The craigslist killer

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Cogito, Apr 22, 2009.

  1. NaCl

    NaCl Contributor Contributor

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    grnidome said, "It is surprising to me, in this day and age, that the press is allowed to see so much information about any crime."

    Cops initially released information, seeking help from the public to identify the person in the video. After that, I suspect some additional information was released in the interest of public perception...i.e. there was quite a bit of anxiety associated with this guy's actions, and if the public is reassured that the bad guy is off the street, then there is a calming effect.
     
  2. Henry The Purple

    Henry The Purple Active Member

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    He's remorseless and unfeeling, but he's popular...probably a psychopath.
     
  3. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    I'm somewhat surprised also. If there were any question about whether they felt they could secure a conviction, I'm sure a lot less information would have been released. But there was a lot of fear about this apparent stone killer on the loose, and I think they must have decided to put the public at ease that they really do have the right person and that he won't be walking.

    One thing that seems clear from the news reports is that they had been tracking him for a couple days when they arrested him, and that they made the decision to move because he was leaving the Commonwealth on one of his gambling trips. This suggests to me that there may also be a great deal of evidence that has NOT been revealed to the public.
     
  4. NaCl

    NaCl Contributor Contributor

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    I suspect they identified him within hours of realizing the Craig's List connection. That tells me they had all the email/internet connections leading right into his house. Everything after that is just case building, public safety and public peace-of-mind.
     
  5. Mercurial

    Mercurial Contributor Contributor

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    I'm somewhat confused with what you say here; it might just be because I dont exactly understand what you're saying.
    You suspect authorities identified him within hours of the Craig's List connection. So are you saying that detectives identified him earlier than they say they did?

    I'm not an expert in any field (Journalism is my specialty, which makes me, hardly, a jack of all trades and a master of none), and I dont claim to know anything about how police and crime investigation operates, but why would they withold information or mislead the public? What do they stand to gain? Peace of mind shouldnt be at the top of their to-do list...

    Or am I totally misunderstanding what you are saying? :p

    Mental disturbances and tragedies like this are most fascinating. :) I wonder why he made such an oversight like cameras. I know if I were in his position, it would have been one of the first things I would have thought of. Then again, I assume I have a sane mind and he does not. Was he subconciously looking to be caught? Or was it truly an oversight, in which case that is really silly on his part.

    What interests me more is not the state of his mind right now but what happened to make him that way? Are some people just 'born broken' (a psych textbook's words --not mine) or did he experience something traumatic --or did he live in a morally corrupt household-- growing up? I want to know what made him this way, that's what intrigues me most.
     
  6. NaCl

    NaCl Contributor Contributor

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    "I'm somewhat confused with what you say here; it might just be because I dont exactly understand what you're saying. You suspect authorities identified him within hours of the Craig's List connection. So are you saying that detectives identified him earlier than they say they did?"

    Merc - No. I'm saying that as soon as the Craigs List connection was made, the case blew wide open very fast but it may have taken a few days for authorities to review her computer and discover the prostitution link. As you probably know, computers leave a connection trail whenever they connect with each other, even through third parties like Craigs List, Ebay or Face Book. As soon as cops realized there was a computer connection through Craigs list, a realization that most likely came from HER computer, then it would be simple for them to obtain all the computer links to her system. The list of potential suspects would immediately lead to the person who was scheduled to spend time with her when the crime occurred. They might not have his real name from her records, but as soon as they had his connection information, it would be easy to get his real name and address from his ISP. That whole process might only take a few hours. Then, cops would begin surveillance to protect the general public (first priority) while gathering more evidence. Once they got a subpoena to enter his residence, his own computer would provide the other "contacts" that he might have victimized. As you can see, this case probably unraveled very fast as soon as the Craigs List connection was made from her computer.
     
  7. marina

    marina Contributor Contributor

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    This all goes back to Mercurial's question...was he subconsciously wanting to get caught? He's extremely smart, so he would have known of all the potential ways he could be found out.
     
  8. NaCl

    NaCl Contributor Contributor

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    Couldn't be that smart to overlook the obvious connections. I think he's more like the classic addict who may be an innately intelligent person, but so driven by his "demons", that he simply ignored the details in favor of quick gratification. He'll have the rest of his life to ponder that question if found guilty in court.
     
  9. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Probably more a matter of thinking the police are stupid and would never catch him. Besides, he will beed the gun and the cable ties again, and he NEEDS the souvenirs.

    I've heard three or four forensic psychologists commenting on the case, and they all said essentially the same thing. This type of predator doesn't really believe they will be caught, and the souvenirs help them relive the experience.
     
  10. ManicParroT

    ManicParroT New Member

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    I'm just going to wander in and chuck these two links down:

    http://karisable.com/crserial.htm

    http://www.physorg.com/news115920702.html

    Cheery stuff, eh? But don't worry, most of their victims are people who live on the fringes of society - prostitutes, runaways, that kind of thing. The second article calls them the "missing missing". No one even looks for them.

    Prostitutes really are an almost ideal target. You can isolate them easily, they're less likely to be missed, they're female - one of the most common targets for serial killers. You can even order the right type - a brunette or a blonde or whatever your specific fetish calls for.
     

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