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Seemingly innocent photos might be far more disturbing than you realize. And it goes to show just how important context is and that we should never judge a book (well, in this case, a photo) by its cover. There are secrets hidden behind sweet smiles and plenty of skeletons in happy-looking people’s closets. And don’t forget that even villains laugh and have fun.

Redditor KermitTheFraud92 started up a fascinating thread on r/AskReddit about the hidden sides of ‘normal’ photos. They asked people to share images that have incredibly disturbing backstories, and these are so vividly dark, they might keep you up at night.

Before you start scrolling down and upvoting the stories that drew you in the most, a small note of warning: make sure there’s plenty of light and people around you. We wouldn’t want to spook you too much, dear Pandas. I had a chat with the author of the thread, redditor KermitTheFraud92 from Australia. Be sure to read on for Bored Panda's full interview with them below.

A small note of warning: some of these stories might be too much for some of you Pandas. Read at your own risk.

#1

This Photo May Not Look Like Much At First

This Photo May Not Look Like Much At First

Now, have a look at the guy in the background, top left. Have a look what's in the background, top right.

That's the Tank Man from the Tiananmen Square massacre. Thought to be student Wang Weilin, this photo was snapped minutes before the famous one was taken.

Nobody knows what happened to Weilin. He may have been executed, he may still be in prison, he may have fled to another country.

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    #2

    Camp Staff Taking A Day Off

    Camp Staff Taking A Day Off

    These photos of Auschwitz staff enjoying pleasant days off always stick with me. They look like camp counselors, but their job is killing people in horrible ways, and they enjoyed it. Most probably took lives not shortly before or after the photos were taken.

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    #3

    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

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    Redditor KermitTheFraud92 was very open that they "can't really take credit" for the question that they posted on r/AskReddit. They were inspired by other similar questions, asked by other site users before. "I have seen similar questions posted on the sub in the past and they have always gained good results. It’s always interesting to ask it again every couple of years because you may get different results and even new ones," they told Bored Panda.

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    In the redditor's opinion, the thread appealed to people because of how interesting the topic was. "I'm pretty overwhelmed by the responses and am still yet to get through them all myself," they said that they got lots of feedback from other redditors.

    #4

    This Is A Pic Of The 1970's-Era Gameshow, The Dating Game

    This Is A Pic Of The 1970's-Era Gameshow, The Dating Game

    The circled man is serial killer Rodney Alcala. By the time of that appearance on the show, he had raped several women and murdered at least one.

    He won the game, but the woman never went on the date with him. You can imagine how relieved she is.

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    Kazuki Homare
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah I remember the woman stating in an interview how she felt uncomfortable with him and there's just something about him that's off. Made me realize how I should always listen to my gut feeling.

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    #5

    This Photo Always Gets To Me Somehow

    This Photo Always Gets To Me Somehow

    Just a couple of astronauts posing in zero gravity happy to have such an incredible opportunity, like astronauts often do. Meanwhile they have no idea that their space shuttle is irreparably damaged, and in fact will be dead in a few days during reentry (which was considered “safe” until then).

    It’s the crew for Columbia for those who don’t know, whose tiles were damaged during the launch of the shuttle into space by foam. No one knew how bad the damage was until it disintegrated.

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    #6

    Father And Daughter In Omagh, Northern Ireland

    Father And Daughter In Omagh, Northern Ireland

    This happy photo of the father and daughter was taken moments before the Omagh car bombing in 1998.

    The bomb placed by a group known as the Real IRA was in this red car and killed 29 people, including the photographer who took this photo. Both the father and daughter survived.

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    Amy Pattie
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We watched the movie about Omagh in high school. I excused myself to puke ten minutes in. So brutal.

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    In KermitTheFraud92's opinion, we "definitely" can't determine what a person's truly like, based on their photos alone. A photo "may give you hints and whatnot, but you can never truly tell what a person is like just from a photo." The redditor pointed out that the truth can be incredibly disturbing when you learn it: "Some of those photos show people smiling at the camera when they just murdered a loved one a few minutes ago."

