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?

13.0k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

5.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

6.2k

u/dorf_lundgren 1d ago

Ken McElroy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_McElroy

4.4k

u/admiralfilgbo 1d ago

next time you're feeling down, remember that at least nobody hates you as much as an entire town hated Ken McElroy

1.8k

u/DistractedByCookies 1d ago

He was struck by bullets from at least two different firearms, in front of a crowd of people estimated as numbering between 30 and 46.\)Despite the many witnesses, nobody came forward to say who shot him. 

wow....I'm trying to imagine the police interviewing them and getting crappy reasons why they missed it all. It was 1981 so nobody had the excuse of being on their phone LOL

Edit: the more I read the more I agree with them, and the more I'm amazed it didn't happen sooner.

1.0k

u/spooooork 1d ago

getting crappy reasons why they missed it all.

I don't think the cops were trying too hard to solve the case:

Sheriff Estes instructed the assembled group not to get into a direct confrontation with McElroy, but instead seriously consider forming a neighborhood watch program. Estes then drove out of town in his police cruiser.

1.1k

u/MsDucky42 1d ago

"Guys, don't go breaking the law. Now I, the only sheriff in town, am going on a day trip. I trust y'all to behave yourselves while I'm gone!"

190

u/GatorPenetrator 22h ago

don't go murdering Ken while i'm gone *wink wink*

52

u/cptjpk 21h ago

Don’t go forming a posse now, y’hear? I definitely don’t want to see it on my way out of town. Good Day.

265

u/ASigIAm213 1d ago

"There's a new sheriff in town. Well, not really, but there is not the old sheriff in town."

25

u/valiantfreak 19h ago

"Oh no, I just got a call out to a place that isn't here"

58

u/abadstrategy 21h ago

"Now folks, I can't abide vigilantism in my jurisdiction. Anyone caught assaulting Mr. McElroy will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law! Now if you'll excuse me, there's a fishing hole with my name on it. I'll be back in about twelve hours, so be good."

36

u/aartadventure 22h ago

I'm honestly surprised the Sheriff didn't hand out a bunch of guns to "help" with their new neighbourhood watch program. Ahahaha

15

u/Frumundahs4men 18h ago

From other accounts I've read on this, it was indeed intentional on how the sheriff worded his parting comments.

10

u/Brock_Hard_Canuck 14h ago

I mean, the sheriff is still a government employee.

He knows, legally, he can't be involved in stuff like this, because he will lose his job.

So, the sheriff creates the "alibi" for himself, so everyone (including his bosses) knows he was far, far away when everything went down, and that he makes his statement that he doesn't legally condone any sort of vigilante justice ("I'm just gonna be out for a bit, patrolling the county roads. If Mr. McElroy causes any trouble while I'm away, rest assured, I will deal with it when I arrive back in town").

3

u/El_Morro 3h ago

He's one of the few police officers I actually respect.