The Final Portrait of the List Family, taken a Year Before John List Murdered Them

Thousands of American homes have similar photos hanging on their walls. Everyone usually wore their best outfits for such pictures, and even though every family member wasn’t up for it; it’s just something folks did, and still do. Except for the girl with what appears like a fake smile plastered on her face, they all look happy.

Shortly after posing for this photo, John List, the family patriarch on the extreme left, lost his job in 1971. The setback hit him hard and not seeing a way out, he sadly murdered his wife, their three children, and his mother. It would take 18 years before the authorities brought him to book.