@@ramonaloco these two might be even connected since a lot of mental disorders are or can be caused by physical damage to the brain, so the brain injury could have triggered the disorder
For someone with “no social skills,” he sure was able to charm people enough to follow him into a place publicly famous for several dozen murders, even if they were friends.
Could probably be for that exact reason, if people looked upon him as a bit "dim", they might just feel a bit sorry for him and never even thinking he could be capable of those kinds of thoughts
@@alexdaland Just watched some of his interviews in Russian. He did NOT come across as a gentle soul; quite the opposite, in fact, as the way he spoke produced the impression of him being what we call in Russian a "bydlo", which is the name that we give to uncultured, rude, and often aggressive people. I couldn't imagine others taking his tameness for granted.
its not uncommon for psychopaths and regular people alike to display excessive friendliness especially when theyre up to something.. You could fake friendliness better when you know you have nothing to lose, like dignity or respect from a person when rejected because the stakes are higher for them, i mean youre taking their lives and the most youre gonna wager are their opinions and feelings about you.. "like, oh you do respect me.. thank you but youre dying today.."... psychopaths become predatory once they feel the need to satisfy the urge... the satisfaction they get over a kill is way more important to them than respect, or love, or friendship, sometimes, they turn on their own families.. like that boy in india who kills little children.. what they dont understand is the emotional value in losing a person thats why absence or lack of remorse is noted in these individuals..
The police still should be imprisoned, threatening surviving murder victims with arrest for reporting their murderer, Russia truly is one of the most corrupt places on earth. What a fucking shit hole of a country!!!
@@LandondelGamer He said maddest, not worse. Its not very mad for a serial killer to kill as that's normal for them but it is very mad for police to threaten the survivors and let him carry on killing when they are supposedly there to protect us from serial killers...
Wow. Imagine how many people could have been saved if the police weren’t so corrupt. When you tell these events, it’s like “watching “ a movie. Great job as usual.
'Inept' is a better description. They showed an utter incapability to think. It got one of theirs killed, firstly. The mayor in charge of hiring the police chief was likely corrupt...
I like how you dropped the big reveal in this one. Tell two different stories - one about a depraved serial killer and one about a shy, bullied, and disadvantaged young man who finally found a place where he could fit in - and keep them apart until the last possible moment. Makes for an effective twist in a story or an effective punchline in a joke.
Yeah, I dug it too. I just went with it and assumed he was giving us the backstory on the guy that would eventually thwart the killer. At first I was confused during the reveal of this; how could we know what Larissa's reaction was when she realized he was the killer and all that, etc etc... But I'm sure these details just come from the killer himself after his capture.
The woman who realised what he was about to do, I can't imagine her fear, such a terrible case that could have been solved sooner and saved so many of the victims xx
@@2Bad4YOUuu I don’t think they were protecting him. I think they were just very dumb, ignorant, and lazy. Because of their incompetence so many innocent people died by the hands of a monster.
@@2Bad4YOUuu Yeah, they weren't protecting him, they were just utterly useless! It's shocking how bad they were. I wish they could have been fired! I can't imagine anyone at all would be able to trust them again!
What really disturbed me about this case is how Alexander preferred to know his victims. Have a conversation, be friends, play chess, emotionally connect. It speaks volumes to how sadistic he was and possibly how betrayed he wanted his victims to feel, like he felt in life. Thank you Mr Ballen your story telling is unbelievable.
I’ve always wanted to say how I really appreciate that you label the images as real or not real. It just adds to the credibility of your stories, so thank you
You told this story incredibly well. So well, in fact, that the killer’s identity actually took me by surprise even though I’ve heard this story before. Really, really well structured and delivered.
@isabelco2011 Me too. When he was describing the woman’s face and reaction, I was thinking that she saw someone behind him, or even that she had already been struck in the head. I honestly didn’t realize what was happening until he directly revealed it. MrBallen just does such an outstanding job of humanizing the people he speaks of, even when they turn out to be more inhuman than we could have imagined. The guy has a gift.
Best TH-cam channel, grown so FAST, amazing quality via editing AND storytelling, now you have a podcast, and branching out. I am so proud to see the achievements you have accomplished, also thank you for your service as always. You are a legend
@@Lunaeincola no but when I used to watch him he would sometimes make a video every day of the week. It’s just that we were used to getting a least 2 uploads a week now to only 1-2 every 8-9 days. Is till love the videos just wish there were more of them to watch
@@UAPReportingCenter I agree. We used to get places you can’t go. And other things like that. I would assume it can’t be that much harder to pump out one more video a week but I have no clue
Hey 👋 I’m Russian and I have been multiple times in and around Bitsevskiy park. Today it is very organised and beautiful area of Moscow with very expensive property. There are small parks and malls all over the place and the roads are huge. The park is still huge and still looks like a forest, that is still the case. Moreover, due to how much Moscow has grown, this area isn’t a suburb anymore. However, in the early and late 90s as well as early 2000s it was truly crime infested.
I can’t wrap my head around murdering the very people who opened their arms to you and befriended you when you were being bullied. Absolutely despicable
Exactly….this dude got off on killing people, who actually liked and accepted him. I initially felt bad for him, until it was revealed he was a psycho!
Poor Larissa, she probably realized Alexander was the serial killer too late into the woods. My heart just sank when I heard how she just grabbed the tree realizing she did a grave mistake and she was going to die a horrible death, alone and crying. It's just that time that you know you are done in and you can't do nothing about it, this is absolutely horrible. Waiting to be killed without no one there to save you. My heart truly goes to all of his victims. May the rest in peace
She was the one and only victim who figured it out so it's even more tragic as, yeah she was unarmed but had she reacted differently and with an adrenaline rush she could've stood a slim chance at fighting her way out as he normally relied on the element of surprise.
@@illyaroberts9627 right in a situation like that u gotta try something. Still could die or die trying. Or survive. Some people fight, others not even flight they just stay frozen in shock and fear.
I’m extremely surprised that she went into the Bitsevski park after 40 people had been killed there that too when it was getting very dark with someone she never interacted with before that
MrBallen is a force to be reckoned with. Not only was he a navy seal but he holds the power of the strange, dark, and mysterious in his hands... and he can pull off any flannel shirt.
I feel so sorry for all the men who lost their lives to this man. Thank god the pregnant woman and 13 year old survived that attack. I hope she was able to deliver a healthy baby.
@@liliivanova2920 So where did you come up with that lie? I've checked several online sources that stated between 20%-25% of Serial Killers had head injuries. That is definitely NOT most.
Can anyone say why they didn't investigate the 2 survivors & tell them to go away or they would press charges??? That's like they already knew & honestly did care...🤷♂️SO MANY QUESTIONS
Same comment I gave to someone else: Ballen definitely has great stories but if he's such a great storyteller how come he can't go ten seconds without a cut?
Holy crap, man!...I'm a radio personality and I've been told that I tell great stories...Sir, I can't even lace your boots when it comes to storytelling...You had me thinking that Alexander and the woman were both about to be victims and that twist caught me completely off guard...Keep up the amazing work!
I can't believe you actually had me thinking he himself was going to be a victim! I know too much about true crime to not have seen that coming especially with the head trauma!🙈 Great narrating and truly a disturbing story.
Mr.Ballen is an incredible storyteller, but his stories are partially fictional. He adds rumor, his opinions, & his own fiction in his stories. They contain verifiable errors. His stories are loosely based on what really happened, except for his stories based on myth, which are mostly fixtional.
@@mariehaidara8972 No. I think many of his stories are mostly real, except the stories about mythological creatures. His mostly real stories are partially conjecture. That partial conjecture part may or may not be real, we just can't possibly know. I'm only going to address the mostly real stories here, not the myth type stories. I've found an example of him using a unknown mythological sea creature & him presenting it as fact. I've found instances of him using rumor in his stories & not saying it was rumor. I found examples of him presenting highly significant detailed facts, that weren't actually facts. I've found examples of misquotes & fabricated quotes. Some of the less significant little details he fills out his stories with, are made up off the cuff. Mr.Ballen tells his stories for entertainment, not to be factually correct. I don't take issue with that, but I do take issue with the viewers that take everything in his stories as gospel.
@@mariehaidara8972 I started watching Mr.Ballen's videos about 1 week ago. Now after watching more & researching more his stories, some stories he's only a little off on the facts, but I've come across others where he absolutely butchered the facts & fabricated important details. I stated only the mythical creature ones were largely fabricated, but that extends to his other mystery creatures, aliens & ghost stories as well that he tells.
this kind of hit home to me as in 2004 I was in Moscow working on my Russian language, right in the middle of his killing spree. I just shared this video with my good russian friend and he said the apartments we stayed at in 2004 was not too far from this park. that's a little unsettling. we also missed a suicide bomber at one of the subway stations in 2004 by one day as we were at the station the day before the attack. today I am counting my blessings!
My Dad used to tell me about how life can suck in Russia For example : The cosmonaut who pretty much knew he was going on a suicide mission to wring some bugs out of the system. I thought it was a lie to give the USSR bad press.
