Just Melvin, Just Evil

Ratings: 8.04/10 from 184 users.

Just Melvin, Just EvilJust Melvin, Just Evil is the most disturbing documentary you'll ever see. It is a very hard to find documentary about the tormented family of Melvin Just, a man almost too evil to be believed.


Four generations of sexual abuse, substance abuse, terrible secrets, neglect, and violence are explored in Just Melvin, Just Evil. In a large American family ravaged by alcohol and suppressed trauma, it seems that only one member "made it out."

This man is James Ronald Whitney, who was brave enough to use this documentary as an outlet to explore his family's history, searching for answers (and closure) to the horror suffered by himself and his relatives.

Warning: Contains scenes which some viewers may find disturbing.

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99 Comments / User Reviews

  1. Nick

    What is not mentioned here is the need for research to find out WHY / how people like Melvin develop into the perpetrators they are. Pedophilia is a taboo subject. No one really knows why (mostly/only men) develop this sexual deviance. I would like to know why this hasn't been more explored in our society. Both my wife and I have fathers that were pedophiles. Neither were ever prosecuted and the damage done was similar to that displayed in this documentary. I think the extent to which this situation exists in our society is vastly understated.... probably unknown. Why is American society unable to deal with this abnormality? It is so destructive and in primitive societies they are immediately killed. Why don't we want to find out WHY????

    1. Saint

      Agreed....mankind treats symptoms and therefore doomed to perpetual babarianism. Constantly relying on beliefs rather than actuals...

  2. No Name Screen Name

    Phillip Wong,

    Um, just because there are other evil people in the world who you personally think are "more evil" than Melvin doesn't make the fact that Melvin was evil any less true. But you dont even think he IS/WAS evil. Astounding.

    This doc is thorough and made well but the content is very disturbing. Watch at your own risk.

  3. Alison

    I was impressed at the daughters' ability to still have moments of joy and happiness in spite of the hell that was their reality. I hope with that monster's death they can all continue their recovery. The behaviors at the grave were shocking but understandable. It's disgusting the State of California took so long to finally "get enough evidence " and would choose finances over making him stand trial. The entire sordid affair is disgusting.

  4. Jessica

    Wow how very sad, the generations of lost souls, toruted, & never able to regain their lost innocence. I cant believe this man never paid for the lives he destroyed & was allowed to continue his reign of terror. He should have never been out of jail. You play beautifully. Continue to use music as your outlet & healer. God bless

  5. jobie

    Dude...I wanted to shove him in that wheelchair right off that dock. That sorry, horrible piece of work. Those girls (and there brother) are all so messed up, it's unbelievable. All thanks to this guy and his wives who both knew full well and did nothing. Bless those girls hearts. I am so sorry this happened to them.

  6. Anita

    Wow, it is a world I can not even comprehend. It must have been so hard to film and have to hear from you own family.

  7. LoLo

    This family reminds me of my mother's family. While they were not sexually abused they were physically & mentally abused by their father. But, their devotion to him was sickening. As a child I thought it was normal to see how he talked to my grandmother, mother & relatives. Everyone just laughed it off as he's crazy. As I grew older & had kids of my own I saw what a tyrant he was & how they all jumped for him, walked on egg shells around him. Hated him one minute but wanted his approval the next. Everything revolved around making him happy. He spoke to them like trash, worse than dirt at times. But all it would take was a little attention & they ate it up. This film minus the sexual abuse reminded me of them & him to a T.

  8. JR

    He's the worst kind of pedophile there is on earth. Glad he's gone to hades. Bless the children and future generations.

  9. bboops

    This is one of the most devastating cases of injustice. This man melvin just has completely destroyed the lives of these girls. They have no idea what normal is. This is why some of them have a love-hate relationship with him. They weren't raised like most of us, in loving, nurturing, and safe families. He destroyed their sense of trust, and he violated their entire being. My heart aches for them. His two wives are just as guilty as he is for allowing this to happen. He and his wives deserve nothing less than to be pulled, screaming, to the depths of hell by the most evil demons. I can only hope that after he died, that the girls were finally able to move forward with their lives in some way. Although, it's very likely that his actions will haunt them until they die. I'm truly sorry that the adults in their lives did nothing to protect them. Shameful.

