In the world of social media, selfies have become an indispensable part of our lives. The selfies are normally harmless and shared for fun, but what if these photos are not meant to be funny but are related to some of the most horrific murders and haunting crime stories? The world of crime and murders is so deep, just like an ocean, that it includes some of the most chilling murder selfies and cases that can leave even a true crime fan shaken and feared. From a killer’s steely glance to their victims’ tragic final moments, each selfie reveals a story of tragedy and grief that echoes through the ages. There are many true crime stories and selfies that can take you on a dreadful journey where you will witness that crime can come in different faces, shapes, and sizes. Step into the realm of the darkest corners of human nature as we are going to unveil the top 10 Haunting Murder Cases with Unsettling Selfies and the chilling crimes they encapsulate.
Killing of Robert Godwin
On 16th April 2017, a 75-year-old man, Robert Godwin, was allegedly shot and killed by 37-year-old Steve Stephens. The incident took place in the Glenville neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, United States, where Robert Godwin was walking around the street when the perpetrator, Steve Stephens, uploaded a video of killing the old man on Facebook. It was like a live broadcast of a haunting murder, but later, it was revealed that the video was posted after the murder. Before leaving, Stephens confessed about committing the murder in a selfie posted on Facebook. The video led to many outlets before it was removed by Facebook on 16th April. According to the reports, Stephens first approached the victim and asked him to “say Joy Lane”, the lady with whom Stephens was in a relationship. He even revealed that the murder was going to take place because of her.
The Facebook Killer Case
This first Facebook killer case is one of the most haunting crime stories of all time. In August 2013, Derek Medina, a 33-year-old man, shot and killed his own wife, Jennifer Alfonso, in the kitchen of their South Miami home. After the murder, Derek Medina posted chilling murder selfies of her body covered in blood on Facebook, along with his confession of committing the murder. The Miami court imprisoned the man for life on the charge of killing his wife. However, later, he revealed that the act was in self-defense after getting threatened by his wife with a knife, followed by years of abuse. The court rejected the claim and sentenced Derek Medina to life imprisonment.
Bahsid McLean
The Bahsid McLean Case is a haunting murder case involving true crime and selfies. On 26th February 2013, a terrible and horrifying tragedy devastated the Bronx community, changing the lives of everyone involved forever. Bahsid McLean, a 23-year-old boy, killed his own mother, Tanya Byrd, and took chilling murder selfies involving his smiling face and holding the head of his mother. On 26th Feb 2023, a dog found a human leg wrapped in a garbage bag in the trash in the Bronx. When authorities investigated the area, they discovered other body parts in various locations and concluded that they were the remains of Tanya Byrd, a 45-year-old woman. Her 23-year-old son, with a criminal record, stabbed his mother in the neck and dissected her body with the assistance of a friend. After chopping the head, he took a smiling selfie.
Maxwell Marion Morton
Maxwell Marion Morton is one of the True crime and selfies cases where the killer sends the Chilling murder selfies on Snapchat, a popular social media app. On 4th February 2015, two friends, Maxwell Marion Morton and Ryan Mangan, were spending time and playing at Morton’s house in Pennsylvania. The two were playing with a handgun, and Mangan intended to capture a photo of Morton aiming the gun at him. However, Morton pulled the trigger while aiming the gun at his friend, shooting Mangan in the face. Rather than checking on his friend or fleeing, he took a smiling selfie with Ryan’s lifeless body behind him and posted it to Snapchat.
Snapchat allows pictures to be opened for just 10 seconds; however, one friend took the screenshot before the picture disappeared and sent it to police, leading to Mortan being charged with first-degree murder.
Murder of Jolee Callan
Jolee Callan’s Murder case is a prime example where murder case selfies serve as crucial proof against the killer. Jolee Callan, an 18-year-old American girl, decided to part ways with Loren Bunner, her abusive boyfriend, because of his domineering nature and incompatibility. Loren Bunner considered this an insult, and out of immaturity, he turned from an abusive ex-boyfriend to a psychopath with a desire for revenge. He persuaded her to accompany him on a hiking trip and even admitted that he had moved on from the relationship and had no plans to restore it. Jolee Callan trusted his words and accompanied him. On 30th August 2015, during the trip, Loren Bunner shot Callan in the back of her head and then tossed her lifeless body off a cliff. Before this horrifying incident, Loren Bunner shared their pictures together as if everything was normal. Loren Bunner admitted his crime and was sentenced to 52 years in prison. The selfie was one of Callan’s last known photographs, and it became a heartbreaking reminder of the tragedy.
