Some vicious killers will go out of their way to prove just how "innocent" they are. They might hold press conferences, go on television, hand out leaflets, even hold hands with the victims' parents - anything to avoid a conviction.
From crying fake tears to planting fake evidence, these lying killers did everything to avoid being caught. Fear not, though. These are cases of real criminals exposed and their horrible crimes brought to light. You can act, but you can't hide!
In May 2012, Mick Philpott and two accomplices (his wife and friend) torched his family's home in Derby, England, killing six of his children in a failed scheme to make himself look heroic. Philpott, who had a history of beating, controlling, and abusing women, intended to frame a former romantic partner for the crime and rescue the children from the fire. In court, he tried to appear sad about his children's deaths, but the judge said: "Ever since the fire your life has been a performance for the public and the police, and then in this court... Your conduct has been punctuated by collapses and shows of distress designed to evoke sympathy where none is merited, designed to manipulate emotion."
Philpott had experience in front of the camera; his unconventional lifestyle, which included a live-in mistress and a total of 17 children, had been featured on British reality television programs. When he and his wife, Mairead, called a press conference immediately following the fire, Philpott did his best to play the role of the grieving father, but he fooled no one, least of all his ex-wife, Heather Kehoe, who was familiar with his shtick. She told reporters that "Crocodile tears to me should be put in the dictionary with the definition of Mick Philpott."
Tracie Andrews Held Hands With Her Slain Boyfriend's Parents
In 1996, Tracie Andrews brutally stabbed her fiancé, Lee Harvey, 37 times with a pen knife. She slashed his throat and left him to die in the countryside of Worcestershire, England. Andrews was eventually charged with the murder and served 14 years in prison, but she did her best to deflect blame.
Andrews held a televised press conference in which she begged the public for information about the killer. She held Harvey's mother's hand and sat beside Harvey's parents, tearing up as she gave a fake account of what transpired. She claimed the person who was actually responsible was a "fat man with staring eyes" who was fueled by road rage and that this killer had punched her before attacking Harvey.
Karen Matthews Alternated Between Crying And Playing Xbox After Kidnapping Her Daughter
Nine-year-old Shannon Matthews made national headlines in England when she disappeared after being last seen at her West Yorkshire school in 2008. Her mother, Karen Matthews, was the first to report her missing to police as well as the person who made repeated, tearful public appeals for information about her daughter's whereabouts. And here's the rub: Karen and an accomplice (her boyfriend's uncle, Michael Donovan) were actually the kidnappers, hoping to collect on the reward money for Shannon's safe return. Before everyone realized the truth, Karen Matthews was witnessed acting strangely - playing Xbox with her boyfriend and dancing around.
The investigation, which cost police over three million pounds, led to the apartment of Donovan, where Shannon Matthews had been hidden under a bed and drugged. After her mom's trial and conviction, Shannon received a new identity and family and Karen's six other children were also placed in new homes.
Iftikar And Farzana Ahmed Choked Their Daughter, Also Got Choked Up
In Cheshire, England, Iftikar and Farzana Ahmed forced a plastic bag down the throat of their teenage daughter Shafilea, choking her to death in front of her siblings, reportedly because the teen had upset her parents by wearing "western" clothes, or perhaps gone against their wish for an arranged marriage. Shafilea's remains were found in a river bank months later, and it wasn't until nine years after the murder that Iftikar and Farzana were implicated in the crime and eventually sent to jail. After their second oldest daughter was arrested for a robbery, she confessed that she had seen her parents murder her sister, and then the lies began to unravel.
Farzana and Iftikar both appeared on TV, proclaiming their innocence and looking grief-stricken in interviews, where they talked about how much they loved their daughter. During the trial, they denied any responsibility, and Farzana Ahmed changed her story, suddenly blaming her husband for being abusive to Shafilea.
Gordon Wardell Bound And Gagged Himself To Avoid Suspicion
In September 1994, police found Gordon Wardell bound and gagged, lying in his underwear in his home in Meriden, England. Police discovered Wardell in this state after the dead body of his wife, Carol, was spotted by a motorist on a nearby roadside. According to Gordon, a mask-wearing gang had broken into their home, attacked and bound him, and taken off with his wife. Gordon produced some big crocodile tears in the aftermath of the event, too, showing up to press conferences in a wheelchair he didn't need to use.
Police eventually arrested Gordon - thanks, in part, to the inconsistent and unbelievable elements in his account of events. He was charged with and convicted of her murder in 1995.
The "Mornington Monster" Bawled In TV Interviews
John Sharpe, also known as the "Mornington Monster," killed his pregnant wife Anna and their 20-month-old daughter Gracie at their home near Melbourne, Australia in March of 2004. Sharpe shot a spear gun into his wife's head, and four days later, did the same to his young daughter. He dismembered his wife's body and put it in the trash with his daughter's corpse.
Sharpe pretended that his wife had left him and taken their child. He appeared emotional in television interviews and wiped away tears. As evidence piled up, though, Sharpe confessed to the murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
