From time to time the unthinkable happens: children kill. Some decide to murder members of their own family in spite of their seemingly normal upbringing. Others do so because their upbringing was far from normal – often including beatings and abuse. Then there are misguided children who, from the sheer desire to kill, go on murder sprees ending the lives of purely innocent victims. Children are supposed to be innocent and pure; without malice, contempt, sinister anger, or desires to kill, yet every year many commit horrific crimes. Here are Ten of the Most Evil Children in History, with number One exclusively dedicated to one foul group. The age limit for this list is 17 years.
10. Brian And David Freeman / Nelson Byrdwell
Bryan Freeman, 17, and David, 16, who had shaved and tattooed their heads as a symbol of their neo-Nazi beliefs, were immediate suspects when their parents and younger brother were found bludgeoned to death in their Salisbury Township, PA, home. The boys had been terrorizing the family and, as a whole, the town. As the police told it, the triple murder uncovered in Salisbury Township, Pa., that week was every parent’s nightmare — the ghastly culmination of a long-running battle of wills between Brenda and Dennis Freeman and their loutish, hulking sons Bryan, 17, and David, 16.
9. Edmund Kemper
In 1964, when Edmund Kemper was 15, he shot his grandparents, killing them both. He had been planning his repulsive act for some time and had no regrets later. The California Youth Authority detained him in Juvenile Hall so that they could put him through rigorous series of tests administered by a psychiatrist. Because the results suggested that he was a paranoid psychotic, he was sent to Atascadero State Hospital for treatment. There he learned what others thought about his crime and worked hard to make his doctors believe that he had recovered. Although he was considered a sociopath, he worked in the psychology lab to help administer the tests to others. In the process, he learned a lot about other deviant offenders. Kemper was released after another five years and remained under the supervision of the Youth Authority. His doctors recommended that he not be returned to his mother’s care, but the Youth Authority ignored this. After Kemper murdered and dismembered eight women over the next five years, these same doctors affirmed his insanity defense. In fact, even as he was carrying parts of his victims around, a panel of psychiatrists judged him to be no threat to society.
8. Joshua Phillips
In 1998, 14-year-old Joshua Phillips bludgeoned his 8-year-old neighbor to death and hid her body beneath his bed. Seven days later, his mother noticed something leaking from beneath the bed. Joshua claimed that’s he’d accidentally hit Maddie in the eye with his baseball bat causing her to scream. In his panic he dragged her to his home where he hit her again and then stabbed her eleven times. His story failed to convince a Florida jury, who convicted him of first-degree murder. His mother is still appealing his conviction based upon the fact that he was given an adult penalty for his crime.
7. Willie Bosket
Willie Bosket, born on December 9, 1962, is a convicted murderer, whose crimes, committed while he was still a minor, led to a change in New York state law, so that juveniles as young as thirteen could be tried in adult court for murder and would face the same penalties. On March 19, 1978, Willie Bosket, then fifteen years old, shot dead Noel Perez on the New York subway, during an attempt to steal some money and a watch. Eight days later, Bosket shot another man, Moises Perez (no relation to his first victim) in another botched robbery attempt. Bosket was tried and convicted of the murders in the New York City Family court, where he was sentenced to five years in prison (the maximum for a minor). The short length of Bosket’s sentence caused a public outcry, and led the New York State Legislature to pass the Juvenile Offender Act of 1978. Under this act, children as young as thirteen years old could be tried in an adult court for crimes such as murder, and receive the same penalties as adults. New York was the first state to enact a law of this nature; many other legislatures have since followed suit. Bosket was eventually released from prison, but has subsequently been convicted of a number of other felonies, for which he has received a number of life sentences. He is currently in the New York prison system, in solitary confinement.
6. Laurie Tackett
On the morning of Saturday, January 11, 1992, Indiana resident Donn Foley and his brother Ralph decided to do some quail hunting in a nearby Jefferson County forest. Just one mile into their trip, as Donn turned onto Lemon Road, Ralph spotted a strange object just a few feet from the road in a barren soybean field. At once it appeared to them that it might be a body, but the form was so badly burned and scarred that it looked to them to be a doll. Upon closer investigation, it became painfully obvious that it was not a doll. Upon investigation, it turned out to be the body of Shanda Sharer who would later be found the victim of a jealous lesbian love triangle. Her body, prior to the murder, had been slashed and stabbed with death eventually resulting from torching. Laurie Tackett was ultimately implicated along with Toni Lawrence and Hope Rippey.
