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Old 06-13-2016, 09:27 AM
 
Location: New Jersey
12,322 posts, read 17,082,514 times
Reputation: 19556

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Quote:
Originally Posted by RogueMom View Post
Mostly amazement and disgust that there are so many sick, stupid, or crazy people among us.

I see patterns in the stories, most notably that people, especially women, need to be very, very careful who they associate with and bring around their families. Most criminal minds seem to be completely narcissistic in nature, with no empathy whatsoever as to the harm they cause to other people and the permanent devastation they cause to lives.
Same here. I was watching "The Hunt last" night and it featured Brad Bishop, who beat his whole family to death then set them on fire. He walked away and was never caught, been sought for 40 years so far. It's and disgusting people can do these things. I turned it off before the end of the program. World is scary due to monsters among us

 
Old 06-15-2016, 08:50 AM
 
2,672 posts, read 5,446,834 times
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I've been reading true crime for many years and have a fascination with the subject. It definitely makes you more aware of the darker side of human nature. Like everyone that has an interest in this sort of genre you learn about sociopaths, narcissists and other personality disorders. Although I understand a bit more about what type of people commit murder I've never lost my sense of incredulity that people can do such terrible things to other human beings. In many cases the victims are family members and the murderer is someone who they trusted and loved.

Some books that left a lasting impression on me are because the murderer was someone who should have been a protector and instead betrayed their family's trust in the most brutal way. Some books that I've never forgotten about are Fatal Vision, Murder in Little Egypt and Small Sacrifices. For most of us the family is sanctuary but for others fate deals them a cruel hand. I've often pondered how someone can be so unlucky that instead of having a loving and protective parent they get someone like Diane Downs or Jeffrey MacDonald. The fickle hand of fate.
 
Old 06-15-2016, 11:39 AM
 
9,153 posts, read 9,448,022 times
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I spend a lot of time contemplating the difference between mental illness and just plain evil when I watch these shows. I mean there's obviously something wrong with the head of anyone who kills another person for fun or for money or out of hate or jealousy. So where is the line?
 
Old 06-19-2016, 12:19 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,267 posts, read 84,222,834 times
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When I read Journey Into Darkness, it disturbed my sleep for the next two nights. I couldn't get out of my head what I had read. Douglass goes into the minds of these serial killers and other murderers and almost makes you start thinking the way they think. It was also disturbing to understand that there were so many of these murders that had occurred in the U.S. that I'd never even heard of because they are reported locally, not nationally.

For example, in one story, an athletic girl of about 11 was called by a supposed reporter to meet at the high school for a photo for the local paper. She went because she had been in the local paper before and had no reason to think it wasn't legit. Her body was found wrapped in a blanket alongside a path in a local park. She had been raped.

Douglass explains that the murderer had probably been tracking this girl through the local sports section for some time and had fallen in love with her. In their fantasies, such men believe that the little girl will react to their sexual advances the way a woman would in a consensual relationship, welcoming their caresses, and when the child cries or screams or tries to get away, they panic, commit a sexual assault and then kill the child to prevent getting caught. He said the clue that the murderer had feelings for the little girl was the fact that he had wrapped her up in a blanket and placed the body where it would be found rather than just dumping the body. The murderer has never been caught.

The idea that someone who thinks this way is out walking around is chilling.

https://www.amazon.com/Journey-Into-.../dp/1439199817

In a similar situation where one looks into the minds of the killers, the I.D. Channel used to do interviews with a convicted serial killer to try to understand why a serial killer had attacked. In one case, the victims were not necessarily sexually assaulted, just strangled. The guy on the show asks the convict what the killer gets out of strangling someone--it takes a few minutes for the person to die that way, and if they aren't raping them, what sort of satisfaction is the killer getting? The convict just laughed and said, "Obviously, you've never strangled someone, or you would know."

Creepometer off the charts.
 
Old 06-21-2016, 04:27 PM
 
7,357 posts, read 11,714,247 times
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I feel; anger, shock, nausea at the crimes; I feel reassured when I hear how hard people work to clear up these situations and get justice for the victims; I feel sad when I realize that some acts can never be taken back or made right.
 
Old 06-21-2016, 10:31 PM
 
1,256 posts, read 2,486,289 times
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Sympathy for the victim and their families. Disgust with and at the perpetrator.

Then, the science nerd in me kicks in and I am consumed with the forensic details and evidence. The writer who weaves forensic detail skillfully into the story will have my attention.

Like many, "Fatal Vision" was the my intro to the genre and continues to be my barometer for good true crime books. Very few measure up.
 
Old 06-23-2016, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,267 posts, read 84,222,834 times
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^This post made Mr try to remember when I first became interested in True Crime. Probably the first BOOK on true crime I read was Helter Skelter.

However, I remember that every Sunday there used to be a two-page Justice Story in the NY Daily News. I would ask my dad to buy it just for that feature. Does anyone else remember this?

Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 06-23-2016 at 08:12 AM..
 
Old 06-23-2016, 03:24 PM
 
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
14,702 posts, read 8,024,167 times
Reputation: 24960
I feel curious. Emotionally, I usually feel rage or sadness, depending upon the case.
 
Old 07-27-2016, 01:41 AM
 
Location: Western SC--near Augusta, GA
4 posts, read 5,995 times
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I pretty much agree with all of the above--a confusing, disturbing mix of anger, bewilderment, fear, curiosity--so many emotions I can't name them all! (Except that they're all negative, so why do I keep watching/reading about all these horrific crimes??? )


And I have to add one more emotion I feel. Shame. Shame that I can "enjoy"--or at least find great interest--in studying awful crimes which leave shattered lives and utter devastation in their wake. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way??
 
Old 07-27-2016, 07:50 AM
 
9,153 posts, read 9,448,022 times
Reputation: 14039
Nope, I've never felt shame. I think it's human nature to be interested in how others tick. And the fascination might also be our innate drive to avoid danger. We try to figure out evil people so we can recognize and avoid them. JMHO

Now, if I were taking great joy seeing their loved ones cry, or imagining the ordeal the victim went through, or something along those lines, then I'd be ashamed.
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