    Redditor Kermit’s thread went viral almost immediately. The question got more than 57.2k upvotes and got so many awards, it was declared to be a ‘Top Awarded’ post. The thread had nearly 17k comments at the time of writing. And it’s no surprise because the topic is absolutely fascinating. It draws you in and doesn’t want to let you go. Just like the abyss.

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    #7

    This Photo Creeps Me Out

    This Photo Creeps Me Out

    John Lennon signed an autograph for his killer, Mark Chapman, just a few hours before the murder and then asked him "Is that all?". Chapman even had a gun on him at the time.

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    Serial pacifist
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To think that just one single idiot is enough to eliminate the creative power even of the most prolific genius...scary world.

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    #8

    The Hartley Violin

    The Hartley Violin

    This is the Hartley Violin, owned by Wallace Hartley, the bandmaster and lead violinist on the Titanic. It was the one he carried with him and played on the night the ship sank. Survivors reported seeing Hartley and his band on the deck of the ship during the sinking, playing to calm passengers as they boarded the insufficient lifeboats. Hartley and every member of the band died in the sinking. We have his violin because at some unknown point before his death, Hartley tucked the violin back into its monogrammed case for safekeeping. That's how it was found, floating in the debris field, by one of the ships sent to recover bodies from the wreck. They were able to identify it as Hartley's because of an engraved brass plate, and it was returned to his fiancé, who kept it until her death. Her family authenticated it and sold it for $1.6M to an organization that collects Titanic artifacts."

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    #9

    Genie Standing For A Photo

    Genie Standing For A Photo

    Genie was a 'feral' child. She was tied to a chair in a room her whole childhood and punished when she made noise.

    She was found, rescued, and they tried to teach her to speak, and she actually managed to learn to communicate a bit. By all we know now, she was curious, intelligent, and eager to learn. Her brain had just literally missed the window to learn language.

    As far as we know, she's been in an assisted living facility somewhere.

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    TmKhr
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What kind of sick parents can do this to their own child? It's absolutely inhumane. I hope she's doing a lot better today.

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    Kermit’s thread touches upon the dark side of humanity and proves that we wouldn’t always be able to recognize complete monsters. Because they look and act just like us. Because they seem completely normal. And it’s only after you learn that you’re looking at photos of killers and kidnappers that you begin to search for any indication that beneath those innocent exteriors and friendly facades lie hearts and souls filled with malice and pure evil.

    Despite the fact that some psychopaths blend into society like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, there are some subtle signs that you should keep an eye for. Keep in mind though that not everyone who’s evil is a psychopath and not every psychopath is necessarily evil. However, psychopaths do veer towards manipulating and hurting others, lacking empathy for their fellow human beings.

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    #10

    American Physicist Harold Agnew

    American Physicist Harold Agnew

    This is physicist Harold Agnew holding the nuclear core of the Fat Man atomic bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki in 1945.

    The bomb ended up killing about 80,000 people, many of whom died from the long-term effects the bomb caused, like radiation illness and leukemia.

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    Cathelijne Van
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So, interesting how these reactions (edit: how the first reactions were) are so different from the Auswitz photo of the camp leaders having a day of

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    #11

    Franklin Delano Floyd And Suzanne Marie Sevakis

    Franklin Delano Floyd And Suzanne Marie Sevakis

    This is the leading image on Franklin Delano Floyd. In actuality, the little girl is Floyd's stepdaughter, Suzanne Marie Sevakis, who he'd kidnapped around 1974, when Suzanne was under 10 years old.

    He would go on to raise her as his daughter, putting her through high school under several pseudonyms, have a son with her in 1988, and marry her in 1989, under the name Tonya Hughes.

    By 1990, Suzanne had decided to leave Floyd and take her son, Michael, with her. In April of that year, she was found beaten and bruised on the side of a highway, and she subsequently died in the hospital. Michael went into foster care and was adopted, only to be kidnapped by Floyd in 1994 and to never be seen again.

