Visionary Serial Killers

Visionary (or Vision) serial killers are unstable, possibly psychotic, individuals who claim they hear voices that tell them to kill. Usually, they say it is the voice of God but some attribute it to the Devil. 

 David Berkowitz (better known as the Son of Sam) was born in 1953. His mother, estranged from her husband, Tony Falco, had an affair with a married man. When she became pregnant, her lover threatened to abandon her if she kept the baby – so she gave up her son, David Falco, for adoption. David was adopted by a middle class family who lived in the Bronx. They loved him and treated him well. He seemed to have had a relatively normal childhood.

But David Berkowitz carried a lot of guilt and anger. He felt responsible for the death of his natural mother who, he was told, died giving birth to him. When he was eighteen, his adopted mother died and his father remarried and moved to Florida, leaving Berkowitz behind in the Bronx. He later learned the truth about his biological mother, sought her out and they established a “friend” relationship.

Berkowitz is a classic example of a visionary killer. Between 1976 and 1977, he shot and killed six people and wounded seven others in New York City. After killing a young couple who were parked in a car in the wee hours of a spring morning, Berkowitz left a letter at the scene, personally addressed to the police detective who was investigating his crimes. In it, he wrote “I am a monster. I am the Son of Sam.”

His crimes were famous because of his letters to the media and the police. The reason he killed, he claimed in his letters, was to quiet the demons by doing what they insisted he do. Each night, these demons told Berkowitz to kill and quench their thirst for blood. When he heard dogs howling, he started to believe that the dogs were demons, asking him to shoot and kill women. At one point, his neighbor had a black Labrador, which Berkowitz believed was possessed. He shot the dog.

Berkowitz was apprehended after receiving a parking ticket at the time and near the scene of a murder. When he was apprehended, he received a 365 year prison sentence. He then told the FBI that the real reason he killed was because he hated his mother for leaving him and blamed her for his failure with women. (He felt sexually aroused when he killed them.) He admitted that the letters he’d sent to the media and the police were written to convince them that he was insane.

What do you think? Was David Berkowitz insane?

Serial Killers

I’ve always been fascinated with the subject of serial killers. I’m most interested in “why” they do what they do; what causes a human being to become a monster? It’s a question of nature vs. nurture. Was it the fault of their upbringing and/or society or were they “born” to be serial killers?

The more I read about them as I did research for my mystery novel, Mixed Messages, the more intrigued I became. This week, I’m going to give a brief overview. Then, each week for the next four weeks, I’ll write about one of the classifications (with examples) of serial killers:

·       Visionary  killers

·       Mission killers

·       Pleasure (Hedonistic) killers 

·       Power/control killers

Keep in mind: there’s a difference between mass murderers and serial killers. Mass murderers kill their victims all at once. They choose a killing field and attempt to take as many victims as possible. They do not hunt, torture and then kill their victims. Serial killers do. One definition of a serial killer is “someone who commits three or more murders over an unspecified period of time.”

It’s virtually impossible to distinguish serial killers from the rest of society. They look just like you and me (yes, there have been many female serial killers) and they are everywhere. The FBI can’t give us actual statistics; no one knows for sure how many are out there, targeting their next victims. Estimates run anywhere from twenty to thirty to the thousands!

There are three predatory types:

·   territorial killers who hunt within a specific area

·   nomadic killers who travel extensively on their killing sprees

·   stationary killers who prefer to commit murders in their own homes or places of employment

Serial killers are categorized as “organized” or “disorganized.”

·   Organized killers are the most difficult to identify and capture because they’re highly intelligent. They plan each and every detail, often stalking their victims for long periods of time to determine the best time to strike.

·   Disorganized killers are usually of lesser intelligence and don’t plan their attacks in advance. Their victims are usually people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Most serial killers have a “preference.” For example, Albert DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, was sexually obsessed with the elderly. Some serial killers take “souvenirs” from their victims: a lock of hair, a piece of jewelry or a body part and many serial killers have bizarre fetishes like Ed Gein (pictured above), the role model for Hitchcock’s Psycho, who collected corpses for a variety of sick purposes.

Until next week, be wary of strangers and people you know. Remember, anyone could be a serial killer – even the boy next door.

Getting to know Melodie Campbell

I’m pleased to have mystery author, Melodie Campbell, as my guest this week. Let’s get to know her.

Patricia: Melodie, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?

Melodie: I grew up in Vancouver, Canada. I was an only child for much of that time, and had a slew of imaginary friends. They always had grand adventures. So yes – I was writing from the age of 8. I won my first writing award at 16, for a children`s book called Horatio Hedgehog.

Patricia: Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?

Melodie: I live in Oakville, Ontario, sandwiched between the two cities of Toronto and Hamilton. Greater Toronto is six million people, and very cosmopolitan. Hamilton is Steeltown, mid-century industrial, also known as The Hammer. Yup, I chose Hamilton as my city for The Goddaughter. It`s the perfect Italian Mob setting, full of character and shleppy craziness. I love the place.

 

Patricia: What inspired you to write your most recent novel?

Melodie: My family. WAIT. Did I say that out loud? I`ve written comedy for many years. I was looking for a vehicle that would allow for me to be as wacky in fiction as I have been in stand-up. One day, I was sitting at a family gathering, thinking, no one would believe this. NO ONE. The wacky dialogue. And while my family is perfectly law-abiding, I saw a way to…well, read The Goddaughter.

