KARACHI: Ever looked at a picture and wondered if there is a story behind it? In case the thought never crossed your mind, after looking at these pictures, you’re definitely going to start wondering about it now. Each picture below seems as normal as can be but in reality has a disturbing backstory attached to it. From catching a killer on camera to the moments before a bombing, you have to see it to believe it!
Mark Jackson’s Basketball Card
For any sports fan, this Mark Jackson’s basketball card would be a perfect addition to their collection. But the reason why this particular basketball card became so popular isn’t because of Mark Jackson. Rather, it is because of the two young men sitting in the left corner.
Lyle and Erik Menendez, two wealthy brothers who murdered their allegedly abusive parents on August 20, 1989. After the murders, the brothers went on a spending spree until they were arrested and it seems as though part of that spending spree was front row tickets to the Knicks’ game.
The Dutch girls of Panama
Two friends from the Netherlands, Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, decided to go on a hiking trip to Panama. The spent a month touring the country and even lived with a local family during their trip. And from the pictures they took, it seemed as though they were enjoying their trip to the fullest. But tragedy struck.
From the time this picture was taken to this date, no one knows what happened to the pair. After ten weeks of the girls’ disappearance, their backpack was discovered containing two pairs of sunglasses, US$83 in cash, Froon’s passport, a water bottle, Froon’s camera, two bras, and the women’s phones, all in good condition. Phone logs showed that the girls attempted to call for help but their calls never went through. The camera showed about ninety flash photos taken which showed the girls were deep in the jungle and it was almost complete darkness.
To make this seemingly normal picture clouded with a disturbing background is the fact that bones from the girls’ bodies were eventually found. Bleached and without any warnings, the bones suggested something was amiss, though authorities never figured out what.
The last of Lennon
Who doesn’t love the Beatles? But what happens when that love turns deadly? What seems likes a normal picture of John Lennon turned out to be his last and also features his killer!
Standing in the corner of the picture is Mark David Chapman, who no later than six hours after this picture was taken, shot and killed John Lennon. It is believed that he was carrying his gun at the time this picture was taken.
The Red Car
At first glance, this picture seems like a normal touristy photo but in a matter of seconds, it becomes more disturbing than normal. Just a few moments after this picture was taken, the red car in the frame, which was laden with 226 kilograms of fertilizer-based explosives, blew up. The explosion was courtesy of the Real Irish Republican Army (Real IRA) who was unhappy with a ceasefire agreed upon by the IRA.
The bomb killed 29 people. While the two in the picture survived, the photographer didn’t.
The Whakaari disaster
Once upon a time, tours to the Whakaari Island in New Zealand were one of the most sought out after tours. The island was often described as heaven on earth but beyond just the beauty of the island, what drew tourists to the sight was the fact that there was an active volcano present on the island.
However, in 2019 everything changed for the group of tourists who went on the White Island Whakaari tour. After years of no major eruption, in 2019 there were signs of unrest within the volcano with tremors and gas coming off the island. At the time of the last Whakaari Island tour, the website for the tour company clearly stated, “Whakaari/White Island is currently on Level 2. This level indicates moderate to heightened volcanic unrest, there is the potential for eruption hazards to occur.” And that is exactly what happened.
Shortly after this seemingly normal family picture was taken, one of the most disturbing tragedies took place. The volcano erupted while tourists were still on the island and there was no way to escape. The 47 people on the island suffered from severe burns to their entire bodies and most of them did not survive including two people in the picture.
Needless to say, you never know that there is more than what meets the eye. These seemingly normal pictures are testament to that fact!