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    #12

    If You're British, And Of A Certain Age, You'll Probably Be As Haunted By This Grainy Image As I Am

    If You're British, And Of A Certain Age, You'll Probably Be As Haunted By This Grainy Image As I Am

    I still distinctly remember the first time I saw it. At the time, James Bulger was only missing, and it was regarded as a cause for optimism that he was last seen with other children. The truth was far worse than anyone imagined, and still inspires a visceral reaction unlike any other crime in my lifetime.

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    Axolotl King
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not British but I think I know the story behind this and if it's what I think it is then...

    Rissie
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. That's it. And it tampers with our believe that young children can't be evil. Sadly they can be.

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    Just Your Regular Avocado
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I should never have researched this. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever heard.

    hobbitly
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I didnt know the case, so I looked it up and it is horrible. So many very brutal and gruesome details. If you dont want details, but still want to know, here is what happend: in 1993 two ten year old boys kidnapped a 2 year old, they abused him and left him for dead. The toddler died.

    Mumof1
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited)

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    They didn't "leave him for dead". They killed him, having walked him through the streets of Liverpool and down onto the railway tracks. They were 10-year old boys from deprived homes, the victom was a 2-year old toddler. At10 years of age they cannot be held responsible for their actions, which in itself cause uproar. Childre cannot, and should not, be expected to behave like adults, and anyone who thinks otherwise needs to do a lot of reading and a lot of research to undersand why.

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    Eslamala
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The worst part is his killers are free. And, as it was the case with Mary Bell, they were given new identities. Fckn psychopaths, they should've been put to death after what they did to that poor boy.

    Meh
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One is back in prison. His cover was blown and he was found with child p**n

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    Altea
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Horrible horrible case. Also, I am not sure what to think about the killers being free. Yes, they were abused children, but is that really an excuse for such a horrible crime? At what age can a person be considered responsible from his/her own crimes?

    bumble bee
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The so called child abuse history of the killers was what I would consider low grade. Many failed them, but nothing in their childhood would be an acceptable cause for what they did.

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    kerry kerry
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I never got over this As a result I never let my child out of my sight ..... ever It’s tiresome but nothing compared to the parents of this beautiful innocent child who clearly had never known anything but love until this day

    Okido
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same here, I always kept one hand on the stroller while I was (grocery) shopping. And after their stroller age never let my boys (now 18 and almost 17) out of my sight.

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    Prilsy
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not British but I do remember this story and the realization that evil does indeed exist.

    Roxy Eastland
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What happened to little Jamie is beyond horrendous, it doesn't bear thinking about. It is important to understand that the boys that did all those things to him were also abused children. The failure happened further back than when this picture was taken. Brits of a certain age will understand if I say they were 'Baby P that survived'.

    N G
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One was worse than the other. One has taken his new identity and quietly gotten on with life - the other keeps getting into trouble and ending up back in jail. Child pron was the last offence I remember reading he was guilty of. A truly damaged individual.

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    Bob Knob
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Don't forget either that SEVERAL adults saw this toddler wounded and crying and never intervened. The killers told them they were taking the boy home to their mom. If even one person had acted on that "something's not right here" feeling, the poor guy would have been saved. What they did to him was beyond horrific.

    Okido
    Community Member
    1 month ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you saw two young boys walking with a bleeding toddler, saying they’re bringing him home, would it ever cross your mind that they might go and kill him? That’s so beyond any imagination that no one suspected anything like this could happen.

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    Jubum
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    i am not british but remember the case. One of the bad details is that pedestrians noticed the boys. The boys said it was their little brother. My heart breaks when I think of this little boy. I hope he gets the love he deserves where he is now is.

    NK
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The kids who killed him led a pampered life in prison, and their new identities is protected. They should be identified and hunted down when they are released. No amount of time behind bars is enough to pay for what they've done.

