One Of The Worst True Crime Stories Ever…

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Those of you who know me are aware that I’m a true crime buff.  For all of you many (I hope!) new readers – I am a true crime buff!  I like to read about true crime, so I guess you could say that I have a hidden agenda when I ask my brother-in-law (the cop) how his job is going.  A few years ago, there was an incredibly shocking crime in my brother-in-law’s jurisdiction of which he was forced to be a part, and it was terrifying for the entire community.

In July of 2004, Anson Paape decided to have an 18th birthday party for one of his kids’ friends named Michael Murray.  The party was at Paape’s home in what is normally a quiet suburb of Chicago, Illinois.  For some reason, he decided to supply the teenage party-goers with alcohol.  Even worse than that, he decided to round up some of the teenagers and take them down to his basement for a poker game.  The reason I say that the poker game was worse than furnishing the teens with alcohol is because this was a poker game with a deadly twist – Russian Roulette.  Paape distributed bullets to each of the teens, and the person with the winning hand was supposed to load his bullet, put the gun to the head of the player to their right, and pull the trigger.  As if playing this so-called game (and with teenagers!) wasn’t crazy enough, Paape decided to mix it up, and he kept changing the rules.  When Michael Murray won the hand of poker, Anson Paape picked up the weapon, held it to Murray’s forehead and pulled the trigger before Murray could even react enough to push it away.  Michael Murray was killed instantly on his 18th birthday.  The other teenagers fled the house, and tracked down some police officers who were on patrol.  When they arrived at the crime scene, Anson Paape was no where to be found.  He was gone for two days before finally being apprehended, and he was tried, convicted, and will spend probably the rest of his life in prison.

It’s an insane story – it defies all reason.  I can’t imagine what this man was thinking.  And what a tragic outcome.  Not only did a young man lose his life, but Anson Paape’s 5 children are now without a father.  They were also witnesses to the horrifying event, along with other teenagers at the party that night.  It’s just so sad.

The reason I’m writing about this is because I remember when this happened.  My brother-in-law had to work overtime to help man the SWAT trailer they had to set up while Paape was on the lam.  I think everyone in Chicagoland was relieved when they caught him.

25 thoughts on “One Of The Worst True Crime Stories Ever…”

  1. The ones to really feel for in this story are the kids of Mr. Paape. Not a very fun way for anyone to enter “adulthood.” Being a police officer anywhere I’m sure is hectic enough but to be one in a huge metropolitan area…Scary.

  2. A great True Crime Book to read is “Murder by Family.” It’s written by Ken Whitaker. It’s about a fathers journey toward forgiveness and faith after the brutal murder of his wife and one of his sons. I personally loved it because it gave me a whole different perspective on criminals and victims. You can find the book here: Ken Whitaker’s book

  3. noone that matters

    It is sad what happened but he is not a psycho. I know the family and I know what happened was tragic. He was a father and a very good one at that. I think that people should do there own research and find the truth about what happened like who loaded the gun. Anson was an IDIOT and pulled the trigger but he didnt load the gun. I think he was a major DUMBASS for playing with guns but not everyone went down for the crime/murder that was involved. Maybe the outcome would have been different if it wasn’t a election year.

    1. Thanks for your insight, noone. I don’t think it’s any secret that IL politics can be corrupt at times – that’s something I did not consider. And I didn’t know all of the facts of the case; I’m curious, did more details come out during trial, such as who loaded the gun, etc.? Thanks again for your comment!

  4. OKAY FIRST IM HIS YOUNGEST IM 15 AND YEA HE WAS DUMB BUT HE IS WAS A GREAT FATHER AND THE WEBSITES THAT EVERYONE LOOKS AT ARE LIES NO ONE REALLY KNOWS THE REAL STORY BESIDES THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE LIKE ME. PLUS THE PEOLE THAT COMMENT THESE WEBSITES DONT KNOW AND NEVER WILL KNOW EVERY LITTLE THING AND DETAIL ABOUT HIM OR HIS FAMILY. EVERYONE ON THESE ARE BULL—- LIARS THAT DONT NO THE FEELING OF LOOSING SOMEONE THAT CLOSE TO YOU.

    1. @Samantha Paape –
      I am deeply sorry that my post offended you – that was not my intention at all. I found it an extremely sad story for all involved – the victim and his family, your family, law enforcement, everyone. And you’re right – I have no idea how it feels to go through something like that. I do know what my brother-in-law and his family went through that night, though, as well as how the event shook the rest of the community, and that was the focus of my blog post. I didn’t really consider that someone would be hurt by reading the post, and for that I apologize. If you would be interested in sharing your side of the story, I would be happy to post it. Thank you for your comment.