Daniela Poggiali
Daniel Poggiali’s case involves an Italian nurse and criminal self-portraits with the victims. Daniela Poggiali is a 42-year-old Italian nurse who used to work at a hospital in Italy. She was a hardworking but ruthless lady who used to give laxatives to senior patients to make the work difficult for the next shift nurse. In October 2014, her life took a drastic turn when an autopsy of a 78-year-old woman revealed that she had died due to a potassium overdose, and the only suspect was Daniela Poggiali. Police discovered that Poggiali had cared for 86 patients, 38 of whom died for unknown reasons. She was arrested for killing the 78-year-old woman. Later on during the investigation, police found out Poggiali’s chilling murder selfies with the patients who died recently.
Tyler Hadley
Tyler Hadley, a 17-year-old boy, committed one of the most shocking murders of his own parents, which included criminal self-portraits. In July 2016, Tyler Hadley wanted to throw a party at his home, but his parents were strict and wouldn’t allow him to do that. Hadley decided to beat his parents to death in order to throw the party. He bore them with a claw hammer, dragged their bodies to the bedroom, and cleaned all the blood. Afterward, he invited his friends, and after enjoying the whole day, he told Michael Mandell, one of his closest friends, about the murder, and showed him the dead bodies. Mandell takes the selfie with Tyler standing in front of his parent’s body as he knows that this is the last time he is meeting his best friend. As soon as Mandell returned home, he called the police and informed them about the murder. Hadley was arrested and given two life sentences.
Jamie Reynolds
The Jamie Reynolds case is one of the most Haunting crime stories involving the murder of 17-year-old Georgia Williams by Jamie Reynolds, a 23-year-old British man, on May 26th, 2013. Georgia Williams went to meet Jamie at his home for a photo shoot when his parents were out. However, this turned out to be her last photoshoot as Williams wrapped a rope around her neck and managed to hang her to death. Reynolds took chilling murder selfies with dead Georgia while stripping and harming her entire body. Two days later, Georgia’s family contacted the police and got Reynolds arrested in charge of the murder of their daughter. The images were never shared due to their extreme sensitivity.
The Last Photo of Travis Alexander
Another case where Murder cases selfies have emerged as crucial pieces of evidence was the case of Travis Alexander. On 4th June 2008, Travis Alexander, an American man, had been allegedly murdered by his ex-girlfriend, Jodi Ann Arias, in his own house in Mesa while taking a shower. The two were in a long-distance relationship but later broke up, which made Arias frustrated, and moved to Alexander’s place. She took a dreadful murder selfie of Alexander before stabbing him almost 27 times, damaging his jugular vein, common carotid artery, and trachea, along with a gunshot on his forehead. The pictures taken by the police were horrifying and bone-chilling that a normal human cannot tolerate seeing.
Dennis Rader
Dennis Rader, one of the most terrifying and known American serial killers, also known as BTK, was claimed to have murdered 11 people, including men, women, and children. He used to tie up people, bind them, or torture them, which gave him the name BYK or Bind, Torture, Kill. He used to send letters to the police describing the details of the murder, and finally, in 2005, he was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, after the arrest, police found some Criminal self-portraits of Dennis dressed up in the victim’s clothes and a mask and being tied up.
Conclusion
The Haunting crime stories and chilling murder selfies are the dreadful proof of the intersection of modern technology and human tragedy that can leave an indelible mark on your psyche. We have mentioned the top 10 murder cases with unsettling selfies captured either moments before the tragic murder or just after the horrific act of violence. From the revengeful murder of Robert Godwin to the serial killings of Dennis Rader, each case presents a unique and harrowing narrative of murder and betrayal. These cases highlight the dark side of human nature, where the level of cruelty did not even pardon the killer’s own family, friends, and lovers.
