Crime Solvers Central
Crime Solvers Central
298 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.

Forum Posts for Helen Morris List:
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I've been thinking a lot about the impact that John List's actions had on the community of Westfield, NJ. It must have been a frightening time for neighbors and friends who knew the family and suddenly found out about this unspeakable tragedy. I can only imagine the shockwave it sent through such a quiet neighborhood.
The news that an entire family was so brutally taken away by someone they trusted must have left deep scars. From reading through old articles and speaking with people who lived there at the time, it's clear that this tragedy didn't just devastate the immediate family—Helen, the children, and even his mother—but also left a lasting mark on the wider community.
I truly feel for everyone who was affected, and I think it's important to remember the innocent lives lost and the impact it had on those around them. It's hard not to think about the long-term effects on friends and neighbors who might have felt a lingering sense of fear or betrayal. Can anyone share what the atmosphere in Westfield was like in the years following the murders? It seems like one of those events that would haunt a place and its people for a long time.
I've been thinking a lot about the community's reaction to the List murders during that time, especially in Westfield, NJ. Considering it happened in 1971, I can only imagine how deeply this tragic event must have shaken the town. With a seemingly upstanding family like the Lists, it's no surprise that neighbors and friends were likely blindsided by the horrific news. It’s hard to fathom how life resumed after such a tragedy. Does anyone have any insight or recollections from people who were there at the time? I always wonder about the impact on the children’s schoolmates and the local churches, particularly since John List described his actions as a twisted attempt to save his family’s souls. I can't help but feel for everyone involved, directly or indirectly.
Hi everyone,
I've been going down the rabbit hole on the List family case, and I can't get over the chilling level of control John had over the situation. One detail that sticks with me is how he stopped all the deliveries to the house before he disappeared. It's just so unsettling to think about how methodically he planned everything to buy himself time to vanish without raising suspicions.
The thing that really gets to me is how vulnerable his family was to someone they should have been able to trust the most. They were living their everyday lives, utterly unaware of what was about to happen. It's hard to wrap my head around the immense betrayal they must have felt if they realized what was happening in those horrific final moments. And for friends and community members who knew them, it must have been a surreal and devastating shock.
Being able to evade capture for 18 years is unbelievable, too. I wonder how it felt for those who knew him in that time, never knowing his past or true identity. I just hope that Helen, her children, and Alma have found some peace wherever they are. This case really makes you question how well you can ever truly know someone.