  10. Stine

    Does anyone know what happened to the family since this was made?

  11. Don

    This could be me being ignorant and if so I apologize. But I can't fathom how you could love a person like that. I got it; we all make mistakes and do things we aren't proud of but how does being a sexual predator fall in that category? "He was a murderer and a child molester but he was cool.." How does that even make sense? Making excuses like that is what causes complete failure in this subject across society. If that was my family, He would have died alone in a cell. I don't care if they were related by blood or marriage. Anyone with that kind of mental illness is no family member of mine.

  12. Anti

    I'm severely disturbed by this film. It was very interesting, but devastating to watch and to hear about how all of them had their lives destroyed by one man, and the cycle of abuse continuing. I'm furious though that the family continued to bring children around this man knowing full well what he is capable of.
    I'm so glad I was blessed not to have been born in this sort of family.

  13. Vic Abacaxi

    Thank you so much for this. I recognize myself, my sister, my father, my mother, and my grandfather in this film. These experiences are terrifyingly common, and permanently mutilating.

    1. LoLo

      I do too minus the sexual abuse. My grandfather was/is verbally abusive to everyone. But my mother, aunts & grandmother all catered to him & constantly try to please him. The scene where they went to the hospital & were all giddy around him reminded me of my mother & aunts who say "they have to do it for daddy" when I question why they do things for such a miserable, mean & abusive person.

  14. fabian

    After watching this all I want to Do is kick the director in the balls for not at least punching that piece of **** at least once for his aunts and mother. I will never watch this again but i will never forget this ;(

  15. Cynthia Baker Sophie Sonne

    Men are the cruelest and most forceful sexual predators living.

    1. dnoskeam

      Hey! I take offense to your generalization. Some men are "the cruelest and most forceful sexual predators living.", not all.

    2. Vic Abacaxi

      While I can see why you would take offense, the problem we live with is the frequency of these crimes in our culture. They are common, banal, and cultural outlets sleep through the reality. When I hear violent music that is disrespectful of women, I don't just hate the creator, I hate those who participate and stand by.

    3. Loveunderlaw

      Whatever you've been through, making collectivist blanket statements like that is not factual or logical.

    4. Samuel Andrew McIntyre

      Way to collectivize.

    5. linzi

      not all men are cruel, violent bullies, just looking through the stories on this site demonstrate that there are also women who have the ability to be equally evil. I think making a general statement about "men" can be quite offensive to the decent ones out there who find this subject sickening.

    6. Darren

      o please so you hate half the human race. Typical feminist crap

  16. Troy Knudson

    Quoting the bible. In proverbs when it says to "listen to the instruction of your father" should be ignored when your father asks you to do something immoral. And the bible records incest but it does not approve of incest. The bible records all kinds of evil, but that does not mean that that evil that the bible records is okay to do. We will all face judgement someday and then justice will happen.

    1. robertallen1

      Just how do you know that we will face judgment someday?

    2. Cynthia Baker Sophie Sonne

      I just love your comment -- there is no god -- that was created to control human behavior - which ended up killing people in the name of who ever's saint.

  17. Traci Muller Rylands

    Brutal film but if it can put a stop to the chain of shame it is worth it.

    I am not surprised at all that the women did not go into attack mode on their Dad. The dysfunction runs too deep. They spent years thinking this horror happened to everyone. Their own mothers aided and abetted the acts. It is much easier, in their minds, to keep the peace with him than to face the evil he inflicted on them.

    So instead you numb the pain with drugs, alcohola or whatever is handy. That's how they survived it and still do.

  18. maggie mae

    Glad the sicko is dead but james must have some balls to tell such a shamefull history so openly

  19. IrishMom67

    As a mom who was blessed to have had a great childhood with two loving parents, I cannot wrap my brain around this. My dad worked 2 full time jobs to make sure we could go on vacations and to have great Christmases. I will never understand this kind of behavior.

