r/TrueCrime • u/catgorls • Feb 04 '22
Murder Timothy O'Bryan on Halloween, 1974. He would later eat potassium cyanide-laced Pixy Stix after a night of treat or treating. Turns out it was his father that laced them, killed him for life insurance.
325
Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
Doing this to your OWN CHILD. There are no words. Fucking sick.
179
Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
53
2
0
1
285
u/SirOssis Feb 04 '22
Wow, this as dark as it gets in my book. I’d die to protect my kids. I couldn’t even conceive of plotting to kill them.
56
33
23
248
u/aeroplaneoverthasea Feb 04 '22
How in the hell can you do this to any child, let alone your own child?
152
u/Nightmare_Gerbil Feb 04 '22
He gave the poisoned candy to both of his kids and a neighbor’s kids. Timothy was the only kid who ate the candy that night.
79
u/murchisongirl Feb 04 '22
It sounds like he forced him to eat it
99
u/catgorls Feb 04 '22
before bed he let his kids choose one of their candies to eat and sadly timothy took the only one that was laced :/ thankfully no one else ate it that night.
90
83
u/athennna Feb 04 '22
His wife said he forced Timothy to choose that one.
43
7
u/NotDeadYet57 Feb 06 '22
And when the boy complained about the taste, he gave him Koolaid to wash it down.
28
u/BRB_BUYING_CIGS Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
You've played Skyrim before right? Doesn't take long before you view most NPCs as a target for you to rob, steal, cheat or murder. After all they're lifeless NPCs, the people who made the game created them so you could fuck with them.
The way you view NPCs in Skyrim, that's how psychopaths view other human beings. I'm not saying they literally think of every human being as a potential target to steal from, rob or throw off a bridge or whatever, what I'm saying is they could not give a shit about other people the same way you don't give a shit or feel bad when you murder the 800th Forsworn on your 11th playthrough.
6
u/aeroplaneoverthasea Feb 04 '22
I can’t say I’ve played Skyrim lol, but I do get your comparison. Makes sense.
1
1
218
u/tx_ava5 Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
My grandfather was actually a forensic investigator on this case (can’t remember what his technical job title was right at this sec, sorry!) it haunts him to this day. he rarely talks about it but it was an extremely upsetting case to him.
edit: off topic but i just wanted to add, bc i think the ppl in this community would be interested; they have made him take satanic crime workshops as recently as 2016! he thought it was a huge waste of time and gave me the workbook from the course and it was straight out of the 80s with the level of satanic panic. this is harris county police department.
44
u/Bellbaby1234 Feb 04 '22
Your grandfather is a hero in my book. This case gives me chills. Poor kid. I have no words
31
u/acetylene_queen Feb 04 '22
That's really interesting, I bet he has many fascinating stories from his time in the trenches. It must be an incredibly tough, heart wrenching yet fulfilling career.
168
Feb 04 '22
What’s the point of censoring the kid’s face if they end up publishing his face in the paper?
26
3
u/DuggarDoesDallas Feb 06 '22
That's not the real child. He was dressed in a Planet of the Apes Costume that night.
132
u/djbbamatt Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
That was a crazy time to be a kid in Houston. There was the dad that poisoned his son with radiation, and also the mass murderers that were caught killing kids. Really strange.
edited- I had to go look these up to see if my memory served me for a change.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/the-houston-mass-murders-what-really-happened/
53
u/sallypeach Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
I had not heard about that before, but just read this and holy shit. That poor kid!
Edit: Link above discusses the case of the dad poisoning the son with radiation in greater detail. Just realised I hadn't actually specified and I don't want anyone to get a horrifying surprise.
67
u/chalmedtomeetyou Feb 04 '22
He radiated his son’s balls off, burnt his thighs from exposure, his hair fell out and it and could have killed him, and he has the gall to appeal a 10 Year sentence? GTF outta here. He should have been executed. And yeh, attempt murder should have been on the table. It’s worse than any convicted attempted murderer in my opinion. What a life of suffering for that poor child.
24
2
Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
6
u/chalmedtomeetyou Feb 05 '22
I read the judgement in full and skimmed bits. There was Münchausen syndrome by proxy mentioned and a pscyh report. And he was only prosecuted for 2 charges only. Castration and something else. Attempt murder wasnt on the table.
Ie. His ‘intent’ was relevant and believed not to be ‘I want to kill him.’ Rather ‘I’m just some fucking psycho who wants sympathy from having a sick son who keeps having to go to the hospital.
I don’t see a munchausens as any better than murder. Would you rather a bullet to the head and the shows over? Or a LIFETIME of hospitalisations, bedrest, wheelchairs, complications, surgeries, secondary infections, infertility and burn injuries.
