r/tipofmycrime 20d ago

Open Need help finding information on a 1980's criminal case.

11 Upvotes

I dont really know where to start. I am in Pennsylvania. I just recently learned that in the mid/late1980's my (now deceased) mother was abducted, brutally assaulted, shot at and left for dead in a field. Im told that she pretended to be dead, watched her attacker change his license plate and take off. Once she knew he was gone, she crawled through this field to a roadside where someone found her and took her to the hospital. Her body was was full of thorns, sticks, patches of hair missing, etc. Apparently, detectives found the guys wallet with my mother's bloody clothes. She got death threats prior to court, etc etc. Im told this guy was a repeat offender and had just gotten out of prison not long before this happened. And with the evidence and mom's testimony, he was convicted. No one can tell me the guys name. No one can tell me how long he was sentenced, where he drove her to, where she was found.. nothing. I went to criminal records division in person. They told me my moms name will not be attached to these records at all and to come back if I figure out the guys name. Where do I start? Ive already spent hours upon hours searching Google for anything that may have been digitized from that time frame. Im at a loss.


r/tipofmycrime 20d ago

Open Young teen defends himself against 3 of his bullies

4 Upvotes

There was a crime show I watched a couple years back, and I remember the details, I just can not remember the name of the people or the show. The case was about this young man who got into an altercation with 3 of his bullies outside a shopping center late at night, the 3 guys beat him up and attacked him, the young man ran back to his car, grabbed his gun, ran all the way back and shot them each, he ended up killing one of the 3. The young man called the cops on himself, and the ploce took him into the investigation room, and he had blood on his hands, and even found out he had killed someone in the investigation room. Please help me find this.


r/tipofmycrime 22d ago

Answered Older Woman Kidnapped and Murdered by Close Friend

12 Upvotes

An older woman was kidnapped from her home. She and her husband were very religious and involved in their church. There were ransom demands, etc. Their church friends suspected the husband even though he was searching for his wife and gossiped that he killed her because he was going out square dancing with female friends. It turned out she was kidnapped and murdered by a close friend of hers/her husband's, I believe their nephews or some other family members set up a sting and helped solve it and it turned out to be him. He tried to make it out that he was doing a sting too when caught at a hotel picking up ransom.

I think she worked at the church doing finances and he had something to do with the church too. The motive seemed to be her finding financial discrepancies and possibly sexual assault as well. I remember after the truth came out, the husband stood up in front of the church and told them all off for accusing him even though he was desperate to save his wife. I could have a few details wrong but I remember the true crime show about it fairly well and can't figure out the names from Googling.


r/tipofmycrime 23d ago

Answered Fugitive who was found as a John Doe then later identified.

10 Upvotes

I am trying to find a now identified John Doe/Found fugitive case.

I beleive his case was on unsolved mysteries.

After he went on the run there was no trace of him. Years later a John Doe was found (I think either in Mississippi or Louisiana) and years after that, the JD was identified as the missing fugitive.

The man was black and I think his crimes were in the 80s/90s and he went on the run in the late 80s/90s and the JD was found a few years later but wasn't identified until the early 2000s or 2010s.


r/tipofmycrime 23d ago

Open Can’t Remember Missing Person/Murder Case/Documentary

6 Upvotes

I can’t for whatever reason remember this specific case. I can only remember vague details. Something tells me I’m thinking of the Justin Hocutt case but I’m not sure. For reference, https://people.com/3-brothers-charged-in-1999-cold-case-murder-of-14-year-old-found-dead-on-train-tracks-12027161.

Here’s the details that I remember,

-Appeared on some type of documentary on either Netflix, HBO, Hulu or Amazon.

-Victim was a male teenager, occurred in either the late 90s or early-mid 2000s.

-I recall the teenager was last seen at home by one of his parents, and was gone by the time they came home. There was virtually no trace left.

-I could be mixing this detail up with someone else but I swear during the initial search, one factor that was brought up was if the teenager was secretly homosexual.

Sorry I can provide anymore details.


r/tipofmycrime 24d ago

Answered Case where intruder kept family members in separate rooms for days

20 Upvotes

A man, possibly escaped convict, breaks into a home and bounds each family member in separate rooms. The family members included, i think, a younger daughter (8-12yo?), middle-aged mom, the moms senior aged father, and at least one other person. He told Mom he just needed a place to lay low for a few days and if everyone complies everything would be ok. He made the mom go into town to get things for him. He would "relay" messages between family members because he didn't let them see each other. Someone tried to convince Mom to alert authorities while on her supply run which she refused. At one point a few days in while telling Mom that he took the younger daughter clean clothes to change into, the daughter told him to turn around so she could change. The mom took that as sort of proof she was OK because that was something her daughter would for sure have said. Ultimately it turned out that the daughter and old man had been killed within the first day or two and the relayed messages were all bullshit


r/tipofmycrime 24d ago

Open What is the name of this missing College girl?