Mary Laurine (Laurie) Tackett was born on October 5, 1974 in Madison, Indiana. Her mother was a fundamentalist Pentecostal Christian and her father was a factory worker with two felony convictions and prison stints in the 1960s. Tackett claimed she was molested at least twice as a child, at ages five and twelve.
5. Brenda Anne Spencer
On Monday, January 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer used a rifle to wound eight children and one police officer at Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, and to kill Principal Burton Wragg and custodian Mike Suchar. The school was across the street from her house. She used the rifle she had recently been given for Christmas by her father. When the six-hour incident ended and the pretty teenager was asked why she had committed the crime, she shrugged and replied, “I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.” She also said: “I had no reason for it, and it was just a lot of fun.” “It was just like shooting ducks in a pond.” and “[The children] looked like a herd of cows standing around; it was really easy pickings.” Her lack of remorse and inability to provide a serious explanation for her actions when captured inspired the song “I Don’t Like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats, written by socialist musician Bob Geldof. Her quote “I don’t like Mondays” also appears written on a wall in the movie, The Breakfast Club.
4. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson
Jon Venables and Robert Thompson (both 10 years old) had been stealing things all day at the shopping center — candy, a troll doll, some batteries, a can of blue paint, and other incidentals. Why did they decide to steal 2 year-old James Bulger? Was it a plot or a sudden, overwhelming compulsion? Once they had him, they didn’t know what to do with him. They could have easily discarded him, leaving him alone on the sidewalk by a shop where someone would discover the crying baby. But Jon and Robert, like children who would rather destroy their own possessions than give them to another, murdered the little boy. James’s parents would never see their baby alive again. The video cameras at the mall caught several images of James Bulger in the hands of his killers, frozen in time. He was to be taken on a long, aimless walk, cruelly tortured along the way. James was senselessly beaten to death by his ten-year-old captors, who callously abandoned him on the railroad tracks.
3. Jesse Pomeroy
Jesse Pomeroy was 14 when he was arrested in 1874 for the horrific murder of a four-year-old boy. He was quickly labeled “The Boston Boy Fiend.” His horrible trek had begun three years earlier with the sexual torture of seven other boys. For those crimes, Pomeroy was sentenced to a children’s reform school but was released early. Not long after, he mutilated and killed a 10-year-old girl who came into his mother’s store. A month later, he kidnapped 4-year-old Horace Mullen, took him to a swamp outside town and slashed him so savagely with a knife that he nearly decapitated him. Because of his strange appearance (he had a milky white eye) and his previous abhorrent behavior, he was under suspicion. When he was shown the body and asked if he’d done it, he responded with a nonchalant, “I suppose I did.” Then the girl was found buried in his mother’s cellar and he confessed to that murder, as well. He was convicted and sentenced to death. Following a public outcry against condemning children to death, his sentence was commuted to forty years of solitary confinement.
2. Mary Bell
Mary Bell was convicted of strangling a young boy, Martin Brown, on May 25, 1968, the day before her 11th birthday. She was, as far as anyone knows, alone on this occasion. On July 31, 1968, Mary and her friend (Norma Bell – no relation to Mary) took part in the death, again by strangulation, of three-year-old Brian Howe. Police reports concluded that Mary Bell had gone back after killing him to carve an “N” into his stomach with a razor, this was then changed using the same razor but with a different hand to an “M”. Mary Bell also used a pair of scissors to cut off bits of Brian Howe’s hair and part of his genitals. As the girls were so young and their testimonies contradicted each other, it has never been entirely clear precisely what happened. Martin Brown’s death was initially ruled an accident as there was no evidence of foul play. Eventually, his death was linked with Brian Howe’s killing and in August, the two girls were charged with two counts of manslaughter. Mary was released in 1980 with court ordered anonymity. In 2003, the courts awarded her and her daughter anonymity for life.
1. School Shootings
The rise of school shootings has been staggering over the past 15 years and they still leave many people ultimately wondering why? Most of the kids involved had been ridiculed one way or another by not only school mates, but also family members at home. These murderous children acquired large caliber weapons in most cases; though in others, knives, hand guns, or the like were brought in to their schools and use just as effectively. Teachers, faculty, and students loose their lives each and every time this happens. Here are just a few of the incidents:
March 24th, 1998 – Andrew Golden (11) and Mitchell Johnson (13) gunned down 15 people in the Westside Middle School Playground.
