I'm way behind, trying to catch up but needed to comment on this. BBM
I can't believe there are still people that think because friends, family, or neighbors think someone is a good person, great parent, wonderful family man, etc....means they aren't capable of something horrific.
If anyone is being honest with themselves, what is the most prominent thing we hear from people wrt people who commit murder, even serial killers?
**He/she was such a nice guy/gal, I can't believe it**
**He/she was a great neighbor, always helpful, and loved playing with the kids**
**I'm in shock. I never thought 'insertnamehere" would do something like this**
Every. Single. Case.
By the way, Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy were both pillars of their community, and described as pleasant, kind, nice, generous and NORMAL.
Until they weren't.
I do often see people say "WOW! That guy was really involved in the community . . . coached little league . . . we never knew""I'd see her out thre playing with the kids in the front yard during the summer. We never had any idea they had a child locked away in the house we never saw". "Scary. That guy lived next door to us and we never noticed anything all that odd".
That's really different from people who know someone very deeply and for a long time saying "Honestly, I can't believe that person did this. I've known him since high school and we've been through a lot of life as dear friends, and I don't think he would ever purposely harm his child".
I think we all know people who, if we heard something happened to their child or wife we'd say "I"m certain he had nothing to do with it. I'm certain of that" and other people we'd say "well, I guess in retrospect I'm not all that completely surprised".
Are you aware that none of Ted Bundy's family - none - came to his trials or defended him in any way? He'd burned through them long before he was convicted of murder. Bundy had virtually no friends, and although folklore said he had a major professor who adored him, the professor actually said well, he was my student. I didn't really see him as positively as people think.
The cases of serial killers or other horrible criminals I've heard, people are more surprised that they lived right next to this evil - than they're truly surprised that person could do that, based on his apparently wonderful and delightful and kind and caring and consistent personality.
Before you posted, I was actually thinking along these exact terms. There are people who would NOT harm their child, and people who might.
It's a myth to think that murderers - or as you say, every SINGLE ONE - has people who say they don't believe they were capable.
Yes, there are people who you can count on - and take that to the BANK - that they won't plot to kill their own children. There are people you know won't do that, and they won't. And that's different from saying wow he lived right on my street and I never knew what a creep he really was.