    Kt
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Theyve both been released and one has been in and out over the years, most recebtly due to child.porn. never hear of the other one, he has a new identity and is living a quiet life somewhere 😡

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    Jrizzy Jay
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just read the backstory on Wikipedia and I am officially done for the day

    Kay blue
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I am about the same age as Thompson and Venebles and lived near where this happened. It was an awful time, almost like innocence itself had been destroyed. Parents kept their children close by and we weren't allowed to make new friends that weren't in our class at school. One of them is back in jail now for offences against children, the other has a new identity and is living quietly and so far hasn't committed any other offences.

    Linnedivera
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I highly regret Googling this... had tears in my eyes while reading. How could you commit such an evil crime?

    Sinéad Quinn
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This made me feel sick. I will never forget this. I have thought about Jamie and his family many times over the years. I was a kid when it happened and I remember watching the news and hearing about it and seeing this picture. Poor little thing, ugh, just sickening and devastating what they did to him. I still can't believe they are free now. They are psychopaths.

    Sabrena Patterson
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This picture still horrifies me. This little boy is holding his murderers hand with so much trust. That poor innocent boy.

    Dodo
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember the two killers looked so angelic in their mug shots.

    Rosemary Booth
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I definitely felt creepy vibes from Venebles photo. I wasn't surprised to learn that he went on to commit multiple child related offenses.

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    N G
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A ten year old boy holding the hand of a two year old boy, leading him out of the shopping centre towards the place where the ten year old (along with his friend) would brutally murder the toddler.

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    Kirsten Kerkhof
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You can watch the Crimewatch UK episode where they address James' disappearance on Youtube. The optimism about the two boys being his helpers instead of his killers is chilling (though you cannot possible blame CW).

    NWB
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So disgusting and sad! Jon Venables is evil to the core...and still is.

    Queen Jackson.
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I recognized this as soon as I saw this. This is the boy who got taken by the boys at the mall right?

    Hansel Indenbirken
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This incident sickened me back then and it still makes me feel horrible. I’m still reeling over the fact that two 10-year old lads have the capacity for evil. You’ld normally expect an adult to commit something so unspeakably barbaric but children? Hardly, especially a couple of 10 year olds.

    Hansel Indenbirken
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And why the bloody hell are these two lads out of prison now??? You don’t just commit a crime so depraved one instant and get away the next without any major consequences. Also, why kill an innocent 2 year old who hasn’t wronged anyone?? What’s the matter with these deranged bastards?? I’m sorry for both ranting and swearing but things like this make my blood boil.

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    Damo Lee Park
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What worries me the most is those two animals were sent to Australia with new identities when they were released

    DanieLegz
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Those 2 are scum! They knew exactly what they were doing! They should never have got anonymity!

    Mia Smith
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm usually a proponent of nurture over nature influencing our psyches but incidents like these make me wonder if true evil isn't just sometimes born...

    ADHD
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    and the brit scum protected these murders, one of em was done for child porn a few years ago too, anonymity for life, its bullshit

    Guido Pisano
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hurts so much - how James suffered and how many people could have saved him...

    JD Lee
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some people are born evil.. I don’t care what anyone argues. These boys were not taught to be evil, they just were.

    Kat Humble
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember when the news broke on this. The whole nation seemed to be frozen in shock and horror. That picture still terrifies me.

    Miss Frankfurter
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I knew this picture as soon as I saw it, and I'm not British. Horror.

    Socorra Freyre
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You did not he to be British to know what these 2 monsters did to the 2 year old is was world wide news. It is still the crime of the century in Britain. Shame on her majesty allow them together sentence in that manner.

    Nadine Bamberger
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    James was only two years old, his murderers just 8 years older. They were both released after eight years, one of them repeatedly re offended.

    Heidi I
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not British but I remember the story a little too well 😔

    Brian Bennett
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I knew about this case from TV. I heard that they got minimal prison time in a boy's school During this time the one boy had any thing he wanted. They were both released and given new identities the one murderer did well on release apparently has married and has a child. The one who got everything in the boy's school turned out to be what he is. He has been given at least 2 more identities New ones given after other crimes he committed and served time. He is at present in the BIG BOY'S SCHOOL I can't remember what for, If he's released again hide your kids!