When I discovered this master storyteller, he had less than 50K subscribers. In no time, he has over 5 million. I’m so happy for you Mr Ballen. Very well done.
I know enough about true crime to know that some of the details you mentioned early in the story pointed to Alexander as the killer, but you told it so well that I actually thought Alexander AND Larissa would both be killed, and I was completely caught off guard by how perfectly you revealed the truth. This is my favorite video of yours, I revisit it time after time and it's the first one I show anyone who I introduce to your channel.
Me and my wife used to watch Mr.Ballen together it was one of our favourite things that we did together. And since she has passed its nice to still watch then and remember its a nice memory to have eveytime I watch so thank you so much man for your content.
My deepest sympathy & condolences. Look, it may not mean much coming from a stranger, but I’m proud of you. Men don’t often survive the loss of their women. That you’re still here, carrying on her memory… nothing finer can be spoken. Carry on, citizen.
I for once did not see the killer coming. Bravo! What a storyteller! It's really sad and baffling, though, that this could've been ended so much sooner had the police not been so corrupt.
I had a clue when he kept going in the forest and told his mom he’d be ok. When he asked Larissa to go walk in the park with him I knew it was 100% him
Me too! I got so engrossed in the story just didn't see the signs. I thought he's gonna be one of the victims who survived and helps with the investigation or sumn like that!
All this could've been prevented if A) the parents had the means to get their child checked B) Better police. The fact that the 2 victims tried to out the criminal but got rejected and threatened by the police...I can only imagine how helpless they felt.
That's what happens when police is paid peanuts, when there are not enough officers, and when there are too many cases to deal with, as was the case after the "wild 90s" when Russia was still recovering from them. If you don't know what that is, it basically is a period after the fall of the Soviet Union when crime suddenly skyrocketed and many criminal organisations bribed police to "cover them up".
When he was young it was 70s-80s. People didn't think like nowadays. Children fall, get hurt and they recover. No one checked kids into ER for extended tests, they just determined that they are physically fine and moved on. They didn't overanalyze like people do now
@@NewBuildmini also after the collapse of the Soviet Union police still had to maintain a good reputation and statistics. So they underreported crimes, didn't release information to the public and maintained an "everything is fine" facade
So, that's the bit of this story that I don't get. 1:) All of his victims were people he knew. 2:) The two survivors were his victims, and knew who he was, and tried to out him to the police. The police threatened them if they continued to pursue charges. Here's what I don't get: The 2 survivors went through a very traumatic ordeal, and had to have known they were lucky to be alive! Imagine what that must have been like, being lured into the woods by someone you believed was your friend, only to find out that he was the reason people were disappearing. Then to wake up, presumably with a horrible headache, in a strange, dark place, where you had no idea what was at the bottom (unless they had the presence of mind to take something out of their pockets and throw it, and could hear a splash, or could hear the water flowing or something). They would be totally disoriented, but I'm guessing the lid wasn't probably very far above, and they could probably see light coming through it, which is how they probably knew to climb up. In any case, it would be a horrifying and traumatic ordeal. Presumably, these people would want to do whatever they could do to keep others from being victimized th same way. So why, when they were threatened by the police, did they just give up completely? Why didn't they tell anyone else, maybe get a crew of people together to go and seal the well, so that he couldn't throw anyone else in? Maybe tell everyone they knew not to go into the park with him, and tell them to spread that along to everyone they knew? Maybe make posters with his picture, and the sentence "DO NOT WALK ALONE WITH THIS MAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE PARK", and put those posters up all over the park, plus anywhere he hung out or worked, or anywhere large numbers of people would see it? It just seems really weird to me that when the police wouldn't help, the 2 survivors didn't do anything to help keep anyone else from meeting the same fate they almost met!
MrBallen humanises the victims in these stories in a way no other TH-camr does. Something that's always bothered me. But MrBallen remembers that these victims weren't just victims - they were real people who had families, loved ones, lives. He treats them with dignity. I have mad respect for that. Good on you MrBallen
I had read the comments so the twist was already ruined for me. But the way you revealed that Alexander was the killer still gave me chills. It was almost cinematic in the way you revealed it.
Every time I get a notification from Mr. Ballen i feel like I'm about to huddle around a camp fire with a bunch of others an listen to him tell us a scary story!
Found Mrballen a few months ago. Catching up on all the stories. Probably listened to over 100. I feel like he gets better as I move forward chronologically. This story was the chef’s kiss. Interesting topic, but the storytelling is world class. So good
I love Mr Ballen’s storytelling. I’ve been rewatching a lot of his videos lately, and the twists are so amazing. I’ve seen this video before, but the fact he used certain wording to make Alexander seem innocent made the twist so much better!
I absolutely LOVE seeing you blow up like you have!! I am missing the 2-3-4 uploads- but you've made it WORTH THE WAIT!!! I am loving the podcast too!! We just can't get enough!! Can't blame us when the stories are SOOOOO awesome!!
I'm always absolutely amazed by the fact that, despite multiple clearly connected murders/deaths, people in these stories seem to always continue going into the risky areas.
Can you believe living in a country where it’s so poor and corrupt that two people survive a murder but police refuse to follow up on their suspect, even telling the victims to leave them alone or they will be prosecuted. That has to hurt, at that point what do you do? You will feel less than a human, you will feel so beaten so helpless you would think it would have been better if you had died. It’s truly sad. Many people could have been saved but the police treated them like they were a common commodity
When prostitutes are nearly killed by a serial killer and they survive some of them have reported when they tried to tell the police this is exactly the response they got from our police force and that's how the serial killer man is to go right on with his killing. He get a chance to see the show on Hulu I survived a serial killer you'll see a couple of incidences of that. If you are considered less than human in America you get exactly that response from our police. What matters in America is how much money and fame you have. In other countries that may be more formal a caste system or blue blood vs peasant but it amounts to the same thing
We are able to be as critical as we please of our peace officers…which by and large is good for a society where an individuals opinion counts. But reading about corrupt and lazy police elsewhere should cause us to count our lucky stars for the fine officers who serve across our country. I never forget they really are “The thin blue line” that protects us from predators and even monsters.
Woman’s intuition is a hell of a thing. RIP to all the victims. Imagine all the lives that would’ve been saved had the police taken the reports seriously
@@awesomeman8385 right. And plus everyone he attacked were well acquainted with him so maybe there was somewhat of a trust that came with the familiarity
One thing that we unfortunately derived from this episode, alongside so many other's, is that many police departments are inequipt, some are absolutely corrupt, some are lazy, and some of them really want to serve us and need our 100% support, no matter the size of the police department, if they are honest, integrous and do not abuse the citizens they swear to uphold!
Hello from Russia! I was only a teenager when the Bitsevsky maniac(as we call him) was active. This was really huge around that time. I really advise you to watch Russian true crime series “Sledstvie veli “ , they did great on covering this and lots of Soviet/Russia true crime cases.
Its astounding to realize he could have kept going until even now if he maintained his original methods. The Russian police are shamefully lazy and corrupt
I mean keep in mind the fact this is in the poorest area. The police don't really have the monetary incentive to investigate. And not all police have the sense of upholding justice they should. So they probably didn't investigate cause they'd still get paid sitting there in the PD.
@Clone Biker That still makes no sense. That's the same thing as saying as a nurse I will still get paid the same if I pass medications out or not. Because I am lazy and don't want to walk into their rooms...IT'S APART OF THE JOB!!
@@detrajackson5992 When it's in a poor community, people don't care if it's part of the job or not. They will do whatever they want, and there are plenty of corrupt people in all occupations all over the world and in the USA.
@@detrajackson5992 yeah its part of the job but its not like they care, guarantee the higher ups in the department condone these actions, or sanctioned them in the first place
Your story telling skills are second to none! My husband is an English, Speech, and literature teacher…and he absolutely loves listening to you, too. He’s hard to win over, but he loves your channel! I can only imagine the amazing bedtime stories your kids must get! 😁 Thanks for always entertaining us!
“But everything would change with person #41 ???” Talk about the laziest most corrupt police force on earth! Chess. It’s like when that swing hit him he was possessed by an evil spirit that did not gain full control until years later. Mr. Ballen is the best! Another beautifully concise breakdown.
Not every serial killer gets hit by something in their childhood, its just an evil tendency some people have just like all of us have some evil tendancies, but it just depends upon whether we act upon it or not ...There is definetly a mental barrier they must cross before being able to act upon these evil lusts,but once they do there is no stopping it...The person is fully responsible for what he did and should be punished severely and in this case he has been...
i spent my life for at least two years during the pandemic listening to mr.ballen. i love how he put the characters in the story making a great pov. feel like in the movie with lots of plot twist...
The storytelling is so compelling that even though somehow we had who the killer was coming, it was still a shock when he revealed who he was. Bravo Mr. Ballen! I absolutely adore your content, thank you so much for your commitment to your stories!
Mr. Ballen is one of the very few you tubers that can make a half hour long story go by in the blink of an eye. Truly a generational story teller. I’m glad to say that I have definitely become a huge fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious.
