Which Crimes Or Events Obsess You?

[Mammy]

I think for most of us here, there are certain crimes or tragedies that we really get interested in to the point of obsession sometimes. What may really draw one person to a case may not affect someone else the same way and we all have cases that struck a chord with us and stay with us. I was just curious which cases interest each person the most? For me it would be The Station nightclub fire, the murders of Devon and Damon Routier, the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, and the case of the three missing women from Springfield, Missouri in 1992 which are Sherrill Levitt, Suzie Streeter, and Stacy McCall.

[Forever-27]

For me I think it was the 22 year old unarmed kid BART subway cops shot in the back and killed him on the platform , in front of a full train with sum 300 passengers onboard watching on in horror. New Years Eve 2008 into 2009 this kid was harassing people on the train, the cops told him to lay down on his back , they searched him finding no weapons, then a cop shot him as he lay there. I followed that one closely.

http://www.findadeath.com/forum/show...highlight=Bart

[Mammy]

Wow, Forever, thanks for your reply. I have never heard of this case before and it's awful. It looks like I've got some googling to do!

[majcm]

The Manson case was my first crime obssession after I saw the 1970's "Helter Skelter" movie on TV. Slept w/my mom for about 2 months afterwards (I was about 12-13) Pissed Dad off, lol. That was about 40 years ago now & he STILL gets mad if I mention anything about Manson, lol. Manson got me started being a death hag & even at my age now & HIS age now (not to mention he's in jail thousands of miles away, lol) if I let myself think too much about him (them) at night when I'm by myself, I kinda of panic/freak out that they are going to break in my house. Oh the fears of childhood linger on, lol.

Other obessesion: The Dorothy Stratten case.

[tarsier]

The Bordens; I'm obsessed with Lizzie's innocence. The Atlanta Child Murders and the Boston Strangler for the same reason; I'm not at all covinced Williams or DeSalvo respectively committed those crimes and since neither was ever convicted for them I have my own theories.

[Chrispy]

For me the Keddie murders,West memphis 3 and the highway of tears murders here in canada.I am running to work but will expand on them when I get home.Great topic mammy!

[tarsier]

Oakland County Child Killer but I still have hope this one might be solved through dna.

[tarsier]

Bible John.

[JenAdams]

I'm obsessed with Christine Chubbuck --blood and guts--
Cowardice or balls? idk

[Jacksmum]

Animal abuse - I want them all strung up in the town hall and flogged repeatedly!!!!!!!!!!! Then put in GP to get the crap kicked out of them.

[JudyAnn]

Lincoln's assassination. This has spiraled into reading all about John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln family. I am particularly interested in reading bout what happened years later to family members of all involved.

[havoc]

The Manson case was my first crime obssession after I saw the 1970's "Helter Skelter" movie on TV. Slept w/my mom for about 2 months afterwards (I was about 12-13) Pissed Dad off, lol. That was about 40 years ago now & he STILL gets mad if I mention anything about Manson, lol. Manson got me started being a death hag & even at my age now & HIS age now (not to mention he's in jail thousands of miles away, lol) if I let myself think too much about him (them) at night when I'm by myself, I kinda of panic/freak out that they are going to break in my house. Oh the fears of childhood linger on, lol.

Other obessesion: The Dorothy Stratten case.

Same here. The Manson murders were my first obsession as a kid after seeing the movie.

The Wonderland Murders. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that one.
Darlie Routier, just because it happened a few miles from me.
Cullen Davis, same reason.

.

[McMorbid]

I've never been the type to obsess over one particular crime. For most part I obsess over them all. Well not really "obsess" but I am greatly interested in following crime stories. The ones that bother me most are crimes against children. I always want to go find the perp and exact my justice. I am deeply saddened when a child has to suffer. I do however continually research a few local crimes. Some unsolved and some that were. I plan to start a couple threads on some soon. I've been trying to make time but I'm almost always on my phone and attachments are tricky with this pos. Great thread topic Mammy

[racingfan]

The Jonestown suicides (or murders, depending your point view). So many crazy aspects to this case -- I can't read enough about it.

[pwem]

There are certain crimes that I go back to time and again. I will buy whatever books come out and watch docs on them.

