Solved Murders - True Crime Stories - I Was Tricked Into Helping a Man Leave His Wife—And May Have Helped Commit a Crime #5

Episode Date: July 30, 2025

#horrorstories #reddithorrorstories #ScaryStories #creepypasta #horrortales  #deception #crime #moralconflict #betrayal #darksecrets  “I Was Tricked Into Helping a Man Leave His Wife — And May Have Helped Commit a Crime”A chilling true story of manipulation and deceit where the narrator unwittingly becomes involved in a dark scheme that may include criminal acts. Torn between loyalty and guilt, they must face the consequences of choices made under false pretenses. This story delves into trust, betrayal, and the blurry line between innocence and complicity.An unsettling account of how easy it is to be caught in someone else’s dangerous game—and the fight to reclaim control.  horrorstories, reddithorrorstories, scarystories, horrorstory, creepypasta, horrortales,  deception, crime, moralconflict, betrayal, darksecrets, manipulation,  guilt, trustbetrayed, chillingconfession, dangerousgame, caughtintheweb,  innocenceatstake, struggleforsurvival, blurredlines, twistedtruth

My name's Officer Justin Badger. Every day I clock in, hit the streets responding to calls. Usually, they're nothing too wild, sort of the standard, everyday stuff that any season cop can handle without breaking a sweat. Thanks to my training and the mileage I've put in, I've got a solid handle on things. I show up, assess, and act, diligent, confident, dependable. But one particular afternoon, that day started like any day started like any, any other, and ended up being a trip, where I thought I was rescuing someone, only to later realize I'd been played, used as a pawn in someone else's serious wrongdoing.

Here's how it all went down. One, a warm afternoon, a concerning text. It was a warm day, sunny, the kind that feels like nothing big could go wrong. Then dispatch put a call through, a woman named Jamie was outside the station. She was upset, worried about her son, John. The texts he'd been sending, coming from his own number, said he feared for his life. Instantly, Jamie's voice was shaky, tense, her eyes darting around as she waited near my patrol car. I stepped out of the station, ready to calm the situation down.

Jamie showed me the texts, short lines, all twitchy and defensive, all saying he was in danger. She told me, if you can just talk to him and get him in the back of your car, she trailed off, hopeful. But I cut in, he's a grown man. He's not getting in my car if he doesn't want to. I was polite about it, but firm. Jamie bit her lip, eyes glistening. You don't understand, he's scared. Right then, I wanted more clarity.

I told her I needed a moment to think. Went back inside. Meanwhile, Jamie calls dispatch again, escalates the urgency, wants another officer. I volunteer, I'm right here. here, let me handle it. 2. Instructions from another officer. I head back out to Jamie. She's pacing by the curb, foam glued to her ear. I ask what's up, and she says she's on the line with an officer from another agency.

That guy instructs me, go to John's house, pull him aside gently, ask if he wants to leave. I catch a hint of hesitation in my gut, but hey, another officer giving directions. I follow protocol. We coordinate, I swallow any misgivings, and head out. Three, at John's house, tension on the porch. We roll up to the address. I approach the front door calmly, knock. An older man answers, maybe John's father-in-law. I ask if John is home. The man steps aside, young John, his wife, and father-in-law shuffle out onto the porch. I introduce myself, say we're here because Jamie is worried. John looks drained, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tremors in his posture. I ask, are you okay? He doesn't answer. I ask everyone else to go inside so I can speak to him privately. They linger a moment, then reluctantly retreat. Now it's just John and me. He's stiff, scared, but silent. I feel that tension.

He reminds me of an animal pinned in a corner. Four, the phone, his voice, his fear, John, what's going on? His hands shake, he's clutching his phone, thumb hovering, thumb tapping. He says others are sending him stuff, saying his wife did something illegal. They messaged him saying she wronged them, that she's dangerous. They're feeding him lines, telling him what to believe. I tell him, your mom's waiting at the station. She wants to help.