I can see why you got 5 mill+ subs in just under 3 years. Best quality storytelling videos i have ever come across. When i saw your Spotify podcasts i nearly screamed out of exitment so i put some on.
Oh my god... Can you imagine being that first date victim? Once she realized she was being brought to her murder site, she knew it was over. I can't even begin to imagine her fear and sorrow as she was just trying to go on a date with a coworker she respected.
Alexander : "I want credit for all of my 62 victims." Judge : "Niet! The best I can do is 49." MrBallen : "No problem. But I have to subtract 2 for sloppy work."
The way you lead into how it was Alexander that was causing every missing person in that park is honestly a way I wish I could tell stories, bravo MrBallen.
I just love how John talks with his hands. So charismatic! His gesturing always matches the message well, it is not distracting at all. This is the fine art of story telling. :)
John, I am totally impressed with how far you and your channel have come. 5 million subscribers, 300 thousand views in 4 hours. Wow. Great work. Love your videos. Thanks for your service.
I'm a truck driver and your stories are awesome to listen to! I listen to your page for 14 hours a day everyday. I spread your page to other drivers and they now listen to you as well. Keep them coming!!
That's funny I'm a OTR Driver and listen to his stories driving around as well. I'm just glad he has so many good stories . I'm parked at the loves now.
It’s gotta get boring on the road at times! Glad you found him. I always imagine truckers listening to Bob Segers Turn the Page and Marshall Tuckers 24 Hours at a Time ❤️
Anybody find it badass the woman that was pregnant was a survivor and with a head injury and very possibly pregnant was able to move the weel cover which are quite heavy and makes it out alive
Your personality comes through in the way you tell a story. And you can tell you’re just as interested in the story you’re telling as we are. Good job sir.
Scary dude! I wonder if the accident with the swing when he was a kid really was behind all that destruction. I'm pleased the boy and the pregnant woman survived but shame on the police for not investigating him when they had a chance.
@@bgee461 we really tend to bash these american things like constitution and other fundemental things but the founders crreated a brilliant colonization and evenn cities are built for example to not a lion or beear comes to the city u know
There is definitely a correlation between brain injuries and violence. There are several studies that have shown that violence is three times more likely in people with brain injuries. Many serial killers out there have had some form of brain injury: Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy, Fred West, David Berkowitz, Ed Gein, Albert Fish, Glen Rogers, Henry Lee Lucas, Peter Sutcliffe, Dennis Rader to name a few. It's not a prerequisite to become a serial killer, there are many other factors, including being abused as a child, but brain injuries definitely don't help.
You legit are the only crime / story teller I can listen to non stop. You don’t cloud the stories with random things that prolong it for 3 hours. This is the best TH-cam page hands down. I appreciate all the work you put into these videos.
Are you crazy? Do you know how much extra overtime and work that would have been for them??? Pshhh, no way! Seriously though, yeah my jaw dropped when they threatened to arrest the victims. This also sounds pretty typical of American police.
Mr. Ballen has come such a long way in a short time. Truly don’t think there is a person more deserving. Good to be a part of this guys success and future success
You're such an amazing storyteller! I've only found your channel a couple of days ago, but I've been watching nothing but you on youtube since then. I've decided to comment on this particular video because I was born in Moscow 2002 and I lived near the Bitsevsky park and I walked there a lot as a teen after the maniac was jailed. So I naturally heard this story A LOT. But I still watched this video non stop, it was so interesting hearing it from you. Your way of telling the story made me feel like I'm listening to it for the first time. Just amazing. (Also thank you for writing the metric system values!)
Nah they weren’t bad at their jobs they were just straight up terrible human beings. People are going missing and they just kept saying the people who went missing we’re probably drunk and it’s their fault. You’d think after the 5th or 6th person that went missing they would’ve known they had a serial killer running around. And then when two people told the cops who attacked they they threatened to arrest the victims if they didn’t drop the charges. They weren’t bad at their jobs they were just extremely corrupt and incompetent. They should’ve been thrown in jail. They let 60 people die and the blood of those victims is on their hands as well.
@@jcmorton899 . . . 🙄 Communist societies offer no incentive/reward for work hard. . . it generates laziness and corruption as all private property has been abolished. So what's the point of caring about the quality of work performed? A police officer in a communist society doesn't get extra pay or a raise or a promotion for solving crimes.
No amount of torture is going to change someone with brain damage and torture certainly isn't going to bring justice to the victims or there families. I'm all for the death penalty. 15 years of solitary is cruel and unusual. Justice for the victims and humanity as a whole would be getting this psycho off the planet asap.
This is one of the best retellings of the Chess Board Killer I've come across. I'd guess he came back to killing after 9 years because that friend talked some smack after winning a game, and he enjoyed the power it gave him when he'd been bullied since that accident as a child. It's a tragic story, and I hope we all learned the lesson that if your friend wants to go kill someone don't go with them or you'll be their first victim...
@@haytamhaytam7227 It's crazy how he was an outcast and bullied at school but he killed the people that accepted and loved him at the park. It shows you how much of a coward he is.
@@Michael-rp8dl the thing is he didnt care if they were his friends or not, in fact he liked it when he killed someone he knew. he just kills to feel superior to feel the power just like joker
The quality of these stories get better and better over time. They never fail to deliver with utmost clarity and distinguished poise and elegance all the way through. Kudos to MrBallen and his team.
Sends chills down my spine realizing that Alexander was stubborn and always went to the park even after these many murders and it essentially became a ‘hunting ground’ and was very relaxed because he himself was the killer. Even told his mom nothing would happen to him because everything would happen to his VICTIM, not him !!!
I can't imagine being in a park, being told I was with a serial killer, and hugging a tree letting myself be murdered. I'm running instantly. Whether or not I succeed is one thing, but standing there with no restraints and letting the murder happen, idk. I can't fathom it.
Maybe she knew she could not outrun him. I don't know how she looked or how old she was. Maybe she was frail. Interesting I'm going to listen to Carlins podcast.
I’ve been in a life and death situation before and froze just like she did. I think it was because I knew I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for making the wrong move so I would rather take inaction rather than the wrong action and get myself killed or maimed. In her case though she knew she was getting killed, maybe she thought he would spare her and she wouldn’t be able to out run.
Can't help but picture Alexander sitting in his grandfather's apartment learning to play chess, and now him in solitary confinement for 15 years with no one to play chess with. I think it's safe to say this is not the future his grandfather wanted for him. My heart goes out to the victims and their families
So a pregnant woman 🤰🏾 and a 13 year old boy with severe damage to their heads went to the police about being attacked, identified the killer, & were told to drop it? 🤔 What was the point of the police even searching for the murderer? Why even arrest him?
I actually lived in Moscow for six years until recently. One of the first things I heard about that park was that "it's a place you go after dark if you wanna get raped." That's what a female Russian friend told me. That area you're talking about though is actually better than it used to be in terms of housing and police salaries; during the period that that killer was active though it was probably a lot more dangerous. The asshole of Moscow/world now is further south, beyond the city limits. South Butovo and Lyubertsy are notorious. You should do a video on Andrey Chikatilo, a Russian serial killer who was at large during the 1980s, because his case was absolutely insane!
Why would he make a video about Chikatilo, when there is already a movie about this serial killer from 1995 called "Citizen X" ? And it's a good movie tho
he actually gave the reason of the bottle thing. apparently when the brain is damaged fatally it makes a quiet hissing sound. he said that he saw a tv programme explaining this fenomenon and it was said that "stirring" the brain can stop the sound. he decided to try it out. absolutely terrifying
Same! I had an uncle who loved to tell stories whenever we saw him, similar to the style MrBallen tells stories. He's passed on now, but watching these videos really keeps him close to my heart. ❤️
I just can’t believe how lazy those police officers were to not even try to investigate those crimes. They just didn’t care about anyone. They should have been thrown down the well too👍
Well in 90s - early 00s Russia that was pretty common. In fact I was more worried to meet a cop than a mugger or murderer when walking home alone at night.
Russia literally declared war on Ukraine to denazify their country when Russia literally has open nazi’s in their government lol. You can believe the news you russian shill
worst cops EVER! i can only imagine how the surviving victims felt when they were literally threatened by the very people meant to protect them from a legit monster
@@UnderCultures prisoners are held for years or decades with almost no social contact and the barest of sensory stimuli. The human brain is ill-adapted to such conditions, and activists and some psychologists equate it to torture. Solitary confinement isn't merely uncomfortable, they say, but such an anathema to human needs that it often drives prisoners mad. In isolation, people become anxious and angry, prone to hallucinations and wild mood swings, and unable to control their impulses. The problems are even worse in people predisposed to mental illness, and can wreak long-lasting changes in prisoners' minds.
@@mr7257milpwho cares if he becomes more unstable? He’ll never leave his solitary cell so let him rot. Giving him the death penalty is giving him an easy way out. He deserves to languish away alone and miserable.
