So... someone confesses murder to you

[The Brain]

Really?

So if I go into a police station and say "I killed John Doe" despite there being no evidence I did so or that John Doe even exists, I can go to jail?

Maybe BB is talking about the WW2 example where presumably there is a named missing sailor on a named ship and probably a date.

[Strix]

I wouldn't go to the police, because

a) The only "proof" I would have is some old man's word, who may be suffering from Alzheimer's;

b) All the police could do is question the guy and get the same "proof", which isn't really proof.

Under normal circumstances you can't convict someone of a crime simply because they claim to have done something.... at least not in this country (and probably not Canada either).

I have the opposite view. The proof may exist but the police might be missing that last bit that links the murder to someone. By going to the police you may provide the identity of the murderer which allows the police to connect all the evidence and close the case.

[Martinus]

Indeed. It's not your position to assess if the evidence is sufficient etc. Of course, if the claim is outlandish and completely incredible, it's another thing but the "there's probably not enough evidence to convict the guy anyway" justification is bullshit.

[The Brain]

One would think that a gay man would be more wary of painting the world in strict black and white.

[crazy canuck]

One would think that a gay man would be more wary of painting the world in strict black and white.

Marti is a fat trucker sitting in Oregon who wishes he was gay.

edit: and wishes he went to law school.

[The Brain]

One would think that a gay man would be more wary of painting the world in strict black and white.

edit: and wishes he went to law school.

Don't we all.

[Slargos]

One would think that a gay man would be more wary of painting the world in strict black and white.

edit: and wishes he went to law school.

Don't we all.

[viper37]

Indeed. It's not your position to assess if the evidence is sufficient etc. Of course, if the claim is outlandish and completely incredible, it's another thing but the "there's probably not enough evidence to convict the guy anyway" justification is bullshit.

But I think it is.  Otherwise, you could be the one accused of making a prank call to the police, or you could be sued by the person you reported for damaging his/her reputation.

[Siege]

Report him to the police.

Let the police find out wheather is true or not.

I have zero tolerance for criminals.

[viper37]

Report him to the police.

Let the police find out wheather is true or not.

I have zero tolerance for criminals.

Ok.  So you meet a fellow Israeli like you, who served in the army and is now an American citizen and soldier.  He tells you that at some point, he shot Palestinians civilians in the head, after they were neutralized during the sweep of their house.

You report him?

[sbr]

[Caliga]

What I think is BS is that people in this thread are saying that (relating back to the Malthus WWII example) in this situation they would actually go to the police and report the guy.  You might think, philosophically, that this is the right thing to do, but I don't believe for a second anyone would *actually* do this, aside from possibly someone like Beeb who is constantly in contact with the police in his town anyway so presumably is very familiar with them (same might go for Strix).

[Admiral Yi]

What I think is BS is that people in this thread are saying that (relating back to the Malthus WWII example) in this situation they would actually go to the police and report the guy.  You might think, philosophically, that this is the right thing to do, but I don't believe for a second anyone would *actually* do this, aside from possibly someone like Beeb who is constantly in contact with the police in his town anyway so presumably is very familiar with them (same might go for Strix).

Apparently not, since Malthus originally said that the dude liked to blab about it, and no one else turned him in.

So the question then becomes what parameters about the story need to change before people tip over to reporting him.  Time elapsed?  Sympathy for the vic (Marty's thesis)?  Risk of reoccurence?

[Siege]

Report him to the police.

Let the police find out wheather is true or not.

I have zero tolerance for criminals.

Ok.  So you meet a fellow Israeli like you, who served in the army and is now an American citizen and soldier.  He tells you that at some point, he shot Palestinians civilians in the head, after they were neutralized during the sweep of their house.

You report him?

We are talking about murder, as in murdering your fellow citizens, not about war or killing enemies.

Now, if in your example the guy had killed a fellow soldier, or a civilian back home, for whatever reason, I would personally drag his ass to the nearest MP station.

[Malthus]

What I think is BS is that people in this thread are saying that (relating back to the Malthus WWII example) in this situation they would actually go to the police and report the guy.  You might think, philosophically, that this is the right thing to do, but I don't believe for a second anyone would *actually* do this, aside from possibly someone like Beeb who is constantly in contact with the police in his town anyway so presumably is very familiar with them (same might go for Strix).

Apparently not, since Malthus originally said that the dude liked to blab about it, and no one else turned him in.

So the question then becomes what parameters about the story need to change before people tip over to reporting him.  Time elapsed?  Sympathy for the vic (Marty's thesis)?  Risk of reoccurence?

Certainly those are all important, though Marty has his head firmly up his ass if he thinks I was sympathetic to the guy in question because he punched and then killed a gay guy.

Some other factors:

- How you are positioned relative to the guy (for example, I was a kid in grade 10 at the time and the guy was a respected prof - I dare anyone to say with a straight face that they would go to the cops on such flimsy grounds when they were high school kids);

- The circumstances of the crime (crimes during wartime tend to attract less concern: "I fragged a gung ho officer 40 years ago in WW2 who was going to get us all killed" as opposed to "I killed a girl and buried her body at the cottage 40 years ago").