1) Jack the Ripper

2) Lizzie Borden

3) Fred/ Rosemary West

4) Yorkshire Ripper

5) Lindbergh kidnapping/murder

6) Darlie Routier

7) OJ

8) Karla and Paul

9) JonBenet

10) Willy Picton (maybe because I have seen the farm and it hit me like a sledgehammer)

There are many more cases I love reading about but these are the ones I will go out of my way to read updates on or suss out anything new.
I also love old European crime cases but sadly very little has been written about them.

[BelleRain]

Im like Pwem, I go back and forth. The Keddie murders and WM3 I really want to see solved. Jon Benet too. Im back reading about Scientology and about the death Lisa McPherson. She was in one of their hotels trying to get help, and died while in their care. http://www.lisafiles.com/

Manson was one of the first cases I was obsessed with.

[andrea22]

(Loooongtime lurker, just now starting to post. Hi!)

-BTK (My mom delivered his mail for six years before he was caught. Still creeps me out to think about that.)
-West Memphis 3
-September 11

[luvmypeanut]

Ted Bundy
Jon Benet
Charlie Manson
columbine
9-11 (during the first days i couldn't turn it off)
John Wayne Gacy
Jonestown
Johnny Gosch & Jacob wetterling and the whole Franklin Case
More recently Baby Lisa and Laci Peterson

[atomicbettie]

I'm not super obsessed with anything right now but I was obsessed for a while with both Wonderland/John Holmes and the Buddy Holly crash.

[RiaBrown]

Darlie Routier
John Wayne Gacy
Richard Grissom (because it was close to home)
Bob Berdella (also close to home)
Joseph Duncan
The Black Dahlia
The Boy in the Box
...to name a few.

[Buttercup]

First the Manson murders. I was 9 years old and scared the crap out of me at the time. In L.A., we really never had to worry about locking our doors so much till then, especially when the LaBiancha's were killed the same weekend as Tate. That weekend, I was staying with my grandparents, and couldn't get to sleep. Since no one knew who did it at the time, I kept seeing shadows in the windows. It just freaked me out. Wanted to open the windows due to the heat, but too scared to. To me, it was an evil Bogeyman.

Jonestown is an event that still gives me chills. First, seeing our local KNBC TV reporter and cameraman getting killed with others, while the anchor was sobbing on the air. Then the unthinkable unfolding later. Seeing families huddled together on the front page of the newpaper couple of days later is still burned in my brain.

[pwem]

(Loooongtime lurker, just now starting to post. Hi!)

-BTK (My mom delivered his mail for six years before he was caught. Still creeps me out to think about that.)
-West Memphis 3
-September 11

Welcome to the board, Andrea.

She delivered his mail???!!! *thud*

[MinLynn]

Hmmmm, my obsessions come and go but the ones that stick with me are:

The Jonestown Massacre, The Manson Murders, WM3, 9/11, Columbine, JonBenet and a local mystery.

http://www.cantonrep.com/life/x11024...atrol-officers

After reading the article you are lead to believe that the murderer is now dead. Not true in the least. The murderer is my FIL. The police and FBI is aware of this and had hoped that the article would draw him out. It did in the worse way possible. I have tons of info on all this and have been involved for years and yet he's still out there. Fascinates and scares the bejeezus out of me.

[BigBootyJudy]

The Boy in the box. I just can't get over that one. I always remember every February 25 that was the day he was found. How has no one come forward to claim him or even have a slight clue about who he is? I think it bothers me because he looks like he could be the twin brother to this boy I used to babysit in the 90's. He was someone's little boy, grandson, cousin and he was thrown out like common garbage. It breaks my heart.

[cindyt]

I think for most of us here, there are certain crimes or tragedies that we really get interested in to the point of obsession sometimes. What may really draw one person to a case may not affect someone else the same way and we all have cases that struck a chord with us and stay with us. I was just curious which cases interest each person the most? For me it would be The Station nightclub fire, the murders of Devon and Damon Routier, the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, and the case of the three missing women from Springfield, Missouri in 1992 which are Sherrill Levitt, Suzie Streeter, and Stacy McCall.

Those three women haunt me.