This story in particular was masterfully presented and narrated. You have such a gift with storytelling. Also, English is not my first language, but you have great diction and pronunciation so it is very easy for my poor french brain to understand every single word. Thank you so much for the great content you put out!
I also use it to learn English, his pronouncation is so good, that I don’t have to look at subtitles and I can do other work. But sometimes I still can’t resist and watch only because it’s a nice sight ;)
So sad that so many deaths could have been prevented if it weren't for the incompetence of the police. As a side note, this was a great video, keep it up :)
I know! I was familiar with this case, so I knew Alexander was the killer before he was even mentioned here. But, I imagine it was a surprise for people watching this who didn’t know!
Frontal lobe damage has often been a trait of serial killers. It’s truly scary how a few damaged neurons can turn a person into a monster.
I hit the front of my head pretty hard a few days back.....now I'm scared
@@krittikabiswas8500 🤣😉😋
True, but don't overlook Cluster B Personality Disorders. Particularly Anti-Social PD. This dude checks all the boxes.
So I bang my head and suddenly I'm a cereal killer? Interesting hold my milk I'm going to kill some coco pops 😆
@@ramonaloco these two might be even connected since a lot of mental disorders are or can be caused by physical damage to the brain, so the brain injury could have triggered the disorder
For someone with “no social skills,” he sure was able to charm people enough to follow him into a place publicly famous for several dozen murders, even if they were friends.
Most infamous criminals are like that
Chicago's devil in the white city.
Could probably be for that exact reason, if people looked upon him as a bit "dim", they might just feel a bit sorry for him and never even thinking he could be capable of those kinds of thoughts
@@alexdaland Just watched some of his interviews in Russian. He did NOT come across as a gentle soul; quite the opposite, in fact, as the way he spoke produced the impression of him being what we call in Russian a "bydlo", which is the name that we give to uncultured, rude, and often aggressive people. I couldn't imagine others taking his tameness for granted.
its not uncommon for psychopaths and regular people alike to display excessive friendliness especially when theyre up to something.. You could fake friendliness better when you know you have nothing to lose, like dignity or respect from a person when rejected because the stakes are higher for them, i mean youre taking their lives and the most youre gonna wager are their opinions and feelings about you.. "like, oh you do respect me.. thank you but youre dying today.."... psychopaths become predatory once they feel the need to satisfy the urge... the satisfaction they get over a kill is way more important to them than respect, or love, or friendship, sometimes, they turn on their own families.. like that boy in india who kills little children.. what they dont understand is the emotional value in losing a person thats why absence or lack of remorse is noted in these individuals..
The maddest thing about this story, isn’t Alexander, its the fact the police turned away two survivors who came forward and could ID their attacker.
No I think the killer is worse
@@LandondelGamer the killer is the worst for sure. I’m just shocked at the police incompetence
The police still should be imprisoned, threatening surviving murder victims with arrest for reporting their murderer, Russia truly is one of the most corrupt places on earth. What a fucking shit hole of a country!!!
Police in my country is the same. They arrest the victim
@@LandondelGamer He said maddest, not worse. Its not very mad for a serial killer to kill as that's normal for them but it is very mad for police to threaten the survivors and let him carry on killing when they are supposedly there to protect us from serial killers...
Wow. Imagine how many people could have been saved if the police weren’t so corrupt. When you tell these events, it’s like “watching “ a movie. Great job as usual.
That is an interesting point of view and I will give it much thought.
It’s like watching a movie*
'Inept' is a better description. They showed an utter incapability to think. It got one of theirs killed, firstly. The mayor in charge of hiring the police chief was likely corrupt...
@@b_uppy No. Corrupt. "Inept" carries the idea of inability. This was pure, conscious negligence and corruption.
@@AmazingRofa what is the link on Mr Ballen you've put up?
I like how you dropped the big reveal in this one. Tell two different stories - one about a depraved serial killer and one about a shy, bullied, and disadvantaged young man who finally found a place where he could fit in - and keep them apart until the last possible moment. Makes for an effective twist in a story or an effective punchline in a joke.
Yes exactly why Mr Ballen is awesome!!! Living for the twist! Also RIP to all the people he talks about 😔
They should unleash him and send him to Putin. They could then go on his death walk to the forest.
The infographics show did the same thing already
Yes hes very good at using that economy of space to still build a good turnaround
Yeah, I dug it too. I just went with it and assumed he was giving us the backstory on the guy that would eventually thwart the killer. At first I was confused during the reveal of this; how could we know what Larissa's reaction was when she realized he was the killer and all that, etc etc... But I'm sure these details just come from the killer himself after his capture.
The woman who realised what he was about to do, I can't imagine her fear, such a terrible case that could have been solved sooner and saved so many of the victims xx
Yea, and why were police protecting him 🤔 such a strange case
@@2Bad4YOUuu I don’t think they were protecting him. I think they were just very dumb, ignorant, and lazy. Because of their incompetence so many innocent people died by the hands of a monster.
@@2Bad4YOUuu Yeah, they weren't protecting him, they were just utterly useless! It's shocking how bad they were. I wish they could have been fired! I can't imagine anyone at all would be able to trust them again!
@@Chelle8847 OK. But to horribly threaten 2 witnesses into remaining quiet sounds like protection to me
I don't know how she knew he was gonna kill him?
What really disturbed me about this case is how Alexander preferred to know his victims. Have a conversation, be friends, play chess, emotionally connect. It speaks volumes to how sadistic he was and possibly how betrayed he wanted his victims to feel, like he felt in life. Thank you Mr Ballen your story telling is unbelievable.
Indeed disturbing
Freaky as FRICK
I’ve always wanted to say how I really appreciate that you label the images as real or not real. It just adds to the credibility of your stories, so thank you
Ditto. Mr. B has true talent and I love his videos (and I'm a grandmomma in her 70's, lol.)
Absolutely!
TOP 2 STORIES THAT SOUND REAL BUT OUR REALLY 100% FAEK
@@CalvZynist TPO 10 STOIRES HTAT SOUD REEL BUT IS AUCTUAYLL 101% FAEK
At this point i dont even care if they true or not hes just nice to listen to.
You told this story incredibly well. So well, in fact, that the killer’s identity actually took me by surprise even though I’ve heard this story before. Really, really well structured and delivered.
Thank you!!
I agree. I was just like what!!! I've not heard the story either. I totally thought he was going to be victim #41.
@isabelco2011 Me too. When he was describing the woman’s face and reaction, I was thinking that she saw someone behind him, or even that she had already been struck in the head. I honestly didn’t realize what was happening until he directly revealed it. MrBallen just does such an outstanding job of humanizing the people he speaks of, even when they turn out to be more inhuman than we could have imagined. The guy has a gift.
th-cam.com/video/sF6c-JkrVU0/w-d-xo.html
@@MrBallen watch this story is like yours no lie th-cam.com/video/ThewiqUqBf4/w-d-xo.html
This.. This was literally your best built up story. The moment when she realized was exactly as frightening as I would expect from your story format.
STOP THE CAP IM GONMA ARREST YOU AND PUT YOU INTO TH-cam JAIL FOR LIFETIME
LIFETIME U HEARD ME?!😡😡😡
@@Azubjourni what
Am a absolutely terrified yet am still glued to your channel. You are one heck of a storyteller. Mo nairobi Kenya.
@@duckgaming7518 Got a problem?
Best TH-cam channel, grown so FAST, amazing quality via editing AND storytelling, now you have a podcast, and branching out. I am so proud to see the achievements you have accomplished, also thank you for your service as always. You are a legend
I wish he'd go back to 3 full videos per week, or at least 2. Oh well.
Are you this guys' manager or something?
@@Lunaeincola no but when I used to watch him he would sometimes make a video every day of the week. It’s just that we were used to getting a least 2 uploads a week now to only 1-2 every 8-9 days. Is till love the videos just wish there were more of them to watch
He's really gotten off track lately imo. The story choices and the lack of uploads. Just my opinion
@@UAPReportingCenter I agree. We used to get places you can’t go. And other things like that. I would assume it can’t be that much harder to pump out one more video a week but I have no clue
Hey 👋 I’m Russian and I have been multiple times in and around Bitsevskiy park. Today it is very organised and beautiful area of Moscow with very expensive property. There are small parks and malls all over the place and the roads are huge. The park is still huge and still looks like a forest, that is still the case.
Moreover, due to how much Moscow has grown, this area isn’t a suburb anymore.
However, in the early and late 90s as well as early 2000s it was truly crime infested.
I read this in a deep man's voice with a Russian accent
@@megurineziam5900😂same
@@megurineziam5900 haha me too!
it's haunted now
Thanks for that update/info
I can’t wrap my head around murdering the very people who opened their arms to you and befriended you when you were being bullied. Absolutely despicable
Pure evil
Exactly….this dude got off on killing people, who actually liked and accepted him. I initially felt bad for him, until it was revealed he was a psycho!
Brain injuries make people do crazy things.
People kill their own kids. Humans stink.
@UC_al_vJZNSXQbZ6fr9ZJIbA yeah both show biz dictators.
