Background
Many who knew Virpi Butt in the early 90s recall her as quiet and reserved. She was relatively sober without any noticeable aggression or excessive drinking habits.
Virpi taking part in MTV's Gladiators TV show during the 1993-1994 season portrayed her as almost like a background character. Despite being in close quarters during filming, Virpi remained distant and didn't share much about herself.
Virpi’s demeanor began to change towards the end of the decade. She gained notoriety in Tampere's bars for her confrontational behavior towards men. Not soon after, Virpi's criminal record indicates a deepening spiral of misconduct in the late 90s and early 2000s, culminating in serious charges of drunk driving in 2002 and involvement in the murders of Arto Malinen and Kari Anttonen (Ant-tonen).
Arto Malinen
On the eve of Midsummer in 2003, Jan-ne Hyuv-uh-nen, a friend of Virpi, took care of Virpi's three-year-old child while she went out to get alcoholic beverages for the celebration. During her outing, Virpi crossed paths with Arto Malinen, a 26-year-old man also celebrating Midsummer. They spent the evening drinking at a bar until closing time, then proceeded to Arto's apartment in Pirk-kala before going to meet a friend of Virpi, Maria, the next day.
The following day, the group continued their festivities and the drinking spree at another bar until they were asked to leave due to Virpi's prior ban from the establishment. Arto became increasingly intoxicated prompting Virpi to suggest going back to Arto's apartment.
The grim chain of events unfolded when a young man named Junnu, accompanied the group to buy drugs from Arto. Upon arrival at the apartment, Arto in his intoxicated state assured them of having drugs somewhere, although he seemed disoriented. When the anticipated drug stash was nowhere to be found, Junnu was disgruntled and demanded compensation for his wasted trip.
This triggered a heated argument between everyone except for Maria. In the midst of the confrontation, Arto asked both Virpi and Junnu to leave his apartment. Junnu felt unsafe being in the presence of Virpi and Arto during the argument and fled, navigating through the streets alone and scared.
However, for Virpi, this triggered a physical altercation that culminated in Arto being stabbed and left in a fetal position on the floor, pleading for medical assistance. Suffering from his injuries, it ended with Virpi stabbing Arto ten more times in the back with a kitchen knife. Virpi continued her violent assault on Arto in the bathroom, ultimately slitting his throat. She then contacted Jan-ne, and together they dismembered Arto's body and stole whatever possessions he had.
Vipi first stripped Arto naked before decapitating him and disposed of his organs in a bag, a bucket, and the toilet to prevent odor. Jan-ne removed the victim's fingertips to hinder identification. They also attempted to crush Arto's head with a car in the backyard but were unsuccessful as he kept slipping to the side.
Virpi forced Maria to stay and babysit the children while they cleaned up. Maria, who had been present during the harrowing events, tried to escape on multiple occasions but was terrified, fearing she might meet the same fate as Arto. When she finally managed to leave, she was initially too scared to report the murder to the police. However, she eventually did, leading to the arrests of Virpi and Jan-ne.
As the night transitioned into Midsummer's Day, the police emergency center received peculiar calls. Callers reported a gruesome murder and dismemberment in Pirk-kala the previous night. Initially, the police didn't take the first call seriously as the informant claimed to have heard it through hearsay. However, when Maria called in, asserting she witnessed the events surrounding the death, the seriousness of the situation became apparent. Afterwards, Arto's remains were discovered in Nokia. It was a night in Pirk-kala that left even the authorities astounded.
Kari Anttonen
The investigation into Arto's death also uncovered the murder of Virpi’s ex-boyfriend Kari Anttonen (Ant-tonen), who had vanished more than a year prior. Kari was a 29-year-old programmer from Mikkeli (Mi-keli), who had moved to Tamper-e for studies and employment. He had previously been in a long-term relationship that ended around 2001-2002, leading to depression and increased alcohol consumption. Eventually, he began dating Virpi, with whom he had been acquainted since at least 1994.