  20. bluejules80000

    A very powerful, honest and emotive documentary. The devastation and repercussions of abuse are shocking to witness in the portrayal of these families’ lives. Another very upsetting observation is the mixed feelings of hatred and love towards this man from the abused. To love ones parents is so natural that you can see these damaged children struggling to assimilate these feelings with the way they have been treated. Melvin made me feel there could be something worse than evil, that could be an indifferent world where good and evil only exist in the context of our existence. If this is the case then real justice will never be served on this man. Thank you for sharing your experiences and to your family for opening up themselves to us.

  21. Steven Lowe

    Quite possibly one of the most disturbing and powerful documentries I have viewed in a long time. The depravity that vile man stooped to was just unbelievable and worse yet his wives let him get away with it. The whole families sense of morality is completley skewed (the girls in particular), this is very evident from the scene in the hospital when they visit him. Perhaps the most powerful and chilling part for me was at the funeral where one daughter says how awesome her dad was and he was just flawed like the rest of us. The fact she views his abuse as almost normal and just 'a flaw' sums up perfectly the msg and horror of this piece. Unsettling but bravo.

    1. Cynthia Baker Sophie Sonne

      I so agree, have I got stories to tell...they have to die first though, then you will know......

    2. Ien van Wetten

      I don't agree with you on the girls in particular being screwed, the son thinks it's normal to have sex with his sisters, that's a bit more screwed up

    3. Vic Abacaxi

      True, but while we don't know for sure, I suspect he wasn't physically mutilated as a result/ penetrated by large objects as a toddler. He was certainly messed up, but that turns men into predators.

    4. Ien van Wetten

      Now that i read my comment again i see that i wrote it wrong, i didn't mean screwed, but screwed up, there's a difference obviously

  22. Lovro Šari? Kora?evi?

    In a way, this makes you proud of yourself, your family and friends. You always think of your faults but seeing this daemon makes you realize how many dimensions above you are from some creatures that are classified as the same specie. The amount of negativity he produced is an example of how much effect each of us makes. If your effect is positive imagine how influential your life has been by now, and how much influence did others good will have in yours.

    These horrors could have happened to me or you, those women didn't pick to be born in that situation and they didn't deserve it. We should take our role in the society far more serious. We should go back to some old habits; get to know our neighbors and chat with the postman. Caring shouldn't necessarily mean sticking your nose into other peoples business! Lets face it, the most horrifying fact about this is that it went on even after a few reports! What kind of civilization is that? Far from the court far from the eyes??

    I thank Jim for sharing this side of his life, and I find his acceptance of the damaged family very inspiring. All of you who accuse him of narcissism are only jealous of what he made of himself in the given circumstances. Even if you are right, why not overlook his faults for this gross taboo-breaking story he shared with the world despite its connection to himself.

  23. Jennie Jonker

    I haven't watched this yet but by the comments made I can see that as always this subject has touched a few hearts...I never survived sexual abuse I lived with sexual abuse,you survive a car crash this **** you just live with,it becomes normal in a twisted reality..All I can say is let go....forgive the person and not the action,sick people do sick things,I fell pregnate to my grandfather at 16 and had a abortion sad yes but a part of my life.i don't use it as a reason to blame,

    1. Ien van Wetten

      I think everybody has the right to handle tings their own way, and this is just a documentary that gives these women a chance to tell their stories, they don't portrai themselves as being victims, they just tell their stories, and if you ask me they would have every right to act like victims if they would have chosen so

  24. Boo Hicks

    I've seen it few months ago, devastating for so many people in the family. You can see how the ripples of abuse ruined generations of lives.
    He is a horrible horrible man...

  25. browneyedgirl20

    My first cousin molested me and npbody cared. I hope he gets cancer and dies a horrific death. A child molester sentences his prey to a life sentence of sadness. They are evil and should be locked up FOR LIFE!!!!!

  26. Karen

    Thank you for this film and the truth it tells. I will hold all your family in my heart. May you all find peace.