April 20th, 1999 – Eric Harris (18) and Dylan Klebold (17) Columbine High School – 13 dead, 25 injured.
November 15th, 1995 – Jamie Rouse (17) Richland School Tennessee – 4 injured, 2 dead
February 2nd, 1996 – Barry Loukaitis (14) Moses Lake, Washington School – 3 dead, 2 injured
May 21st, 1998 – Kipland Kinkle (14) Springfield Oregon – 3 dead including parents, 8 wounded
This list is but the tip of the ever-increasing iceberg.
In the Mary Bell entry (#2), Which Bell is it that got anonymity? I doesn't specify between the two girls.
"Bell was released in 1980 with court ordered anonymity. In 2003, the courts awarded her and her daughter anonymity for life"
Or am I just missing something?
both
okay what about # 4 they wanted to release these two with new names and relocate them to Canada…they can keep them in Britain Canada don't want them….
One of these two are back inside for indecent child pictures,I forget which one.so Britain and Canada have gone 50/50.still, feel sorry for you guys having one of these monsters in your country.
It was Mary Bell who got anonymity. Norma Bell was aquitted. But she is still sought out by reporters to this day, she also almost lost her anonymity due to her almost writing a book called Cries Unheard with an author. But shortly after she got anonymity for life. As of 2009 she is a grandmother apparently
google it. lol.
it does matter to all of us
BrokenBunny: Thanks – corrected
Kati: totally – that is what makes it so evil.
SDavis: I think she not have been granted anonymity personally – she should be known where she goes so it can't happen again.
She was 10/11 at the time…I agree with anonymity this was years ago and to my understanding she has grandchildren. Just because someone did it once, does not mean it will happen agian. she might hjave needed help that someone missed…maybe she got that help and has turned her life around
Catherine, what about the young boy she killed? That can never be forgiven! That boy can’t ever turn his life around, because she took it Away! What about the parents of the boy who were probably never the same again?
A murderer will always be a murderer, no matter how much time has passed since the crime!
Shame on you for supporting them.
Think you forgot somebody. From Wikipedia: "Caril Ann Fugate (born 31 July 1943) was the fourteen-year-old accomplice of spree killer Charles Starkweather. Caril is the youngest female in United States history to be tried for first-degree murder." There has been ongoing controversy as to her level of involvement, though; in fact, she was the inspiration for a debate in the early 80s in the US about whether adult convicts should go on serving time for offenses committed as children, since as kids they were essentially completely different people with no judgment and no life experience. (Not like adults who've spent most of their lives in the penal system, you see.)
And I'm sure it's escaped no one's notice that all of these bad seeds were found sprouting in American soil. We do seem to have a higher percentage of nasty little monsters than other countries. (Sigh.) What I thought was interesting was that right after the Columbine massacre, you suddenly had all these articles and interviews with experts saying, "Well, Klebold and Harris were BULLIED all the time, BULLIES are a BAD thing!" And all of a sudden, school bullies by the thousands are getting dragged into counseling sessions and how-to-make-nice classes. Where was this BS when I was a bullying victim back in the 70s? Ah … it is to laugh. (And fortunately for a whole bunch of *****s, especially from the football team, I wasn't a violent type with a stash of weapons. Not … at … all …) I'll tell you one thing, though — television and movies have little or nothing to do with it. What's wrong with American kids is the number of people who should never have been allowed to "raise" children in the first place, like the parents of Klebold and Harris, and those of #5 and #6. There are people in this country who are either totally negligent parents, or have the most heinous ideas of how to "mold a child's character" — especially some of the Christian psychopaths we have in our hinterland. But how I do go on.
God I love this site.
a lot of these were in england, you dont seem to know what your talking about!
That’s crazy.
A lot of them are way too young to be even thinking of things like that!
Good point Bunny. 2003 was ‘yesterday’. Now she has offspring too and they’re both running around loose.
That raises a point… if either one commits a similiar crime nowadays, will the previous crime be admissible in court? Hmmmmm….
#4
the photograph is terrifying
Mmmm . . . makes me think twice about having kids . . .
JMurf: I agree completely – of all the photos that is the most gut wrenching – the boys are holding hands and you know the little one trusts the older one – but the older one is probably already thinking about how he is going to kill the little one. Truly sickening.
angelina: have them – have lots in fact (they will look after each other) – but smack them when they are naughty
Hard to believe some kids are that *****ed up!
