# Is there a perfect crime?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [December 1, 2000, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562 "2000-12-01T12:23:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KV)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/1 "2000-12-01T12:23:50Z")
Is it possible to get away with something, or will you eventually get caught?
---
### Author:  [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/2 "2000-12-01T13:12:59Z")
I have considered this, also…
Seems to me (and _NO_, I have no intention of doing it!!!) that if you chose a total stranger, walked up to them when no one was around, killed them without witnesses, and got away without witnesses… the police would have a **very** hard time catching you!
---
### Author:  [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/3 "2000-12-01T13:23:07Z")
It depends. If you mean “perfect” in that you’ll never be punished for your crime, then a suicide bomber might count. Of course, then you get into that whole heaven and hell kettle of fish, but that’s another story.
---
### Author:  [@WiredGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WiredGuy)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/4 "2000-12-01T16:10:46Z")
Of course there is. People get away with murder every day.
---
### Author:  [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/5 "2000-12-01T16:45:04Z")
Although it is true that the caught to unsolved ratio for reported crimes is a bit unsettling, WRT the OP, I speed every day. Technically a crime and plenty of witnesses, sometimes even co-conspiritors, but I get away with it all the time. Same with jaywalking.
---
### Author:  [@KV](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KV)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/6 "2000-12-01T21:17:14Z")
I guess I should be more specific, so I want to off someone, what is the best way to do it? A casual aquaintance, with minimal witnesses. Run like hell?
---
### Author:  [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/7 "2000-12-01T22:03:17Z")
there was a movie about this…let’s see, what was that title…
A Perfect Murder, perhaps?
---
### Author:  [@retsin2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/retsin2000)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/8 "2000-12-01T22:09:43Z")
Hitchcock’s [Rope](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0040746) as well.
---
### Author:  [@Tark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tark)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2000, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/9 "2000-12-02T15:53:57Z")
I’m sure there is, or has been, a Perfect Crime. We’ll never know about it, however.
Why? Because it was Perfect.
---
### Author:  [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/10 "2000-12-02T16:20:48Z")
I’m with Tark. The perfect murder would be one where noone realizes that the victim had been murdered. If you could make it look like an accident you’d be all set.
---
### Author:  [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/11 "2000-12-02T21:42:25Z")
retsin2000, with all due respect, remember that the guys in rope got caught. Not quite the perfect murder.
---
### Author:  [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2000, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/12 "2000-12-02T21:47:48Z")
I asked pretty much the same question about a year and a half ago under a previous incarnation (omniscientnot). Tried the SEARCH function using my previous handle, but couldn’t find anything. Perhaps some of the more search-savvy Dopers could give it a shot.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2000, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-perfect-crime/43562/13 "2000-12-02T22:10:57Z")
It’s the policy of this board to not give instructions on how to violate the law. While I think it’s a long shot that **KV** will actually try to kill anyone based on advice given in this thread, I’m still rather less than sanguine about this discussion, so I’m closing it.