  27. Donisha McCalla

    This is the sickest thing I have ever seen.

  28. D

    That guy was pure evil. Saddens me to know that one person can cause so much harm to so many people.

  29. Angie Jackson

    thats hilarious. "Oh, hes not evil at all even though he tortures childre. Other people are more evil so hes fine". Get real.

  30. katherinebollmann72

    Sadly, that family was much more normal than you think. I am a beautiful, smart, articulate woman. When my father dies, I will remain composed at the funeral. When no one is watching? I will piss on his grave and dance the dance of the free, the survivors.. Disappointed when they hugged him? You'd be very surprised what you would do facing the same thing. I have done it myself. Everyone hopes for some kind of reconcilliation, some kind of understanding, some kind of worth or love. It's hard to turn off that instinct. Don't judge these women. Some hide it better than others.

    1. Al Scott

      There is nothing I can say except this. I am a father and my hug would only ever mean that I loved and believed in you. I have no parallel ground for this sickness.

      Be strong

    2. hutchensraleigh

      Yes they do, abuse comes in many forms and I applaud you for p*ssing on his grave and dancing the free dance. My abuse was a physcial one and I still carry the scares in my spine, in the mean time I had abetter life and when the evil one was presented again and tried his physicalogical abuse I refused to participate in it and he died. I spit on his grave and walked away with strength and pride in myself. I will never forget that and call on that stength when the pain is bad.

  31. Experiences

    Sadly that family thought that was normal. Sick ******* needs to be dead. I was disappointed to see the daughters hugging and talking to him in the end. I understand about forgiveness, but he still does not admit what he did. Without standing up, admitting it and then asking for forgiveness - he wouldn't be worth my spit.
    My can't wait to look across the courtroom at my abuser. I'm counting the days.

  32. Sarita Otero

    Had to turn off the documentary half way through. Had to go puke!

  33. Etain Doe

    The girls couldn't confront him because they grew up with no limits, no respect and no protection. They know they were violated, but still want to belong, to be loved badly enough, that they dare not risk the fragile harmony they could still have with him. He made them helpless and they remained children in many respects. A cautionary tale for abusers - children do grow up and they aren't as silent or ashamed as they once were. You one day may reap what you sow and find yourself facing someone just brave enough to ask the right questions. May you find yourself in jail soon after.

    1. Ien van Wetten

      Exactly, that's what makes it even sadder, the fact that they still crave for love, at the same time that makes him even more evil ánd their mothers

  34. bubascary

    What a crazy mixed up world we live in!!

  35. MissStef

    I don't understand how some of the girls were so pleasant toward Melvin when they went to see him. I thought that was their golden moment to confront him and say what they've kept inside for so long. I was really hoping they would do that to help themselves.

    1. D

      That's what abuse does, and that's how abusers get away with it.

  36. Escada Es

    The evil wasn't just what he did to the children he molested and raped but to his children's children and their children and their children. He created a legacy of sexual perpetrators or victims.

  37. batvette

    I didn't find this that disturbing, there wasn't much graphic description or images in it. It was amusing in a dark, sick way of course. Just another day in psychobillyville.
    I think the guy they kept interviewing by the trailer (brother?) was almost as sick as Melvin, why is he walking around and not in prison somewhere? Seemed to be cut from the same filthy cloth. As for Grandma she seems so innocent and helpless with her breathing tube on her face, almost like they are making her out to be a victim too but she facilitated these crimes. She sounds like a real sicko herself.
    Does she have a sister? LOL.

  38. Lindsey Ziegelgruber

    The man who made this video is obviously in love with himself. I've never seen so much blatant narcicism and begging for attention as the director/interviewer in this "documentary." Totally not worth watching.

    1. Kelly Marie Humphrey

      I'd say it's worth watching still, just as long as you discount the narcissistic BS of the filmmaker.

    2. Vic Abacaxi

      It certainly wasn't narcissism. It is not easy to go back and spend time with the living, scarred wreckage that a man like Just leaves behind- worse still, lives on and denies his crimes. These aren't relatives you want to hang out with for a laugh. The filmmaker showed compassion and commitment. He showed us the damage done. THis is EXACTLY what it is like, and I thank him.