Which is why Im in total support of abortion.
And how would you know in advance which ones to abort?
Easy, you encourage people to abort them or euthanise them at a very young age if they don’t actually want to commit themselves to the responsibility of parenthood. Much better than having loads of neglected abused kids killing people
Martin: Fugate the wicked ***** can be found on the top 10 Partners in Crime (which is why she is not here).
Juggz: with proper upbringings I am sure this can be avoided. Welcome back btw
The site is just not the same without you.
Some of these children fall in the category of psychopaths. Proper upbringing won't do nothing, since they lack empathy, guilt, or any sense of morality. Even if you put them in jail, and teach them feelings, they will come out, and do the same crime, and will be more immune to human psychology. Note that Ted Bundy was a psychology student. These people go to great lengths to hide their crimes, and manipulate others. That is the difference between psychopaths, and sociopaths. Sociopaths have improper upbringings, but Psychopaths are born that way. The only way to stop them is by making them understand that not killing is actually good for them, and they must resist it. Else, a gunshot to the head like a diseased farm animal is the safest alternative. The universe is indifferent, and that is why we don't live in a fairy tale world.
Martin L: I totally agree with your comments about parents vs. TV/movies. I guess smart people have stopped having kids. Maybe their careers are more important or they don’t want to settle down but at least they made the decision not to bring another child into this world. And with the way things are going, why would anyone? Parents who blame TV and movies for what their kids have turned into are just plain lazy and ignorant of their own shortcomings. I don’t have kids because I’m not ready yet and maybe I’ll never be. But if I do, it will be a very well-thought out decision.
jfrater: I guess I could have a couple . . .Hell, they can take care of my ass when I get old and gray!
Completely horrifying. I hope my kids are never involved with (from either end criminal or victom) anything like this.
#9-Edmund Kemper-is just inexplainable. How the hell do you consider someone safe in public when he walks down the street with body parts of his latest victom in tow. Did I read that wrong. I mean seriously.
Juggz: I am pro-choice, but there is no test to determine if a fetus will become a serial killer.
Martin L: Its true these kids are American, and there are many problems with American culture that contribute to our youth turning to violence. However, it is also particular to America to profile these episodes. Meantime, there are youth in Palestine, the Middle East, and many other countries who are part of militant factions, and commit suicide bombings or other acts of violence, often killing dozens. We just don’t know who they are.
I agree with you though about the idea that there are so many people in this country (and again probably around the world) who are having kids they can’t afford or they are incapable of raising. I have had to teach some of them, and its heartbreaking how poorly adjusted some of these children are as a result of abusive and neglectful homes. Too often these are the same people who protest against right to choose and birth control measures in the government, and are quickest to blame the video games and movies they let their kids play and watch.
There were violent children and youth long before violent media. In the mean time, we are banning games of cops and robbers amongst kindergarteners (this was a news piece I read not too long ago, if I can find the article I’ll post the link) instead of requiring parents to take responsibility for raising their children.
PS I have chosen not to have children (dh calls us conscious non-breeders) because I know my limitations. If one day I feel capable of raising children, I will adopt.
edmund kemper murdered his mother, great list! but i would have mentioned the fact that he killed his mother in a horrible way. crazy guy
Whoa whoa whoa… while I agree that the media is way down the list in terms of culpability for our culture of violence, let’s not just excuse the media entirely. I have never thought TV and the movies were *responsible* for deepening violence in our society—but they certainly feed into it (after feeding *on* it). In other words, the media certainly tends to reflect society, but it in turn then influences it as well.
Certainly there always have been and (unfortunately) always will be violent people who commit terrible crimes. But we shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the way media attention tends to further encourage and inspire violent acts. We live in a sick society (in America). It lacks focus on the life-affirming and often revels in destruction, death, and violence. Our media isn’t to blame for it, but neither should it be let off scot-free—as it too often cheerfully joins in on the revelry, inspiration, and fascination surrounding violence, and sometimes romanticizes it shamefully.
Having said that… I see little that can be done about it; our political system, thankfully, doesn’t allow for it–nor should it. (Though it’s a peculiar and twisted injustice of our society, also, that we tolerate the censorship of ***** in our media, while allowing free reign to the depiction of violence). Nevertheless, to pretend our media plays no part in this mess is, I feel, naive.
