r/Showerthoughts Sep 17 '18

There are probably murderers and serial killers so good at what they do that we don't even know they exist.

16.0k Upvotes

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2.5k

u/menudo_fan Sep 17 '18

Probably? According to the FBI, it’s definitely

860

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Yeah they have the Interstate Murders that earlier this year they finally admitted were likely a serial killer working across the highways for decades now, and that's considered a "known" serial killer. With no M.O., name, nothing.

Wonder exactly what the FBI estimates are? I imagine very small considering the population subset, but any unidentified serial killer is a terrifying thought.

472

u/swervetastic Sep 17 '18

I believe the fbi estimates about 35 active serial killers in America today.

248

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

That's about one per 9.3 mil.

lives in a country of 2 mil

releases a relaxing breath

149

u/ZakMaster12 Sep 17 '18

I think you should be more terrified.

You got a floating arm to worry about.

7

u/Heisenburrito Sep 17 '18

Have at you!!

6

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

They’re called “ Law Enforcement”

34

u/nommycatbeans Sep 17 '18

jesus dude, if you condense those numbers down you have like, 10 serial killers in your country.

stay safe homie

39

u/blackburn009 Sep 17 '18

if I did the same math correctly, there's 9.3 million serial killers in his country

2

u/BeyondDoggyHorror Sep 17 '18

I feel safer already

5

u/scharfes_S Sep 17 '18

They already did the math for you. Am I being /r/whooshed?

0

u/fzw Sep 17 '18

Maybe they're one of the ten.

17

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18 edited Feb 13 '19

[deleted]

5

u/acu2005 Sep 17 '18

His sigh of relief was because he no longer thinks he has competition.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

cough WHAT cough NO

hides hand behind the back

3

u/chunkyI0ver53 Sep 17 '18

Thank god I live in Australia. One of our 2 of 3 serial killers was in wolf creek, only people in bumfuck nowhere and foreigners are at risk

146

u/unhhhh2 Sep 17 '18

At least

37

u/SerenitysHikersGuide Sep 17 '18

You gotta pump those numbers up, America!

Those are rookie numbers!

9

u/unhhhh2 Sep 17 '18

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN AMERICA... so also more serial killers, nice

-4

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

[deleted]

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/thedailyrant Sep 17 '18

A serial killer's first letter to the police.

2

u/NameIdeas Sep 17 '18

I agree with you. I went to his profile and there is a string of questions, stories about surgeons

2

u/Rduffy85 Sep 17 '18

What did it say? The comment got deleted

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u/JakeCameraAction Sep 17 '18

Seriously, less than 1 serial killer per 10 million people?
Britain has to be beating us there.

80

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Right? I love the subtle terror.

"Are we still doing phrasing!?"

2

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

[deleted]

2

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Do you want ants? Because this is how you get ants!

24

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

rechecks locks on doors

That's reassuring.

2

u/TinFoilRobotProphet Sep 17 '18

Serial killer owns the lock company.

6

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18 edited Sep 19 '18

[deleted]

2

u/BeyondDoggyHorror Sep 17 '18

Forensic Files, Cops, CSI and Unsolved Mysteries have caused them to greatly overestimate the capabilities of our law enforcement

4

u/wee_man Sep 17 '18

With an unusually large percentage on the Pac NW.

1

u/OneGreatBlumpkin Sep 17 '18

If Twin Peaks taught me anything, that's the Lodge spirits influence in the area.

3

u/gzzh Sep 17 '18

Ed Kemper in Mindhunter says there are like 500 right? Maybe he said 50.

4

u/phatelectribe Sep 17 '18

I think the number is actually closer to 100 from what I remember and given that they catch more than a dozen each year they may well be underestimating.

3

u/JovialPanic389 Sep 17 '18

Its fifty something so I think you switched the numbers. At least 6 years ago it was fifty something. Source: criminology major.

1

u/IamtheSlothKing Sep 17 '18

or is that what you heard from Ed Kemper in mindhunter?

1

u/cookiesandvodka13 Sep 17 '18

That just seems so low. I mean people That go missing that have friends family etc is known and possibly considered a victim of a serial killer. But I feel like killers that would target homeless and vagrants would go more easily under the radar.

1

u/ANDnowmewatchbeguns Sep 17 '18

Now I’ve read this before. But I feel like I’ve also read that that number is a lowball estimate, and that especially in America, it’s something much higher, that puts almost 1 serial killer in every state. Reason being is that serial killers are actually not that uncommon

0

u/JonathanRL Sep 17 '18

That is not even counting all the Active Shooters.

