# Ever known someone who killed someone (not in war)?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2001, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243 "2001-01-29T08:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/21 "2001-01-29T16:19:50Z")
My former brother in law was sentenced to 15 to life for murder in 1991. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/22 "2001-01-29T17:33:50Z")
A friend of my parents (I think they were in the same bowling league or maybe his sons were in the same boy-scout troop as my brother, I don’t remember) killed his wife with a hammer in a moment of rage. He immediately ran to the neighbors and they called the police. He didn’t do much time, IIRC. She died when I was nine and he was staying with us after his prison term when I was about 12. So he served maybe three years, tops. My mom said, many years later, that she drove him to it with her nagging and embarrassing him in public. Oddly, that fact and that my mother seemed to really believe it, weirds me out more than the initial murder. He’s lead a subdued life ever since. I don’t think he’s ever recovered from finding out what he could do. I know a cop who had to kill someone, but that was “in the line of duty”, so I guess that counts as war for the purposes of the OP. ---
**Author:** ![pestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e5b9ba/32.png) [@pestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pestie)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/23 "2001-01-29T18:36:36Z")
I knew a guy (although I didn’t know him all that well) who was a local DJ as well as a friend of a friend. We’d met a few times and he even arranged to get concert tickets for me and my friend at one point. A few years after I’d lost touch with him, he stalked his ex-girlfriend for days, maybe weeks, and finally murdered her. Apparently she’d been calling the police about the stalking but they couldn’t do anything because he wasn’t technically doing anything illegal. This incident resulting in some new anti-stalking laws being passed. ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/24 "2001-01-29T19:29:23Z")
I’ve met an infamous, albeit not proven, murderer a few times. We had a common friend that we met through, He did some time years back for a publicized murder case in which the victims were never found and he claimed they beat the confession out of him. I never asked him about the case of course, it really screwed up his life and I was a little freaked out about it. A friend of his told me an unbelievably funny story though. The details of his case had been all over the media after the investigation and when he got out everyone knew that he was believed to have killed his victims and taken them to a certain part of the wilderness and buried them there. No one knew exactly where, just that it was out in the sticks, but not far out of town. It was too big an area to search, but they convicted him anyway. Anyhoo, this is just background detail for non-locals. A couple of years after he got out of jail for being a nice guy, he calls up a good friend of his and suggests they go for a drive in his jeep. The friend says sure, why not, but should he take a tent? No. No tent he says. So the dude (who is a good friend of mine by the way) shows up with his jeep and picks up the accused murderer. He immediately notices that he doesn’t have anything with him except warm clothes… AND A SHOVEL! He asks him about it and the answer is something along the lines of “Oh, you never know when you wanna do some digging. I just looooove digging.” In other words, my friend pissed himself. But he couldn’t really bring himself to believe that his friend was guilty of the crimes, much less that he would want him dead. So he drove on, up to the wilderness mentioned before. There they get out and walk for a while, my friend all the while trying not to think the obvious. Finally the guy just flips and starts digging and laughing his ass off. After a few minutes of this he suggests they walk back to the car and drive home. And get this… The incident was never mentioned between them again! Creepy, deepy, if you ask me. But having met the guy, I know he has a very weird sense of humor and was probably just checking to see if his friend really trusted him or not. — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/25 "2001-01-29T19:58:14Z")
When I was in 3rd grade, a kid transferred in to our school from out of state. A lot of the other kids were really cold and mean to “the new kid”, but I remembered my mom always telling me to be kind to others, etc etc so I befriended him. We stayed friends through school; he kinda got into drugs but nothing heavy. His family moved to get out of the bad area they were living in when we were in high school, and I didn’t see him again until he was on the news for killing his friend’s girlfriend, who was pregnant, for $100 and a trip to New York. I saw this on the news and it broke my heart–he had tried so hard to “rise above” and not get dragged into this kind of life, yet he failed. The eyes on the man I saw on tv were not the eyes of my friend. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/26 "2001-01-29T20:08:09Z")