  5. @ Samantha. I know the author of this blog personally and in no way was this post meant to be an attack on you or your family. It was more of a reaction to the story itself. Of course, she has no idea how you nor anyone in your family feel nor do we know the details about the incident. I come from a very small town and it is very difficult to imagine. T was raised in the suburbs and is a true crime buff so her fascination with the case may have led to posting something that might have been misunderstood but in no way was meant to be a put down.

  6. The person Anson murdered was my nephew, Mick. Anson put the loaded gun to Mick’s head and pulled the trigger. This moment changed our (and Anson’s) families lives forever. I have sympathy for his children and their loss. However, Anson committed a horrific murder, fled, and then obstructed justice. He was convicted in a court of law. Samantha, remember the happy times with your father and don’t let this tragic moment define your life. This is a terrible situation for both families but hatred will not change things.

    1. @DJM – Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I agree with you – hatred will not change anything about this terrible situation. Some very thought-provoking comments have been left here, and I really appreciate the input of those directly involved. I am deeply sorry for the loss of all of your loved ones, no matter what the circumstances were. I hope that being able to post your feelings has helped ease your pain, even just a little. THANK YOU all for commenting!!

  7. I agree. Hopefully taylhis’ little post can help those involved vent and help deal with the situation no matter how little. I know that it can happen anywhere, but here in our little corner of the world it just is a bit staggering.

  8. i knew anson very well. he was a big part of my adolescent years. although he was wrong in bringing a gun out..we all know who really pulled the trigger, dont we sammy? shit happens. thats the end of it. ansons problem was that he wanted to fit in with his kids’ friends. we all thought he was cool, weird and slightly off at times but overall a cool guy. iv talked to him since and i cant even explain how deeply sorry he was and devastated at what happend but hes still working on his case. nothing can bring mick back though.

  9. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with posting or writing your opinion on the internet or on a piece of paper. But we should always be careful of what we write or say. We all have made mistakes and we still are, maybe not as bad as the others but who are we to judge or call other people names. I’m really sorry for the victim and his family. And also I feel sorry for Anson’s family. I met Anson when i was incarcerated in dupage county jail, we spent almost 7 months in the same pod before i got transfered. Of course some people do change while they’re locked up, they say that’s where you meet God and it’s true. Anson was one of the nicest guy in that pod. Maybe he did what people say he did, but I really don’t know, so i’m gonna leave it at that, i’m not gonna pass judgement especially if i’m not sure of what happened…..There’s not only one victim here, and we all have to be considerate of their feelings……

    1. @dupage inmate – thanks for your thoughts; you have some very well thought out and good points. I’m glad to hear that many inmates change for the better and find a relationship with God – that is encouraging to hear. THANKS for commenting!!

      @a friend – you have some good points as well, and you reiterate a point others have made on this blog post: we don’t know what happened. I wasn’t there; I don’t know exactly what occurred, only what I read in various reports of varying degrees of truth. And some of the people who were there maybe weren’t in the room, maybe weren’t paying attention, maybe were inebriated or perhaps otherwise had their faculties compromised which might explain the different opinions about the story. I’m so glad to see all of these thought–provoking comments from interesting people! Thanks for stopping by my blog, thanks for reading, and THANKS for commenting!!

  10. I agree taylhis, these follow up comments are very intriguing and give us all views that may or may not have been covered by the media (however biased it might be).

  11. Samantha Paape-Grissette

    My father Anson Paape did NOTTT mean to do this he is and always will be a nice careing man im not gonna name any names but a male loaded the gun behind everyones back and after what happend with my dad he skate boarded up town elmhurst to a car show and told all his little friends this kid told elmhurst police they did nothing.
    I was 8 years old at the time i saw it and i will live with this memory for the rest of my life what little girl deserves this life.
    MY FATHER IS NOT GUILTY!!! :,(

  12. “I’d blog it because the circumstances are so crazy, and so is Anson Paape.”

    “Anson Paape’s 5 children are now without a father. They were also witnesses to the horrifying event, along with other teenagers at the party that night. It’s just so sad.”