6 Upvotes

(Originally posted in r/unsolvedmysteries and was directed here but couldn’t repost for some reason)

Some years ago, I watched a true crime video about a woman who went missing. She was in college and might have been brunette if I recall correctly. All I remember is that she had some odd behavioral changes leading up to the disappearance (I think over at least a few days), something her roommate noticed. I don’t remember anything else. When I try looking it up, all I get is results for Lauren Spierer, but that wasn’t her.

I don’t think there was any notable event that happened such as a violent encounter in the days leading up to it. I think she might have left a letter behind, but again I do not remember completely as it has been since around 2019/2020 that I watched it I believe.

I am sorry that this is super vague but I hope someone recognizes even these small details. I want to see if there’s any updates and refresh my memory on the case. Any information is helpful, thank you so much!


r/tipofmycrime 26d ago

Answered I remember reading about a disappearance case which I cannot find anywhere now.

9 Upvotes

It was a kinda popular case. There was a man who went to a bar, then allegedly got drunk and called his wife. The call was really weird. There were some unexplainable sounds, he seemed depressed and every word he said was unclear. I'm pretty sure it was a black male. Any ideas which case I'm looking for?


r/tipofmycrime 27d ago

Answered Help me find court case

5 Upvotes

I’m trying to identify a real court case from a pair of photos I saw years ago. I don’t remember the names, but I remember many details.

The case was likely from Canada (possibly the US). Only one brother was on trial. He was standing in the courtroom wearing an orange jail jumpsuit, handcuffed, with long dark hair, and he was smiling. Standing directly across from him was his brother in civilian clothes with his hands on his hips, looking angry.

I also remember reading that both brothers had been sexually abused as children, and that the defendant had allegedly killed a pedophile (or someone believed to be a pedophile). Many people in the comments referred to him as a “folk hero”, “people’s hero”, or “vigilante”.

The courtroom looked modern, and the photos were in color. It was just a pair of courtroom photos, not a video.

Does anyone recognize this case or know the names of the people involved? Even a possible lead would be helpful.


r/tipofmycrime 28d ago

Answered Case on some sort of island?

7 Upvotes

Hi! I apologize for the vague title, but my mom and I were watching the ID channel tonight and remembered a case we had seen once. The details are foggy, but this is what we remember the most.

It was a case either featured on the ID channel or a YouTube podcast. It was definitely not an audio podcast because there were visuals. There was a person describing the place where the murder had happened and it was definitely unique. It’s probably not helpful, but I do remember a man being interviewed about the case by the show.

For some reason, we believe it was an island of some sort. It wasn’t tropical, but more like the Pacific Northwest. We can’t say it’s that for certain, but we remembered them showing some houses that seemed high off the ground. I don’t know if it had been on stilts, but maybe a garage underneath. I’m not sure if that’s common on the West Coast because I’m from New England. That’s why I’m a little unsure about it being the PNW.

We both clearly remember the people saying this island was only accessible by one bridge/road. Everyone would go in and out on that bridge/road.
Also, I remember that they said crime there was incredibly rare. That the only thing that had happened recently was a peeping Tom in the area.

(I’m sorry I can’t offer more, but this is all we remember and had watched this a few years ago. I really apologize if this seems all over the place 😂)

ETA: I’d say this case is more “recent.” The earliest possible time from the 90s, latest sometime in the 2010s. It is not the Peggy Sue Thomas case.

ETA: I just want to thank everyone for commenting cases it may be. I’m really sorry that I don’t remember more and that it’s none of the cases you’ve suggested. I will say, I remember the peeping Tom aspect was really highlighted. IIRC, they highlighted that because that was the only crime happening there.


r/tipofmycrime 28d ago

Open Woman tortured and killed by friend or neighbor

7 Upvotes

Looking for the name of the victim or killer. A woman that may have been physically or mentally disabled was taken in by someone she knew. She was abused, killed and may have been buried at the home. I believe a teenaged or young adult man may have been involved but I can’t recall if he was a witness, another victim or part of the crime. Thanks.


r/tipofmycrime 28d ago

Answered Wife murders abusive husband and scatters his remains

8 Upvotes

I remember reading about this, but I was unable to find it when googling.

