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Haunting Billboards Ask: Who Murdered Me?

By Alex in Everything Else on Aug 3, 2008 at 10:40 pm



Photo: Camilo José Vergara

Some billboards in many tough urban areas don’t sell products. Instead, passer-bys get to see pictures of smiling men next to a question: "Who Murdered Me?"

Camilo José Vergara wrote this for the Los Angeles Times:

Usually, the dead ask questions only in our dreams. In these cases, though, the dead are homicide victims whose killers have not been found. The signs are there because so few witnesses come forth and police departments hope the offer of a reward will break through “witness reluctance.”

The signs seem to say: “I am dead, but my smiling face will hover over this ghetto neighborhood until my assassin is placed behind bars.”

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COMMENT
  1. jmp478
    Aug 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm

    A kid who rode our bus was beat to death in his neighborhood about 8 years ago. I remember seeing a sign like this by the shopping center.
    Yeah, it's really disturbing

  2. Johnny Cat
    Aug 3rd, 2008 at 11:31 pm

    I would suggest that this is more effective than the death penalty. But then again, I try not to be political. On the humorous side, it beats billboards for Swing Vote!

  3. Shopping USA
    Aug 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 pm

    I think Johnny is right on this.

  4. Evilbeagle
    Aug 4th, 2008 at 2:42 am

    I think it's a great idea. Whether it helps or not is another question, but it can't hurt.

  5. caitlin13
    Aug 4th, 2008 at 3:13 am

    That's something I'd always wanted to do to help find whoever murdered my mom 20 years ago, but I couldn't get donations and couldn't afford it otherwise. I wouldn't do it now because of familial concerns but I've heard them to be very effect.

  6. ted
    Aug 4th, 2008 at 7:40 am

    I don't know how it could really be effective, unless it's to guilt a community that is otherwise tight-lipped about such things.

  7. JC
    Aug 5th, 2008 at 9:27 pm

    It´s disturbing and can have the desired effect over people´s conscience. But useful? I´m not sure.

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