Poor Larissa, she probably realized Alexander was the serial killer too late into the woods. My heart just sank when I heard how she just grabbed the tree realizing she did a grave mistake and she was going to die a horrible death, alone and crying. It's just that time that you know you are done in and you can't do nothing about it, this is absolutely horrible. Waiting to be killed without no one there to save you. My heart truly goes to all of his victims. May the rest in peace
I would've at least started running..
She was the one and only victim who figured it out so it's even more tragic as, yeah she was unarmed but had she reacted differently and with an adrenaline rush she could've stood a slim chance at fighting her way out as he normally relied on the element of surprise.
who just gives up though, it's 50/50 you dodge and counter a critical strike.
@@illyaroberts9627 right in a situation like that u gotta try something. Still could die or die trying. Or survive. Some people fight, others not even flight they just stay frozen in shock and fear.
I’m extremely surprised that she went into the Bitsevski park after 40 people had been killed there that too when it was getting very dark with someone she never interacted with before that
MrBallen is a force to be reckoned with. Not only was he a navy seal but he holds the power of the strange, dark, and mysterious in his hands... and he can pull off any flannel shirt.
😂
You are so right!!💜💚
Absolutely!
He wasn't a Seal... He is a Seal. Get that right. Once you earn the title you are it....
@@MrBallen you are the man of men
I feel so sorry for all the men who lost their lives to this man. Thank god the pregnant woman and 13 year old survived that attack. I hope she was able to deliver a healthy baby.
But what happened to them? Did they too become serial killers due to the head trauma?
@@treyalward445 just because someone has head trauma or any trauma doesn’t make someone a monster 🙄
@@treyalward445most killers have had head trauma. Not all head trauma people become killers!
@@liliivanova2920 So where did you come up with that lie? I've checked several online sources that stated between 20%-25% of Serial Killers had head injuries. That is definitely NOT most.
@@_MjG_ it was my opinion. I’m not statistic biro! If you got offended, do your research but don’t spit your anger!
I’ve heard this story before, but I’ve never heard it told like this. Mr. Ballen truly has a gift for storytelling.
Wow! What a story, I could almost see in my mind everything he described
Can anyone say why they didn't investigate the 2 survivors & tell them to go away or they would press charges??? That's like they already knew & honestly did care...🤷♂️SO MANY QUESTIONS
Same comment I gave to someone else: Ballen definitely has great stories but if he's such a great storyteller how come he can't go ten seconds without a cut?
Holy crap, man!...I'm a radio personality and I've been told that I tell great stories...Sir, I can't even lace your boots when it comes to storytelling...You had me thinking that Alexander and the woman were both about to be victims and that twist caught me completely off guard...Keep up the amazing work!
Hey, what's the station name? Would love to listen to you!
Yeah bro what station?
I was expecting the woman to kill him
@LeeRon Bradshaw Hahaha. You are nothing close to a radio personality, just a clown
SPOOOILER
I can't believe you actually had me thinking he himself was going to be a victim! I know too much about true crime to not have seen that coming especially with the head trauma!🙈 Great narrating and truly a disturbing story.
Me too
Mr.Ballen is an incredible storyteller, but his stories are partially fictional. He adds rumor, his opinions, & his own fiction in his stories. They contain verifiable errors. His stories are loosely based on what really happened, except for his stories based on myth, which are mostly fixtional.
@@_MjG_so most aren’t real then
@@mariehaidara8972 No. I think many of his stories are mostly real, except the stories about mythological creatures. His mostly real stories are partially conjecture. That partial conjecture part may or may not be real, we just can't possibly know. I'm only going to address the mostly real stories here, not the myth type stories.
I've found an example of him using a unknown mythological sea creature & him presenting it as fact. I've found instances of him using rumor in his stories & not saying it was rumor. I found examples of him presenting highly significant detailed facts, that weren't actually facts. I've found examples of misquotes & fabricated quotes. Some of the less significant little details he fills out his stories with, are made up off the cuff.
Mr.Ballen tells his stories for entertainment, not to be factually correct. I don't take issue with that, but I do take issue with the viewers that take everything in his stories as gospel.
@@mariehaidara8972 I started watching Mr.Ballen's videos about 1 week ago. Now after watching more & researching more his stories, some stories he's only a little off on the facts, but I've come across others where he absolutely butchered the facts & fabricated important details.
I stated only the mythical creature ones were largely fabricated, but that extends to his other mystery creatures, aliens & ghost stories as well that he tells.
this kind of hit home to me as in 2004 I was in Moscow working on my Russian language, right in the middle of his killing spree. I just shared this video with my good russian friend and he said the apartments we stayed at in 2004 was not too far from this park. that's a little unsettling. we also missed a suicide bomber at one of the subway stations in 2004 by one day as we were at the station the day before the attack. today I am counting my blessings!
My heart goes out to the victims that survived and were silenced by the police, I hope they get the justice they deserve.
My Dad used to tell me about how life can suck in Russia
For example : The cosmonaut who pretty much knew he was going on a suicide mission to wring some bugs out of the system.
I thought it was a lie to give the USSR bad press.
There's no such thing as justice in Russia.
Nyet
The second you said Alexander had head trauma, I knew it was him. A history of head trauma is incredibly common in serial killers.
I knew as soon as he begin describing Alexander because you wouldn’t describe a random victim’s lifestyle if he wasn’t the killer.
@@zariftahmidshoeb3487 or the victim, obviously not in this case but I see it happen as often as the killers get their backstories, the victims do too
Especially cognitive problems.. yup me too
Or trauma in general
A swing to the head is hardly head trauma
Rest In Peace to everyone who became victims of Alexander, what a messed up story and a crazy twist.
Dang man, how long have you had your check?
how do I find you in every video I watch
Hey where is "Some Guy With a Mustache"?
You're here too!??
All but 1 victim, Micheal deserve his end, went out to kill someone got killed himself
The way he casually said “which means ‘the a**hole of the world’” had me outwardly cackling 😂😂😭
When I discovered this master storyteller, he had less than 50K subscribers. In no time, he has over 5 million. I’m so happy for you Mr Ballen. Very well done.
I think I got to him around there or like 100k and that's when it kinda started to get more people
Same !!!! He grew sooo fast !i
I dident Even realise it went up that much lol
I know enough about true crime to know that some of the details you mentioned early in the story pointed to Alexander as the killer, but you told it so well that I actually thought Alexander AND Larissa would both be killed, and I was completely caught off guard by how perfectly you revealed the truth.
This is my favorite video of yours, I revisit it time after time and it's the first one I show anyone who I introduce to your channel.
If you knew some of the details, how could you not know that he was the killer?
Shut up you’re just a drunk. I know you’re secretly the “like button”! You can’t fool me…. *Spits* ….. like button!
@@tianshi2006 He's talking about crime in general, not about this particular case.
Me and my wife used to watch Mr.Ballen together it was one of our favourite things that we did together. And since she has passed its nice to still watch then and remember its a nice memory to have eveytime I watch so thank you so much man for your content.
I’m so sorry about your wife 🙏🙏🙏
Sorry for your loss .🙏🙏🙏
My deepest sympathy & condolences. Look, it may not mean much coming from a stranger, but I’m proud of you. Men don’t often survive the loss of their women. That you’re still here, carrying on her memory… nothing finer can be spoken. Carry on, citizen.
Sorry for your loss 🙏🏽🕊
Sorry for your loss!
The amount of red flags someone has to ignore to WILLINGLY walk into a forest where dozens of people have recently gone missing is WILD.
I for once did not see the killer coming. Bravo! What a storyteller! It's really sad and baffling, though, that this could've been ended so much sooner had the police not been so corrupt.
The thumbnail spoiled it though, not that I mind. I just thought with his face being shown and all, people would've known who the killer was.
I had a clue when he kept going in the forest and told his mom he’d be ok. When he asked Larissa to go walk in the park with him I knew it was 100% him
Ngl when Mr Ballen began explaining Alexander's childhood it kinda gave it away.
Me too! I got so engrossed in the story just didn't see the signs. I thought he's gonna be one of the victims who survived and helps with the investigation or sumn like that!
That looks like howard's stern engineer
All this could've been prevented if A) the parents had the means to get their child checked B) Better police. The fact that the 2 victims tried to out the criminal but got rejected and threatened by the police...I can only imagine how helpless they felt.
That's what happens when police is paid peanuts, when there are not enough officers, and when there are too many cases to deal with, as was the case after the "wild 90s" when Russia was still recovering from them. If you don't know what that is, it basically is a period after the fall of the Soviet Union when crime suddenly skyrocketed and many criminal organisations bribed police to "cover them up".
@@NewBuildmini that's what happens when you hire power hungry psychopaths for your police force. That kind of job attracts them. Military too.
