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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that serial killers can’t exist these days?

261 replies

Snooks1971 · 15/01/2021 18:30

Or actually get away with murder enough to become a serial killer maybe I should say. Just finished Night Stalker on Netflix, which made me think about this, although I’ve thought along these lines before. Have always been fascinated with Jack The Ripper after visiting Madame Tussaud’s as a young teen (late 40s now).

I haven’t googled any facts and I’m just an armchair observer, but surely with mobile phones, cctv, forensic developments, tech interfaces actually talking to each other this wouldn’t be possible now.

Then I wonder how many serial killers from the past that we have never of who must have got away with it. Makes my mind boggle a bit.

OP posts:
SchadenfreudePersonified · 17/01/2021 15:47

I think it's newspaper reporter who like a pretty, young, white, preferably middle-class victim. They make better copy, are more photogenic, the families are more articulate, they have more acceptable hobbies and their lives held much more promise . . . heartstrings stuff.

The police just do their job. They are the ones who actually see the horror, and face the families' pain - they know that love for a child crosses all boundaries and is just as fierce if you live in town block or a mansion.

The police want killers off the streets, whoever their victims are.

grassisjeweled · 17/01/2021 16:47

Started watching Night Stalker

Cannot believe they missed him at the dentist, what a catalogue of errors!

Tazers · 17/01/2021 17:00

Good article @MorganKitten

MorganKitten · 17/01/2021 19:48

@Tazers

Good article *@MorganKitten*
My mum did criminal psychology... the interest filtered down, I know far too many strange facts!
notafanoftheman · 17/01/2021 19:52

A serial killer was arrested in Russia a month or two back.

notafanoftheman · 17/01/2021 19:56

^The nurse recently.
The mysterious deaths of the elderly couples in Greater Manchester.
The canal pusher.^

None of those are even close to proven.

notafanoftheman · 17/01/2021 19:59

think there must be an active investigation on it now

No the police announced about a week later they were closing the file. Turned out to be a lot of smoke and no fire.

notafanoftheman · 17/01/2021 20:04

The Croydon cat killer is utter bollocks. No-one is traveling around England kidnapping and killing movies without ever being caught on CCTV.

Donotdelete · 17/01/2021 20:05

The Night Stalker left huge amounts of DNA evidence about and would be identified and caught very quickly these days. Aside from being utterly bemused by Gil’s many work anecdotes, most of which involved him swearing at work then going out and getting pissed with his work buddies in the red light district, followed by one where the Head of Police told him to get back from his piss up and went on TV to publiclybollock other Police for giving away too much evidence, it seems that LA was vast and with no sharing of information or policing. That has also changed.

But as was mentioned elsewhere, people on the fringes of society do disappear- the illegals, homeless etc and it can be hard to know where they have gone.

Isn’t it also thought that Claudia Lawrence might be the victim of one?

x2boys · 17/01/2021 20:06

I watched the Night Stalker yesterday @grassisjewled agree lots of errors particularly the alarm at the Dentist .

Donotdelete · 17/01/2021 20:11

Also he was so utterly abhorrent (The Night Stalker) it was quite unpleasant to watch. I didn’t sleep well that night!

alexdgr8 · 17/01/2021 20:15

there are plenty of gangland killers/enforcers.
they are quite busy.
and hired assassins.

Ponoka7 · 17/01/2021 20:24

As the Countess of Chester situation been mentioned? 17 baby deaths and 16 assaults, that they have identified.

@ShandlersWig, only if they have family pushing for closure. Many sex workers, addicts, homelessness/runaways go missing every year. We don't know what trafficking goes on and how many are killed.

There was talk of a 'pusher' around the Manchester canals, because not all of the deaths added up, but nothing seems to have come of it. I remember the Police putting it out about two years ago.

It's still possible, you'd just have to pick your victims well.

Dugee · 17/01/2021 20:36

I'll start on Night Stalker after I've finished The Ripper then. Cheerful week in our house...

covetingthepreciousthings · 17/01/2021 20:40

As the Countess of Chester situation been mentioned? 17 baby deaths and 16 assaults, that they have identified

Think discussing that one at this point should be avoided considering it's not gone to trial yet.

Original poster
Snooks1971 · 17/01/2021 20:56

@Dugee

I'll start on Night Stalker after I've finished The Ripper then. Cheerful week in our house...
@Dugee [wry grin] Thanks for the recommendation up thread
OP posts:
Original poster
Snooks1971 · 17/01/2021 20:57

@Donotdelete
Isn’t it also thought that Claudia Lawrence might be the victim of one?

I didn’t know that...

OP posts:
grassisjeweled · 17/01/2021 21:05

The Ripper is pretty good Dugee, similarities to the Night Stalker, not much focus on the psychology of the killer but more the ineptitude of the local police force!

covetingthepreciousthings · 17/01/2021 21:08

Isn’t it also thought that Claudia Lawrence might be the victim of one?

I think there has been talk of possibly 'Christopher Helliwell(?)' being involved there, but don't think there's anything actually substantial to that other than his father lived near to York I think was the reasoning?

Another PP brought him up, and I had a quick look today, he did indeed have what appeared to be a 'trophy cabinet' in the form of a pond that had 60 pieces of women's clothing in it Sad only 2 of the pieces were from his two known victims. So i think it's probably likely he had a lot more than he was convicted of.

covetingthepreciousthings · 17/01/2021 21:10

not much focus on the psychology of the killer but more the ineptitude of the local police force

I watched the Yorkshire Ripper doc not that long ago and was just so shocked and saddened by the way the case was handled. I really felt for man who was the son of one of the victims. Very sad for all those affected by the ripper.

PurplePansy05 · 17/01/2021 21:11

Re Claudia Lawrence, I believe there is a suspicion that the person responsible has already been convicted for two murders and is currently in prison. The detectives believe he may be responsible for more murders and have linked her case. I hope her poor family gets the answers and justice will finally be served, how heartbreaking.

I watched The Night Stalker and The Pembrokeshire Murders recently, both very chilling. I'm so impressed with how the Pembrokeshire team reviewed all the evidence forensically after so many years, what a challenge this must have been. And for the team in LA to find the guy without any DNA forensics then in such a huge city, put it this way, it could have taken much longer than it did, even if some errors were made. Horrific man, this story has really affected me. Poor, poor victims and families.

I would like to believe things like this wouldn't happen today, but I sadly think there will always be some very twisted individuals out there who may not be stopped quick enough.

Penistoe · 17/01/2021 21:14

This sounds a bit too much like I’m not a serial killer but if I was, how would I get away with it?

PurplePansy05 · 17/01/2021 21:18

Has Levi Bellfield been mentioned? That's a recent example.

Roominmyhouse · 17/01/2021 21:34

[quote MorganKitten]www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/american-psychos-10-modern-serial-killers-youve-never-heard-of-102597/william-devin-howell-charged-103433/[/quote]
I was going to mention Israel Keyes who made this list. He was fairly recent and got away with a lot before getting caught. They'll never know how many he killed.