    H G
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is very similar to the American Adam Walsh case. Disappeared from a busy mall, possibly wirynsome other boys, later found brutally murdered. His father would go on to host Unsolved Mysteries.

    TexasPK
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not Unsolved Mysteries...John Walsh & his wife help start the Center for Missing & Exploited Children. He went on to host America's Most Wanted for years.

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    Paddling Panda
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm Canadian and I remember crying so hard when this happened. And now I'm crying again.

    Tamra Stiffler
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I heard of this, it sent me into such a deep depression, and I've never forgotten it. Makes me want to lose faith in humanity.

    RoseTheMad
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was born in '95, so two years after this awful event, and I am very much haunted by this image. The thought that children could do that to another child is so disturbing and horrifying to me...

    Bear Hall
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Visceral, yes. It makes me feel like I want to throw up every single time I think about this.

    Sur Mer
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe the most horrific story I've ever heard. I've been trying to put it out of my mind ever since.

    Linda Williams
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of the most horrible things I have ever heard about on the news 😢.

    Rens
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That image has been burned into my mind, also the picture of Madeline McCann (?) . As a parent, images of lost and murdered children will haunt you.

    Sally Horrocks
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    He was a little older than my oldest child. I can remember losing sight of my daughter in a shop for a few seconds, my logical brain was saying 'she can't be far* and most people are kind and decent', but another part of my brain was playing this to me. *Hiding in a clothes rack!

    S
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you don't know, don't look it up. You can't take it back once you've read it. It sticks with you.

    Luke Kavanaugh
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    after I read this I googled "James Bulger" I got the book and now I'm tearing up.

    Ju Lia
    Community Member
    4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you don't know the case, please don't look it up. Really.

    Rima Jabr
    Community Member
    4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m Australian and I recognised this footage straight away

    Hannah Evans
    Community Member
    6 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    These evil boys only got eight years then got new identities. Of course one then got caught with child pornography. What did they expect? Monsters like this shouldn't get a second chance. What those boys did was horrific.

    Saeyoul Akiyune
    Community Member
    8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh gods, I came across this on a YouTube channel several years ago...Gods, I can't remember the name of that channel now....It was shocking and horrible....Poor child....

    Lululoohoo
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anyone who knows anything about true crime knows this image & the horrors behind what transpires.

    Brenda S
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I vividly recall this photograph and the horror story it became.

    🤣🤣🤣 (Me while reading bp)
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Apparently the details are so horrific that even 25 years later they have never been fully released

    Amanda dando
    Community Member
    9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember this all too well, and the absolute horror of two kids so evil doing what they did

    Jax the fox
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    when that small child body was found it was so damaged they wernt able to find the true cause of death

    Kira
    Community Member
    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can someone explain? I have no idea what's the backstory of this image, I'm still pretty young. (Even if it's awful I can handle it I like true crime, please don't spare the gruesome details)

    Gavin Frazier
    Community Member
    2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    for those that dont know. I warn you before reading on. two preteens kidnapped a i belive 4-5 year old and beat and tortured him to death.

    Elise Hansen
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    Michelle Rutherford
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a Brit, I'll never forget little Jamie Bulger. I wish to God we still had hanging, because Thompson & Venables deserve the rope.

    Katinka Min
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You don't need to be British t shudder at this image. Both murderers are free, now, living under a false name.

    Thomas Turnbull
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes and the two kids who did are now free and protected and set up for life by us UK tax payers.

    Freya Fluharty
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They killed him. He tried to get up again and again and they hit him with bricks. What is so wrong is one of his killers has broken the law again and again and they keep giving him new identities. This includes child pornography! ONE new identity (unless the victim not the criminal on that occasion) should be the rule. Should be locked up for infinity (and beyond).

    DetongLhamo
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had a nervous breakdown over this horrific crime. I had a young son when this happened and the details of this crime and then these pictures haunted me for a very long time.

