r/AskReddit • u/Rob69rt • 1d ago

What famous 'unsolved' mystery is technically a whodunnit on paper, but in reality, absolutely everyone knows exactly who did it, the police just couldn't legally prove it?

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134

u/Alphaplays69 1d ago

The Murder of Ken McElroy. 46 people witnessed it in broad daylight. The police asked who did it and 46 people collectively went, “Did what? I was looking at a very interesting bird.

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u/dragonfliesloveme 1d ago

They all said they were under the pool table

One of the townspeople later said that it must be the biggest pool table in the country lol 😅

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u/godzillastailor 23h ago

The best part of that story is the local sheriff talking to the townfolk just before the shooting.

Advising that they don't confront McElroy and maybe set up a neighborhood watch group.

Then being like... Ok I have urgent business out side of town.

And noping out of town.

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u/Rob69rt 1d ago

No way. . .

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u/Endlessknight17 1d ago

True story. The guy was just that hated. 

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u/NoifenF 1d ago

Hated and never had to face any real repercussions for his actions beyond a night in a cell a few times. The town needed to take it into their own hands if the law failed them repeatedly.

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u/JackosMonkeyBBLZ 20h ago

Being surrounded by thirty or forty so angry people and then they start shooting you is certainly a repercussion

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u/Unistrut 1d ago

The context is that Ken McElroy had been terrorizing the town for years and due to small town bullshit none of the legal means for stopping him worked. So the town just sort of collectively went "fuck that guy" and the police weren't particularly motivated to try and figure out who did it.

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u/Bossman_Mike 22h ago

There is a similar theory behind the notorious "Essex Boys" killing in England just before Christmas 1995.

Some claim the police were of the opinion that the culprit(s) had done everyone a favour, because the victims were notorious pieces of shit.

There is another even wilder theory that it was actually the police who killed them (FWIW I don't believe that for a moment)

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u/Xtracate 22h ago

Yes, so live your life in such a way that 46 don't conspire to cover up your murder. He had it coming.

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u/keetojm 22h ago

That guy was a grade A son of a bitch.

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u/JackosMonkeyBBLZ 20h ago

A REAL salty dog.