# Poll: would you, could you try to "get away" with murder? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2016, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211 "2016-03-16T20:45:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/21 "2016-03-17T14:37:26Z")
I had a guy stalking me for over 25 years because I went on a date with his ex wife after she had recently left him. He came at me about 10 years ago and I kicked the living shit out of him. I had this overwhelming urge to plant one in his throat " by accident" after all he did attack me. I couldn’t do it. He is presently serving time in prison but I have a feeling he will be back. It certainly would not sadden me if he were to somehow die but it won’t be by me. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/22 "2016-03-17T14:43:36Z")
Maybe I misunderstand the question, but of course I would. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/23 "2016-03-17T15:17:16Z")
Assuming everything I’ve ever seen on TV is correct, I’m under the impression that unplanned murder is impossible to cover up. And after recently binge-watching through the first 7 seasons of **Columbo** , I’m also convinced you can get away with even a meticulously planned murder. In fact, it’s the covering up that gets you busted. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/24 "2016-03-17T15:22:42Z")
I’m pretty sure if I decided to murder someone I could get away with it. Not that I’m inclined to do so, mind. I’m already close-mouthed and I’m detail oriented. I’m also smart enough to consider how technology would affect the outcome. Of course, I’ve also been called arrogant, self-centered and over-confident 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/25 "2016-03-17T15:45:47Z")
This thread makes me think of the title of a county-western song: If I Had Shot Him when I met Him, I’d Be out of Jail Now ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/26 "2016-03-17T15:51:37Z")
The only reason I would commit murder now would be to avenge the murders of my wife & kids, and it would have to be all three; any one of them gives me a reason to live free of prison or, for that matter, guilt. So while they’re living I can’t see committing murder. But if I lost all three to violence or whatever, I don’t see why I’d care what happened to me anyway, so I probably wouldn’t bother trying to get away with such a murder. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/27 "2016-03-17T15:55:54Z")
It would depend on the circumstances, but unless there were witnesses to the crime or other absolutely damning, un-erasable evidence I’d certainly give it a try. Even if the law would eventually catch up on me, it might give me another few months in freedom for no cost in jail time. There’s a nice, deep lake just 100 feet from my doorstep… ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/28 "2016-03-17T16:08:44Z")
A crime of passion? Probably best to just call the cops and shut up about it. It’s not that I’d want to go to prison, but am I seriously going to drag a body out into the woods and dig a shallow grave and so on? How is that going to work? Just call the cops and get an attorney and argue for self defense or diminished capacity or it was an accident or whatever my lawyer can think of. For premeditated murder, I’d probably try to get away with it. Because why exactly am I killing this guy? For his duffel bag full of cash? What good is a million dollars in cash if you’re in prison? So maybe don’t kill the guy in the first place. The only way I can even imagine killing someone is a “he needs killing” situation where someone is incredibly dangerous but law enforcement can’t help. Only problem is motive. In real life cops don’t comb the crime scene for DNA or tiny specks of dirt only found on a particular place. In real life the cops figure out who wanted the victim dead, and then build a case against that person. So if your wife or girlfriend dies, you’re the suspect, it doesn’t matter what physical evidence there is. If you’re lucky, the guy who needed killing is some kind of criminal scumbag and then you’ve got a much better chance of getting away with it. “Drug dealer found shot to death” and the killer could be anybody. Only way you get caught is if you can’t keep your mouth shut. I think I could keep my mouth shut, if it really was a case where somebody really did need killing. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/29 "2016-03-17T16:18:15Z")
The trick is finding someone to kill whom you have no connection to. Ride a bus, pay cash, and kill whoever sits furthest from you. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/30 "2016-03-17T16:31:47Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > I could very easily see killing in some kind of self-defense scenario and in that scenario, I would call the police and report it. > > For me, it’s not a problem of living with the information, it’s simply that I tend to believe covering things up is not the best policy. And, also that things like murder are also not the best policy. > > In the case of murder, covering it up just makes you look guilty if it does come to light despite your best efforts. Better meet it head on: lawyer up and generally cooperate with the authorities. Yeah I’ve heard idiots on in ccw classes tell you to “drag the body back into the house” never do something like that, it turns legitimate self defense into something that the cops will definitely be suspicious about. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/31 "2016-03-17T17:11:02Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > My wife and I get into this argument a lot. We’ll watch some murder mystery show and she’ll question how someone could lie about murdering their spouse/neighbor/friend. I always figure I would lie before going to prison, which upsets her greatly. I mean, in this scenario, I’m already a murderer, who cares if I’m dishonest. Hell, I might even jaywalk after the pretend killing. > The question then becomes how I could live with the guilt. **My answer is I don’t know, but I’d still be guilty in prison, except, well, I’d be in prison.** Exactly! I bolded the last line, but really, I agree with the whole thing. For the record, I couldn’t/wouldn’t kill someone in the first place. Unless it was accidental, I suppose… ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/32 "2016-03-17T17:19:34Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Assuming everything I’ve ever seen on TV is correct, I’m under the impression that unplanned murder is impossible to cover up. I wouldn’t trust that assumption. My observations tend to mirror Drewder’s. It has less to do with how planned/unplanned the murder is, and more to do with your connection to the victim and if you stand to gain anything from it. So, hypothetically, if you snap and murder a random homeless person without a plan, I suspect you would be more likely to get away with it then if you carefully plan your spendthrift business partner’s murder. If your spouse is murdered, you are always the first suspect. (This should tell you everything you need to know about marriage.) ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/33 "2016-03-17T17:27:05Z")
And that’s the reason serial killers can get away with it for decades. They kill people for no rational reason, and there’s nothing connecting them to the victim. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/34 "2016-03-18T02:01:25Z")
Is it still true that most murders go unsolved? If so, then the odds are with you. EDIT: See, this is why I never vote in public polls. In this unpublic poll, I misunderstood the question as “Could you get away with murder” and so answered “Probably Not.” But then I realized the real question was would I _try_ to get away with it, so I should have answered “Absolutely!” I mean if we’re talking cold-blooded murder and not an accidental killing, hell yeah I’m going to try to get away with it. Going to prison or the death chamber would not have been in my calculations during the planning process. But I think I’d probably screw up somewhere and get caught anyway. ---
**Author:** ![G0sp3l](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c68b51/32.png) [@G0sp3l](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G0sp3l)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/35 "2016-03-18T15:46:16Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > The trick is finding someone to kill whom you have no connection to. Ride a bus, pay cash, and kill whoever sits furthest from you. No, no, no! You find someone on a train, not a bus. You trade murders, nothing can go wrong that way. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/36 "2016-03-18T18:37:43Z")
My still-breathing, sewer-dwelling, wife-abusing, low-life, perpetually unemployed, lying scumbag ex-husband is still walking this planet with all ten fingers and toes. I consider this ample proof that if I did commit the crime of murder, it would be for an extremely good reason. Yes, if I went to all that trouble to purposefully kill someone damn skippy I’m going to do my dead-level best to get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/37 "2016-03-18T21:19:31Z")
I’ve succeeded so far . . . ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2016, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211/38 "2016-03-19T08:40:04Z")
Even if I was offered a Genie-given “Get out of jail free” card that guaranteed my getting away with it, I wouldn’t murder anybody. The only extreme circumstances I can imagine I would actually do it is to save my or a loved one’s life, and even then I’d admit to it and take whatever punishment was owed to me. I would consider other crimes, like theft, but never one that would seriously harm, and certainly not murder, even though there are a few people in my life I wouldn’t miss if they mysteriously disappeared. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-could-you-try-to-get-away-with-murder/749211.md?page=1)