When he was young it was 70s-80s. People didn't think like nowadays. Children fall, get hurt and they recover. No one checked kids into ER for extended tests, they just determined that they are physically fine and moved on. They didn't overanalyze like people do now
@@NewBuildmini also after the collapse of the Soviet Union police still had to maintain a good reputation and statistics. So they underreported crimes, didn't release information to the public and maintained an "everything is fine" facade
So, that's the bit of this story that I don't get. 1:) All of his victims were people he knew. 2:) The two survivors were his victims, and knew who he was, and tried to out him to the police. The police threatened them if they continued to pursue charges. Here's what I don't get:
The 2 survivors went through a very traumatic ordeal, and had to have known they were lucky to be alive! Imagine what that must have been like, being lured into the woods by someone you believed was your friend, only to find out that he was the reason people were disappearing. Then to wake up, presumably with a horrible headache, in a strange, dark place, where you had no idea what was at the bottom (unless they had the presence of mind to take something out of their pockets and throw it, and could hear a splash, or could hear the water flowing or something). They would be totally disoriented, but I'm guessing the lid wasn't probably very far above, and they could probably see light coming through it, which is how they probably knew to climb up. In any case, it would be a horrifying and traumatic ordeal. Presumably, these people would want to do whatever they could do to keep others from being victimized th same way. So why, when they were threatened by the police, did they just give up completely? Why didn't they tell anyone else, maybe get a crew of people together to go and seal the well, so that he couldn't throw anyone else in? Maybe tell everyone they knew not to go into the park with him, and tell them to spread that along to everyone they knew? Maybe make posters with his picture, and the sentence "DO NOT WALK ALONE WITH THIS MAN, ESPECIALLY IN THE PARK", and put those posters up all over the park, plus anywhere he hung out or worked, or anywhere large numbers of people would see it? It just seems really weird to me that when the police wouldn't help, the 2 survivors didn't do anything to help keep anyone else from meeting the same fate they almost met!
MrBallen humanises the victims in these stories in a way no other TH-camr does. Something that's always bothered me. But MrBallen remembers that these victims weren't just victims - they were real people who had families, loved ones, lives. He treats them with dignity. I have mad respect for that. Good on you MrBallen
Yes. I also like the respect Bedtime Stories pays to the victims.
Try, “This is Monsters.”
So well said💚
@@bentonrp I love bedtime stories. The animations and narration are top notch
I agree with you but I think you're being a little over dramatic about him being the ONLY person that humanizes the victims.
I had read the comments so the twist was already ruined for me. But the way you revealed that Alexander was the killer still gave me chills. It was almost cinematic in the way you revealed it.
That was the craziest story delivery ever! I can't believe I didn't see the killer reveal coming! You, Sir, are a true pro!
Was it putin
Son
True. Until last moment I thought it would be her.
I had it figured out when he was describing his background and mentioned the head injury. Still a good delivery, but that gave it away
Every time I get a notification from Mr. Ballen i feel like I'm about to huddle around a camp fire with a bunch of others an listen to him tell us a scary story!
Found Mrballen a few months ago. Catching up on all the stories. Probably listened to over 100. I feel like he gets better as I move forward chronologically. This story was the chef’s kiss. Interesting topic, but the storytelling is world class. So good
So jealous. I wish I could listen to his stories for the first time again ..
Envious. Hopefully I'll forget some of his stories so I can go relisten to them again.
@@camilleshearon5120 same. I hate not being able to binge anymore. Have watched everything and have to wait for a new video. It sucks :(
Ur a very lucky man
Welcome to the club
I love Mr Ballen’s storytelling. I’ve been rewatching a lot of his videos lately, and the twists are so amazing. I’ve seen this video before, but the fact he used certain wording to make Alexander seem innocent made the twist so much better!
I absolutely LOVE seeing you blow up like you have!!
I am missing the 2-3-4 uploads- but you've made it WORTH THE WAIT!!!
I am loving the podcast too!!
We just can't get enough!!
Can't blame us when the stories are SOOOOO awesome!!
what about teenage crisis with weird boys like myself ?
@@jcs-theclevvercamp1952 ….uhh, what?
@@jcs-theclevvercamp1952 wrong comment section?
You told this story so well I honestly didn't even expect him to be the killer until you said it
He literally revealed the killer in the beginning.
@@badbunny6572 no he didn't
I'm always absolutely amazed by the fact that, despite multiple clearly connected murders/deaths, people in these stories seem to always continue going into the risky areas.
Can you believe living in a country where it’s so poor and corrupt that two people survive a murder but police refuse to follow up on their suspect, even telling the victims to leave them alone or they will be prosecuted. That has to hurt, at that point what do you do? You will feel less than a human, you will feel so beaten so helpless you would think it would have been better if you had died. It’s truly sad. Many people could have been saved but the police treated them like they were a common commodity
Yeah, good ole USA 🙄
When prostitutes are nearly killed by a serial killer and they survive some of them have reported when they tried to tell the police this is exactly the response they got from our police force and that's how the serial killer man is to go right on with his killing. He get a chance to see the show on Hulu I survived a serial killer you'll see a couple of incidences of that. If you are considered less than human in America you get exactly that response from our police. What matters in America is how much money and fame you have. In other countries that may be more formal a caste system or blue blood vs peasant but it amounts to the same thing
@@maryjane5754 This likely wouldn't happen in the US lol
They did the same to sex workers in BC when the butcher was picking them up and murdering them. It's appalling.
I 'm surprised no one is saying just give him his own MEDICINE say look over there watch ............sleep tight goodbye !
Alexander was a people person. The amount of skill one needs to lure 60 people to his favorite place can’t be underestimated.
incredible how the police could have saved countless lives if they weren’t so corrupt
not corrupt, lazy.
Police: Bums got lost in the forest. 40 lost people. That is a lot of lost bums
incompetent first.
And two people positively identified Alexander to them, but the police threatened them!
We are able to be as critical as we please of our peace officers…which by and large is good for a society where an individuals opinion counts. But reading about corrupt and lazy police elsewhere should cause us to count our lucky stars for the fine officers who serve across our country. I never forget they really are
“The thin blue line” that protects us from predators and even monsters.
It's crazyyyy how the police can just take 40+ disappearances as a 'meh, their fault' thing. LIKE WUT?!?!?!?!
Woman’s intuition is a hell of a thing. RIP to all the victims. Imagine all the lives that would’ve been saved had the police taken the reports seriously
Yeah a hell of a thing but only after she agreed to go walking in a park with the creepiest dude you’ve ever seen. Hell of a thing
@@nighthawkarts 😆🤣😂
@@nighthawkarts I think he came off as slow. He had speech problem. So she probably took him as harmless
@@nighthawkarts yeah sure blame the victim, she was probably trying to nice as women are conditioned to do for fear of what will happen if they aren’t
@@awesomeman8385 right. And plus everyone he attacked were well acquainted with him so maybe there was somewhat of a trust that came with the familiarity
I watch a lot of dark stories being voiced on TH-cam. Mr. Ballen is the only one I don't get side tracked. Plus, I listen to his podcasts as well
I’ve been told this story by Russian language teacher in late 2000s- early 2010s.
Truly horrific story.
same /:
i thought Russians were tough as heck
@@studynow6615 Tough does not mean emotionless... Russians are the same people just like everyone else.
@@Akirasip no
One thing that we unfortunately derived from this episode, alongside so many other's, is that many police departments are inequipt, some are absolutely corrupt, some are lazy, and some of them really want to serve us and need our 100% support, no matter the size of the police department, if they are honest, integrous and do not abuse the citizens they swear to uphold!
Hello from Russia! I was only a teenager when the Bitsevsky maniac(as we call him) was active. This was really huge around that time. I really advise you to watch Russian true crime series “Sledstvie veli “ , they did great on covering this and lots of Soviet/Russia true crime cases.
Are you actually in Russia right now? I’m assuming you are using a VPN to access TH-cam videos. Stay safe!
Go invade Ukraine
@@brabel0401 thank you! Indeed, I’m using vpn. Getting used to the new reality kinda.😔
@@brabel0401 why? has someone attacked them??
Slava el vuche
Its astounding to realize he could have kept going until even now if he maintained his original methods. The Russian police are shamefully lazy and corrupt
I mean keep in mind the fact this is in the poorest area. The police don't really have the monetary incentive to investigate. And not all police have the sense of upholding justice they should. So they probably didn't investigate cause they'd still get paid sitting there in the PD.
remove russian, and ur text makes sense. russian police cares as much, as american, or whatever police about u.
spoiler.
they dont.
@Clone Biker That still makes no sense. That's the same thing as saying as a nurse I will still get paid the same if I pass medications out or not. Because I am lazy and don't want to walk into their rooms...IT'S APART OF THE JOB!!
@@detrajackson5992 When it's in a poor community, people don't care if it's part of the job or not. They will do whatever they want, and there are plenty of corrupt people in all occupations all over the world and in the USA.
@@detrajackson5992 yeah its part of the job but its not like they care, guarantee the higher ups in the department condone these actions, or sanctioned them in the first place
Mrballen is going to go down as one of the greatest story tellers of all time
So true
Oh yeah!
You're welcome th-cam.com/video/sF6c-JkrVU0/w-d-xo.html
This has to be one of the most infuriating cases you've covered.