Want to come with me? He keeps staring at the screen, jaw tight. Doesn't answer. While we talk, he checks his phone constantly. I don't see what he's reading, but I sense it's tearing him. I've seen panic before, I've seen coercion, but this feels deep. Five, the hidden puppet masters. Later, I'd learn what those messages on his phone were,

written by people manipulating him over encrypted apps. Don't tell your wife. She's not to know where you're going. Turn your phone off once you get in the car. We need this to hold up better. They were writing the script of his escape, and making me the hero of a setup. These people, they had a larger agenda.

They wanted to pin something shady on John's wife, build a case around false allegations so they could win custody or some legal leverage. His compliance helped them stage their narrative, make him look like a victim being rescued by a good cop. Six, the walk to the car, fear unmasked. Finally, after endless scrolling and typing and more scrolling, John powers his phone off. He turns to me, voice raw, okay. I'll go.

Relief? Not really. Walking back to the patrol car, he's hunched over, body coiled like he's still running from something. maybe remembered threats, maybe flashbacks of someone telling him to run. I open the back door. He slides in, face pale. I shut the door behind him. He exhales, like he thinks he's survived something horrific.

I realize later, on the dash cam, he looks like he just escaped a firefight. I return him to the station. Jamie rushes out, tears, hugs him tight. I breathe easier, think job. done. Seven, the revelation I was upon, but it gets twisty. Next day, dispatch calls me in. They've traced messages. The fear John had manufactured. Paul, Linda, Carlotta, people feeding him lies, making him doubt his spouse, making him say things to build a case. They defamed her, set her up. They even told John, if she knew you were going with cops, she'd do something stupid.

They used my authority to make it look real. I was their accessory, unwittingly. John's actually safe. His wife was innocent. But thanks to those messages, thanks to me showing up, he was pulled out of his home on false pretences. Eight, aftermath, questions, guilt, clarity. That night I couldn't sleep. What did I miss? What could I have done differently? Should I have probed more? Asked questions about who was messaging him.

Asked John if he blocked anyone. Should have spotted messages directing him, tell him, let's see the messages, maybe call them out. Wondering about legal fallout. John's wife, does she have claims? Defamation. Emotional distress. Did my superiors cover our love? liability. Did I act in good faith? Technically yes, I was responding to a concerned parent,

following protocol, obeying instructions. Yet I worry, could I be held accountable, even if unknowingly complicit? Nine, what I've learned, red flags and training gaps. This case changed me. Now when someone says they're scared via texts, I ask, who's been messaging you? Did your own number get hacked. Show me the texts. Have you heard from the person directly? Sometimes deep fakes and spoofed numbers are signs. Especially with apps like Signal, they can mask identities. I take screenshots, I ask suspicious follow UPS. 10. A note to fellow officers. We train for domestic disturbance, mental health crisis, DWI, etc. But digital coercion. Emotional Manipulation. Emotional manipulations. from the cloud? That's New Frontier. I think law enforcement training needs modules,

digital forensics at the scene, understanding manipulated messaging, how to question motives behind fear, texts, coordination with cyber units on verifying who's behind pressure campaigns. 11. A word to families. To parents, spouses, loved ones, stay in the loop. If you think someone's being manipulated, physically or digitally, work with police, mental health, Health experts, tech-savvy allies. Don't just tell your loved one to leave. Look at the bigger picture. Keep channels open so you don't become a weapon in someone else's plan.

12. What's next for me? I'm pushing for, better policy on handling digital evidence in real time, training on persuasion tactics via messages, mechanisms for verifying identity of remote actors. I've launched internal memos, suggested IG's office review. hoping the department adopts new training. 13. Reflections, light and shadows. I still wear the badge with pride. I still believe in stepping out there every day to help people.

But now I carry wariness, too, knowing there are puppet masters in the shadows, ready to manipulate earnest officers and scared citizens alike. 14. Final word, the truth beneath the rescue. What began as a simple, I think I'm rescuing someone, call transformed into a reminder. things, especially success stories, can be illusions. A complicated dance of fear, technology, desperation, and deceit. So yes, I rescued John, sort of.

But the bigger rescue now. Making sure truth comes first, that justice cuts through digital smoke screens, and that no one, citizen nor cop, become someone else's tool in a false narrative. That's the real win. That's what matters. The end.