9 Dumb Criminals Who Left Major Crime-Scene Evidence Behind
Updated: Mar. 29, 2020These criminals might still be plying their trade if only they'd picked up after themselves at the crime scene.
The Case of the Liquor Store Lothario
Scottish shoplifter Aron Morrison was picked up after pinching a bottle of vodka from a liquor store. It didn’t take Sherlock Holmes to find Morrison, though.
What he left behind: His name and phone number with the clerk after asking her out on a date. He seems like the type to use these 34 ridiculous excuses real people used to get out of work.
The Case of the Honest Employee
Graham Price of South Wales ripped off the bank where he worked, but he wasn’t completely duplicitous.
What he left behind: This note in the safe: “Borrowed, seven million pounds”—signed “Graham Price.”
The Case of the Not-So Devoted Dad
Bring Your Child to Work Day is a long honored tradition that allows children to see what goes on in the business world while also getting the chance to watch their parents ply their trade. One crook brought his young son along with him on a job, which happened to be robbing a pet shop. He was caught soon after, minus something important.
What he left behind: His son. Hopefully for his next gig, he won’t do anything like these 27 cringe-worthy things HR reps have seen during job interviews.
The Case of the Returned Merchandise
A Target store in Augusta, Georgia, agreed to take back a printer from a dissatisfied customer. Then the clerk noticed some work the customer forgot to remove from the machine.
What he left behind: Counterfeit bills. That might have been at Target, but these are the 12 craziest things Walmart employees have seen on the job.
The Case of the Endless Receipt
Hickory, North Carolina, cops quickly solved the mystery of the purloined cash registers from the Captain’s Galley restaurant thanks to something the crook had neglected to pick up.
What he left behind: A trail of white cash register tape, which police followed 50 yards to the thief’s apartment, where, they say, they found him cracking open the registers.
The Case of the Bungling Burglar
A gunman entered an Aurora, Indiana, convenience store and demanded all the money from the cash register. He then tied up the cashier and fled.
What he left behind: The money. He tried running back in, but by then, the door had automatically locked, with the bag of loot sitting tantalizingly on the safe. For more laughs, check out these 19 real court cases with hilarious names, like Death v. Graves.
The Case of the Angry Arguer
After getting into an argument with a woman at a bus stop, Justin John Boudin of St. Paul, Minnesota, punched her in the face. He then attacked a Good Samaritan with a folder, which fell to the ground when Boudin fled. But cops tracked him down thanks to what was inside that folder.
What he left behind: His anger-management homework.
The Case of the Clean Intruder
After a man kicked in the front door of a Texas home at 3:30 a.m., the resident fled and called police. When cops arrived, they were surprised to find that the intruder hadn’t stolen a thing.
What he left behind: Himself. Police found the man in the bathroom, enjoying a warm bath. Learn the hiding places (smart) burglars check first when robbing a house.
The Case of the Lost and Found Stash
Christopher Wilson of Spokane left his name and phone number with clerks at a home-improvement store should anyone find something of his that he’d dropped. According to police, they did find something.
What he left behind: Methamphetamines. Wilson was soon arrested. Don’t miss these other 38 dumbest criminals of all time.