The police threatening the victims?! 😒
Your story telling skills are second to none! My husband is an English, Speech, and literature teacher…and he absolutely loves listening to you, too. He’s hard to win over, but he loves your channel! I can only imagine the amazing bedtime stories your kids must get! 😁 Thanks for always entertaining us!
AND those bedtime stories are strange, dark, and mysterious ☺
John’s perfected story telling through his hand gestures and the way he emphasizes certain words. Great content
“But everything would change with person #41 ???” Talk about the laziest most corrupt police force on earth! Chess. It’s like when that swing hit him he was possessed by an evil spirit that did not gain full control until years later. Mr. Ballen is the best! Another beautifully concise breakdown.
Not every serial killer gets hit by something in their childhood, its just an evil tendency some people have just like all of us have some evil tendancies, but it just depends upon whether we act upon it or not ...There is definetly a mental barrier they must cross before being able to act upon these evil lusts,but once they do there is no stopping it...The person is fully responsible for what he did and should be punished severely and in this case he has been...
Them cops are at least giving it to him now, in the last pic his head looked beat up and kinda crooked tbh lmao.
Think there are is much corruption in many pollice forces but this one was exeptional
@@moltoforte4450 everyone can be killers under the right circumstances yes. It's no evil spirit or brain damage. Circumstances, trauma, personality.
They're not the most corrupt police force trust me
i spent my life for at least two years during the pandemic listening to mr.ballen. i love how he put the characters in the story making a great pov. feel like in the movie with lots of plot twist...
The storytelling is so compelling that even though somehow we had who the killer was coming, it was still a shock when he revealed who he was. Bravo Mr. Ballen! I absolutely adore your content, thank you so much for your commitment to your stories!
How not
This was a really squeaky, I mean *freaky* story! Even John was on the edge of his seat!
I've found more that are good . th-cam.com/video/sF6c-JkrVU0/w-d-xo.html
Mr. Ballen is one of the very few you tubers that can make a half hour long story go by in the blink of an eye. Truly a generational story teller. I’m glad to say that I have definitely become a huge fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious.
&9r
Delivered in story format?
@@ZeroReaver11 of course friend hahah
I can see why you got 5 mill+ subs in just under 3 years. Best quality storytelling videos i have ever come across. When i saw your Spotify podcasts i nearly screamed out of exitment so i put some on.
And has kitty cat powers. meow meow MEOW MEOW PUUUUU=RRRRRR=RRRR
This one got me offguard. I literally had my eyes wet when you explained alexander's ordeal growing up. Those story telling skills are way too good.
Oh my god... Can you imagine being that first date victim?
Once she realized she was being brought to her murder site, she knew it was over.
I can't even begin to imagine her fear and sorrow as she was just trying to go on a date with a coworker she respected.
Ballen always comes across as a very honest and humble next door person..
Not his story, he just stole it
Alexander : "I want credit for all of my 62 victims."
Judge : "Niet! The best I can do is 49."
MrBallen : "No problem. But I have to subtract 2 for sloppy work."
The way you lead into how it was Alexander that was causing every missing person in that park is honestly a way I wish I could tell stories, bravo MrBallen.
Honestly, I never would have guessed it was him. I thought he was the next victim.
@@thatlovelyma4700 Thats exactly me it caught me off guard
I just love how John talks with his hands. So charismatic! His gesturing always matches the message well, it is not distracting at all. This is the fine art of story telling. :)
Very Italian thing to do
Well that's terrifying. Sorry to the family/friends
Imagine not being a fan of strange, dark and mysterious delivered in story format
I don't think the 'Like' button is very fond of him...
Imagine imagining
Impossible to imagine!
These comments are top tier
As a great man once said: NOT SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE!
John, I am totally impressed with how far you and your channel have come. 5 million subscribers, 300 thousand views in 4 hours. Wow. Great work. Love your videos. Thanks for your service.
I'm a truck driver and your stories are awesome to listen to! I listen to your page for 14 hours a day everyday. I spread your page to other drivers and they now listen to you as well. Keep them coming!!
his podcast is nice to listen also, plus he has many more new stories
That's funny I'm a OTR Driver and listen to his stories driving around as well. I'm just glad he has so many good stories . I'm parked at the loves now.
It’s gotta get boring on the road at times! Glad you found him. I always imagine truckers listening to Bob Segers Turn the Page and Marshall Tuckers 24 Hours at a Time ❤️
Anybody find it badass the woman that was pregnant was a survivor and with a head injury and very possibly pregnant was able to move the weel cover which are quite heavy and makes it out alive
Your personality comes through in the way you tell a story. And you can tell you’re just as interested in the story you’re telling as we are. Good job sir.
Scary dude! I wonder if the accident with the swing when he was a kid really was behind all that destruction. I'm pleased the boy and the pregnant woman survived but shame on the police for not investigating him when they had a chance.
police system in US is thee wisest and most effeective anywhere in the world
@@jcs-theclevvercamp1952 sarcasm, I hope? Lol
@@bgee461 police system in US is thee wisest and most effeective anywhere in the world
@@bgee461 we really tend to bash these american things like constitution and other fundemental things but the founders crreated a brilliant colonization and evenn cities are built for example to not a lion or beear comes to the city u know
There is definitely a correlation between brain injuries and violence. There are several studies that have shown that violence is three times more likely in people with brain injuries. Many serial killers out there have had some form of brain injury: Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy, Fred West, David Berkowitz, Ed Gein, Albert Fish, Glen Rogers, Henry Lee Lucas, Peter Sutcliffe, Dennis Rader to name a few. It's not a prerequisite to become a serial killer, there are many other factors, including being abused as a child, but brain injuries definitely don't help.
You legit are the only crime / story teller I can listen to non stop. You don’t cloud the stories with random things that prolong it for 3 hours. This is the best TH-cam page hands down. I appreciate all the work you put into these videos.
Not only did I enjoy your channel, now I love your channel finding out you were a Navy seal. Thanks for your service service, brother.
That’s terrifying to know the cops could have stopped him
That is a very accurate observation and I appreciate your comment.
Are you crazy? Do you know how much extra overtime and work that would have been for them??? Pshhh, no way! Seriously though, yeah my jaw dropped when they threatened to arrest the victims. This also sounds pretty typical of American police.
@@JustinOhio lol what? One this is in Russia. Two no it is not
@@JustinOhio did you pay attention at all or are you that blinded by your hate boner? This all happened in Russia 🙄
@@JustinOhio tf
Love watching the Strange, Dark, and Mysterious delivered in story format! Always the highlight of my week
Mr. Ballen has come such a long way in a short time. Truly don’t think there is a person more deserving. Good to be a part of this guys success and future success
He deserves it.
New upincomer you're welcome th-cam.com/video/sF6c-JkrVU0/w-d-xo.html
You're such an amazing storyteller! I've only found your channel a couple of days ago, but I've been watching nothing but you on youtube since then.
I've decided to comment on this particular video because I was born in Moscow 2002 and I lived near the Bitsevsky park and I walked there a lot as a teen after the maniac was jailed. So I naturally heard this story A LOT.
But I still watched this video non stop, it was so interesting hearing it from you. Your way of telling the story made me feel like I'm listening to it for the first time. Just amazing.
(Also thank you for writing the metric system values!)
As soon as I saw that 40 people had gone missing, I knew exactly where this was going…it’s incredible how bad the police were at doing their job
Nah they weren’t bad at their jobs they were just straight up terrible human beings. People are going missing and they just kept saying the people who went missing we’re probably drunk and it’s their fault. You’d think after the 5th or 6th person that went missing they would’ve known they had a serial killer running around. And then when two people told the cops who attacked they they threatened to arrest the victims if they didn’t drop the charges. They weren’t bad at their jobs they were just extremely corrupt and incompetent. They should’ve been thrown in jail. They let 60 people die and the blood of those victims is on their hands as well.
They just didn't want to do their jobs because they didn't care.
Well thats communism for you 🤷♂️
@@TRYCLOPS1 true.. because there are no corrupt and evil cops in capitalist societies right? 🙄
@@jcmorton899 . . . 🙄 Communist societies offer no incentive/reward for work hard. . . it generates laziness and corruption as all private property has been abolished. So what's the point of caring about the quality of work performed? A police officer in a communist society doesn't get extra pay or a raise or a promotion for solving crimes.
15 years of solitary confinement is like being in a box for 15 years. Absolutely maddening. Well deserved for this guy.
It probably doesn't affect him like it would normal people because his brain is missing something.
@@theeggtimertictic1136 yeah if I had even only 1 year in solitary confinement I would just prefer dying
@@theeggtimertictic1136 exactly what I was thinking….
And the fact that he thrives on attention would make it (hopefully) that much worse.
No amount of torture is going to change someone with brain damage and torture certainly isn't going to bring justice to the victims or there families. I'm all for the death penalty. 15 years of solitary is cruel and unusual. Justice for the victims and humanity as a whole would be getting this psycho off the planet asap.