    Diana Murtaugh
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not British, but know that poor James Bulger met up with pure evil that day. I also know that the sick f*ckers that tortured, and killed him, were released, and given new names to protect THEM.

    Lisa Reuss
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Part of me wants to look up James Bulger, and part of me wants to spare my heart the details.

    Jane Moore
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My hairs went up when I saw this such tragi for Jamie and the two boys...

    JJM
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I do and to this day do not understand how they were allowed to be set free. One of them has been jailed for child pornography several times. It is beyond all comprehension how they are free.

    Hetal Vyas
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This was absolutely horrific! The boys were treated really well despite of their horrendous act on a 2 year old. They've been given new identities and released

    Celtic Pirate Queen
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, I'm not British so thanks for the lack of explanation. Glad there's Google, I guess.

    Ann Golub
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tragic but I still don’t know why they killed the boy

    Julia Jules Whitelegg
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As soon as I saw this pic I knew it was Jamie Bulger being led away by the murdering scum that took him, pure evil at a tender age, there is no hope for them.

    Janet Cox
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How two young boys could do this to a young toddler is incredible...both are free now. But no one will forget how James Bulger died. Insane that they should be free, one has already returned to prison for inappropriate behaviour but again, is now free. How sick is a Justice system that can allow these two men to roam our streets?

    Jennifer Brown
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm not British and I know what this is.....I think that bastard should not be allowed to have anonymity. He knew exactly what he was doing and should be ashamed of it for the rest of his life

    Lynn Morello
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember seeing this photo and the story as an aftermath. Yes it has been a long time, but those boys are out of prison and the occasional story about their lives today, occasionally pops up. Those two boys were given new names and allowed to live their lives out with freedom using their new names. When they are identified, they are each given a New Name and allowed to start a NEW life. Something James was never able to do.

    Ciel Pike
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I’m not British and am probably not of the correct age to know what this means, can someone explain?

    Lemonclouds20
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The killers were never rehabilitated because you cannot fix evil , more hurt has been caused. They should have suffered the same fare as the victim .

    Butternut DerpFarts
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Could somebody explain to me who’s American what this is? It looks like a group of ppl and a kid mabye being kidnapped by the taller person

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    Healthline points out that psychopaths are often deceitful, reckless, and take part in risky behavior. They’re also socially irresponsible, tend to completely disregard the rights and opinions of others, and have a very difficult time distinguishing between what’s right and what’s wrong. In other words, their metaphorical moral compass is either dysfunctional (i.e. they’re acting immorally because they choose to do the wrong thing) or non-existent (they’re being amoral and can’t tell between good and evil).

    What’s more, psychopaths also rarely show empathy or remorse for their actions, lie often, manipulate and hurt others, and generally disregard responsibility and safety. As a result, they can often have continuous problems with the law. However, you wouldn’t be able to tell these things just from a picture. Evil smiles, too.

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    #13

    American Volcanologist David A. Johnston

    American Volcanologist David A. Johnston

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

    KermitTheFraud92 Report

    #14

    This Photo Of Howard Ashman And Alan Menken, Who Wrote The Lyrics And Music Respectively For The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast And Aladdin. In This Photo They Had Just Won Oscars For The Little Mermaid

    This Photo Of Howard Ashman And Alan Menken, Who Wrote The Lyrics And Music Respectively For The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast And Aladdin. In This Photo They Had Just Won Oscars For The Little Mermaid

    That night Ashman told Menken they needed to have a serious talk when they got back to New York, and when they got back a couple days later, Ashman told Menken he had AIDS and was going to die. They had been songwriting partners for over a decade and were in the middle of working on Beauty and the Beast.

    So it looks like a happy photo of two men achieving their wildest dream, but it's really a record of the last normal moment they had together. And while Menken is all smiles, if you look closely at Ashman you can tell something's wrong.

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    Anyone-for-tea?
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His music will live on forever. I’m glad they were honoured before he died.

