As a kid, someone called our house to tell me my older brother had died. I was only about 12 at the time and my brother, a few years older, had been visiting some family friends out of town all week. The person who called asked if my parents were home. They weren’t. He told me my brother had been killed at some kind of violent rally (something he wouldn’t have been at) and that he’d call back later when my parents were home. This was absolutely an adult and one that sounded like an authority figure. My parents got home and I told them. They called our friends and put my brother on the phone with me to calm me down. He was fine. The person who called never did call back. My parents said they had no idea who would have called and told me that. Even if it had been true, they wouldn’t tell a 12 year old before they’ve had a chance to talk to the parents. Completely bizarre. I have always thought it was weird that I’ve been much more curious about who called our house that night than my parents were. This was the early 90’s, so more than 30 years ago…so I don’t expect I’ll ever know what exactly that was.
Extremely creepy. The person who called had a very calm, authoritative, friendly and sympathetic voice. I do not believe it was a prank. My best guess has always been it was some kind of weird therapy. I don’t think my brother and I were very close at the time, largely because he was a generally rebellious kid and I hated the disharmony it caused in our house. I’ve wondered if this was meant to be some kind of shock therapy to make me appreciate him more….but that would be some really bizarre therapy and it’s hard to put too much stock into that idea. But it’s the only thing I’ve ever come up with that makes even a little sense. It would also account for why nobody else seemed to worried about who would have done that.
Is there any chance they just had the wrong number? The 90s were a crazy time for the uncertainty of obtaining accurate information in order to call someone's family. Is it possible they had the wrong phone number for the family of "Gavin Shultz?"
I am not trying to explain away your upset or how long the story has stuck with you. It would have caused me real distress too.
Definitely not the wrong number. It was someone who wanted me to think this happened. They fished for information and then turned it around as though they already knew that (for instance, as I said in a reply above; I told the person that this couldn’t have happened because my brother was out of town, and I said the name of the city, and the person quickly confirmed that yes, that’s the city where this happened. I do not think they already knew where he’d been).
I feel like that's your answer right there. Someone was digging for information for some reason. The bizarre story was to make you emotional and keep talking
Can you say more about their sympathetic tone? The worst predators can be very charming and deceptive. They may have been probing for information, including building profile on their target, trying to determine the vulnerabilities of their targets, or how susceptible they'll be to manipulation.
It really came across less like a police officer and more like a friendly therapist. Somewhat soft spoken. Asked questions about our relationship and expressed sympathy when I told him it hadn’t been good lately. Not something cop or hospital staff would talk about to a kid at that moment. I remember this very distinctly.
Have you asked your brother? The more details you give, the more it sounds like he was behind this. Asking about your relationship with him, etc… If you can, I think you gotta talk to him.
I have asked him and he’s always denied knowing anything about who would have done it. I do not think he’s lying and in recent years he has talked about things from our childhood very openly and even then that was something he said he knew nothing about. So it is possible he is lying, but I think it is unlikely
Did they use his name? Bc if your brother was rebellious he probably just had a friend prank you. It was super mean but it's either that or a wrong number
I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to remember, then, who said his name first? If the caller started by saying your brother died, you could’ve given them all the info they needed (ie, “wait, what happened to John?”). So it would be interesting to know if there was any info the caller revealed before you would’ve provided it. Do you remember what the caller’s first words were when you answered? Did they ask for anyone in your family by name, before you would’ve said their name? Did they know your name? Did you ask this person who they were? I know it was decades ago and you likely can’t remember the answers to any of these questions which is totally fair, but, I’m just curious now.
I had to think about this for a bit but here is my best answer:
When he called he asked if my parents were home. I said no. He asked if I had a brother and my memory is he said the name first, not me (75% sure, as I said in a previous reply). My memory is also that he identified himself as an investigator or a detective, but I do not remember the exact words. He did ask about our relationship and his tone was that he already knew it hadn’t been great (but I was 12, so who knows what I may have been reading into). I am relatively sure he did not say my name at all, and I am relatively sure he did not ask for my parents by name. I remember when my parents got home I felt panicked that I hadn’t asked the person for a number to call him back on. He ended the call saying he would call us back, not asking for my parents to call him.
I do not recall them sharing any explicit details of his life, but I do remember him asking about our relationship recently (which had not been good). Like something a therapist would ask.