One evening, Kari, Virpi, and Jan-ne were at the Sputnik restaurant in Tamper-e. Eventually, they all went back to Virpi's apartment, where in the early hours of the morning, Jan-ne fatally stabbed Kari in the back. After the murder Jan-ne and Virpi cleaned the apartment of bloodstains, and the body was moved to the bathroom.
The gruesome murder occurred in Virpi's residence, with two of her underage children present: a two-year-old boy who slept in the same room where Kari was murdered, and a 16-year-old boy who initially slept but later witnessed the scene in the room.
Jan-ne began reaching out to his friends for help. Removing the body necessitated a vehicle, but none of his friends were eager to assist. Soon, Jan-ne conceived the idea of dismembering the body and retrieved the necessary tools from his apartment in Tamper-e. The first step was to sever the head, an idea that originated from Virpi. Jan-ne sawed Kari’s head off while Virpi held the severed head. They proceeded to cut up the body, including removing tattooed pieces and fingertips.
Jan-ne severed Kari's legs, seasoned them with spices and salt, then cooked and consumed the meat. Virpi refrained from participating in the cannibalistic act but later offered Kari's meat to an acquaintance saying that it was pork chops. The remaining dismembered body parts were stashed in cardboard boxes on the balcony due to the smell. Afterwards, Virpi showed Kari's head to others boasting what they had accomplished. Jan-ne eventually placed Kari's head in a pot to fry, observing as Kari’s expression distorted.
The following morning, Jan-ne contacted a friend to transport some garbage boxes to various trash cans across Tamper-e. Initially, Virpi and Jan-ne wanted the boxes taken farther to Nokia, but the driver refused. Despite claiming not knowing the content of the boxes, the driver was later charged as an accessory to the crime. Kari's body was disposed of in the trash and despite extensive efforts by the police, the body was not recovered.
Trial
During the day of the trial in Tampere district court, Jan-ne appeared in court with the victim's clothes. Both Virpi and Jan-ne underwent mental health evaluations, which determined them to be mentally fit for trial. Lead prosecutor Jouko Nurminen (Jo-ko Nur-minen) confronted them observing their indifferent demeanor.
During the prosecutor Jo-ko’s introduction of the victims' cases, Jan-ne and Virpi erupted into laughter. From the outset of the court proceedings, it's evident that the perpetrators show little remorse for their actions. Meanwhile, the victim's parents fought back tears, feeling the weight of the situation deeply.
Prosecutor Jo-ko emphasized that both murders were committed without a rational motive. He mentioned several key points regarding the actions and that both defendants display reckless and gleeful behavior.
Marias witness testimony
There were several witnesses who testified in court, however Maria was the key witness. She testified expressing fear, particularly regarding Virpi. Maria stated in court "It has been very difficult for me to recall the events accurately due to my deep shock…".
As Arto went to the bathroom, Maria went to prepare another drink. Upon returning, she found Arto curled up on the floor, seemingly injured. Initially, she suspected Junnu of the assault. But when Arto pleaded for medical assistance Virpi adamantly refused, at that moment Maria knew it was Virpi. Moments later, unwilling to witness further violence, Junnu departed.
Maria attempted to leave, but Virpi forbade her. Feeling trapped, Maria retreated to the kitchen. Eventually, Virpi instructed Maria to tend to her children. Fearing for her life, Maria hastily departs, with Virpi threatening her to be silent about the murder.
Virpi aggressive tendencies
Prosecutor Jo-ko characterized Virpi as a mixed substance user, known to consume narcotics, sedatives, alcohol, and even hormones. In court, Virpi denied being a mixed substance user but admitted to experimenting with narcotics and anabolic steroids. Virpi claimed her violent behavior came from a hormonal imbalance caused by her use of anabolic steroids in the 1990s. She used steroids to build muscle, claiming it was a common practice back then. When asked for leniency based on this argument, the court rejected her plea.
When Virpi testified, she appeared quite nonchalant and detached as she recounted the events. However, when it came to the murder she explained in graphic detail how she assaulted Arto. Virpi claimed to have tried to intervene in the altercation when Arto appeared to be restraining Junnu's head and repeatedly striking it against the wall.
