My ex-housemate was potentially a serial killer...

This is a convoluted story, so bare with me as I try to convey everything I can recall about what led me to the conclusion that my housemate/ friend potentially took the lives of several people that I can confirm of, and how it ended.<br><br>I (40f) share a house with my three housemates. I have lived with them for about 8 years now. I was the first to move in, and the other three came soon after. We get along fairly well. I keep to myself most of the time, while the others are quite social. We don’t hold anything against each other and we are generally a pleasant household.<br><br>About a year ago, one of my housemates mentioned a mutual friend of ours who was moving out of state. I asked if we could get together for drinks and company before she left. This is when we met “Tom”. Tom was a pleasant enough person, he was a little awkward, but otherwise seemed perfectly normal. I tried to show him around the house and introduced him to a few people who happened to pop by. He mentioned that he was currently unemployed and was looking for a new job. I wished him well on his job hunt.<br><br>A week later, one of our mutual friends came to visit, and we again got together with Tom for drinks and conversation. During this time, Tom mentioned that he got a job at a local hospital, working night shifts. I remember thinking this was unusual, as I had spoken to several people who worked at this hospital, and they mentioned the working conditions were terrible, long hours, and bad pay. I didn’t think much of it, as it wasn’t any of my business.<br><br>A few days after this, I was getting ready for bed, and Tom was standing in the living room, staring at his phone. He was acting strange, looking pale and sweaty. I asked him if everything was alright. He said that he had a terrible day at work today. He went on to tell me about a situation where a patient had been rushed in after being found dead. I remember thinking this was unusual, as Tom had only recently started working there, and it seemed like this was his first real situation like this. I tried to console him and wished him a good night's sleep.<br><br>A week after this, one of my housemates mentioned that she saw a news report on the local news channel about a body being found in a park. The article didn't go into much detail. I didn't think anything of this at first, as this is a small town and such events do occur every now and then. Later that evening, I was hanging out with Tom in the living room, when he started acting strangely again. This time, he mentioned that the same patient who had been found dead earlier in the week, had passed away again. I was shocked and asked why this had happened. He went on to tell me that the patient had been brought back to the hospital after being found alive, but unfortunately passed away again. I remember thinking this was unusual, as patients who are found dead are typically declared dead on site. I didn't think much of it at first, as I wasn't familiar with the medical field.<br><br>A few days later, I was talking to one of my other housemates about the news article that I had seen earlier. She mentioned that she had heard from a friend of a friend that the patient who had been found dead in the park had actually been murdered. She said that she didn't know any more details than that, but I was shocked and immediately stopped talking to Tom. I tried to keep an eye on him, but he seemed completely normal, even when we were alone together.<br><br>A few weeks after this, I was hanging out with Tom again, and he mentioned that he was going to the hospital to visit the patient who had been found dead in the park. I immediately stopped talking to him and went to bed. The next morning, I woke up to find that Tom had left for work. I went to the kitchen to make breakfast, but was shocked to find that one of my housemates was missing. I immediately went to the living room to find that Tom was sitting on the couch, looking very calm and collected. I immediately confronted him, asking where my missing housemate was. He immediately got up and left the house, without saying anything. I immediately called my other housemates to see if they had heard from her. None of us had any idea where she was.<br><br>I immediately called the police and told them what I had heard from Tom. They came to the house to ask questions, and after searching the house and talking to the other housemates, they found my missing housemate's car in a park. When they searched the park, they found her body. She had been strangled to death.<br><br>The police arrested Tom and brought him in for questioning. After a few days of questioning, they discovered that he had actually killed several people in the past year. He was eventually arrested and charged with her murder. During his trial, it was revealed that he had killed several people who he had encountered throughout his life. The judge found him guilty and sentenced him to life in prison. I was shocked and horrified by what I had heard, and I couldn't believe that I had actually lived with a potential serial killer.<br><br>I was eventually able to get a restraining order against Tom, and I was able to move out of the house. I was able to move to a new place, but I never forgot about what had happened. I always looked over my shoulder, expecting something bad to happen at any moment. I never forgot about my housemate who had been murdered, and I always thought about her and the other people who had been murdered by Tom. I still live in this town, but I never feel safe.<br><br>I know that I shouldn't blame myself for this, but I can't help but feel like I could have done something to stop it. I should have listened to my gut feelings about Tom from the beginning. I should have spoken up when I first saw him acting strange after the job interview. I should have been more vigilant when I saw him acting strange again after the patient was found dead. I should have told someone sooner. I should have been more proactive in trying to stop him.<br><br>I can't help but feel guilty about what happened, even though I didn't do anything wrong. I just wish I could have done something to stop it.