Has your family ever been a victim of violent crime?

[Marie5656]

Mine has. Sadly, it happened so long ago, I can not find news articles on internet .
Anyway, in September 1980 it was a "normal " afternoon. Suddenly my brother burst into the house and said to my dad "We have to go to Uncle Johns' NOW". John was dads oldest brother, age 84.
A neighbor of my uncle had called my brother (*same first name as my dad) and was concerned she had not seen my uncle in several days..he always would stand on his porch to wait for paperboy. So, my brother, dad and another uncle, went to the house. My dad had a key. They went in, and found my uncle John, in his bed, obviously dead.
There was a cloth over his face, and he had obviously been beaten to death. Police were called. On inspection, found the glass on a side door broken.

This was on a Sunday, and when interviewed, the neighbor said she last saw my uncle on Thursday afternoon. Newspaper and mail buildup confirmed that.
After an investigation they got a tip from a woman that she thought a man she was dating did it, as he confessed to her. Turns out, someone who had worked fixing something at the house, mentioned to friends about an old man who paid in cash and had a lot of cash in house. So, guy broke in, and killed him in his sleep. Thing was, the guy must have got scared, as there was a few hundred in cash in a drawer, nttaken.

They caught the guy in Vegas, where he was in jail for another crime. Went to trial, found guilty. Still in prison.

 

[Murrmurr]

This wasn't a violent crime, fortunately, but my little sister was kidnapped when she was 5. A middle-aged couple took her from where she was playing by herself at the end of our long driveway. It was on the day their daughter would have turned 6, but she died when she was 5. Apparently, my sister looked a lot like their daughter. They took my sister home and gave her cake and ice-cream, and let her play with their daughter's old toys. When my mom called the police, the constable came to our house and asked for a photo of my sister. When he saw it, he knew exactly where she might be. He brought her home that evening, told my mom why they took her, and my mom didn't press charges but the people had to stay away from my sister.

When my son was 5, he was taken. Fortunately nothing bad happened to him, either, but only because someone followed the guy to a back alley where he obviously had bad intentions. The person who followed him yelled and the guy ran off. My son came home and told me about it and I called the police. They got a description from my son and said they'd look for him. I told them I was gonna go look for him, too, and that I'd call them if I found him but he'd probably be dead when they got there. They just grinned and said they hoped they found him first.

None of us found him.

 

[Ladybj]

My sister was tragically killed my a hit and run driver on my birthday in 2019. She was 62 yrs young. To this day, they have not found the person responsible.

 

[Keesha]

Yes, more times than I’d like to admit starting with family. Later I got gang raped, kidnapped and tortured physically and psychologically for months. The police finally intervened successfully.

 

[Mike]

I am sad to read these stories, except for the happy endings.

My life has not seen violence, so far, thank goodness.

Mike.

 

[hollydolly]

My sister was tragically killed my a hit and run driver on my birthday in 2019. She was 62 yrs young. To this day, they have not found the person responsible.

yes I remember it well, you were absolutely broken.... ...

 

[MarciKS]

My younger aunt was murdered by her boyfriend. He killed one of the neighbors in his bathroom otherwise they never would've found her. Her brother had them do welfare check on her and that's while they were trying to get to him to arrest him for the neighbors death. They found her strangled to death in the closet. She'd been there a week. Soon as they busted the door down her b/f shot himself in the head.

 

[Paco Dennis]

Me. I was walking home on the sidewalk when a gang of teenagers came out of the park and started following me and harassing me. Then one of them hit me in the face, and they all got worked up. I immediately crossed the street, but they followed me. I turned towards them and told them that I lived a few blocks away and while I was facing them a dude picked up a beer bottle and just as he was swinging it toward my head I blocked it with my forearm and the bottle shattered all over the place. Then I went crazy on them, screaming I was gonna kill them and ran towards them....they all scampered away and I made a bee line to home. I didn't call the police.

 

[Pink Biz]

Yes, I have. Nobody else in my immediate family has been.

 

[Aunt Marg]

Hubby and I were mutual friends with a woman that was murdered, but no close family.

As for violence against us, never.

 

[StarSong]

I am sad to read these stories, except for the happy endings.

My life has not seen violence, so far, thank goodness.

Mike.

Same here. These stories are shocking and so very sad.

 

[Ladybj]

yes I remember it well, you were absolutely broken.... ...

Yes I was Holly. Doing a LOT better these days but still a work in progress.

 

[win231]

Fortunately, no. I've been close on three occasions.

 

[Judycat]

No never and my heart aches for those who have. May you find peace somehow.

 

[fmdog44]

I have been mugged twice. Had my front door kicked off the hinges.

 

[hollydolly]

I have been mugged twice. Had my front door kicked off the hinges.

WoW!! Door kicked off the hinges....and mugged twice ?..OMG!!

 

[911]

It’s absolutely horrific for anyone that has had a family member suffer from a violent crime. Like some of you have stated, the hurt and pain can last a long time, including weeks, months, years and even a lifetime.

Investigators and Prosecutors will often suggest to anyone that has been a victim of a violent crime to reach out to a support group that has suffered from a similar crime. We have found that these groups can and will aide in a person’s recovery.

 

[Gaer]

i've tried three times to tell of the murder of my best friend in all the world and her two handsome boys.
I can't! I start to write it and I start crying.
If you want to look it up,
You can look up Mark James Bender and Barb Bender because it's too gruesome for me to write.
Sorry.

 

[Keesha]

Sometimes you are best off not sharing your most horrible moments. It makes others weary and uncomfortable.

Sometimes you are best off not sharing your happiest moments either for the same reasons.

People don’t really want to know

 

[Pepper]

Oh, @Gaer
I glanced at that horrible story. I'm so sorry. It's gruesome. You must have been worried sick for 12 years wondering where she and her boys were. In the meantime that awful man has a new life with new people.

So sorry for your friends, what they suffered and for you.

 

[Ladybj]

Sometimes you are best off not sharing your most horrible moments. It makes others weary and uncomfortable.

Sometimes you are best off not sharing your happiest moments either for the same reasons.

People don’t really want to know

When people share, it helps in more ways than one. People did not have to share nor read the post..it was their choice. I will definitely share happy moments maybe it will lift someone up.

 

[Keesha]

i've tried three times to tell of the murder of my best friend in all the world and her two handsome boys.
I can't! I start to write it and I start crying.
If you want to look it up,
You can look up Mark James Bender and Barb Bender because it's too gruesome for me to write.
Sorry.

Sorry for your loss and trauma.
A member here had a brother shoot an entire family from across the street and then killed himself. This person writes books and wrote a story about it. Apparently doing this was therapeutic to him/her and helped him/her deal with their loss & trauma. You are already a writer. It’s on the darker side compared to what you write about but it might provide some needed relief. I wish you the best.

 

[Keesha]

When people share, it helps in more ways than one. People did not have to share nor read the post..it was their choice. I will definitely share happy moments maybe it will lift someone up.

True enough.
Im over thinking
It can help others.
Thanks for your different perspective.

 

[Keesha]

When people share, it helps in more ways than one. People did not have to share nor read the post..it was their choice. I will definitely share happy moments maybe it will lift someone up.

How have you been doing since you discovered the shocking news about your sister? I remember that day so well. You’d only just joined and this happened about a week or two later. Were you able to find a support group or some type of counselling?

 

[Ladybj]

How have you been doing since you discovered the shocking news about your sister? I remember that day so well. You’d only just joined and this happened about a week or two later. Were you able to find a support group or some type of counselling?

I am much better Keesha.. thank you for asking. I went to a support group for a few months and counseling helped as well. I learned a lot on my healing journey.