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M$2 May 09, 2009 05:12 AM

If someone confessed to you that they murdered someone, what would you do?

If someone, a person you know but not well, confessed that they murdered someone in cold blood; what would you do?

If you told the police, there would be little chance of convicting them because their is no evidence other than the confession.

I know the politically and morally correct answer would be to report it, but realistically would you want to get caught up in something like this? Especially if there's such a little chance of a conviction being made.

Is there any way to anonymously report someone?
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May 09, 2009 06:30 AM
I would turn the person in. There are so many questions when someone is murdered. This would bring about resolution to the mourning friends/family and solve a crime.

The killer needs to pay.
Asker's Rating:
• This was deep insight, thank you.


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May 09, 2009 05:17 AM
I would absolutely turn them in. No question. I would obviously hope that a) the police would convict and b) if they failed to convict, that the person wouldn't come after me.

But murder is an unforgivable sin. With no other mitigating circumstances in the question, there is no doubt in my mind that I would try to send the person away.

What would the alternative be? Just let them get away with it and stew in the knowledge that there is a family out there who lost a relative with no knowledge of who killed them? No way.

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May 09, 2009 05:25 AM
I agree, but convicting them won't bring back the murdered person either

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May 09, 2009 07:42 AM
I'd anonymously report them. Whether or not they get convicted is not under my control, but reporting it is a moral obligation.

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May 09, 2009 08:23 AM
Well, if the person was murdered in cold blood, then it means that it is not safe to be near murderer.

I would try to make that person to confess to the police and if I won't succeed then will try to overreach person by recording our conversations in that case I will gain some evidence.

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May 09, 2009 11:10 AM
I would turn the person in. They may come after you if you turn them in, but as someone who has already murdered in cold blood, they may also come after you if you don't - especially if they think you might turn them in in the future. At least if you turn them in now, and something happens to you, there will already be a lead.

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May 09, 2009 12:33 PM
I would just ignore it for I would have other better things to do, the person confessed to you because he or she thought you are his or her friend and confided in you, so just forget about reporting them but I would keep a safe distance lest I would get murdered myself.

Tags: criminal, murder, law

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May 09, 2009 02:53 PM
mmm... This is a good question!
Well, as this (not so close) friend is confessing, I would make sure I had my best poker face on, so s/he would not see how disgusted and shocked I was.

After the confession, I would have to control the urge to immediately run to the police. I would look at this person’s story in its entirety. If I saw that there was very little to convict this person, I would weigh the options of trying to get further incriminating evidence from him/her. After all, if they did confess to you, wouldn’t they also tell you how and where they did it?

Even if I ended up with just a confession (but I’d try to get more…), I’d make sure that the police knew. I know I could remain anonymous until they could find enough evidence to charge.
http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/dmc0128l.jpg

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May 09, 2009 03:39 PM
Well, if I was in a private place with him, I would immediately text to someone where I am and who I am with.

Then I tell the person confessing to me that he needs to turn himself in because the guilt would eat at him for the rest of his life. I would also remind him that God forgives all sin, but that he needs to follow the laws and do the right thing.

Then, unless he turns himself in right then, the first chance I get, I would call the police and tell them what I know. I would also tell my family what I know in case something happens to me. (Murderers do strike again.)

Tags: murder, police, crime

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May 09, 2009 05:37 PM
I would go to the police station ASAP and turn them in. I would also help the police if they needed a confession of tape. There is no excuse to murder someone, and someone who does this is probably insane to a certain degree and in need of help.

Tags: conscience, lifeexperience, murder, morals

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May 09, 2009 05:38 PM
It comes down to this....just change out murder with some other crimes...would you tell if that person confessed they raped or molested someone? You cannot physically prove it, but it COULD have happened! I mean, honestly, how many people in this world make up these types of serious crimes? Most people who make these "confessions" often times more than not have done it. And now that you know this info, now you have a legal obligation to inform authorities of this knowledge.

Calling the police is not based on ones' "absolute knowledge" that a crime is or has been committed. Calls to cops are also based on concern ( I hear a woman scream please don't kill me....she might not be getting mortally wounded, but her scream raises enough concern I call the police!)

Every day there are anonymous tips on crimes that are or have been committed. Could you imagine how many crimes would go unsolved if people had to leave their personal information?Besides you are on the phone, they can't make you do anything you don't want to do. I would suggest using a public phone though if you feel like they might trace you down via phone number. You could also type a letter and drop in a public mailbox outside your city and don't put a return address on it.

The only loophole that I know of is for married couples. Legally, you are not obligated to give incremenating information about a spouse. But, I am sure there are exceptions to this rule.

Lastly, I would not hesitate to report something like that. You are a threat alive, who is to say that same person won't kill you now? They told you too much info! To save yourself, this IS the type of information that is meant to be shared...with the authorities :)

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May 09, 2009 06:33 PM
For me there is no choice but to turn them in. First of all how would I know if there is evidence other than my confession. Also many times a confession is more than enough to gain a conviction.
If you do not turn them in whats stopping them from desided suddenly that you now know to much and you ned to die.

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May 09, 2009 07:01 PM
would the confession have to be on tape?

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xds xds
 
May 09, 2009 06:55 PM
Take it from a person who has actually had this happen to them.

You really won't know what to do, at first you will be beside yourself.

Muted in a frozen like bodily state and state of mind, praying that they won't try to harm you or your family/friends. My first thought was of my friends.

_

These are some of the things that go threw your head.

oOO' What is this person thinking right at this very second ?
eg: Is this a sick joke ? Then you realize its not a joke and you start to feel ill.
oOO' Are my friends safe ?
(Yes you think of your friends first and always before my family believe it or not.)
oOO' Is my family in any kind of immediate danger ?

oOOOO' What am i nuts?! why why am i thinking about my friends ?!
oOO' How can I best protect my FAMILY from this maniac ?

o God Am I doing the right thing , RIGHT NOW ?

Finally.
UGH ..Am I going to be sick ? Am i going to hurl over this persons kicks?

And then the fire in your brain slowly starts to trickle down, anyone who has ever been robed at gunpoint knows that it's basically the same thing as if they put a gun to your head that very moment. Almost like hearing your best friend is gay or your teenage sister is pregnant.

Trust me when it happens your body freezes up. The only way to protect yourself is to remain calm and have escape PLAN should they try something against you personally.

It's a sobering moment in ones life, and probably happens more than people think.

PS:
By the way.
No, I never reported this, someone else did and the person is now serving jail time for a unrelated offense awaiting trial for this.
(2 years at the local correctional facility) with what I would imagine probation sometime to follow)
Isn't justice grand?

Kind Regards,
XDS

Tags: crime, murder, confession, police, morality

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May 09, 2009 07:21 PM
i would tell the police anomalously some how ut it would be scary

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May 12, 2009 04:42 AM
Immediately contact a lawyer. You need to be advised of your rights and responsiblities. The lawyer will tell you the legal responsiblities and assist you, if you need to file police report.

The risk of false confessions:

"This phenomenon of false, unreliable and inaccurate confessions has been one of the most prominent for wrongful convictions" says Larry Hammond.

"Sometimes, it happens because of coercion, sometimes it happens because of mental illness, sometimes because of someone covering for someone else" says Larry Hammondy

Prudent man test:
You can't determine the guilt or innocence of the person. What would a prudent man do with this information? Follow a chain of authority and let the accountability of guilt or innocent follow "Due process of the law". I think you need a lawyer to help with the "Due Process of the law". It just to complicated to follow a simple response.
Source(s):
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/special07/articles/0715serialkiller0715.h...


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