I’ve snipped the beginning of the following story for brevity. It was originally published in _The Santa Fe New Mexican_ on April 25, 1995, authored by Steve Terrell. Rod Hasson, the fella named in the story, was an usher in my brother’s wedding. Er, this is a fairly graphic “true crime” type story, so some folks might find it upsetting and perhaps shouldn’t read it. > [@](#): > > According to several affidavits written by police Detective Gary Johnson, [Keith] Castellano’s story is as follows: > > Castellano, [Cris] Smythe, [Rod] Hasson and [Jeff] Gallegos got together on March 7, 1992, and went in Castellano’s car to The Bull Ring. Castellano had just turned 20 three days earlier. The others were 19. > > At the bar they met [Arietta] Chandler, 34, and her friend. Both Hasson and Gallegos danced with Chandler at the bar. > > (Her friend has said that she quickly got bored with the younger men, although Chandler seemed to enjoy their company. She eventually left Chandler alone at the bar with them.) > > Chandler left with the four about 2 a.m. She asked them if they wanted to go to her house and party. > > She also asked if they had any cocaine. Hasson and Gallegos only had about $10 between them. Chandler had them drive to Sunwest Bank, where she withdrew $40 from an automatic teller machine. > > From there, they drove to a home on Santa Fe’s south side, where Castellano and Hasson went to buy some cocaine. > > From there they went to a vacant lot somewhere in Santa Fe. (Police have said somewhere south of Rodeo Road.) Hasson, Gallegos and Chandler wanted to do the cocaine in the car. Castellano and Smythe got out of the car. > > A short time later, Hasson, Gallegos and Chandler got out of the car and walked a short distance to a clump of trees. There they stayed for a short time. A few minutes later, Hasson walked over to Castellano and Smythe. > > Hasson told the two they all were going to ``do her.’’ Castellano said he assumed this meant to rape Chandler. He and Smythe protested that they did not want to do this. > > Castellano said Hasson `escorted'' him to the area where Gallegos and was with Chandler. Hasson said that at the count of three `they were all going to jump her, beat her and kick her, then `do’ her.’’ Castellano again said he wanted no part of it. > > Hasson yelled ``Three!’’ He and Gallegos jumped on Chandler, knocking her to the ground. Hasson pulled Castellano down, too. > > Castellano and Smythe started to leave the area. Hasson stopped them and took Castellano’s car keys away from him. > > At this time, according to the affidavit, Gallegos was having sex with Chandler as Hasson watched, masturbating. > > Chandler asked the men not to hurt her. One of the men told her, ``Shut up, bitch.’’ > > Hasson and Gallegos brought Chandler over to the car, where they both raped her as she leaned against the car. > > At this point, Chandler asked Castellano to protect her, saying she would give him anything he wanted. But the conversation was cut short by Hasson, who demanded to know what the two were talking about. > > Either Hasson or Gallegos had gotten a 44-ounce bottle of malt liquor from the back of Castellano’s car. Gallegos told Castellano to throw the bottle at Chandler. He refused. Gallegos gave the bottle to Smythe, who threw it at Chandler’s head. She grabbed her head and looked stunned, but did not fall down. First Hasson, then Gallegos began beating Chandler’s head with rocks. > > Hasson ordered Castellano to hit Chandler on the head with the rock he had. > > Castellano took the rock and went to where Chandler was now lying. He dropped the rock on her head. > > Smythe did the same thing. Hasson became angry with the two. He walked up to Chandler and began stomping her head into the ground. > > Hasson and Gallegos put her in the back of the car where they beat her again with rocks. Hasson again ordered Smythe and Castellano to hit her with rocks. Again they dropped rocks on her. > > The four drove her to a spot near mile post 267 on U.S. 285, where they put her body first over a barbed wire fence, then in a shallow grave > > In a later interview, Detective Johnson said the men tried unsuccessfully to burn Chandler’s body. > > The next night, the affidavit says, the four returned in Gallegos’ vehicle to bury her in a deeper grave and remove her clothes. Castellano was told to drive the vehicle up and down the road so an empty vehicle would not draw attention to the men. > > When he picked up the others, they were carrying a garbage bag. When he touched it, he got blood on his hand. > > Earlier this month a forensic anthropologist who went with police to the grave site said fractures on Chandler’s were consistent with injuries described by Castellano. Rod pled guilty to second degree murder and miscellaneous other felonies, and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment. My brother visits him occasionally. Sure makes looking at those wedding videos a semi-surreal experience… ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/27 "2001-01-29T22:14:42Z")