This is one of the best retellings of the Chess Board Killer I've come across.
I'd guess he came back to killing after 9 years because that friend talked some smack after winning a game, and he enjoyed the power it gave him when he'd been bullied since that accident as a child. It's a tragic story, and I hope we all learned the lesson that if your friend wants to go kill someone don't go with them or you'll be their first victim...
he got bullied for years, it feels like he actually became the joker irl. he doesnt care if he gets caught and he only wants his work to be recognised
@@haytamhaytam7227 It's crazy how he was an outcast and bullied at school but he killed the people that accepted and loved him at the park. It shows you how much of a coward he is.
Mmññ
@@Michael-rp8dl the thing is he didnt care if they were his friends or not, in fact he liked it when he killed someone he knew. he just kills to feel superior to feel the power just like joker
@@Michael-rp8dl well more like a deranged psychopathic cold-blooded murderer
The quality of these stories get better and better over time. They never fail to deliver with utmost clarity and distinguished poise and elegance all the way through. Kudos to MrBallen and his team.
Sends chills down my spine realizing that Alexander was stubborn and always went to the park even after these many murders and it essentially became a ‘hunting ground’ and was very relaxed because he himself was the killer. Even told his mom nothing would happen to him because everything would happen to his VICTIM, not him !!!
Yes, what a legend! :)
Wow. I literally listen to these stories while I work. It makes my day go by so easily. What a great teller of stories. Love the channel. Thank you
I can't imagine being in a park, being told I was with a serial killer, and hugging a tree letting myself be murdered. I'm running instantly. Whether or not I succeed is one thing, but standing there with no restraints and letting the murder happen, idk. I can't fathom it.
Yeah that's a humble request from the victim ever.
Maybe she knew she could not outrun him. I don't know how she looked or how old she was. Maybe she was frail.
Interesting I'm going to listen to Carlins podcast.
I’ve been in a life and death situation before and froze just like she did. I think it was because I knew I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for making the wrong move so I would rather take inaction rather than the wrong action and get myself killed or maimed. In her case though she knew she was getting killed, maybe she thought he would spare her and she wouldn’t be able to out run.
People always remember fight or flight, but they never remember freeze.
No one actually knows how they would react in a situation unless they're actually in it.
Can't help but picture Alexander sitting in his grandfather's apartment learning to play chess, and now him in solitary confinement for 15 years with no one to play chess with. I think it's safe to say this is not the future his grandfather wanted for him. My heart goes out to the victims and their families
@Miles Doyle thanks for sharing this but may I ask why under this random comment under this video?
I’m sure he could talk a guard into it at some point
@Miles Doyle There is no god
Prove it. Burden of proof is on the individual who makes such a filthy claim.
@Miles Doyle God isn't real. Spam this shit elsewhere.
So a pregnant woman 🤰🏾 and a 13 year old boy with severe damage to their heads went to the police about being attacked, identified the killer, & were told to drop it? 🤔 What was the point of the police even searching for the murderer? Why even arrest him?
Russia. should explain a lot
Clearly states at the start most of the cops are corrupt..
The police sucked back then ig imagine how many lives they could have saved
You got me on this one I didn’t know it was him till she fell and grabbed the tree , wow . WTF , that’s so damn cool
He's like the Bob Ross of dark stories. He tells the darkest stories in a matter-of-fact lighthearted way.
😂😂😂
I actually lived in Moscow for six years until recently. One of the first things I heard about that park was that "it's a place you go after dark if you wanna get raped." That's what a female Russian friend told me. That area you're talking about though is actually better than it used to be in terms of housing and police salaries; during the period that that killer was active though it was probably a lot more dangerous. The asshole of Moscow/world now is further south, beyond the city limits. South Butovo and Lyubertsy are notorious. You should do a video on Andrey Chikatilo, a Russian serial killer who was at large during the 1980s, because his case was absolutely insane!
He's not exactly Russian. He was born in Ukrainian SSR and acted in the USSR until his arrest in 1990.
@@LoxyLox_ Bro i think you know that anyone living in soviet union was called russian by outsiders
Why would he make a video about Chikatilo, when there is already a movie about this serial killer from 1995 called "Citizen X" ? And it's a good movie tho
@@Cheff_Benzos yea cuz once one video is made about a subject that means no one else can cover it? lol
@Nero Never heard of this Dahmer character... I'll have to look them up and hopefully there is a good movie/series about him/her.
he actually gave the reason of the bottle thing. apparently when the brain is damaged fatally it makes a quiet hissing sound. he said that he saw a tv programme explaining this fenomenon and it was said that "stirring" the brain can stop the sound. he decided to try it out. absolutely terrifying
damn
Oh geez. Disturbing to say the least.
Damn that's some twisted shit!!
They should have took sum hammers to his knee caps and ankles
That would've been a great part of Mr ballin storytelling...
Those police deserves jail time like, wtf is wrong with them??? 🤬
These stories always take me back to being a kid and listening to my grandfathers scary stories! Keep up the amazing work!
Same! I had an uncle who loved to tell stories whenever we saw him, similar to the style MrBallen tells stories. He's passed on now, but watching these videos really keeps him close to my heart. ❤️
I just can’t believe how lazy those police officers were to not even try to investigate those crimes. They just didn’t care about anyone. They should have been thrown down the well too👍
@@AmazingRofa Skeezy move to use someone else's channel to promote your own
Yes! They should have been prosecuted for all the deaths they facilitated
He did throw one of them down the well. They didn't care about that either.
Well in 90s - early 00s Russia that was pretty common. In fact I was more worried to meet a cop than a mugger or murderer when walking home alone at night.
Yep
As a Russian I can say this is a perfect example of our government not giving a shit. Thank you for sharing this @mrballen
Yes we know that, we do watch the news and see the war your government has started.
@@jasonlangworth2542 You shouldn't believe everything you hear on TV.
Russia literally declared war on Ukraine to denazify their country when Russia literally has open nazi’s in their government lol. You can believe the news you russian shill
@@jasonlangworth2542 uncalled for man…
@@jasonlangworth2542 thanks, I had no idea. Thus my point of how shitty and corrupt it is 🤦♀️
worst cops EVER! i can only imagine how the surviving victims felt when they were literally threatened by the very people meant to protect them from a legit monster
Solitary confinement is one of the most horrific tortures you can put humans through without physically harming them... I'm glad he's there
I'm not. It's just going make a unstable person more unstable. He should of got the death sentence. But it's Russia so yea
Yeah and think that's what governments have done to the elderly in hospitals and care homes for the past two years.
Why is solitary confinement so terrible? Not challenging you, I'd like to understand. I mean i can think of a ton of worse ways to torture people.
@@UnderCultures prisoners are held for years or decades with almost no social contact and the barest of sensory stimuli. The human brain is ill-adapted to such conditions, and activists and some psychologists equate it to torture. Solitary confinement isn't merely uncomfortable, they say, but such an anathema to human needs that it often drives prisoners mad.
In isolation, people become anxious and angry, prone to hallucinations and wild mood swings, and unable to control their impulses. The problems are even worse in people predisposed to mental illness, and can wreak long-lasting changes in prisoners' minds.
@@mr7257milpwho cares if he becomes more unstable? He’ll never leave his solitary cell so let him rot. Giving him the death penalty is giving him an easy way out. He deserves to languish away alone and miserable.
This story in particular was masterfully presented and narrated. You have such a gift with storytelling.
Also, English is not my first language, but you have great diction and pronunciation so it is very easy for my poor french brain to understand every single word.
Thank you so much for the great content you put out!
Your reply tells me that your a pretty good English speaker. Don’t doubt yourself bud. Your also probably really smart to be good at two languages.
I also use it to learn English, his pronouncation is so good, that I don’t have to look at subtitles and I can do other work. But sometimes I still can’t resist and watch only because it’s a nice sight ;)
@Virginie
Your "poor French brain" is very good at writing English!
Your English is great. Better than a lot of native speakers, I can assure you.
@@NoNo-hk5np l
Truly am addicted to these ! Hope you never stop! Showed some friends and now they love it too, this channel is great! You deserve a show on Netflix
So sad that so many deaths could have been prevented if it weren't for the incompetence of the police. As a side note, this was a great video, keep it up :)
@Key of unity wtf????? Gtfoh with that shit.
It has nothing to do with "ignorance". Incompetence and apathy are more appropriate.
Not even ignorance they just are psychotic
@dash wtf are you doing on everyone's channel posting that shit for?
technically was not ignorance.. as ignorance is lack of information.. they clearly had the information
I loved how you introduced a mysterious antagonist and then followed up with a protagonist to reveal that they were the actual killer all along
I know! I was familiar with this case, so I knew Alexander was the killer before he was even mentioned here. But, I imagine it was a surprise for people watching this who didn’t know!
When he said "Alexander kept coming back to this park even when more and more people kept disapearing there" i immediately knew hahaha
spoiler!
I love how your comment saved me from hearing about a fun twist.
@@jheokhal7620 its a comment under the video, what did you expect lol