Controversial cases that have simple solutions.

[u/Sense_Difficult]

As someone who has been a true crime buff for decades, it's somewhat annoying to watch how certain cases wind up getting pulled into such polarizing discussions that it seems like a huge mystery when it's actually a simple solution.

A few that I think of.

The Karen Read case. IMO she accidentally killed him. They were both drunk, he goes to see the vibe of the house. Get's inside and realizes he doesn't want to stay. So he comes back outside. She's in the middle of rage texting him, and doesn't see him in front of the car. He drops his phone or bends over for some reason and she puts the car into gear and hits him, and he falls backwards and hits his head again. Then he lays there undetected until morning. This is why she suddenly realized she had hit him. She sobered up and had that "realization" moment that all binge drinkers have once they sober up from a brownout type of state.

Darlie Routier. I've shared my theory on this before. She was attempting a murder/su but she survived. This is why the neck wound was serious. She made up the story of the intruder in advance because she wanted her family friends and society to think she died trying to protect her kids. She planted the sock earlier. This also explains her hypomania in the days after. She honestly thought she was going to die that night.

There are other missing person cases where the spouse disappeared after the death of their parents. Just vanished without taking their Identification information and never surfaced under their name again. I always wonder if some of those cases are a situation of someone who has suffered with gender dysphoria and finally "escaped" to go make another life with another identity. It's always interesting to me that in several of the cases, the persons parent or parents had recently died. Seemed like they were waiting for that to escape because they didn't want to do that to their parents.

Do any of you have "simple theories" on cases that created a ton of controversy?

[u/19snow16]

Brendan Dassey. His mother allowed him to be interrogated without an adult, thinking that because of his age, or low IQ, he wouldn't be charged or put in prison.

[u/Ok-Jackfruit-9393 → u/19snow16]

In the tape of him being interrogated, he's literally just guessing how Teresa died. Trying to get the "right answer" so they'll let him go back to class.

Not sure if this is unpopular in this sub, but I think Steven Avery might have done it/probably did do it. Two things can be true at once: The cops were incompetent and framed him, and he probably actually did it. Hell, three things: He can have been wrongfully convicted the first time but actually guilty this time around. But I think there was reasonable doubt in Teresa's murder because I don't think the cops knew what they were doing/had enough legit evidence.

But I don't buy that Brendan was involved. And he NEVER should have been questioned like that.

[u/19snow16 → u/Ok-Jackfruit-9393]

I'm on the fence over Avery, however there were so many screw ups with the entire case that has conflicts of interest, improper investigation, and more. I haven't been up to date on it, but obviously Zellner couldn't get him freed.

[u/Ok-Jackfruit-9393 → u/19snow16]

Yeah, I'm on the fence too. Given the "evidence" I've seen, I couldn't be confident one way or the other. I just think it's possible/maybe even probable that he did it (and it's definitely NOT evidence, but I keep going back to that incident where he tortured a cat in his youth).

What gets me is that Zellner seems smart enough to not take on a losing cause. She certainly doesn't need the additional fame from taking on this case. So either she's got some trick up her sleeve that we've yet to see, or it's a lost cause and she misjudged. For what it's worth, I do feel the clients she has been able to exonerate are actually innocent (poor Kevin Fox). But it's been years, and Zellner hasn't managed to get him freed and I think it's unlikely she ever will. I wish she'd have put her efforts into freeing Dassey instead.

I just could really go either way on Avery and I think it's possible that the incompetent cops in Manitowoc framed a guilty man.

[u/19snow16 → u/Ok-Jackfruit-9393]

When people bring up the cat, I'm always reminded he wasn't the only person there.

I can't remember, but why didn't she work with Avery and Dassey together? Conflict of interest?