his ex-girlfriend’s new man. Always seemed a bit off and made dinner reservations during sessions. Super weird thinking he worked with kids.

My brother’s friend called for a ride late at night but got turned down. Next day, news broke that friend had beaten his mother to death with an iron pipe. We still don’t know why. Could have dragged my brother into it if he’d gone.

Neighbor’s older brother murdered their parents and sliced up siblings. The sister survived and moved away. House had bloody prints on door and windows for months. It messed me up as a kid seeing all that.

Girl I liked in high school had a boyfriend in jail who warned ‘he’d kill me’ if I talked to her. She chased me anyway, but I kept my distance. When boyfriend got out, he shot up entire family. I was scared he’d come after me next.