Subsequently, Virpi retrieved a long-bladed knife, intending to de-escalate the situation and the initial stab penetrated deeply, causing Arto to remove the knife himself and collapse onto the floor. Virpi, allegedly in a state of shock, continued to strike the victim multiple times on the back.
Showcase of head and frying it
When asked about Kari’s head, Virpi recounted bringing the victim's head to the cabin in a bag. Initially, she stopped by a pub for a drink and shared news of the victim's death with an acquaintance. When her story was doubted, she offered the head as evidence. According to Virpi, she showed Kari's head to others with the intention of revealing and alerting the police of the crime. She hoped someone else would report the incident to the authorities because she couldn't bring herself to do it. She feared that the murder would make her lose custody of her children. However, despite feeling burdened by the situation, Virpi did not report it to the authorities.
However, according to prosecutor Jo-ko, Virpi took the head as a trophy, showcasing it to others as a symbol of victory. Virpi had boasted in restaurants that she exhibited Kari's head, though no one seemed to take her seriously. Soon after Kari’s disappearance, rumors began circulating implicating Virpi as the perpetrator. There were tales suggesting that Virpi had boasted about displaying Kari's severed head. However, nothing was done about the situation.
In court, Jan-ne couldn't recall exactly how the sequence of events unfolded due to them all being intoxicated. He didn't recall any specific details until he attacked, murdered, and dismembered Kari. He graphically told what unfolded in the apartment to the court. Jan-ne recounted the chilling act of frying the victim's head, admitting to relishing in the disturbing transformation of the victim's expression. When questioned by Prosecutor Jo-ko about why he fried the victim's head, Jan-ne's response was, "A bizarre impulse. I placed it in the pot until it was full!" When asked about his laughter during the ordeal, Janne clarified, "I chuckled when I witnessed its changing expression, it seemed to be smiling."
Sentence
The court ordered Jan-ne and Virpi to compensate the victims' families with over 100,000 euros each and sentenced them both to life imprisonment. Junnu was charged for failing to report the crime to authorities.
The Helsinki Court of Appeal accepted Virpi's parole request in August 2017, setting her release for late 2018 after approximately 15.5 years in prison. Despite the Criminal Sanctions Institute and the Psychiatric Prison Hospital opposing her release due to a high risk of reoffending, the Court of Appeal noted positive factors such as Virpi's strong family ties and housing arrangements, indicating potential for successful reintegration into society.
Aftermath
Virpi was released on December 31, 2018, followed by Jan-ne on March 1, 2019. After her release, Virpi changed her name and moved to Kuru in western Finland, working for a national company. She married in the later years of her life, but the ex-husband filed for divorce in June 2021. The divorce did not proceed as Virpi died in November 2021 while in Ghana. Her cause of death remains unknown.
Prosecutor Jo-ko, in his extensive career, confesses to never encountering a murder as gruesome as this one. The dismemberment murders involved nauseating details, evoking fear throughout the trial. Virpi and Jan-ne were regarded as extremely dangerous, causing one witness to demand their absence during testimony for their own safety. The dismemberment murders in Tamper-e and Pirk-kala are destined to be etched in Finnish criminal history as among the most gruesome acts of violence.
- So just before we start with the whole discussion, I want to clarify some things,(...) which could be a bit misleading and, you know, some people might not, you know, be confused about what was told. So it's not really super clear what exactly happened in detail,
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even though the main events are kind of the same. There's some small details that is pretty crucial in this case.(...) And I just wanted to clarify this. So Maria said that you knew, or sorry,
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Maria said that Janu left after Arto was in a fetal position,(...) while Vurpe said that Janu was there during the whole stabbing incident, but Janu himself said like he left before even anything became physical.(...) And he could have said that because he wasn't, he didn't want to be part of anything that happened. You know, we don't know.(...) So what I did was I used Janu's word in the storytelling,(...) and I decided to add Maria's and Vurpe's versions in the like trial period because they were, you know, retailing what happened.
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And because they were all heavily intoxicated and Maria also being in shock, you know, made it hard for me to pick and understand and know, you know, what really happened. But that's how investigations are, you know, everything is based on evidence and witnesses testimonies and everything.(...) And the case, you know, the case is based on that. And you, you know, people get sent as based on that information.