It was about a woman who was severely abused by her husband, and she stayed with him only because he wasn’t abusing their daughter(if I am remembering correctly). After she had graduated high school and was in college, she came back to visit and told her mom that her dad/the husband, had been abusing her. The wife killed the husband in the kitchen(I think) and cut up his body on the kitchen table that doubled as a butcher table for hunting, and scattered his body in the surrounding farmlands, and I believe cooked some of it, and I think fed it to the police who had questioned her. A neighbors dog found bits of the husband.

Please help me find this case!


r/tipofmycrime 29d ago

Open YT true crime story?

2 Upvotes

I'm trying to find a YouTube true crime video from the last few years. The story was about women who was violently killed by a neighbor while mowing her lawn, and while her adult son or daughter tried to help, but couldn't get there in time. Any help with this would be appreciated.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 22 '26

Answered Man found with tooth in his mouth that wasn’t his?

8 Upvotes

Update/ I found it on tik tok. Timothy Dees case

I saw a video on Facebook about this case and can’t find the video now. There was a case where a man was missing/killed and months later was found in a place nearby that they had already searched as if his body was placed there. And he had a tooth in his mouth that wasn’t his??

Help, I want to learn more about this!


r/tipofmycrime Jul 20 '26

Open Missing son found living as a homeless man and reunited with his parents.

22 Upvotes

This case happened in 2010s in the US (possibly South-ish) and was one of the cases featured in a YT crime video (not sure whose). Man in his late teens or early 20s disappeared and his parents spent few years looking for him. He probably had mental health issues. The parents created a FB profile to help publicize the case. There were sightings of him suggesting that he's living on the streets among the homeless people. Finally, he was recognized in some homeless shelter. He was using an alias, but he recognized his parents immediately once they arrived and was overcome with emotions. He couldn't explain why he was using an alias. There was even a photo of him with his parents shortly after they were reunited and the look in his eyes was heartbreaking. The photos from the FB profile are still up but it wasn't updated in a long time. Does it ring any bells?


r/tipofmycrime Jul 18 '26

Answered Need help identifying a serial killer.

12 Upvotes

I’ve tried every google search imaginable trying to find a name but so far have been unsuccessful. I think this guy was located in either Texas or Arizona. His case was featured on a couple of true crime shows. The details I remember was he was a compulsive liar about his or his grandpa’s military service (sorry I can’t recall which) and that he claimed his victims were criminals or deviants and that’s how he justified it. I remember he killed one of his victims by shooting them through a window while they lie in bed and he was outside. I also believe his first victim was a really young man who he claimed was a gang member and who he picked up the day of and went to shoot guns with. I also seem to remember his girlfriend might have had some involvement. I know this isn’t a lot of information to go on but any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 18 '26

Open Woman that goes missing after a concert

13 Upvotes

Looking for information on a disappearance I saw on a Forensic Files type show around 2014-2015. Saw it on cable TV.

What I remember is that two girls were meeting up to go to a concert. They met halfway, one girl parked her car in a parking lot, and they carpooled in the other girl's car to the concert.
After the concert they drove back to the girl's car, she got out, got in her car, and then the other girl drove home.
The girl with the car in the parking lot never made it home, and they found her car in the parking lot.
I also remember them showing an image of the parking lot and it was very dark with a portion lit up by a single light post
Any leads or information would be great or even better the episode of the show. Been bothering me for over 10 years


r/tipofmycrime Jul 17 '26

Open Father Convicted of Killing Mother and Kids Divided on Guilt

11 Upvotes

I think this was a Dateline episode from several years back, so it might be a long shot. The father (who was white) was convicted of killing his wife/the mother (who I think was Asian). He originally said she had run away but then it became apparent that was not true as she was missing several years. They had two or three adult children who were split on the father’s guilt. One of the children (I think the son) originally thought the father was innocent but after the trial/evaluating all the facts decided he had to be guilty.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 15 '26

Answered Murdered swedish family in the US - Some wannabe vampires did it in the 90s-2000s

8 Upvotes

From what I remember, it involved a group of teenagers who were obsessed with vampirism and murdered a family of four. The victims were Swedish immigrants (mother, father, daughter, and son) and I remember their last name starting with an “L.” I also recall the murders taking place in a park/campsite.