I had a major crush on this guy in High School. We had a couple of classes together, Latin and a Honors English/History combo. When I was in college, I found an article in the newspaper explaining that he and his best friend had murdered his best friend’s father. Then after I graduated and was working I met him again, and actually dated him for about a year. Kind of strange to think about it now, but he had turned himself in because he felt so guilty about it. Besides, I had a major crush on him, 'k? ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/28 "2001-01-30T00:34:47Z")
one of my closest friends once gave someone some drugs to commit a homocide… the killer got the wrong guy. Pretty sad. No one did any time, no one was caught. I once set myself up to commit a murder 1, and the only thing that changed my mind was the thought that the person I was going to do this for might not appreciate it… so I left the scene. Pretty odd, looking back on it. I was all set, rifle, scope, the whole nine yards, and I can honestly say that I would have done it, no sweat. Sometimes I scare myself. ---
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/29 "2001-01-30T07:53:05Z")
Far too many. ---
**Author:** ![Testy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@Testy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Testy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/30 "2001-01-30T09:54:20Z")
muderer. I had him over to my house several times for a beer and whatnot. A very nice guy who drove to his aunt’s house and shot 6 people, killing 5 of them. The thing I never got over was how normal he seemed. He was caught within about 12 hours and I never saw him again. Regards. Testy. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/31 "2001-01-30T12:12:29Z")
In high school about the end of my sophomore and beginning of my junior year, a close friend (at that time) whom I had known since freshman year started going out with this one guy. He had grown up in one of the rougher but not so rough areas of the city my high school was in. Pretty soon he was in the local gang. It wasnt until she and he were fairly “serious” that I met him one day when me, her, and a couple of other friends were selling candy bars to fundraise. I didnt like him at all when i met him (he didnt fuck with me, but it just didnt feel right being around him. There was this vibe about him). I hadn’t heard much except he was kind of a hoodlum, but i had never heard he was violent at all. I did know his sister and had her in classes, and she seemed nice. A couple of years later after HS i read on the news that he and another one of his gang buddies (who was basically a psycho, and previously sent to some kind of corrections camp in Utah), had driven out to Monterey one night, and shot one lady at the pier, and then in the nearby town of Seaside, shot a mother who was waiting for a bus at the bus stop by herself. This guy is now sentenced to death for the two shootings. Rumor also had it that he pulled a knife on my friend (his former girl friend), who was with their child and apparently threatened to knife her or the kid if she didnt give him the welfare check (it wouldnt surprise me if this is true). Unfortunately after her tryst with him she dropped out, and lost contact with those of us who knew her. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2001, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/32 "2001-01-30T13:29:47Z")
Ok, this is embarassing but I’ll tell it anyway. I have some family members who are “Springer-esque”. They live in the South. Here’s what happened. Names are changed to protect ME! Joey is the son of Red. Joey divorced his wife Becky and married Lola. Joe and Lola split up shortly thereafter and Joey got back with Becky, but never divorced Lola. Lola ended up with Red for about 8 years. One day, Lola turns up missing. The local authorities confront Red about it and he digs her up out of his tobacco field. She was shot and knifed. Red says he didn’t do it but won’t say how she ended up in his field and how he knew she was there. So the family believes either Red did it, or is covering up for Joey who did it. So Red killed his girlfriend, who was also his daughter in law. We shudder to think what would have happened if Red and Lola had any children since Joey had a child with Lola already. The kids would be brother/sister and nephew or nice/aunt or uncle. So I have 1 of 2 family members who killed someone. We just don’t know which one. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2001, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243/33 "2001-02-02T18:26:35Z")
**xtal** : > [@](#): > > A friend of my parents killed his wife with a hammer in a moment of rage. He immediately ran to the neighbors and they called the police. This may be a trivial point to raise, but this is MPSIMS so what the heck: Why did he run to the neighbors? Did he also smash his telephone with the hammer? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-known-someone-who-killed-someone-not-in-war/52243.md?page=1)