I read anything I can get my hands on about Sharon Tate, Elizabeth Short, and JFK. Locally, it's the disappearance of Mary Little, a beautiful Atlanta socialite and bride of 6 weeks who vanished from Lenox Square back in the mid 60s. Her car was found with bloody panties inside. My dad always believed she ran off with a lover, but he would say that. He was a playboy who did not particularly respect women. Anyway, every once in a while LE will did up something where she is rumored to have been buried; it was a concrete driveway the last time. No luck ever. I doubt it will ever be solved.

[mixxerr]

For me, it was George Reeves. I really dont buy the suicide story. I believe he was murdered and that the people there that night were threatened into saying what they said.

[Dulcinea]

Lincoln's assassination. This has spiraled into reading all about John Wilkes Booth and the Lincoln family. I am particularly interested in reading bout what happened years later to family members of all involved.

This interests me, too, but I am more facinated by Mary Todd Lincoln. She was....a character, lol.

As for other cases that interest me: these are the ones that I continue to read up on over and over again, even after I feel like I know every detail:

Elizabeth Short
Damon and Devon Routier
Zodiac
Jack the Ripper
Villisca Axe Murders
Shanda Sharer (first true crime book I read was about her)
"Manson" murders
Boy in the Box

[RiaBrown]

Shanda Sharer also fascinates me. I still think it's crap that Hope is already released from prison. Toni I wasn't really surprised about because she didn't do anything. She was mostly charged with not DOING anything, not trying to stop it.

I had forgotten about Stacy McCall, Suzie Streeter, and Sherrill Levitt from Springfield (MO).

[Tiger]

For me I think it was the 22 year old unarmed kid BART subway cops shot in the back and killed him on the platform , in front of a full train with sum 300 passengers onboard watching on in horror. New Years Eve 2008 into 2009 this kid was harassing people on the train, the cops told him to lay down on his back , they searched him finding no weapons, then a cop shot him as he lay there. I followed that one closely.

http://www.findadeath.com/forum/show...highlight=Bart

The officer was given an alcohol and drug test, per department policy, and placed on administrative leave.
Not Surprised by that outcome. Cops are just Killer's with a badge IMHO. My Cousin was killed by "Our Finest" (Sarcasm)
The murder that obsesses me is the Manson Murders & Jon Bonet Ramsey.

[andrea22]

Welcome to the board, Andrea.

She delivered his mail???!!! *thud*

Thanks for the welcome.

Yes, she carried his mail route before she became a supervisor. She didn't tell me for a LONG time after he was caught, but I hate that she was on his doorstep basically every day. I hadn't heard of him until he resurfaced in 2004 (the first murders happened before I was born), but started to devour every piece of info I could get my hands on at that point. Only after his address was made public did my mom make the connection, and she didn't tell me until much later. Ick.

[BelleRain]

-BTK (My mom delivered his mail for six years before he was caught. Still creeps me out to think about that.)

That is crazy.

You guys have put some good ones here that i hadnt thought of.
9-11
the boy in the box ( I would LOVE to see this solved)
Darlie Router
Zodiac

[saturnine]

Shanda Sharer is the big one for me.

[Forever-27]

Jesus, sorry mammy. With everybody that keeps up with the crime logs. My tiny story over a trigger happy cop shooting a man who was doing as he was told .....I don't read the police blotter section hardly at all. Most of the kewl crime stories happen in the mid wet and east coast. So unless its a more local I don't really care. I will see a blip on some crime that's in Kentucky or Florida in the morning newspaper and that's about as far as it goes for me. I just don't see why I should care about some crime that happened sum 3000 miles away from here. The cop story only peaked my intrest because I live about 20 minutes away from it.

[Nelliebean]

The Boy in the box. I just can't get over that one. I always remember every February 25 that was the day he was found. How has no one come forward to claim him or even have a slight clue about who he is? I think it bothers me because he looks like he could be the twin brother to this boy I used to babysit in the 90's. He was someone's little boy, grandson, cousin and he was thrown out like common garbage. It breaks my heart.

This one bothers me,too. Judy. His website is still up for others not familiar with the case.