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    #15

    John Edward Robinson And His Family

    John Edward Robinson And His Family

    This is serial killer John Edward Robinson (yellow sweater) holding baby Tiffany Stasi, whose mother he murdered the day before.

    He later gave baby Tiffany to his brother, saying she was adopted. His brother, along with Tiffany, didn’t find out the truth for 15 years.

    Only eight of his victims have been identified, and he's been on death row since 2000.

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    #16

    The Final Picture Of The Webster Sisters And Their Friend

    The Final Picture Of The Webster Sisters And Their Friend

    Taking a selfie, they all look so carefree and then you see the bright light behind them and just want to yell at them to get out of the way of the train

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    #17

    Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

    Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

    This picture was taken of a group of survivors of the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in the Andes. They were eventually saved but had to resort to cannibalism to survive. They are all smiling in the photo, but it becomes eerie when you see the human spine to the right of them in the picture.

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    #18

    Polish Constitution Day Celebration In Chicago

    Polish Constitution Day Celebration In Chicago

    This is a picture of First Lady Rosalynn Carter in 1978 shaking hands with serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who was active in politics at the time. By that time, he had already killed over 20 young men. He's wearing an "S" on his lapel, which was given to him by the Secret Service to indicate that he'd been given security clearance. The picture was even signed, "To John Gacy, best wishes, Rosalynn Carter."

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    Mazer
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The combination of people and power always make me suspicious

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    #19

    JP Morgan And Lya Graf

    JP Morgan And Lya Graf

    This photo of JP Morgan and Lya Graf, a performer for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, caused her to become an overnight sensation, but she couldn't deal with all the attention. So she moved back home to Germany, where she was later arrested and sent to Auschwitz for being Jewish and she was deemed an unfit human.

    Not much is known about her, but it's assumed that she and her family did not survive.

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    #20

    Two Trails In The Snow. Only One Is Leading Back To Life

    Two Trails In The Snow. Only One Is Leading Back To Life

    This is the photo Kurt Diemberger took after his companion, the illustrious alpinist Hermann Buhl, fell into the abyss on the Himalayan mountain Chogolisa. Buhl was walking behind Diemberger and momentarily left the trail after which he fell through an overhanging cornice. He remains in the ice.

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    Colin Matthews
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Roughly 1 in 6 people going up Everest die on the mountain. An excellent example of how all this happens is Jon Krakauer's book "In to thin air" detailing an expedition that killed multiple climbers in just 24 hours. Its a very good book.

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    #21

    A Still Photo From A Video

    A Still Photo From A Video

    A man who swam to his girlfriend in their underwater hotel room while on vacation in Tanzania, and proposed to her with a note and a ring. He died before he could resurface from the water.

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    Joonscrab
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    What the actual hell... The fiance saw him die right as he proposed. This is just

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    #22

    La Mataviejitas, Juana Barraza

    La Mataviejitas, Juana Barraza

    Here is Juana Barraza, former Luchadora and Mexican serial killer. Her mother sold her to a man for three beers when she was 12 until her stepdad found her at 17. Ended up with four failed marriages and four kids and worked doing odd jobs as a cleaner. She strangled old ladies that reminded her of her mother by pretending to work for the government.

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    Kat
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is it weird that I understand her motives? No way does it mean she was right to kill other people, but makes me think of all the horrible things she had suffered that made her mind break. EDIT: corrected my mistake about which gender the killer was. Should read more carefully next time. The point remains the same though.

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    #23

    Photo Of Serial Killer Christopher Wilder Lurking In The Background During A Seventeen Magazine Fashion Show At The Meadows Mall In Las Vegas On April 1, 1984

    Photo Of Serial Killer Christopher Wilder Lurking In The Background During A Seventeen Magazine Fashion Show At The Meadows Mall In Las Vegas On April 1, 1984

    Wilder would kidnap and kill 17-year-old Michelle Korfman after meeting her at this fashion show (Standing in the foreground)

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    denzoren
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Its so scary that these people are just out there...free to roam and do these things.