    First of all this story is wrong i would know i was there and my father is NOT crazy so who ever wrote this likes to stir the pot and start problems.
    One of the kids that were there whos name is Mike Libit loaded the gun, before Libit loaded it there were spent bullets and my father knew that and it wouldnt of killed Micky if Mike didnt load it with live ones, when all of us were busy eating pizza. Yes i do believe my dad is wrong in some ways like even starting the game in the first place but he didnt murder Mick, Mike did. Micky would of died either way he was going to do a 8 ball(coke) in my basement bathroom that night anyway.My father was a great dad no matter what me and my sister are his 2 real bilogical kids but he still took in my 3 other sisters open armed and treated them like if they were his own. i would never want this to happen to him i miss him dearly. My dad was an Anson Paape’s arbotists(treated trees) every weekend we went camping at starved rock and water fall glen. we love the out doors since hes been gone my family and i have only been there 2 times. He loves out doors and he doesnt deserve to be locked up. Before i was 8(5th Grade) i had so many friends but after july 9th 2004 i didnt have any real friends, good friends or anyfriends at all. Thats because my friends parents said sam’s fathers a murder you cant be friends with her anymore. How is that right that i got all my friends my life everything tooken away from me at the age of 8. After i lost all my friends i started smokeing, drinking, failing school and fighting people to relive the stress of people like you, kids from school and life in greneral. I hated life for so long 1 year after my dad left i was in 6th grade some 8th grader asked me with a cocky attatude arnt you the murder’s daughter at school i just kept walking, but all a sudden i froze turned around and found the kid getting a drink from the drinking fountain i tapped his shoulder he looke at me i grabbed his hair and smacked his head into the drinking fountain and busted his forehead and nose as i walked away i laughed and said yes i am thanks for asking. I went to the prinsibles office and told them i did that. This kids name is Brian Gleason and threw out my high school days he never said any thing about my father again.
    Yesterday the 15th of December was my 17th birthday and when i was 8-10 yrs old i used to get cards from my dad saying happy birthday 2 years ago i got one and it was late and had the wrong age on it. My father is forgeting about us because of Mike Libit.
    This is my life iv moved on but if someone says something rude about my family i black out and i beat them up and laugh. i will defend my mom my sisters till i die. Recently my moms bf got drunk and hit her in the face, me a 17 year old wheighing 97 lbs jumped between them and protects her mom. Last year she had a heart attack from high blood preasure and stress i cant affortd to loose another parent. Timothy Mc Naught(moms x bf) is now is Dupage Country Jail for 6 counts of Boodly harm against a miner and battery. This man has been with my mom for 7 years and they knew each other from high school when they were kids. threw out those 7 years my family and i have been beaten i jumped in the middle every time i love my family even my dad and i will defend them and be there for them for ever my sister whose 1 year older than me i weaker and Tim busted her eye open that night because she tried helping that say it was only me, my sister, and mom home and between me and her im strong and more prepared to fight. Tim deserves to rot in jail anyone that beats kids or women should rot. 2 days ago my mom went in and got a order of protection and i have to go to court wih my mom and sister on the 30th of December his bail is 50000.

  13. I have updated some of the content of this blog post after it was brought to my attention that it might be offensive to some people. True, blogs are not subject to the same bias regulations as mainstream media, and I don’t plan on going out of my way to keep from offending people since I believe that blogs are opinion forums. However, I felt the need to change some of my original language because it no longer represents my current viewpoints nor the way I want my blog to be represented on the internet.
    @Samantha Paape, as always, thanks for your feedback and for your unique point of view. You and your family will be in my prayers.

  14. You have heard one side of the story of Anson and his child support problems. Now hear the other side.

    When Anson and his wife got divorced, she wanted to be paid child support but wouldn’t let Anson near the two children. She got a court order requiring Anson to stay 500 feet away from the two boys. The judge in the divorce said that if Anson did not have access to the children, then he did not have to pay child support. She then got mad and moved away so that Anson couldn’t find her or the boys. Three years later, Anson learned that his ex-wife and the two children lived in Chicago, but, because of the court order, he was prevented from approaching them. Many times, he sat in his car outside their house, waiting for the boys to come home from school. He just wanted to say hello, but he couldn’t do even that. Imagine the hurt, when you see people you love, and you can’t come near them. If you have children, especially at the ages of two and three years old, then you will know what I am talking about. This is why, for eighteen years, Anson’s ex-wife did not even try to collect child support. At the time of his divorce from his ex-wife, Anson worked for the railroad. Her aunt, who also worked there, had gotten him this job. After the divorce, the aunt found ways to poison his workplace against Anson, and Anson was laid off. Suddenly Anson lost everything he held dear: family and job. There is no winning side in a divorce case. Both sides lose. Both sides have pain inflicted upon them. Our prayers, then and now, are for everyone involved.

    Anson loves his two boys and his five girls very, very much. Anson even found ways to include children who gravitated to him because their families couldn’t or wouldn’t provide the emotional support that they needed. He has a big heart, but his heart put him into a situation which resulted in him going to prison. He can’t be near his family now, but life moves on. He always wishes that someday, he can be with them all.