Patricia: Did you plan to write a series before or after you wrote the first book?

Melodie: I didn`t think that far ahead. First, was getting the initial The Goddaughter written. Then, this other plot kept infiltrating my head when I was trying to wrap up the first. Plots are like that. They have no manners at all. I`m always whacking them back.

Patricia: Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery genre.

Melodie: This is going to be obvious, if you know my writing style: Janet Evanovich, Lisa Lutz, and Agatha Christie. The first two are the Queens of Comedy. I would love to be counted in their number some day. And Christie – well, she is the Queen of Plot.

Patricia: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?

Melodie: Eating. I`m Italian, just like my heroine Gina Gallo, the Goddaughter. Oh, and food. I like to cook. And bake. Yum, cannoli.

Patricia: Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go?

Melodie: I like hot and dry! Can you tell I`m from Canada. In The Goddaughter, my characters fly to Phoenix, a place I love to visit. I have also been to Italy several times, and adore the south. I`m a ruins geek, and love to stomp around the ancient Greek ruins in Sicily. The men are cool there too. And the food. Yum, gelato.

Patricia: How would you describe yourself personality wise?

Melodie: Had to ask my family about this one. They laughed. (Okay, they hooted.) Here`s the list I was given: colourful, smart, wacky. funny. dynamic. kooky. vivacious, generous, over the top. Okay, so there are a few nice things there. If I had to choose one word, I would say cheerful. What I want most from my fiction is to give others a laugh or two – to lighten the load of life if even for an hour.

Patricia: What’s your favorite color? Why?

Melodie: Blue. Cyan blue, with sapphire accents. Oh, and fuchsia. Purple is good too. I like jewel colours. Heck, I like jewels. They`re the plot of The Goddaughter.

Patricia: How would you finish this sentence? If I won a million dollars, I would . . .

Melodie: Probably die of shock before I could collect it.

Melodie Campbell has over 200 publications and was a finalist for the 2012 Derringer and Arthur Ellis awards. She is the General Manager of Crime Writers of Canada.

Library Journal says this about Melodie`s third novel, The Goddaughter (Orca Books, Sept. 2012):

``Campbell`s crime caper is just right for Janet Evanovich fans. Wacky family connections and snappy dialogue make it impossible not to laugh.``

Short Excerpt from The Goddaughter:

We got through the border with no problem at all this time. Of course, it`s much easier to get through borders without a semi-frozen dead body pretending to be asleep in the back seat.

THE GODDAUGHTER on Amazon http://ow.ly/dnObH

A PURSE TO DIE FOR on Amazon http://amzn.to/PysT2C

 

Follow Melodie’s comic blog at http://funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com/

www.melodiecampbell.com

Getting to know Madison Johns

I want to welcome Madison Johns, author of Armed and Outrageous. Let’s get to know her.

Patricia: Madison, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer? 

Madison: I grew up in Birch Run, Michigan, which is in Mid-Michigan. It’s a small town or used to be with no McDonald’s or Mall, but today it has all of that and more. Living in the country was an inspiration, but I spent most of my days daydreaming. At this point writing wasn’t something I was doing or thinking about.

Patricia: Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels? 

Madison: I live in Saginaw, MI, and so far it hasn’t been featured in any of my novels. Armed and Outrageous takes place near Tawas, MI, where I went on vacation every year.

Patricia: What inspired you to write your most recent novel? 

Madison: I worked in a nursing home for three years and that was really the inspiration, that and my love for Janet Evanovich’s Grandma Mazur character. Since Janet won’t give Grandma Mazur her own books, I thought why not try my hand at it and created quite a cast of characters.

Patricia: Did you plan to write a series before or after you wrote the first book? 

Madison: I knew while I was writing Armed that it would be a great series. The ideas wouldn’t quit flowing and I had to jot them all down for future reference. 

Patricia: Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery genre. 

Madison: Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, and Janet Evanovich. I love Janet’s simplistic style.

Patricia: What are your favorite things to do when you’re not reading or writing?

Madison: Does hanging out on Facebook count? I like watching ghost hunting shows on Sci-Fi with my family, but I really have no time to spare between family and work to make room for hobbies.

Patricia: Do you like to travel? If so, what are some of your favorite places to go? 

Madison: I wished I had more opportunities to do more, but I do love my home state of Michigan. I love the Tawas area and hope I won’t be stoned out of town when I visit there. I love Lake Huron in all it’s magnificent glory. I hope to travel to the Upper Peninsula on day.

Patricia: How would you describe yourself personality wise? 

Madison: I’m an extrovert, I know right? I’m not sure how I came to this point because when I was a child I was shy as a church mouse. Words are never left unsaid. I can literally talk to anyone — my whole family is that way too. In some parts of the country that might seem weird. I’m a walking talking comedian or so I have been accused. I love to laugh and make others do the same. I can literally make a joke out of every situation, although it’s not always a blessing to certain members of my family.

Patricia: If you had a time machine where would you go? 

Madison: Like back to my childhood and kick myself in the rear. I wished I had paid more attention to grammar in school. I’m not sure if I’ll ever fully understand it.

Patricia: How would you finish this sentence? If I won a million dollars, I would ...  

Madison: be dreaming. I’m a little on the realistic side.

You can learn more about Madison and her books at the following sites:

http://madisonjohns.com

http://tinyurl.com/cw2rep9

http://tinyurl.com/d8lul8k