Woah, this list is all kinds of crazy. Didn’t Mary Bell kill more than one child? Maybe I’m just crazy….well, okay, maybe not CRAZY, but you know.
sometimes I think your lists are too US-centred. If you talk about school shootings, you have to mention Robert Steinhäuser who, in 2002, killed 16 people in a school in Erfut, Germany
Mary Bell killed two kids.
eric: that is interesting – I am not American and I don’t try to do American centric lists – this one is a collaboration between an American and a non-American.
Rayvn / Jesse: Yeah, that guy absolutely brought vomit to my gorge as I read about him. I think, aside from the school shootings, his made me shudder the most.
eric: I tried very hard not to center this list too much around the US (though that’s where I’m from) and I honestly haven’t heard of Steinhauser, but he is certainly a notable omission. I hope you weren’t offended by my lack of knowledge toward him.
The Columbine Highschool Massacre. I lived it. I was there that day, hiding in the choir room. Something I will never forget as long as I live… Great list by the way.
Randall: Very valid points. Especially about how ***** and “swear words” are censored but violence is practically condoned.
Jamie: thats why i say im for abortion. Parents who want one for there soon to be, are usually not ready to be parents, rather then have the kid and not raise him properly, i say do the world a favor and prevent the possibility
aplspud: better safe then sorry!
MaS: Good lord! I cannot even remotely imagine what that horror must feel like. I was freaked out enough just MAKING the list. I pray for your sanity.
Iam kinnda surprised Sean Sellers wasnt on this list hes the only person executed for a crime commited while under the age of 18
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Sellers
Man, you forgot the crazy 14 year old from Canada. They can’t say it but she killed her parents and her brother. If they identify her in the article as the victim’s child and sister then they identify her and the Youth Justice Act of Canada goes bezerk.
“MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — A 14-year-old girl convicted of three counts of first-degree murder – the youngest person ever convicted of multiple murder in Canadian history – was sentenced Thursday to four years in custody and 4 1/2 years under supervision.
The girl, described as “seriously disturbed” by the Crown after reviewing her psychiatric reports, was 12 at the time she participated in the slaughter of a family in Medicine Hat, 300 kilometres southeast of Calgary. Under federal law she cannot be identified.”
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=3d76d280-1edc-4d01-b7a3-066db0960157&k=41346
Why would any court grant the Bell murderer (it doesn’t say which one) anonimity? This women killed in cold blood at age 10. Why should she receive anonimity when ***** offenders, which are sometimes only boyfriend/girlfriends that are perhaps 19 and 15, have to register and report their whereabouts for the rest of their lives. Doesn’t seem like appropriate justice.
as a matter of fact thats not justice at all. Its total insanity. Only in Britain though. The same thing was with Jon Venables and Thomson (the one holding hand of little 2 year old Bugler on the pic) they came from poor, dysfunctional families and after torturing and murdering a 2 year old James, they received NEW HOUSES paid by government, relocated with entire families to those houses, new identities, education for free and goverment protection! Even more, because if they commit further crime, they will be set free in order to not be unidentified, unless its a very serious crime. That is insane.
actually not all of the kids listed here are americans
i hate it when people blame movies and tv for things like this. the media in no way promotes or causes violence . hell i was raised on scary movies, watched friday the 13th when i was only 5,,if you blame the movies why not books (stephan king for example) or the bible for that matter plenty of violence and murder in there,kids do violent things because there are messed up not the media,
What aboout my girlfriends little brother?
that effin’ demon…
he’s like that kid damien from the omen.
speaking of which, damien wouldn’t have been a bad addition either,
if he was real.
What, no Sadako, from the movie, the Ring? She’s the evilest kid of them all!
JJ: The media in no way promotes violence? Violence, gangsterism, gun culture etc. are completely glamourised in films, and yes video games.
Watch “Funny Games”, it’s violent but in exactly the opposite way. It’s like the anti-Hollywood violence, dwelling on the suffering and whatnot instead of “Wow! Blood and explosions! That’s so cool!”
It’s a really uncomfortable watch, but shouldn’t all violence be uncomfortable to watch? Why should violence be entertaining?
The only thing culture has done to promote violence is to make it more available and visible to the consumer. Do I blame the media and movies and music and games? HELL NO! I myself love violence i love watching it I love it in video games and I love to take about it. But I have not been a violent person in life because I was raised to know what is right and what is wrong. We are products of what our parents thought was moral and have been installed with there beliefs. Even if you dont necassarily see it, it is there. If there is someone to blame it is the parents who did not raise there children to know right from wrong and understand the consequences of doing something wrong. I say this as a father and son.