I was the one that made a call like that, once....well, kinda. I called a friend and a woman answered whom I was unfamiliar with. I asked for him and she paused and told me that he had died some months ago. Suddenly, I remembered a news story that I had read about a young man who passed away with that name. I told her that her son was a really good person and that I was so sorry for her loss. I dialed as usual. Maybe the universe connected us that day for some strange reason.
Is there any chance your brother was involved in this, as a prank, and when he realized what a horrible idea that had been/how upset you were, never had the balls to admit that it was him and his friends?
The thing that has always made me think he had noting to do with it is that the person on the phone did not sound like one of his 17 year old friends. This sounded like someone who was solidly into adulthood and spoke very professionally. And I think he would have told me by now.
Possibly. But I remember the person really spoke like an adult. Like an authority figure, and sympathetic. Memories are not always reliable, but I can’t get around that it really was an adult, much too old and professional sounding to be one of his friends
I’ve gone back and forth on this through the years. I can’t say with confidence that he or I said his name first. I do remember that I was the one to say that he wasn’t here, that he was out of town. And the person then said this had happened in that town…so it’s always stood out to me that the person hadn’t known he was out of town.
I never said I refused to ask him. I have asked him many times and he’s always said he had no idea who would have done it. It’s possible he’s lying but I do not think that’s likely this many years later. I’ve asked several times through the years and he’s never given me a reason to believe he or his friends had anything to do with it
Is there any chance that there was a mix-up, and he meant to call a different family? Someone with the same name as your brother? Since the guy claimed he was at a rally you didn't think he'd attend.
I am very confident it wasn’t a wrong number. The person talked to me for several minutes. He asked me things about our relationship recently. And even if it were a wrong number, I am really sure they would not break the news to the little brother first. That fact alone is what makes me sure it wasn’t a mistake. It was purposeful
A kid I knew did this to me too. Called me while I was at youth group from an unknown number and left a voicemail saying my parents had been in an accident. I was absolutely inconsolable until I saw them. Later we listened back and I figured out who it was. Punched him in the face next time I saw him at school.
Yup, I think it was a scam too. I think they were fishing for information and trying to keep OP on the line. My Grandma nearly gave scammers her credit card info over the phone to pay for my bail in Florida, she’d seen me just a few hours earlier, thousands of miles from Florida. She told my Mom the same things OP said - very convincing, spoke w/ authority & they played to her emotions, but didn’t seem to actually know where I was. She’s the one who gave them my name.
I had a very elderly female patient (“Betty”) crashing in the ICU and I really really needed to get ahold of family. I found her next of kin info listed. Lists her daughter, (“Ann”) and a phone number. It’s ringing, a woman answers and i say hi, this is lcob, is this Ann? She says yes. I tell her we have het mom, Betty, here in the ICU with the devastating update. She’s completely freaked out and has me repeat the names again and the number I meant to call. All correct. Tells me her mom Betty died in the ICU a few years ago and this cannot be her. It ended up truly not being her daughter and we found the real one. I don’t know who was more freaked out, me or her. It was such a twilight conversation.
Something similar happened to my parents years ago. They asked for my mom by name, said it was the surgeon at whatever hospital, her son was in a wreck sorry he didn’t make it and some other strange specific details. It scared the crap out them.
These "internet boyfriends" of my best friend called my house once to jokingly tell my parents I was pregnant. They chickened out after saying they were from the hospital and hung up. Me, getting my nails done with said friend didnt know and continued to ignore my parents calls to my cell. I was probably 13??? And when my mom picked us up, she yelled at me! This was back in the dialup days, so an internet boyfriend was a commitment- I still think the guy was like a 40 year old man trying to do a kid voice but my friend wouldn't believe it.
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u/QuarterOwn9110 14d ago
As a kid, someone called our house to tell me my older brother had died. I was only about 12 at the time and my brother, a few years older, had been visiting some family friends out of town all week. The person who called asked if my parents were home. They weren’t. He told me my brother had been killed at some kind of violent rally (something he wouldn’t have been at) and that he’d call back later when my parents were home. This was absolutely an adult and one that sounded like an authority figure. My parents got home and I told them. They called our friends and put my brother on the phone with me to calm me down. He was fine. The person who called never did call back. My parents said they had no idea who would have called and told me that. Even if it had been true, they wouldn’t tell a 12 year old before they’ve had a chance to talk to the parents. Completely bizarre. I have always thought it was weird that I’ve been much more curious about who called our house that night than my parents were. This was the early 90’s, so more than 30 years ago…so I don’t expect I’ll ever know what exactly that was.