  39. bringmeredwine

    Wow, what a crazy ride that was!
    I wasn't as shocked as other viewers, because I spent a couple of days watching "The Steve Wilkos Show" while I was temporarily bedridden. Please don't hold that against me!
    I always imagined the participants on the show were faking their stories. I guess this doc proved me wrong.
    It's always amazed me how evil, horrible people get away with their apalling acts, live on and on, only to cause misery to more victims.
    I was surprised that all the girls attended Melvin's funeral. Perhaps if James hadn't filmed it, they wouldn't have bothered.
    I was disappointed that most of the women where fawning all over that monster in the hospital. I guess they had to convince themselves that he really did love them despite all he'd done to them.
    I can't blame those women for staggering around drunk at his burial. Frankly, I'm amazed they were all still living.
    I'll bet the preacher needed a belt or two after that fiasco.
    As for Melvin's wives, I can only speculate that they came from disfunctional homes as well. How else can you explain them not a) killing Melvin or b) not going to the cops at the first sign of molestation. And to think they GAVE him more children. They are as sick as he was. The scum of the earth.
    It's all so sad; and it goes on every day all around us.
    I'm really glad that Jame's mother survived her suicide attempts to see Melvin dead. I wish her all the best.

  40. batvette

    does anyone know the piece he is playing at 2:02 on?

  41. Faisal T Al-maiman

    my god...this man was pure evil...

  42. isatou1

    i was kind of hoping he died earlier. i do not actually know if hadnt put bullet in his head prior to his death. for me however this proves to me that the god never sleeps, the man up in the heavens made sure he died the same time this documentary was made. these girls are scarred for life because of this man. if there is a hell which i think there is he will suffer

    1. tomroberts101

      God never sleeps? So what was he doing all the years they were being molested? Watching porn and dismantling Oreos? I'm surprised you're not totally sold on the whole "hell" thing since you're evidently convinced of a "man up in heaven".

  43. seaki ache

    if there is a hell,........I hope he is there right now, burning forever. This documentary is VERY disturbing on SEVERAL levels of decency, but it has to be shown to the public. Judging from some of the completely obtuse comments below, people need to learn and understand what sexual abuse does to children, its destructive and often violent longterm effects, and ways to cope if one is sexually abused. Kudos to the young man for creating a window into the soul of a monster, hopefully this film can help others.

  44. afkors

    Sorry but this "documentary" is bull... It`s all about "I play piano, I was on TV, I have high IQ..." And it is so obvious that is too much family involving (director, intervewer etc)...

  45. Aaylsworth

    Wow, what a heartbreaking and devastating story...

  46. dmxi

    this was a nice christian commercial.

  47. James Robert Edwards

    What a disgusting, vile, soul. I do not believe he will dwell in the house of the lord.

  48. Keith Wilson

    Wow, not sure why I felt compelled to watch till the end. I wanted so much to turn it off, but there was something that made me want to honor their reality or stare into the heart of darkness or something. Just makes me realize how profoundly each choice to do good or evil when it comes to our relationships (most importantly with children) matters - how much devastation can be left to ripple out indefinitely if we choose selfishly. I wish I still believed in hell.

    1. branrx

      If one believes in hell, its too believe there is evil and nothing can be done about it. Like this man. Is he just evil? Born evil. Or is it a chain that started and keeps on going until its broken? Could his step son,(Jerry?) carry the torch learned by this father? Or even one of the daughters? Perhaps the upbringing and drugs could facilitate this.

      I dont believe in evil. Just a learned response and the addition of chemical substance, alcohol drugs. We can call him evil, or we can start nipping the behavior in the bud by looking for the root.

  49. phillip wong

    Evil? No. There are much more evil people in the world.

    1. natasha0

      what an unnecessary comment, at least define evil if you know so much about it.