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    #24

    Missing Big Island Hiker

    Missing Big Island Hiker

    A kid went missing while hiking a spot on the Big Island of Hawaii. He texted some pictures of the scenery while he was hiking. After he never showed up at home, his family noticed somebody lurking in bushes in the photos he sent. [If I remember correctly], my family that live in Hawaii said the spot is illegal to hike at, so it’s not like it would have been a heavily populated trail.

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    Mazer
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It could be he was near an illegal grow. It’s heartbreaking no matter the reason

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    #25

    Tyler Hadley's Florida House Party

    Tyler Hadley's Florida House Party

    This is a photo of Tyler Hadley, the one holding a cup, at a party at his house.

    Just before this party, he murdered his mother and father with a hammer and hid their bodies in the master bedroom.

    During the party, Tyler showed his best friend, Michael Mandell, the room where he killed his parents, and he took this photo because he wasn't sure when he'd see Tyler again.

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    Bella10
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There’s no way I could hold my nerve enough to do this and not act suspicious to the murderer. Brave Michael

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    #26

    In The "Old Days" It Used To Be Common To Take Pictures With Dead Relatives. The Woman In The Middle Is Already Dead

    In The "Old Days" It Used To Be Common To Take Pictures With Dead Relatives. The Woman In The Middle Is Already Dead

    -Aone Report

    #27

    The Menendez Brothers Appeared In The Background Of A Basketball Card With The Photo For The Card Being Taken After They Had Killed Their Parents

    The Menendez Brothers Appeared In The Background Of A Basketball Card With The Photo For The Card Being Taken After They Had Killed Their Parents

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    #28

    Two Guys Going For A Coffe At A Gas Station

    Two Guys Going For A Coffe At A Gas Station

    That's Salah Abdeslam and his driver on their way back to Belgium. The night before he ordered the 2015 paris attack that killed 131 people

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    #29

    This Photo Of Travis Alexander By Jodi Arias... Moments Before She Killed Him. It's Haunting To Me

    This Photo Of Travis Alexander By Jodi Arias... Moments Before She Killed Him. It's Haunting To Me

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    #30

    The Whitakers At A Graduation Dinner

    The Whitakers At A Graduation Dinner

    The kid on the right, Bart Whitaker, had paid two of his buddies to murder his family that night. They would kill the mother and brother, but the father, who took the photo, survived.
    Bart was later sentenced to death, but after his father strongly opposed it, Texas Governor Greg Abbott granted him clemency, and he is now serving a life sentence.

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    Rachel
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ah, Abbott. He'd probably like to send women to death row for abortions, but will give leniency to an actual murderer.

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    #31

    The Station Nightclub In Rhode Island

    The Station Nightclub In Rhode Island

    This photo was taken at a nightclub before it caught on fire by fireworks leaving 100 people dead

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    Anne
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I think this is where it is just on fire. You can see the guy on the left looking at it

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    #32

    This Photo Of Nightclub Kiss Posted On Facebook By One Of The Dj's

    This Photo Of Nightclub Kiss Posted On Facebook By One Of The Dj's

    Later that night, 245 people would die and more than 680+ would be injured when the band "Gurizada Fandangueira" lit a flare that ignited the flammable acoustic foam in the ceiling.

    There wasn't enough emergency exits, it was overcrowded by hundreds and the security guards trapped the victims inside in an attemp to organize the crowd.

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    ggus44
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I remember one particular interview from a fireman. He said he got in there and there were dozens of cellphones ringing at the same time, phones that belonged to the people lying on the ground dead. That just crushed him...

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    #33

    The Lawson Family

    The Lawson Family

    Dressed in their finest, a picture made for the holidays, and no one knowing that the father (Charles Davis "Charlie" Lawson) would kill most of the family (and himself) days later.
    The motive is still unknown, but many suspect that it was due to a head injury Charlie suffered from or incest between him and his oldest daughter, Marie. Only his oldest son survived because he wasn't home, but he later died in a car accident at 32.

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    Trillian
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Incest between him and his oldest daughter". You mean the sexual abuse he committed. She was a minor.

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