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So, you know, I think I just wanted to clarify that it's not really clear what happened, but you know, I thought that every detail and every different point is still relevant to know.
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So yeah,(...) okay. And I just wanted to say that I think it's interesting that Vurpe and, and,
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I keep messing up Janu and Janne, but they're supposed to each other. Yeah, but either way, Vurpe and Janne is like,(...) they keep saying like, I don't remember, I was very intoxicated. And still they remember the details of the whole attacking and the murders in detail, and they laugh about it. So I'm just a bit,(...) I don't know. I just think it's weird how, how that works, but either way,
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let's talk about Vurpe. - Yes, let me start the conversation with Vurpe. - Yeah, Vurpe is very interesting. - Wow, like I said, I want to start the conversation. Then you can- - Oh, sorry. I didn't hear that you said that. I'm sorry. - Wow. - You can start with the Vurpe. My bad. - So Vurpe is very interesting, you know, in terms of, she obviously displays a very sociopathic tendencies, very detached, also she's very calculated because the fingertip thing, that's like high level like planning in terms of murder. And usually trying to prevent forms of identification, which when you think about it in like court terms, if they can't prove the identity of the person, they can't prove that they're tied to that person, which means she was thinking about this stuff. So I'm like, was she really that intoxicated? Because that's a well thought out- - Not only Vurpe, but yeah, as well. - Yeah, that's a very well thought out, you know, plan.(...) Now, like I said, it wasn't perfect probably because they were some level intoxicated and they just, but also I think what really kind of screwed them over was the fact that they were bragging. So if they would have did that and then didn't say anything- - I mean, Vurpe was the one bragging though. - Yeah, I think like if they didn't say anything, Vurpe didn't say anything, I think it was at least they would have had more time to at least not be in custody.
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But that's something that was actually a well thought out plan.(...) - I think you're tripping right now because like even though Vurpe went out to the bar and bragged about Carrie being in the bag and the head being in the bag, they never got caught for Carrie's case. They got caught because Maria was the witness. But even though the rumors were there, nobody did anything. So they never got caught anyways. - Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Basically Maria, even if Maria would have called in, I'm not saying they would have been suspected, but they wouldn't have been arrested as quickly because there would have been nothing actually tying them into the murders directly. That's what I'm saying basically. Maria was ultimately their downfall for sure, absolutely. But I'm just thinking about the process in which they're like, "Oh yeah, let's cut off the fingertips. "Let's take off anything that identifies." It was even cutting off tattoos for I think Carrie or something like that. And I was just like, that's high level. That's someone who's really thinking of like, I need to get away with this. I need to take out all identifying markers, dismember the body, spread the body out in multiple locations. And then some piece, they were never even able to recover the body fully in the first place for Carrie's murder. So I'm like, that's highly thought out. And that's actually really,
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that's actually decently thought out. This is something like that's actually very scary because then this tells you she was not truly, truly intoxicated at least the way that,
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they try to make it seem like. - Yeah. - That's just my thoughts on it.
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- I think it's like,
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she was trying to make herself look like a victim and less bad.(...) And I feel like she blamed most of the circumstances on Yana or other things. So for example, she mentioned the hormonal imbalance thing and like, yeah, because of that, it makes me more aggressive. But like, a lot of people have hormonal imbalances and not all of them go and kill people because they're mad.
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So I think that like she was trying to use that as an excuse.
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But just to add on to what you're saying,(...) if she really was taking like antibiotic steroids, there's well recorded information that,(...) it can cause you to like lash out like that.
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So, I mean, it's possible that, like I said, possible, I'm not excusing because I don't know and I wasn't there. But it is entirely possible. She was taking antibiotic steroids for a long period of time that can mess with your head and your body. Cause even some dudes end up on it and then, Yana can be like, "Oh, good morning. What did you say to me?" And the next thing you know, they just like, they just go out of control. So it's entirely possible.(...) - Yeah. And like, I just think it's weird that she's like,(...) I mean, using that, but I also know that steroids can do that to you. And also the effects of it in long-term uses.
