# RIP Otto Warmbier **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 19, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403 "2017-06-19T22:45:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/1 "2017-06-19T22:45:30Z")
Just days after his return from North Korea, [Otto Warmbier has died.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2017/06/19/otto-warmbier-dies-days-after-release-from-north-korean-detainment/) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/2 "2017-06-19T23:01:23Z")
That really sucks. Feel bad for him. They must have really treated him horrible for that to happen. Just an aside, that news site is annoying, no offense. Not your fault, but in order to view that article, it wants me to disable my adblock. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/3 "2017-06-19T23:11:14Z")
Warmbier is now on ice at the morgue. ::searches e-bay for a large handbasket:: ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/4 "2017-06-19T23:23:39Z")
High point opportunity missed, I’m guessing. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/5 "2017-06-19T23:31:13Z")
Well, he’s no Franz Ferdinand. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/6 "2017-06-20T01:38:18Z")
What’s weird to me about this is that North Korea could have just disappeared this guy. They could have said: “Oh that prisoner? We let him go. We don’t know where he is, sorry.” Instead, they fucked with him seriously somehow, then when he was in a coma, in a grave state, they gave him back. “Here you go, here he is, have fun with that.” 😕☹ ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/7 "2017-06-20T13:59:09Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > What’s weird to me about this is that North Korea could have just disappeared this guy. They could have said: “Oh that prisoner? We let him go. We don’t know where he is, sorry.” Instead, they fucked with him seriously somehow, then when he was in a coma, in a grave state, they gave him back. “Here you go, here he is, have fun with that.” > 😕☹ That’s what I was thinking, too. Why send him back in a comatose state? They could have done a half dozen other things. But the real message is stay the hell out of North Korea. Doesn’t matter if you are a missionary, peacenick, social worker, humanitarian, adventurer or just plain curious. Just stay out. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/8 "2017-06-20T14:04:47Z")
And they made the message much more clear this way than if they’d pulled any kind of Tweety Bird face. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/9 "2017-06-20T14:20:05Z")
On one hand I feel sorry for him, and his family. On the other hand, stupid is as stupid does. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/10 "2017-06-20T14:20:52Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > But the real message is stay the hell out of North Korea. Doesn’t matter if you are a missionary, peacenick, social worker, humanitarian, adventurer or just plain curious. Just stay out. That’s always been the message, though. It’s absurd to even try to go there. I can’t summon any sympathy for this kid. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/11 "2017-06-20T14:23:08Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > They could have said: “Oh that prisoner? We let him go. We don’t know where he is, sorry.” Instead, they fucked with him seriously somehow, then when he was in a coma, in a grave state, they gave him back. “Here you go, here he is, have fun with that.” > 😕☹ They also lied about the cause being botulism, not suffocation. They couldn’t pretend he wasn’t in their custody, and was in good health when he went to prison. It would probably have been worse to send back a dead body than one they could pretend had been brain-killed by something innocent. Maybe they waited so long to let some injuries heal and hide some evidence? Anyway, it does look like the family decided to do the humane thing for him. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/12 "2017-06-20T15:25:33Z")
Just one question, who thinks “I know, North Korea, that’s where I’ll go on vacation.” It’s like the old SNL skit “[bad idea jeans](http://snltranscripts.jt.org/90/90abadidea.phtml)”. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/13 "2017-06-20T15:45:48Z")
When he got imprisoned, I giggled at the stupid frat bro. But this just crushes me. I have a kid in college so perhaps I am focused on a family that saw a kid go out in the world and have this happen. This isn’t the Stanford rapist who should be ostracized. This was a twit who did a twit thing and was tortured to the point of brain damage and death. I did stupid things in my day. We all have. But to have these consequences. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/14 "2017-06-20T15:54:40Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > When he got imprisoned, I giggled at the stupid frat bro. But this just crushes me. I have a kid in college so perhaps I am focused on a family that saw a kid go out in the world and have this happen. This isn’t the Stanford rapist who should be ostracized. This was a twit who did a twit thing and was tortured to the point of brain damage and death. > > I did stupid things in my day. We all have. But to have these consequences. Yeah, I certainly have sympathy for the guy and his family. He did an extremely foolish thing, and paid a horrific price. It was entirely avoidable if he had used common sense. There is a difference between being adventurous and being reckless. But that line is different for each person, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/15 "2017-06-20T16:31:19Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Yeah, I certainly have sympathy for the guy and his family. He did an extremely foolish thing, and paid a horrific price. It was entirely avoidable if he had used common sense. There is a difference between being adventurous and being reckless. But that line is different for each person, I suppose. What evidence is there that he actually did what he was accused of? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/16 "2017-06-20T16:37:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What evidence is there that he actually did what he was accused of? I think they’re referring just to the fact he went to North Korea. Not that he stole the poster. From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Fred Warmbier stated that his son Otto was traveling in China at the end of 2015 when he saw a company offering trips to North Korea. He decided to go because he was adventurous, according to his father, who accused the tour operator of specifically targeting young Westerners with slogans like, “This is the trip your parents don’t want you to take!” ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/17 "2017-06-20T16:47:48Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What evidence is there that he actually did what he was accused of? Allegedly, CCTV footage, witness testimony, his (admittedly likely coerced) testimony, and fingerprints. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/18 "2017-06-20T16:51:03Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What evidence is there that he actually did what he was accused of? I was simply referring to him going to NK. I have no idea if he did what they said he did, nor the evidence. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/19 "2017-06-20T17:32:55Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > What evidence is there that he actually did what he was accused of? We’re talking about his deciding to go to North Korea. The rest is a big unknown considering the players involved. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403/20 "2017-06-20T17:45:45Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Yeah, I certainly have sympathy for the guy and his family. He did an extremely foolish thing, and paid a horrific price. It was entirely avoidable if he had used common sense. There is a difference between being adventurous and being reckless. But that line is different for each person, I suppose. I hear you. And I agree - which is why I giggled at the frat bro when he was arrested. But that’s my point - as a parent of a kid who’s newly on his own, I can actively report that Common Sense and college-aged kids are brand new acquaintances ;). He thought he was doing something “somewhat riskier” than other stupid pranks. Yes - he was a twit, but damn. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-otto-warmbier/789403.md?page=2)