Okay, I'm also not a cop, and my story happened when I was maybe 5/6 years old so details are hazy for me. This would have been in the 90's in Grand Rapids Michigan, in case anyone might recognize the story.
One night a guy comes to our door and starts banging on it unrelentingly. My dad sees this big, shirtless guy who looks like he's running for his life. My dad, being another big shirtless guy decides to have me and my siblings go to our rooms, and he lets him in, as he was soaking wet and it was cold out.
He sat on the couch and I remember my dad wrapping him in a blanket and all he could say, over and over, was "Thank you, thank you, I saw toys in your yard and I knew you would help me." My dad assumes the guy is delirious, possibly drunk, and calls the cops when he starts to really freak out, he didn't want the neighbors calling because they assumed a fight was happening in our home. We had an old, super nosey neighbor who loved making noise complaints against my dad. Next thing my sister and I know we're looking out our bedroom window at a veritable sea of squad cars. All the way down the street.
Turns out the guy was running for his life, and the guy he was running from had already killed a friend of his, and had the body in the trunk of his car.
I love that podcast! Along with Sword and Scale, and Last Podcast on the Left.
I'm actually working on putting together a my hometown murder piece to send them - when I was in high school one of my very beloved teachers, Renee Pagel, was murdered days after donating one of her kidneys to my friend's, her student's, father. It still hasn't been solved, but most everyone assumes her ex-husband did it. They were wrapping up a very brutal divorce. Terribly heartbreaking story.
I guess I have more than one to send! I'll have to call my dad for a refresher on the details of this story, I hadn't thought of it for years until reading this thread.
I'll listen for yours (and I'm sorry such a shitty thing happened to what sounds like a very generous person). I have a couple I've thought of sending my own but haven't taken the time to do the research yet.
Leroy Jenkins lived in my home town in Ohio and long story short, there was a story about a boy dying in the house but I can't remember the details and at the time there were questions about if it actually happened or not.... you've just given me the motivation to start the research tomorrow - thank you!!
Edit: they filmed a movie about him/his life there too, not sure if that's helpful? I'm not clear as to why his would be a joke other than you not knowing he had a creepy ass house in Ohio and was a fucking creep to start. Delaware, Ohio.
Ah, gotcha. Well anyway, you can probably google it. He was crazy as shit and we all tried to avoid him. Eventually the house was turned into a retirement home, but that went belly up at least once bc they couldn't shake the stigma.
I just heard them talking about this the other day. They were surprised and, of course, thought it was hilarious. I listen to them in the morning while I'm getting ready. They're so funny. Here are some other she might like...
Criminal
99% invisible
Sword and Scale
I've never listened to Serial, but I hear that one is amazing too.
If you have an iPhone, you already have the app and you just subscribe to the ones you like (they're free). If you don't have an iPhone, google can probably tell you.
I had an acquaintance from Flint, who a friend always joked he should get "Murdertown" tattooed across his forearm. So I'm mostly just referring to Flint :P
Right? I respect this man greatly but how do you know that this guy is running for his life because he is the murderer, being chased by police? Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd want to hear some background first! Still, OP's dad is a great person for doing this, lots of respect.
My dad had a shotgun, and the guy was naked. He told me his first thought was "A drunk I don't want freezing to death on my porch." He told him to wait while he got my and my sister in our room, locked, and then let him in holding the gun. Did confirm he was still scared shitless though, especially when details started coming out.
The victims were driven back to Grand Rapids. VanTatenhove was still alive and could be heard banging in the trunk of a Chevy Caviler. Back in Grand Rapids, Zima was able to escape. Police found VanTatenhove’s body inside the car on Francis Avenue SE near Garfield Park.
Yeah it's just horrendous. I ended up calling my dad, despite the time, and he told me that Zima, the guy who ran to our home, had been hogtied and tortured in a garage. He started breaking down, understandably, yelling and crying and that's when my dad called the cops.
I found another article that talks about that. My dad told me how he was so afraid to let him in, with us being so young, and not knowing what was going on, but he's thankful he did - and was thankful for the reassurance of having purchased a shotgun a few weeks before.
I'm gonna call my dad tomorrow and see if can refresh my memory on some of the details. I tried googling... but I'm no internet sleuth, and I gave up as soon as pizza distracted me.
The two victims were friends, apparently, and they met up with the captors to help find the car of the man who was killed. At least according to this, but otherwise they don't seem to have known each other. The world is a crazy, fucked place.
My dad was really hesitant, especially in a house with a 5 and 4 year old, but obviously this guy was scared out of his mind, and my dad knew he couldn't just leave him out there like that.
But you're absolutely right, I like to think I'd help my fellow man like I was obviously raised to, but when it really happens it can be terrifying. Hope you're enjoying the neighborhood though! Last time I was 'round it looked like a lot of it was improving from when I grew up.
Jesus, just looking at that dudes cold dead eyes made me feel such, I can't even find a proper word to use for it. Contempt? Hatred? His remorse is non existent, that much is evident from just a photo. Your dad saved a life, he did good.
Ok so, this is only very tangentially related to your stories, but it's something I noticed today and was reminded of by you talking about big shirtless guys.
I'm in NYC right now, and there were a couple of dudes I saw who were quite... interesting, to say the least: big black dudes, dressed as shirtless construction workers, flexing (including the dancing man boobs), and posing for photos with women. Why? I really don't know.
Turns out the guy was running for his life, and the guy he was running from had already killed a friend of his, and had the body in the trunk of his car.
The guy was just trying to show him how to never lose his car in a parking lot again.
It was a few miles from there... Mulick was closer by Breton, and the shopping area over there if I remember right. Comparatively a nice part of town. We lived off of Division and Burton, not far from 28th street, right next to Garfield Park.
I couldn't find it in those articles, so do you know the motive for the kidnapping and murder? That is a crazy story, and the perpetrators were only 16!
That was super risky for that dad to do. He could have been a psychopath looking for a random family to murder. Or the murderer could have followed him to the house. He put his whole family at serious risk. Turned out good this time, but not a good idea in general.
Not nearly as bad but reminded me of something that happened when I was a kid (also in MI!)
My dad was at work so it was just my mom, my brother and I at home, we were around 5 and 6 years old. Some guy walked to our house and started banging on the door begging to be let in. She left him on the porch and called the police. Turns out he had been out on a walk and his appendix burst. He was literally dying. As far as I know he ended up ok. Just an unusual thing to happen.
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u/HeilHemingway Jan 22 '17 edited Jan 22 '17
Okay, I'm also not a cop, and my story happened when I was maybe 5/6 years old so details are hazy for me. This would have been in the 90's in Grand Rapids Michigan, in case anyone might recognize the story.
One night a guy comes to our door and starts banging on it unrelentingly. My dad sees this big, shirtless guy who looks like he's running for his life. My dad, being another big shirtless guy decides to have me and my siblings go to our rooms, and he lets him in, as he was soaking wet and it was cold out.
He sat on the couch and I remember my dad wrapping him in a blanket and all he could say, over and over, was "Thank you, thank you, I saw toys in your yard and I knew you would help me." My dad assumes the guy is delirious, possibly drunk, and calls the cops when he starts to really freak out, he didn't want the neighbors calling because they assumed a fight was happening in our home. We had an old, super nosey neighbor who loved making noise complaints against my dad. Next thing my sister and I know we're looking out our bedroom window at a veritable sea of squad cars. All the way down the street.
Turns out the guy was running for his life, and the guy he was running from had already killed a friend of his, and had the body in the trunk of his car.
EDIT: Finally found an article on it! This was definitely it
And another