[Mammy]

I am tickled to see so many responses and I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts! Forever, I think it is perfectly natural to be more interested in crimes that happen close to your home and places that you go. I'm glad you mentioned it because I want to learn more details. There are a few local cases to me, but I didn't mention them because nobody else would know about them. I've been fascinated by true crime cases as far back as I can remember and the police blotter section of the forum is the most interesting section to me. I've also seen other cases here mentioned that interest me such as Shanda Sharer, The Boy In The Box, and Richard Grissom. I would love to see Richard Grissom's victim's remains located and identified. They have been missing for 23 years. Andrea, it must have seriously creeped your Mom out to know how many years she delivered mail to a evil serial killer. I'm glad he didn't harm her, too.

I will add one case that didn't get national attention that I would love to see solved. This happened about an hour away from where I live and this little girl would be the same age of my youngest daughter if she was still alive. I wish I could find a more recent article to link to, but there is nothing new to report and she doesn't get mentioned much anymore.

http://kidnappingmurderandmayhem.blo...pping-and.html

Thanks for all of the replies and I hope other people will add their's, too.

[RiotBoots]

Brian Shaffer.
http://www.findbrianshaffer.com/

[Mammy]

That is such a strange case. I remember there being a subforum for it on the old Courttv message boards that are no longer there and it's like the poor guy disappeared into thin air. I don't see how he could be around so many people in a crowded place and disappear so completely with nobody seeing a thing.

[NewEnglander]

The Bordens; I'm obsessed with Lizzie's innocence. The Atlanta Child Murders and the Boston Strangler for the same reason; I'm not at all covinced Williams or DeSalvo respectively committed those crimes and since neither was ever convicted for them I have my own theories.

OMG, you totally took my answer!!

I have always been interested in the Lizzie Borden case too. As a kid, I used to watch the Elizabeth Montgomery movie about Lizzie every year.

Way back in the old days, when I was in my early 20's (late 80's) I worked in New Bedford, MA right next to the court house where they held Lizzie's trial (it's still a working court house). I've been to the Borden home and visited the Fall River Historical Society where they have quite a bit of material from the trial. I saw the handle-less axe and the bedspread with blood spatter still visible.

It is an interesting case. I still believe that Lizzie did not act alone. I think she had help. And I am fairly convinced that she did kill her father and step mother.

[RiotBoots]

I used to live right by High St near OSU campus. Went to the Ugly Tuna Saloona a lot at the time he went missing. It gets packed downtown, I don't see how he just vanished either.

[Mammy]

Yeah, the name of the place definitely stuck in my memory!

[racingfan]

I am tickled to see so many responses and I've enjoyed reading everyone's posts! Forever, I think it is perfectly natural to be more interested in crimes that happen close to your home and places that you go. I'm glad you mentioned it because I want to learn more details. There are a few local cases to me, but I didn't mention them because nobody else would know about them. I've been fascinated by true crime cases as far back as I can remember and the police blotter section of the forum is the most interesting section to me. I've also seen other cases here mentioned that interest me such as Shanda Sharer, The Boy In The Box, and Richard Grissom. I would love to see Richard Grissom's victim's remains located and identified. They have been missing for 23 years. Andrea, it must have seriously creeped your Mom out to know how many years she delivered mail to a evil serial killer. I'm glad he didn't harm her, too.

I will add one case that didn't get national attention that I would love to see solved. This happened about an hour away from where I live and this little girl would be the same age of my youngest daughter if she was still alive. I wish I could find a more recent article to link to, but there is nothing new to report and she doesn't get mentioned much anymore.

http://kidnappingmurderandmayhem.blo...pping-and.html

Thanks for all of the replies and I hope other people will add their's, too.

You live near Bowling Green, KY? I went to college there at WKU, and my father now works there in the photojournalism department. I had never heard of this case, but it happened several years before my time at WKU...

I should add Boy in the Box, the Kettie murders, and Shanda Sharer to my list of "favorites" too (Shanda was about my age and lived not far from where I grew up in Indiana). And of course, Buddy Holly's plane crash. But as I said before, my biggest obsession is actually Jonestown...

[MinLynn]

I used to vacation in Bowling Green KY every summer when I was a teen. My cousin and her girlfriend lived basically on WKU's campus (her girlfriend worked there). I used to think I was the hottest thing walking every summer when I'd walk the campus and get all the college guys' attention. *sigh* Oh to be young and stupid again!