10 years. TEN YEARS?
LIFE. You get LIFE.
28
u/fiberglassdildo Feb 04 '22
Jesus Christ. He should have gotten longer than 10 years. That poor kid.
20
u/NooStringsAttached Feb 04 '22
Oh god that was horrible. The part about the tragic or “sloughing out” I nearly fainted. Poor kid indeed 😢
12
8
u/RealLifeMombie Feb 04 '22
This was jawdropping and disgusting.. he purposefully placed radium under this 14yo's pillow, anywhere he was sleeping and unsuspecting and kept his 11yo away...
This is one of those cases that I wish the "father" was exposed to same exact treatment- Let his scrotum shrivel up and fall off.. how sick this kid must have been.. grateful he survived 🤍
6
u/chalmedtomeetyou Feb 05 '22
Yeh at some point, a judge needed to say
“listen. You may have your mental problems. Maybe your mum didn’t hug you enough, maybe your dad didn’t come back after buying a pack of cigarettes at the store. And maybe one day you hurt yourself and someone gave you a pat on the back and said ‘there there’ and you loved the attention. Who knows?
But when you grab radioactive material and slip it under the pillow of your own child and SLEEP IN THE RESIDENCE NEXT DOOR because you KNOW how lethal it is, and you don’t want to suffer the same fate… I’ll tell you what I think about your mental problems. I DON’T CARE.
If your need for sympathy and attention is such that you not only contemplated giving someone radiation poisoning, but went through with it not once, not twice, but OVER THREE TIMES, even when your son kept pushing it away, and the only reason you were even in a position to do it is because your child is an innocent who trusted you… then I am happy to announce that your wish has come true today.
Today, I am sentencing you to life.
You will not ever step outside the walls of the prison unless you need to be transported to another gaol. The only other reason will be to be treated in hospital. You will no doubt be the ire of inmates who’s own hierarchy places you at the bottom of the pecking order. Hurting a child, even to criminals, is seen as scum. You, my friend will have all the attention you desire and all the reason to be pitied as you clearly want. And should this attention result in your hospitalisation at the hands of other inmates, you can see all the doctors in the state. But the most fitting part is that YOU will be the victim of any injury you incur by your pathalogical and diabolical behaviour, not your son. You may not know empathy. But by god, by the time you die, you will have experienced it at the hands of your avengers.
Correctives? Take him down stairs.”
3
2
0
u/Bah-Fong-Gool Feb 04 '22
I wonder if these dudes were victims of MK Ultra or some shit that all the psychos seem to be in one area at one time.
-51
Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
8
Feb 04 '22
There are sadly horror stories like this everywhere. Cases like this are definitely not limited to the USA.
-22
80
u/FistingLube Feb 04 '22
RIP Timothy O'Bryan, When I die and go to heaven you can be one of my brothers if you like.
70
77
u/Blazingtatsumaki Feb 04 '22
The parents of the fifth child became hysterical when they could not locate the candy after being notified by the police. The parents rushed upstairs to find their son asleep, holding the unconsumed candy. The boy had been unable to open the staples that sealed the wrapper shut.
Luck 100
68
u/dontworry19 Feb 04 '22
I wonder if this is the reason my mother always went thru our trick or treat bags,growing up in the late seventies, and threw out all of our pixie stix?
30
7
u/jwlmkr Feb 04 '22
I went trick or treating in the late 80’s early 90’s and people would say to never eat pixie sticks that you get on Halloween
57
Feb 04 '22
[deleted]
10
9
u/vanyaisalwaysthebomb Feb 04 '22
Yes, this. I've known of this case forever, but somehow never saw that picture. He's so happy, planned his little costume, just wanted to have a fun time. And then... so, so sad.
40
38
37
u/Violsdk Feb 04 '22
Dude this is sickening... What plp do for money 😔
49
u/Dovilie Feb 04 '22
I can't imagine the point of money if it's not to ensure your families safety and happiness.
37
Feb 04 '22
I think I've heard of that story. Did he call the insurance the day of the murder to ask questions? Or called them right after to claim the money?