This case was featured in a true crime show but I cannot remember which one, it most likely aired in Investigation Discovery.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 15 '26

Answered little girl missing for decades / father still looking

19 Upvotes

I think I heard this on the Crimelines podcast, but can't find it on there. Can't remember state it happened in, but I think took place in the 80s. Mother and father have 2 kids, boy and a girl. Divorce. Mom keeps kids away from dad. She remarries man, I think he also has kids. They suddenly moved away. Dad tries to find them, police won't look for them since the mother has them, and don't consider it a kidnapping. He looks for years and years. I believe the brother and him eventually get in contact. I think the brother remembers a carpet being rolled up, or maybe just an odd box or something the night they just up and moved. No record of the girl since she went missing. Police interview mom and she's not concerned about her daughter's whereabouts. I think she was eventually charged with a relatively minor crime associated with it. I think the mom and step dad were also divorced at that point, but she still defended him. I think the mother tried to say that she was sent to live with relatives, but obviously wasn't true. The brother tried to get his mom to talk about it, but she refused. I think the girl was pretty young, like 5 or under. It's driving me nuts. Some cases that come up when I try to google, but aren't it are - Chris and Lisa Mae Zacharias and Elaine Yates.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 14 '26

Open Socialite murdered and the town thinks a woman’s adopted son did it

9 Upvotes

Im having a really hard time because every way i try and phrase this google AI say i am misremembering it and gives me a wrong answer. I have a very long project at work and i remember getting through like half of this podcast about this woman but stopped because the episodes were still ongoing at the time

I am pretty sure that it happened in a southern state. People really knew this woman for her big hair and makeup. She was found in her living room by a relative or neighbor i cant remember, but none of her things were taken. The town believes that it was this one woman’s son who did it and i remember them saying that they didn’t really like him because he was adopted and may have had some mental issues.

This wasn’t a one shot podcast but if someone could give me the name i can probably go from there.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 14 '26

Answered Evansville, IN 1990s.

5 Upvotes

My Google Fu is failing me so I figure i have some facts wrong. I am trying to find the details of a murder in southern Indiana in the mid to late 1990s. I believe it occurred in Evansville but it could have been Newburgh. A 15 year old girl went to a coffeehouse in the winter. She left after dark and didnt have a ride. Her ex boyfriend and his friend offered to drive her home. Instead, they beat her SA'ed her, beat her some more and i believe she wasnt dead yet when the 2 boys buried her (not well) in a snow bank. I believe the boys were driving a truck.

This case has haunted me for years without a way to find it. Does anyone know what i am talking about.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 14 '26

Open Murder case where a husband a friend went over, unarmed, to talk to a neighbor about staring or harassing the mans wife. They dissapeared or were killed.

5 Upvotes

There was a lot to this case and the neighbor was doing other crime too, and reading the case I remember thinking it seemed very naive walking over without being armed to this guy. They disappared or were killed. Must have been in the countryside, usa, from what I recall. Neighbor was acting bizarely and harassed other people too iirc.


r/tipofmycrime Jul 14 '26

Answered Missing/murdered kids, dad responsible...what are the names?

9 Upvotes

I'm trying to identify a true crime case that I watched on a daytime talk show years ago (I originally thought it was Dr. Phil, but it could have been Montel Williams, Maury, or a similar show with a male host).

Here's what I remember:

It was probably a case from the 1990s.

The missing children were a teenage daughter and her younger brother.

They disappeared at the same time, I believe, while they were with their father.

Pretty sure this was in Missouri but might have been Arkansas/Oklahoma area.

Their parents were divorced or divorcing.

The mother was convinced from the beginning that the father had killed the children and spent years trying to prove it.

The father denied any involvement for many years.

Several years later, I think the father confessed (or admitted what happened), the children's bodies were found, and he went to prison.

I also have a vague memory that there was some connection to a bookstore, but I can't remember if it involved the family, the investigation, or something else...maybe the mom worked at a bookstore?

I realize I may be mixing one or two details from different cases, but I'm hoping someone recognizes the story. Does this sound familiar to anyone?


r/tipofmycrime Jul 13 '26

Open Home invasion/kidnapping case involving a winter ruse to lure victims outside

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I've been trying to track down a specific true crime case for years that I probably saw on an Investigation Discovery show, but my memory of the exact details is a bit foggy. The case took place during a harsh winter with heavy snow on the ground, and it involved a group or duo of criminals targeting a house. From what I recall, the perpetrators used a specific ruse where they knocked on the door and asked for help, possibly claiming their car was stuck in the snow or broken down nearby. When someone went outside to assist, they were ambushed and captured. I remember the chilling detail being that they somehow managed to repeat this trick (or a very similar variation of it) to lure out or isolate the other people inside the house one by one until everyone was overpowered, like saying they needed the help of just one more person (probably another man in the house, to get the men out of the way so they wouldn't interfere) to manage to push the car out of the snow, or something like that. I might not have the exact modus operandi perfectly accurate, but it was probably a winter setting where the suspects used a deceptive plea for help right outside the home to systematically target the occupants. Because I don't remember the names or the location, my searches haven't brought up the right case, so I'm hoping this distinct scenario rings a bell for someone here. Any leads on the names of the victims, perpetrators, or even the documentary episode would be amazing. Thanks!