    2. phillip wong

      Evil is intuitive. Like when you wake up from a massacre, slaughter, human suffering caused by other humans. History is a good guide. I recommend Steven Pinker book on the decline of violence.

    3. natasha0

      Do you not think this man has caused human suffering, you dont have to kill to be evil, killing is a far easier thing to understand in psychology, than distributing physical and psychological torture.

    4. phillip wong

      It is funny to me. There are economic, social, and human policies everyday that cause war, massacre, and poverty. Those are in my opinion much more evil. This single guy is no evil. He is just a fr*ak.

    5. Amber

      You are sick

    6. phillip wong

      How am I sick?

    7. MyPetGloat

      Phillip Wong is a few french fries short of a complete happy meal. He is also woefully inept when it comes to judging anything.

    8. MyPetGloat

      "Evil is intuitive" - whatever, Phillip. Keep blathering your uninformed unintelligent observations.

    9. Angie Jackson

      I dont give a **** WHO is out there and what they are doing, Raping a three year old is evil. What faulty logic. Its like saying "the oven isnt hot because the sun is hotter".

  50. Roberta

    Evil is just the right word for this man. A special place in hell is his new home.

  51. branrx

    1:30 in... dont think I can stomach this.

  52. I AM POP SLAG.

    On watching it- Yeah i concede hes a pretty evil *******...

  53. KsDevil

    I feel sorry for the preacher standing over the grave at the end. Clueless as to the facts, only seeing what must appear to be a bunch of drunk white trash family acting inappropriatly.
    What a mess these people are thanks to the actions of one man.

  54. dewflirt

    Just saw all the comments, think I'm going to skip this one as I was in two minds anyway. I'm not brave enough to watch... :(

    1. Lorna Kennedy

      No, its not very nice. Good call. Should have read comments first on this one myself.

  55. Anthony Pirtle


  56. Chris Taylor

    powerful, reaches you...

  57. Sertsis

    It is truly disturbing what some people are capable of doing, and I hope that Melvin Just rots in hell for what he has done to his family(ies). I agree with HistoryGuy that it took a lot of courage to make this doc., and I hope that it helps to 'break the cycle'.
    I'm not a religious man, but my only criticism is that he could lose the biblical quotes, I wouldn't want his actions to be linked with any theology in the same way that I wouldn't want him linked to me for being a white man... I'm sure that we are all equally horrified.

  58. Tobias Dresler

    Sick Movie, about a sick reality. Ends out with a nice smile. The burial scene in the end is just what needed to end this hour long movie filled with atrocities. This was a sad movie, and having it ending with an satisfying smile is what's going to make me able to go to sleep.

  59. Asdf

    I'm only a couple minutes in and already had to stop everything i was doing to stare at one of the most f-cked up video I'm likely to see this year.

  60. HistoryGuy

    Thanks JRW for having the courage to tell the world his story. Society needs to work on getting rid of the 'taboo' regarding molestation, and focus more on identifying and stopping it, and prosecuting those that are guilty. If the young victim gets treatment early his/her life will be less torturous. Good job telling this sad story.

  61. dmxi

    he couldn't have been that evil as he didn't candidate for president of the US.

    1. peanuts611

      how could those girls even go to that mans grave ' i wont even see that man after what they said he did ;they all need help 'i admire the grandson that did this film and his mother ;she seens to be the only one that came out normal;i dont mean to hurt the rest of the family but they do need help ;my opinion only ;it was terrible for those girls ;but i could not see them even talking to that man;the mothers were not mothers when they can not protect there own

    2. xxconspiracyxx


    3. MyPetGloat

      And you can't string a logical thought together. Your poorly spelled statement is ridiculous.

    4. Aly

      English is not a first language for many. Others may not have the best vocabulary, spelling or grammar. Personally, this does not compel me to stop listening. If I don't understand, I ask questions. If I do understand, I just might find the statement more valuable than it's delivery. That may or may not be the case here, but it could be somewhere else.

      And you began your sentence with "And".

      In the grand scheme of things, I find imperfect writing skills too little a crime to comment upon, but tolerance is worth a few words.