People Who Knew Murderers Are Sharing "The Moment They Knew Something Was Off"

8.

“In the late ’90s and early 2000s, my aunt was in the military, single with no kids. Because of this, she would spoil all of her nieces and nephews with whatever they wanted. My cousin and I were considered her favorite niece and nephew. We would spend weekends and summers with her, going shopping, having fun, or just enjoying time together at grandma’s house (my favorite place on the planet growing up). My cousin was the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had. He was always known for being a funny and charismatic kid who would always bring joy to anyone he was around. Fast forward to me being 12 and he’s about 18. By this point, he’s been kicked out of regular school and just completed his program at an alternative school for behavior.”

“The school suggested that he should stay until he was 21 because of the progress that he made, and they were confident that there was nothing in the city for him but old friends and new habits. To their credit, they have seen many young men leave their program and end up dead or in jail. My uncle, my cousin’s dad, refused to let him stay and withdrew him right after the graduation ceremony.

Well, less than a year later, the US Marshals came to my house, my grandmother’s, and my aunt’s house looking for my cousin, who was now a fugitive on the run for murder. A drug deal gone wrong with his older brother and a friend. They came to our home with the biggest guns I’ve ever seen and looked in every closet and under every bed with those same guns and bright flashlights. I was used to him being in trouble for petty theft and stuff like that, but this was totally different. My aunt is still hurt by my cousin’s actions, considering that he never needed or wanted for anything. But after he made the front page of the newspapers, I think she had a change of heart and let god handle it. I always wonder what could’ve become of my cousin had he not gone down that path. Instead, he’s been locked up for 16 years, and his mental and physical health have taken a sharp decline.”

—Anonymous, 28, Pennsylvania