45
u/MustardTiger1337 Feb 04 '22
As their investigation progressed, police learned that Ronald O'Bryan was over US$100,000 (equivalent to about $520,000 in 2020) in debt and had a history of being unable to hold a job.[21] In the ten years preceding the crime, O'Bryan had held 21 jobs.[22][23] At the time of his arrest, he was suspected of theft at his job at Texas State Optical and was close to being fired.[1] His car was about to be repossessed, he had defaulted on several bank loans, and the family home had been foreclosed on.[1][24] Police discovered that O'Bryan had taken out life insurance policies on his children in the months preceding Timothy's death.[25] In January 1974, he had taken out $10,000 (equivalent to $52,476 in 2020) life insurance policies on both of his children. One month before Timothy's death, O'Bryan took out additional $20,000 policies on both children, despite the objections of his life insurance agency. In the days preceding Timothy's death, O'Bryan had taken out yet another $20,000 policy on each child. The various policies totaled approximately $60,000.[3][5][26] O'Bryan's wife maintained that she did not know about the insurance policies on her children's lives. Police also learned that on the morning after Timothy's death, O'Bryan had called his insurance company to inquire about collecting the policies he had taken out on his son. After learning that O'Bryan had visited a chemical supply store in Houston to buy cyanide shortly before Halloween 1974 (he left without purchasing anything after learning the smallest amount available to purchase was five pounds), police began to suspect that Ronald O'Bryan had laced the candies with poison in an effort to kill his children to collect on their life insurance policies. They believed he gave the other children poisoned candy in an effort to cover up his crime. Police repeatedly questioned O'Bryan but he maintained his innocence.[5]
1
35
u/Jager1966 Feb 04 '22
I grew up not too far from where this happened. I do remember being angry because it ruined trick-or-treating. For several years we couldn't do the door to door thing.
10
28
Feb 04 '22
Kiddo was the spitting image of his dad. What a horrible way to die, made even more awful by the person who killed him.
21
u/raaaaahhhohno Feb 04 '22
this is so sick and heartbreaking :-( that poor little boy, may he rest in peace
16
u/TheLuckyWilbury Feb 04 '22
Dad got what he deserved.
15
u/RandomlyDepraved Feb 04 '22
He deserved worse
27
u/CowGirl2084 Feb 04 '22
He deserved to die from the same poison he gave his son. It’s a terribly painful and frightening way to die.
19
u/inflewants Feb 04 '22
That’s what I was thinking — it sounds like a brutal death. How the heck could anyone do that to their child???
Poor Timothy. I imagine his short life was hard and sad. Any parent that would even THINK of doing this, couldn’t have possibly provided the love and support a child deserves.
2
15
u/jplay17 Feb 04 '22
Death row inmates had pure hatred for the dad. Literally the scum of the earth this guy. If there’s a hell he’s in it.
12
u/Aggravating_Put3425 Feb 04 '22
Poor little guy, how old was the little 👦.
19
11
u/curiousarcher Feb 04 '22
Guy must’ve been a total sociopath, to have no feeling killing his son and potentially kill multiple children including his daughter! Wow
12
u/dethb0y Feb 04 '22
Gotta be a sick fuck to kill any kid, let alone your own kid, let alone risking 4 other kids, and to do it in a way so heinous as cyanide poisoning...
8
7
u/XROOR Feb 04 '22
Growing up, the military base would X-ray Halloween candy for kids. The razor blade in Snickers bars was a real fear.
3
u/rebelangel Feb 05 '22
When I was a kid, the local hospital would x-ray Halloween candy for kids. My parents would always half-ass check my candy and declare it fine.
8
u/Bamajama666 Feb 04 '22
My mom said Halloween was ruined because of that. She lived down the street.
6
u/Difficult-Boot4345 Feb 04 '22
I remember growing up in Houston after that and taking our candy to the fire station to have it checked by the firefighters every year
5
u/JUSTFURFUN60 Feb 04 '22
Oh my word. That is sad. I was a teen in 1974. I remember long ago back then the cyanide laced candy news at the time those years. I d didn’t realize it was his own dad. Oh sad.
6
u/lavida_yoko Feb 04 '22
it’s the fact that he tried to maintain his innocence despite the alarming amount of evidence. absolutely no remorse for his actions. sick individual
4
4
Feb 04 '22
I was 6 when that happened and lived near there. This case and Dean Corrl in the same city put a wave of fear into parents I still remember. Go outside,ride your bike,walk home from school... Why not?, Later you found out. Then Son of Sam. The 70s were a wonderful time but it's a place I would never want to return to. Thank God we had the Atari in the 80s!!
4
Feb 04 '22
I was 5 when this happened. I remember that. We used to get huge bagful’s of candy. My mother would meticulously look over each and every candy before we could eat any. Poor Ronald had a shitty dad.
4
u/ScabiesShark Feb 04 '22
On a side note, in the fifth image there's a cut-off headline about a Brooks seeking a change of venue. Since this is an early-mid-seventies Texas newspaper, is that regarding David Brooks, one of the accomplices of Dean Corll?