There are situations where the upbringing of a child influences the behaviour. But you can't say that is the cause of all of it. There are plenty of situations where, despite all teaching to the contrary, a child (or adult) will do whatever it is that they decide. You can't always blame the parent for the actions of the child.
This isn't even touching on psychological disorders that make a individual unable to empathize. There are just so many factors in a persons makeup you can't just point your finger and say "There! That is what made them do it" There is no broad answer that is correct.
I blame the parents who allow their children to watch the movies and play the video games.
My boyfriend works at a video game store where it’s never anything new to hear parents tell their kids no when they ask for games with nude or semi nude women and be completely ok with their kids playing games with gore and violence at the age of 7.
And these evil acts will only increase as our young people are brought up without Judeo/Christian values….very sad….nihilism is the order of the day…
As Dostevsky wrote…’Without God, all things are permissible’……he didn’t write that as a good thing but as a warning over a century ago…
Juggz: That’s assuming parents have sole control over the children though- y’know, the amount of time kids spend sat in front of the TV watching the Sopranos or on the X-Box playing at killing things is a lot more than is spent interacting with parents.
I personally have nothing like the moral code my parents had. I reckon it’s more experiences that shape a person than parents.
@Stephi: Parents can’t be there all the time, and if they’re too controlling that could cause more damage than flat out rejection. The problem lies with our culture being one that promotes violence, guns, etc.
@Devon: It’s possible to have secular morals and it’s possible to have religion with immorality. Where’s the quote from? Can’t remember ever reading it.
StewWriter: I think my sanity is ok now =). It took a long, LONG time before those of us who lived through it were able to move on with our lives. Especially those of us who lost friends in the shooting. The crazy thing is, I was on my way to the library (where most of the killings took place) to type a report when Eric and Dylan came into the school shooting. I thank god everyday to be alive.
MaS: I’m so glad you made it out relatively unscathed if not just to tell the tale on our little site here. You have easily leaped to the top of my bravery list for sure and I have to ask: What kind of ill-will do you harbor towards those kids (although dead) and any children similar who may feel the need to copy-cat, as has been done many times sense? Once again, glad you’re here.
The James Bulger case seems like it just happened yesterday, I still remember that happening on the news. Such a terrible terrible murder.
To really find out some scary children you have to go to Japan. It is really a safe place, but when someone there loses it, they really lose it. In 2004, an 11-year old girl “Nevada-chan” slashed and killed her classmate. The most famous case happened in 1997 when 14-year old “Seito Sakakibara” killed and decapitated an 11-year school kid and placed his head on the school gates (among other things, including another murder and taunting the police). Scary.
James Frazer: did you notice today in history (right panel on the site)? Today is the anniversary of the scumbags being convicted
Repkakoi: that is awful! I wonder why we don’t hear of these things in the west
@ Devon and all others blaming modern society:
Given that you guys read this site, maybe you should have a look at Top 10 of horrible executions. I believe only one of the methods on that list is modern, and it isn’t even Western, at that.
The most horrible acts have been (and are still being) committed in the the name of God, and all before television and the media as we know them even existed. In fact, it’s safe to say we live in the most enlightened age in history so far.
@ jfrater in 41
Because the news is ethnocentric. We don’t even hear a lot about things happening in other Western countries (even though Japan is a Schrödinger’s cat when it comes to that), unless they’re particularly shocking. And sometimes not even then. For instance, have you ever heard of Dutroux? Or the Enschede disaster?
I find it odd that I stumbled upon this list after watching a movie called “Bully”. It’s based on a true story abouy a group of friends who kill one of their own because he was a ‘bully’. It was an eye opening film to anyone who was ‘blind’ to the behaviors of adolescents. I must speak up on the subject of abuse. Just because a person is abused, molested or subjected to gory imagery, it doesn’t incite malicious behaviour. I have been through ALL of these throughout my life. As a young kid, I saw my mother beaten, repeatedly, and was the lucky reciepeint of the spill over, and this was the upside of my young childhood! I went on to be a semi-normal, semi-moral human being. I’ve worked in nursing homes assisting many wonderful people, I’ve always tried to be a good person and do good things. Now, I can’t say I’ve never considered malevolent actions, especially against those who have severly hurt me … but I never followed through. I think a lot of it has to be brought down to creditation for self actions. The scariest part in all these…I have a step-daughter who hurts small animals… It scares the living #%!! out of me, and telling her “No, that’s bad” doesn’t work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bully_film
StewWriter: Well to be honest, for years after the shootings, I was very bitter towards the family of Eric and Dylan and I harbored nothing but hatred for them (Dylan and Eric). But now I have managed to let it go. My friend Lauren was one of the casualties and I make it a point to go to her grave a few times a month. I think kids who do such things are seriously mentally disturbed and need help.
