Comments on: The Dardeen Family Murders

By: Oh gosh

Oh gosh — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 21:11:46 +0000

In reply to D McBride. Just say your father was Elaine's uncle.

By: Shaneequa Jackson

Shaneequa Jackson — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 03:59:38 +0000

I realize I am late to this conversation, however I am curious as to what your theory is. I suspect it may have to do with a certain rumor credited to Tommy Sells, however similar suspicions had already been brewing throughout the town long before Sells had even inserted himself in the picture, and that is why I have always suspected there was more to this angle than anyone wants to entertain. Like you, I don’t wish to say anything that might offend Joanne Dardeen or tarnish her image of her son and his marriage, however there are a lot of signs pointing to a possible alternative scenario and I think it’s definitely worth looking into. I realize that no one wishes to consider the possibility that things may not have been exactly what it appeared as far as their marriage is concerned, nor does anyone wish to suggest anything that might be considered slander – especially given that Keith cannot defend himself. Personally, I don’t think such a scenario indicates any wrongdoing or moral flaw on his part as things were different in 1987 than they are today and he wouldn’t have had the same options folks have today to be himself.

By: D McBride

D McBride — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:47:28 +0000

I could expand on the story, but will choose not too. This family was part of my family. I am related to Elaine by blood. The lives that were forever changed is still far reaching. My father was Elaine’s mother’s brother. There have been many rumours and miss facts circulated over the years.

By: Jaq Rim

Jaq Rim — Sat, 23 Jul 2022 17:39:33 +0000

A couple of observations if I may – in the linked article it refers to Keith Dardeen as Russell Keith Dardeen and Elaine Dardeen as Ruby Elaine Dardeen.
With details of them leaving one area for the area they resided but then wanting to move away again because of the increase in violence, I have a couple of points of potential interest.
Firstly , when you are involved in either witness protection or are falsely accused of a crime or look like someone who has been accused etc – sometimes you have a full name change or a partial. It’s generally advised to use your Christian or middle names or a variety of names similar to for example Jimmy becomes James , Henry becomes Harry etc because it’s easier to keep the pretence of truth as it’s really difficult to change your name and adapt to it, so just change part of it?
Because BOTH Dardeens used their middle names as Christian names and they moved away from a home location and possibly with the religious connections, I wonder if there were previous allegations or accusations, false or attributed to the wrong person who looks similar but true allegations of a sexual nature and putting together a scenario from an offenders perspective when trying to find the person they think is responsible they have looked at :
1. Moved away and changed location
2. Used different name
3. Religion – in this decade in particular there was an uprising of sexual allegations being made against people from the church
4. Now wanted to move again- was Keith mis identified and being accused of being a historical sexual predator and being targeted hence a decision to move again and he keeps it to himself so as not to worry his wife?
I’m not suggesting that he was being accused per se ( unless he was and LE were aware and exhausted that part of the investigation without giving us public the details) but maybe something previous had happened where revenge was sought against a false allegation?
I don’t know, it just stood out to me . That’s all …. There are sick people out there and Keith /Elaine gcould have witnessed something and due to fears of retaliation, moved location and chose to use middle name as Christian name so they couldn’t easily be found, so not actually in the WP program but adopting safety aspects of it because they feared retaliation. This is one reason why for example when 2 year old James Bulger was murdered in 1993 by 10 year old Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, upon release from prison, they were given new identities, in Jon Venables case he’s on number 3 or 4 because he has outed himself or been found out- it’s so look alikes of these perpetrators don’t become a target for sick individuals who become convinced that an innocent person who looks like the perpetrator, they decide IS the perpetrator and take vigilante action……
Just some additional thoughts really seeing as though there’s been nothing new suggested

By: Stephen Russell

Stephen Russell — Thu, 12 May 2022 18:08:09 +0000

This is jealousy plain and simple. Sexually motivated either the mother was having an affair with the killer or the killer wanted an affair. The penis was cut off the husband because the killer was jealous of what the father was getting. It takes a lot of rage to commit this type of crime, it doesn’t happen over night it builds up over time. Someone knows the identity of the killer for sure. The fact that the killer didn’t take a weapon with him and had to take a baseball bat of the son to kill them suggests maybe it wasn’t his initial intentions to murder the family. They knew the killer

By: Carla Burgess-Stransky

Carla Burgess-Stransky — Sat, 26 Feb 2022 02:36:04 +0000

I live not too far from where this took place. One theory was that it was a witness protection program that went really wrong. Perhaps the killer got the wrong family

By: Barbara E Campbell

Barbara E Campbell — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:27:11 +0000

In reply to Bonnie Akridge. Extremely disturbing to me, I am used to reading articles involving adult assaults and much of what I cringed over 40 years ago have little impact on me today. That someone beat a bound and gagged child to death and then the infant newly born of the traumatic of attack, I find disturbing beyond words.

By: Barbara E Campbell

Barbara E Campbell — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:22:49 +0000

In reply to Chandra. Your information isn't something I recall reading. Where can I find information that Sells was known as "The Railroad Killer"?

By: Barbara E Campbell

Barbara E Campbell — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:20:34 +0000

In reply to Ellen. Interesting questions which aren't addressed in any of the articles about the investigation so far.

By: Barbara E Campbell

Barbara E Campbell — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 19:18:18 +0000

In reply to Graham Clayton. My theory is one I will keep to myself, but it differs as a motive from all that I have read here, because this article left out information that another article on the Dardeen murders did not omit. I keep my theory for motive to myself out of respect for the mother Joanne who cannot entertain the idea that her son and his marriage may have been less than the perfect little family painted by friends and family members. But in an investigation of a multiple murder as vicious and obviously having a sexual angle to it all theories should be entertained in order to find and stop the real killer.