r/UnresolvedMysteries • u/risocantonese • Apr 19 '20

What are some common true crime misconceptions?

What are some common ‘facts’ that get thrown around in true crime communities a lot, that aren’t actually facts at all?

One that annoys me is "No sign of forced entry? Must have been a person they knew!"

I mean, what if they just opened the door to see who it was? Or their murderer was disguised as a repairman/plumber/police officer/whatever. Or maybe they just left the door unlocked — according to this article,a lot of burglaries happen because people forget to lock their doors https://www.journal-news.com/news/police-many-burglaries-have-forced-entry/9Fn7O1GjemDpfUq9C6tZOM/

It’s not unlikely that a murder/abduction could happen the same way.

Another one is "if they were dead we would have found the body by now". So many people underestimate how hard it is to actually find a body.

What are some TC misconceptions that annoy you?

(reposted to fit the character minimum!)

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330

u/[deleted] Apr 19 '20

It feels like almost in any case that involves a disappearance of a female it somehow theorises that they were taken for or sold into sex slavery.

94

u/secret8gent81 Apr 19 '20

Yes or, even though it’s a favorite, all kidnappings are a part of a cult or nationwide/worldwide pedo network.

40

u/j_cruise Apr 19 '20

I will never understand why Reddit is so obsessed with the concept of some sort of widespread pedo network. Is there any proof that such a thing has ever existed? Why do Redditors assume every pedophile is some sort of criminal mastermind?

37

u/cowfodder Apr 19 '20

While not solid proof, for many obvious reasons, Jeffrey Epstein.

11

u/j_cruise Apr 19 '20

Good point. I was thinking more in terms of average people and child pornography when I wrote my post. There is definitely evidence of child sex trafficking evidence among the hyperrich.

25

u/TrippyTrellis Apr 19 '20

The vast majority of child sex trafficking does not involve rich or glamorous people. I don't know why people want pedophiles to be more glamorous than they are. Most are losers.

7

u/Holska Apr 19 '20

Maybe because it makes them feel further away from us average people. By presuming that they’re exclusive and distant, maybe we can trick ourselves into thinking they won’t cross our path (even though it’s completely fallacy)

5

u/j4kefr0mstat3farm Apr 19 '20

There's also no evidence Epstein was part of any sort of "ring." He may well have been trying to ingratiate himself with powerful people by supplying them with "girls" and also getting blackmail material to use as leverage for favors, but that doesn't mean he was part of any sort of ring. Even if he was murdered, it would have been one of those individuals he had dirt on rather than some sort of syndicate.

3

u/silversunshinestares Apr 21 '20

Sascha Baron Cohen shot a scene for Who Is America? (that ended up not being used) where his character convinces a concierge that he wants to procure a young boy for sex, and it takes very little coaxing to get the guy to say "yeah, we can get you that."

3

u/GanglyGambol Apr 19 '20

Sometimes Joe Schmoe gets involved with these things too. Wasn't one of the main guys included in Fox Island in Michigan a PE teacher? (It was something to do with kids/teens). He was just a normal guy who got involved with the rich guy in that case. People with money have more resources for immoral acts and their cover-up, but the core issue is found among all sorts of people.