Hey MaS, I was supposed to go to Highschool with you.. I moved from Littleton a few years before high school though. I’m sorry for all that you had to experience that day, you are a good person to have come so far. I do feel bad for one thing though… The friends I did have in high school, were our version of those two. We were outcasts, weird, picked on, but we had eachother.
MaS: Well that sounds about as normal and human a reaction as one could honestly expect from being on the receiving end of such atrocities. I’m glad to hear you visit the sight of your deceased friend and at least maintain that level of closure for yourself. I wouldn’t know what to do if I’d fallen prey to such a situation and I just pray a often as I can that my children don’t get themselves involved in similar occurrences. Thanks for replying by the way, it really brings such a touch of reality and closeness to this list to hear of someone directly involved.
Fallenangel: I found the movie Bully to be very disturbing – I felt so awful for the fat boy. The director was Larry Clark who also directed the film “Kids”. Props to you for coming out of a terrible situation and showing that you can survive it without become a bitter person.
That Canadian girl killed her family because they opposed the fact that she was going out with a 22-23 year-old man. She was 12 when she did it.
Completely sane rationale. =P
They were controlling her. Even though she's a female, at least she stands up for herself.
Space Ace: as it happens no – I have not heart of either of those things. I have just read about them thanks to your comment and I am astounded! Do we really care so little about what happens in Europe and other parts of the world that we don’t report an explosion in Holland that made 1,250 people homeless?!
It’s a romantic lie that children are little angels and all inconnenct… In fact kids are the bottom of our human evilness. Because they lack the moral feelings so they dont feel remorse for doing bad things (unless we taught them 1st) Im not showing the list as example but just look at a playground.
By the way, wasnt there a school shooting in Finland recently?
Fallenangel: Even though I wasn’t a part of the “outcasts”, I never treated them as if they didn’t matter. I never believed in picking on others just because they were different. My friend Lauren didn’t either, which makes me believe that Eric and Dylan didn’t kill because they were bullied, but killed because they were sick. A lot of the kids killed that day, were not part of the in crowd. Thank you for your kind words.
StewWriter: Having a child myself, I try and teach him to treat others with respect no matter how different or “weird” they are. I never want him to experience what I experienced that day at Columbine, and I can not tell you how hard it is to send him to school everyday knowing that it is not as safe as everyone wants to believe. In fact, about 2 months ago his elementary was put on lock down because there was an alleged gunman outside of the school. I FREAKED out, and you can imagine what was going through my head. Thank god it was nothing. Thank you for your praise and kind words.
The Jamie Bulger murderers were English, and they also got anonymity when they eventually got out.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_James_Bulger
@ jfrater
Well, I don’t know where you’re from. Have you at least heard of the murders of Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gogh? Those were high profile cases. Or how about the Austrian fellow who kidnapped a girl and kept her in his basement for more than a decade? That one happened in Japan, too, BTW.
None of these people frighten me except for number 3, that kid is horrifying.
Thank you for the kind words Jamie, I thought that movie was pretty disturbing myself, as was the movie Kids. I’ve known a lot of people like the Kids portrayed in that movie.
You think these kids are EVIL?!?!?! You folks obivously haven’t met my girlfriends 5 year old nephew. God damn life was good til my girls cow-sized sister decided to pop that demon out.
Those two gals from New Zealand who killed their mom with a brick weren’t too nice. (Heavenly Creatures)
Don’t know how old the Menedez boys were, but reloading the shotgun to dust off mom was pretty brutal too.
Can’t understand how a 10 year old get’s it into their head to kill.
bucslim: you are right – it is a brilliant film too. My mother was growing up in New Zealand when the girls did that – she remembers it from the newspapers.
in regard to #6, i believe the mug shot is that of toni lawrence, one of the other girls involved in this horrific crime – not laurie tackett.
Reading things like this reminds me why I’m going into forensic psychology. I want to help find out what causes things like this to happen.
Or maybe I’ve just read too many books about serial killers.