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And another thing that she mentioned was like, I was trying to de-escalate the situation by stabbing Arto.(...) And that I'm stabbing more in shock. I was like, "Huh?" - That's such a dumb argument. I'm trying to help you stab. I'm trying to help you stab. - Yeah, I was like, "What?" Like, okay, I mean, like, I guess you're shocked, but like to de-escalate, you use the knife. I don't know about that. - You're going to escalate the situation because now you're threatening someone's life, which means only two things are gonna happen, fight or flight. - Yeah, I guess so. But it's just like, I just thought it was weird.
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And another thing she also did in the court was like she was trying to distance herself from the crime and like portraying Janet as the bad person.
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And by doing that,(...) I think it was weird because she was deliberately walking around with a head,(...) but she was saying that, oh yeah, I was trying to do that for people to report me and report us. And I didn't want to report it myself because I didn't want to lose custody of my children. And I'm like, you will lose the custody anyways. Even if you say it or not, like there was no way, it would have even been less if you did self-report it, but you would have lost the children either way. And I don't think you cared about the children.
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- Yeah, it seemed like she wasn't really there anyway. She was only having people babysit, watch it without drinking.
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I think she murdered Carrie in the same room as the kids. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - So I feel like, I don't know, how to induce trauma to the kids, if you really care about them, I don't think that's the best. I think, you know, I don't know. It's a very,(...) I feel like she was using excuses to make her look less bad and kind of like distancing herself from, and kind of make herself look like a victim in a way.
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- Well, that's why I say like, there's something off about her because she probably thought that was very like whatever.(...) And obviously the court behavior kind of displayed that.(...) And the fact that she was- - But she was also laughing and everything. - Yeah, I'm like, there was- - You're not doing it fair for yourself. - Yeah, there was something on like, she didn't understand the emotional gravity of the situation on a couple situations, which is why I think like she's showing very, you know, sociopathic kind of behaviors and stuff like that. But I don't know, that's just me. Because I'm like, in reality, why would you think?(...) And I think one of her kids were what, 16 at the time? - Yeah, what was two and what was 16? - I was like, that's damn near an adult. So I'm like, basically you showed an adult what was going on and then they knew everything.(...) So yeah, it's very crazy. Like I said, she didn't understand the emotional gravity of it. She didn't have empathy.
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She did have some level of manipulation. - Like testimony says that, you know,
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kind of that very be has some type of hatred towards men
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because she was usually violent and her outburst was targeted towards male individuals.(...) And eyewitnesses kept saying that there was always like hurting men or forcing, like punching them or like doing, like being aggressive towards men.
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So maybe she just had something like she was, you know,
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maybe that's why she trusted Maria and didn't really like other men. I don't know. - Her right hand man was a guy.
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- Yes, we will actually come to that. That is actually an interesting notation right there. - But then the person you relied on the most was a guy.(...) And I'm like, that's what I'm saying. I don't know. - There's a reason for that because they have actually said that they see each other as siblings(...) and that they are like really good friends and they are known each other for like four to five years and they like think alike.(...) So maybe Janet also was like some type of sociopathic, like thinking similar to Murphy because who would be like, hey, can I help me? - Who would fry up a head and be like, delicious. - And then be like, let's just remember this guy and eat the flesh.
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- So she just so happened to find someone who thought just like her, which probably made her, oh, you're different in her head, you know, kind of situation, but they both displayed the traits at least. Like I said, they had no empathy, impulsive behavior because even the way he described the way he fried the head, oh, it was just an impulse.(...) So something that he just felt like he had to do(...) and just like the-- - I actually read more into that though because it was more like him feeling he had power over Caddy.