[cindyt]

Another one of mine is the Arliss Perry murder. There's a thread about it somewhere on here. She and her husband were attending Stanford. She went to church one night to pray and someone killed her inside. It's never been solved.

Also, one that has me obsessed, but there isn't much about it, because it's breaking news. There's a man in Atlanta who has randomly shot two women. Sounds like a serial killer.

[Mammy]

Yes, I live in Grayson County which is just a couple of counties east of Bowling Green. We were in Bowling Green just this week to take our son school shopping. It really is a small world.

Shanda's case was so brutal and I've never forgotten her case. I'll never understand how four people could intentionally inflict that much pain and terror on a 12 year old girl and three of them didn't even know her. I thought Amanda Heavrin should have faced some charges too since she had been told repeatedly by Jacque to leave Shanda alone and Jacque had even talked to Amanda's Dad and told him that she wanted Amanda to leave Shanda alone. Shanda wasn't even in the same school as Amanda anymore and if Amanda had respected Jacque's wishes then Shanda wouldn't have been murdered. Amanda may have been young at the time, but she was still a predator and I think she enjoyed thinking that Melinda and Shanda were fighting over her. Amanda is the reason the crime escalated to the point it did and she wants people to think she's an innocent victim. She didn't participate in the actual murder, but she's the reason it happened. Shanda would be 33 years old now and that's hard to imagine. I have been to her grave before since she is buried in Kentucky. She is buried next to her Dad and her paternal Grandma.

[SomeChick]

A few used to but not anymore.

[maryd]

I've always been interested in the Lizzie Borden case. The movie with Elizabeth Montgomery was one of the creepiest ones I've ever seen! I remember also when Patty Hearst was kidnapped. I was really obsessed with that case!! I also have an interest in airplane disasters. Used to follow them a lot more closely than I do now. And of course when 911 happened, I was glued to the news like most people. On a local level, many years ago a former boyfriend of mine was murdered along with his girlfriend as they were hitch-hiking to Myrtle Beach. The story hit the news when it happened, but I never heard any more about it. I've always wondered if their killer had been found.
And of course since coming to these boards, the Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island has become an obsession. I've read Gina Russo's book twice now, am eagerly awaiting the documentary due out on the 10th anniversary, and have burned up the internet reading everything I can about this tragedy!

[Chrispy]

The boy in the box has always broken my heart.Seeing that poor baby staged for pictures is so sad.I always thought someone would come forward in that case,someone who was a kid at the time or some relative who knew but never said a word.
Another case that has always held my interest is Sharon Marshal.I wish they could find out who she really was,I am sure she has a family out there who was missing a little girl with no clue to what happened to her.Where is her son Michael Hughes and may Franklin Floyd be tortured into telling the truth.

[sierrarose]

True crimes that have obsessed me include the Manson murders and the Zodiac killings. There are a few crimes that were in my native state of Michigan- the Oakland County child killings and the disappearance of Paige Renkowski (a young woman that vanished from the metro Detroit area many years ago).

[suicide_blonde]

Mine is a local obsession. 1888, a young carpenter named Sylvester Grubb became enamored of a young lady named Gertrude Downey, the daughter of a local farmer. They had a brief courtship, which ended when his obsessive behavior became too much for Miss Downey's parents, who prevailed upon her to end it. His obsessiveness intensified, and he finally got to meet up with her at the county fair, where he pulled out a pistol and shot her in the face. She died three days later. Grubb was immediately whisked away to safe quarters, after rumors of a lynch mob began. A lynch mob was organized, but was unsuccessful in retrieving Grubb from his jailers. He was tried in Knox County, Indiana, and later hanged. It was the last execution carried out by an Indiana county, when the law was changed charging the state with the responsibility for carrying out the death penalty.

[seurtoFW]

Locally (Fort Worth, TX) I'm obsessed with the Cullen Davis case; mostly because we know he did it but bought is way off. Read books, follow anything with his name attached, etc. - Also 3 teenage girls kidnapped from Seminary South shopping center right before Christmas '74. I spent so much time there when it was the only mall in town. They just up a disappeared; no clues, no bodies (still). Lots of credible theories, but no answers.

Statewide - New London School explosion; Texas City disaster; 1900 Galveston Hurricane; JFK

Nationally - Manson (of course), Jonestown, Columbine, Little Miss 1565