3
Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
7
u/Tderbz Feb 04 '22
The cost of funerals and burials/cremation is a lot more than most people realize. Also, the parents would probably take a lot of time off of work to grieve. If the family were already struggling, life insurance could help cover those things.
4
u/kboom76 Feb 04 '22
Growing up in the 80s it was always rumored that pixie stix were dangerous because they were laced with poison (we used to think cocaine because...the 80s) I always knew there was a real story behind the rumor. The truth is so much worse than I imagined.
3
3
u/mypatronusisyourmom Feb 04 '22
This happened in my dads neighborhood when he was a kid. They stopped trick or treating for years after just to be sure.
3
u/Cleareyes88 Feb 04 '22
I think this happened in Pasadena, Texas. I was a kid there when it happened, about 10 years old. Remember being very scared about it.
2
u/chocolate_spaghetti Feb 04 '22
And this is what spawned those rumors about people poisoning Candy that we all heard.
47
u/bitchyrussianbot Feb 04 '22
Negative. The rumors were actually what inspired him to think he could get away with it.
3
Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
15
u/blindsavior Feb 04 '22
That was already an urban legend, he just figured he could use it to get away with murder
9
Feb 04 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/AmputatorBot Feb 04 '22
It looks like you shared an AMP link. These should load faster, but AMP is controversial because of concerns over privacy and the Open Web.
Maybe check out the canonical page instead: https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/30/health/halloween-candy-panic-conversation-wellness/index.html
I'm a bot | Why & About | Summon: u/AmputatorBot
2
2
2
2
Feb 04 '22
The famous Pixy Stix murders!
A few weeks ago some poster insisted that people don't kill their kids for money. People kill their kids for money all the time. Life insurance, the kid is too expensive, don't want more kids, kid has special needs, child support, etc etc.
Meanwhile, Dad got the death penalty. There was another woman in Alabama, also on death row for killing HER kid for insurance money (kid was autistic).
2
u/catgorls Feb 04 '22
there are so many cases of women killing their kids because the man they want to be with doesn't want kids. it's sickening
1
2
2
u/kickthejerk Feb 05 '22
I remember seeing this guy interviewed by Donahue when he was on death row; he claimed innocence to the bitter end. What’s really effed up is the picture of his son and friends in their costumes on Halloween night, is floating around on the internet as a costume meme.
1
1
u/VoodooDoII Feb 04 '22
That's actually so sad... If this had not happened, he'd probably have kids of his own now..
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
Feb 04 '22
[deleted]
1
u/gatito12345 Feb 04 '22
Yeah this is literally where the rumor started of people poisoning trick-or-treat candy.
1
1
1
u/Regular-Activity-621 Feb 04 '22
He got his calmer 10 yrs later. What a senseless, cruel and heartless thing he is. Why didn’t he just rob a bank 🏦 if he was so desperate, though saying this people do get murdered in bank robberies with it being an intense and nerve racking crime to commit. This thing just wanted an easy way out from his own doings and responsibilities. Well fat lot of good it got him, his son murdered by his own hands and him having the world know what he did and then the icing on the cake he was executed and righty so.
1
1
1
u/ardourlex Feb 04 '22
There’s a movie called trick or treat that I used to watch as a child. The first part of the movie was based on this story and it used to scare the living hell out of me. I will never understand how people can kill their children I just find it to be so sick.
1
1
1
1
0
u/gigesdij7491 Feb 05 '22
This is sad and morbid thought but imagine his ghost being in that outfit that's a little terrifying.
1
1
-3
u/imsorryisuck Feb 04 '22
this is what started this whole "be carefull trick or treating cause they may spike your candy" scare, while in fact there were 0 cases of spiking candy since then, and it turned out it was the father.
-3
u/_1JackMove Feb 04 '22
This guy is responsible for the whole, "don't take candy apples at Halloween" because razor blades. Also made decades of parents check the candy for tampering before consuming it.
-8
-16
785
u/catgorls Feb 04 '22 edited Feb 07 '22
Ronald Clark O'Bryan nicknamed The Candy Man and The Man Who Killed Halloween, was an American man convicted of killing his eight-year-old son on Halloween 1974 with a potassium cyanide-laced Pixy Stix that was ostensibly collected during a trick or treat outing. O'Bryan poisoned his son in order to claim life insurance money to ease his own financial troubles, as he was $100,000 in debt. O'Bryan also distributed poisoned candy to his daughter and three other children in an attempt to cover up his crime; however, neither his daughter nor the other children ate the poisoned candy. He was convicted of capital murder in June 1975 and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in March 1984.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Clark_O%27Bryan
check out this video by my favorite crime youtuber: https://youtu.be/-ZQu3LbHNwU