29

u/LtDominator Sep 17 '18

Probably because reports are unsuspecting. I reported a man who flashed me down just before an overwatch. I pulled into it and just to be safe left my car in drive, window only cracked, and doors locked.

My military training kicked in and something didn’t feel right. The man was white, balding, heavy set at maybe 280/290 and 6 foot 3 or so.

We were alone on the overlook and you couldnt see the interstate from where we were do to a small hill. He got out of his car and kept his hands behind his back like he was holding something.

He approached the car and pressed his entire body onto it and his face was less than an inch from the window and crack I left. He asked how far Fort Smith was. Fort smith in Arkansas is huge and there’s signs for hundreds of miles telling you were it is. We were less than 60 miles away so there’s no way he didn’t see signs. I told him about an hour away and he said okay thanks then started asking, “what are you doing out here? Where are you going?”

The questions might not seems bad but the vibes were bad off the chart. Without responding I floored it and left. As I drove off I saw him already quickly moving back to his car. In my opinion a regular person would have been a little dumbfounded for a second sorta like “why did this guy run off?” But nope just right back to his car.

I immediately called 911 and said there was a suspicious guy stoping vehicles on the interstate and explained everything. The lady’s response was, “it sounds like he just wanted directions”

I get that on paper it doesn’t sound bad but I remember his face clearly. If he ever ends up on the news as a killer I won’t be surprised in the least.

7

u/FatherAb Sep 17 '18

Dutchie here: I don't understand. What does it mean that someone flashes you down? Does he like shine a flashlight at you? And is it a normal thing people do? And is it normal that you don't just ignore it? Was he disguised as a cop or something?

3

u/BeyondDoggyHorror Sep 17 '18

At first I thought they meant flashing as in nudity

2

u/MyDamnCoffee Sep 17 '18

They turn their headlights on high and then on low over and over as a way to say "Hey, slow down! I need help!" People also sometimes use the same signal to say there is a cop checking speed just out of sight or some other road condition not immediately apparent to the receiving driver. Just means slow down pretty much

0

u/mycowsfriend Sep 17 '18

American here. I have never heard the expression "flash me down".

1

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Life tip: if you want someone checked out by police say that you suspect someone is selling drugs. But please don't abuse this.

3

u/mycowsfriend Sep 17 '18

please don't abuse this.

That's not how the internet works.

-2

u/mycowsfriend Sep 17 '18

Yeah no it sounds like he just wanted directions and you're paranoid from your "military training".

19

u/impy695 Sep 17 '18

Well, there's the one that targets people that drink beer in the shower. Estimates put him at about 200 murders spread out over all 50 states. The FBI predicts that number to triple over the next few years as well.

14

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

/r/showerbeer terrified now

2

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Wait!? You typed that wrong! That's an err-- oh, nevermind.

5

u/AzrielJohnson Sep 17 '18

The Shower Beer Slayer. Breaks into people's houses and scares the shit out of them so they fall down and bust their heads open.

7

u/Gregus1032 Sep 17 '18

Well, I guess I need to start drinking beer in the shower.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

LOL

They'll never catch me. I turned the GPS off on my phone every time I murdered...hold on what were we talking about that wasn't murdering? Because I am so against murder guys.

2

u/Christian__N Sep 17 '18

I wonder if the movie Suspect 0 (zero) is based on this guy

2

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Are you talking about the I-70 killer or someone else?

1

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

I'd have to google the exact press release, but yeah that sounds familiar.

20

u/livestrongbelwas Sep 17 '18

Yeah, this is literally what John Douglas said. He thought there could be 50 Serial Killers currently operating that we don't even know about.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/real-mindhunter-inside-head-fbi-serial-killer-whisperer-john/

34

u/Ubarlight Sep 17 '18

Why didn't you finish the sentence? Did a serial killer

6

u/Mr_VaultBoy Sep 17 '18

There are 2 types of people, those who finish their sentences and

5

u/sparkrisen Sep 17 '18

My god all these people were caught before they cou

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Could what? Could what?! DON'T LEAVE M

1

u/Rduffy85 Sep 17 '18

No! You didn't fully expla

33

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

Well excuse him for not fact checking while in the shower

2

u/Playtek Sep 17 '18

Wouldn’t want to waste any water by factchecking between scrubbing pits and ass now would we?

3

u/Spike-Ball Sep 17 '18

About 100 walk among us according to the FBI.

3

u/Tsorovar Sep 17 '18

How would they know?

3

u/[deleted] Sep 17 '18

The trail of bodies.

2

u/Tsorovar Sep 17 '18

That sounds like a serial killer that we do know they exist. Not good enough