  15. You have heard one side of the story of Anson and his child support problems. Now hear the other side.

    When Anson and his wife got divorced, she wanted to be paid child support but wouldn’t let Anson near the two children. She got a court order requiring Anson to stay 500 feet away from the two boys. The judge in the divorce said that if Anson did not have access to the children, then he did not have to pay child support. She then got mad and moved away so that Anson couldn’t find her or the boys. Three years later, Anson learned that his ex-wife and the two children lived in Chicago, but, because of the court order, he was prevented from approaching them. Many times, he sat in his car outside their house, waiting for the boys to come home from school. He just wanted to say hello, but he couldn’t do even that. Imagine the hurt, when you see people you love, and you can’t come near them. If you have children, especially at the ages of two and three years old, then you will know what I am talking about. This is why, for eighteen years, Anson’s ex-wife did not even try to collect child support. But if Anson has any money in the bank, or investments, or retirement funds, that money will go to child support. At the time of his divorce from his ex-wife, Anson worked for the railroad. Her aunt, who also worked there, had gotten him this job. After the divorce, the aunt found ways to poison his workplace against Anson, and Anson was laid off. Suddenly Anson lost everything he held dear: family and job. There is no winning side in a divorce case. Both sides lose. Both sides have pain inflicted upon them. Our prayers, then and now, are for everyone involved.

    Anson loves his two boys and his five girls very, very much. Anson even found ways to include children who gravitated to him because their families couldn’t or wouldn’t provide the emotional support that they needed. He has a big heart, but his heart put him into a situation which resulted in him going to prison. He can’t be near his family now, but life moves on. He always wishes that someday, he can be with them all.

  16. @ Hue
    You are completley correct about all that my father does have 2 son but they live far when Anson was with my mom him and his x-wife never had connection she didnt want to. Last year she was supposed to go to my aunt wedding but never showed because us girls were there. My father loves us and his sons and i wish i could meet them.MY father have done so many good things for my family. But my dads parents always hated us my grandpa wouldnt even touch us he has never even hugged us. Yesterday i called my dads mom and ask to borrow money since they have never gave a a birthday gift or x mas gift and they said no we cant we just spent 6000 on a new lawer for your dad. We are getting evicted from our house and my grandpa and grandma dont carej what they dont understand is hes not getting out he commited 1st degree murder he done. Hes is not coming back he killed a little boy prison for the rest of his life is his punishment. Just kills me to hear “girls ill be home soon” when ever i go see him because i know i wont see him home ever again. But thats life and his parents need to notice that. He rewind my life an it will effect me for the rest of my life. Just every one needs to move on this is the last post i will ever post because theres no point anymore 78 years is final hes not coming back.

  17. For the record, “Samantha Pappe,” your grandfather, Anson’s father, was never much of a hugger, so don’t think you guys were any kind of an exception. As for the case and the people surrounding the case, I choose not to slander any one of them. Just know that there were a lot of inconsistencies in the case that you can see for yourself in public record.

    To Taylhis, thank you for posting and generating so much interest around this story. It’s interesting to hear all the things that people think about Anson Paape, but you do have to understand that it’s not the whole story. Will people who don’t really know Anson or the case ever really know the truth? I fear that they won’t, but it’s good to at least have exposure. From what I know about the facts of the case, things that did not fit into the neat little picture that the prosecution was painting were left out, and other manipulations were made to make the case cut and dry. As with most every case, the truths of the case will have to be ironed out in the appeals process. I hope that you are following the entire process if you really do want to know what happened.

  18. Samantha Pappe

    I do know my dad and i do know what happend.
    @ Watcher & Moonbeam where you there July 9th of 2004 NO. Do you know my grandpa peronally No. So dont come at me like i dont know my own damn family. I knew my dad had 2 son’s & as far as how as me never meeting them i didnt want to. I was asked when i was younger and i didnt want to. Now John(one of my fathers son’s) is married and has kid’s. His x-wife was invited to my Aunts wedding she could of came 2 of my sisters and i were there they choose not to come. So you tell me whose ducking?

  19. Hi Samantha,

    My name is Conrad, me and your dad were best friends back in Jr High, what happened has bothered me and some other friends for quite some time, I found out about it from my mother who was like a mom to your dad who saw it on the news, after this long I’ve felt compelled to write you, I don’t want to get into a public discussion with you but I would like to talk to you, if you would like to chat you can contact me at coolwater_115@yahoo.com, I hope to hear from you.

    Conrad

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