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- I mean, probably-- - That he was like strong and like I was able to eat him and fry his head and you know, it was like a power trip thing. - I'm pretty, it's definitely a part of it for sure. But even then like the thought, the way in which the thought came into his head was very impulse like, where it's just like, ooh, I have this power. Like he just came out of nowhere kind of situation. And then he did it. He acted on that thought. Cause you can think things all the time, but you don't act on it. - Like you don't go and just do whatever you think. - Yeah, like whatever pops into your head. If that was the case, we, I wouldn't be sitting here. Intrusive thoughts would destroy the planet, you know?(...) So I'm just like, he just had no impulse control and he literally filed an impulse of rip. Yeah, same for her as well.(...) And using intelligence or charm to manipulate people, which, you know, that's what got her in that situation in the first place with the drugs and going to someone's apartment. Cause he was basically a stranger
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and she was able to do that and get, that's how they got into that situation. So yeah, they show all the telltale signs of being, you know, sociopaths and you know, I just,
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it's just crazy to me, you know? So when I hear stuff like, especially cannibalism, I'm like, ooh.
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- Yeah, cause I was trying to understand like, I was like, why did they murder Kari? Like, what did he do? Cause like he was obviously together with Vrpii. So I thought that Yannick maybe was like jealous because maybe he liked Vrpii or something. But no, they view each other as friends and siblings and like, that was it. But there are theories as to why Janna did it.(...) And it was because Yannick was jealous of Vrpii. It's not really clear why he was jealous. He said he was jealous, but it wasn't clear if it was Kari or Vrpii. Everybody says different things because some people say that our Yannick killed Kari because he was jealous of the relationship.(...) But some people say that he was jealous of Vrpii because she was so strong and so strong willed. And he was very inspired and very awed about that. And that's why he felt like he wanted to be this powerful person and kill Kari and eat him up.
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So it's not really clear why, but he was jealous, but it's not really like everybody has their theories about why. - Yeah.(...) I just wanna know why she hated men. Because maybe something happened in her childhood. - I mean, if you think about it, if you think about it, she was trying to be very strong and muscular,
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and maybe she wanted to have that power. - Maybe.(...) I wanna take a leap of faith in her. - And couldn't really achieve that because men has this physical advantage. - I wanna feed off what you just said. Maybe she wanted to be a man.
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I mean, it could be. - Maybe she really wanted to,(...) because it seemed like she did everything she could to be physically, like you said, in that situation.
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But then it's also very odd how she died. They got a divorce and she died in Ghana by unknown circumstances.
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So I don't know.(...) It's weird. I don't think the relationship was gonna last anyway. But I don't know. I don't know what to say in regards to why she did what she did. We don't have that information. But I do find this interesting because this is kind of where like that hatred can get you. And I'm speaking very general, not just specifically towards a man or a woman, whatever like that. I'm just speaking very in general. Sometimes like misguided hatred can cause a lot of damage.
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And I think everyone should do some self-reflection.
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- But also I wanna add some things that I didn't really include in the script,(...) but she usually was aggressive to people who was constantly like annoying her in a way where they kept like, you know, catcalling or like forcing themselves on her and stuff like that.
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So it could have been stuff like that as well. I did add it in the script because I didn't have any space to put there. But that happened as well, that she could be like, "Okay, stop being like, don't force yourself on me."
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And then because of that, she might have been viewed as aggressive in the bar or whatever.
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But you know, it's not really clear because nobody has any evidence. Everybody was intoxicated. It's hard to determine,(...) but that's what I've like read here and there as well.
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- Okay, well,(...) you have anything else to say, my dear?(...) - I think I'm done.(...) - Okay, well, let us know what you guys think. You know, this is a very interesting case,(...) a lot going on. - It is actually. - And we would love to know what you guys are thinking and feeling about this case in particular.(...) And I hope you enjoyed it. Let's end the podcast on a nice positive note.
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Food.
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- Hummus. - You said hummus. - Ramen. - Oh, it's funny, I was thinking of a ramen. Hummus is good too. I don't mind that either. Oh my God, yeah, you don't like chickpeas, yeah. - All right, so Ramen, for you, I think I will go for some lamb.
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- Okay, with? - Like a little bit of that,
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it's a spot of the house called Curry King. - Right. - You have like a lamb with some basmati rice and you know,(...) pretty good. - So yummy. - I hope you guys enjoyed the episode. And if you did, please be sure to leave us a nice little four or five star review, depending on your podcasting platform of preference.(...) And we will see you next time.(...) Peace out.(...) - Bye.
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(soft music)