Obsessed with True Crime discussion

In addition to reading true crime stories, I am sure that many of you follow current court cases and crimes reported by the news media. If this is so, what recent court cases or crimes are you hoping will result in a "true crime" book?

This past week I was horrified to learn that the trial of Phil Spector,after weeks of jury deliberation, resulted in a hung jury. The details of Spector's life that were brought out during trial are intruguing. Guilty or not, the musical genius appears to be a very disturbed individual. I would love to know more about Spector's personality profile and the events that led to the fateful night that ended in the death of Lana Clarkson. Hopefully, the writer who chooses this topic will provide some valuable insight as well as thorough trial coverage. :D

In all honesty, I don't follow current court cases. I find it to be a snooze fest. No offense meant to you or others that do. It is just not my thing.
I am a person that really (OCD) likes structure. I prefer my information placed neatly in the bindings of a new book. I am totally irritated when a writer wanders around telling a story. Real court cases just don't provide me with any information that can keep me wanting more.
Maybe , we have some others that do keep an eye on current cases.

Sound off people!! Do you follow a case from beginning to end?

Amy - I will admit that some court cases are boring and slow moving but I don't think that anything is more structured than a criminal trial:)

Hi -- Good question.

Possible solution to a missing child/murder case from 1957 in Southern California. A man who is investigating the case for a book has inspired the Pasadena Police Department to open a cold case unit.

--Sheryl

The Hornbeck/Owenby case hasn't gone to trial yet, has it?
I'm curious about that case myself but I don't imagine we will be hearing much about the particulars for a while because the victims in this case are minors. I do pray for those boys and their families.
I wonder if Shawn has been able to readjust to "normal" life.

I believe the suspect (guilty person) pled and there will be no trial. I think this was done so the victims will not have to testify and the horrible acts committed upon them will not be put out into the public forum. I also think the defendant did not want to make his acts public knowledge either. He will never get out of prison.

If that is the case, I'm glad the boys were spared a court trial.

Wasn't the perpetrator also a suspect in the murder of another young boy that took place several years ago?

Now I want to do some research to find out the particulars. Your're right. That book needs to be written.

I just found a book on Amazon about the Hornbeck case:

"Invisible Chains: Shawn Hornbeck and the Kidnapping Case that Shook the Nation" by Krista Sauerwein


The book is due to be released in May,2008.

i would like to hear more about that guy down in mexico who has recently been accused of butchering and eating his girlfriend, although that's mostly because he sort of (as scary as it sounds) reminds me of my exboyfriend a bit in the way the mother of the victim describes his personality. although his case is just beginning to heat up, as they've recently found evidence she might not have been his first victim.

also, that guy over in germany who volunteered to be killed and eaten by a guy he met on the internet seems like it would make for an interesting read, if only because they didn't seem to know what to charge him with since it was essentially assisted suicide.

all of which makes it sound like i have a cannibal fetish, which i don't, but that's about all the interesting stories i've heard lately.

I wonder what Freud would have said about cannabalism. I must have a weak stomach right now, I feel sick.

Is the German guy who wants to be eaten suffering from a terminal illness or does he just have a death wish? I would be afraid to eat him for fear that he has some contagious disease. eeeeewwwwwwwwwwwww............

from what i read on the bbc site (i don't think american papers carried much on it other than the fact it happened), he was just borderline suicidal anyway. as for the guy who ate him, i really would like to know what the doctors are thinking of him right now (this whole thing probably happned 3 years ago, i have no idea what's been going on since it was in the papers). although you're right, since cannibalism basically is the reason that mad cow got to be so bad for a bit (they were feeding cows bits of other cows, and that's how that particular brain disease spreads. there's a human version too that's been found in new guinea and among other formerly cannibalistic societies). so there really is a huge reason why cannibalism is so abhorrent to us; like incest, it always eventually leads to icky diseases and general nastiness.

and i think maybe it's just because silence of the lambs was on tv the other day...

Academically this might be intriguing but I don't think that I have the stomach for a book about that German guy. You are braver than I.

I thought it was such a fascinating case, but the details I've read have stuck with me in a rather uncomfortable way, and it's hard to shake off. I think it would be hard to read a whole book about it.

I just read about the details of the case and I'm sorry I did,Jessica. This case makes Silence of the Lambs seem like a nice bedtime story.

I just picked up The Postcard Killer. Has anyone read it. It is about a serial murderer who stalked the streets of the US east coast around the same time that Jack the Ripper was raising havoc in London. He also taunted authorities with hints written on postcards much the same way Jack the Ripper did.

I'm sure we'll be reading about the newest Peterson case, the cop whose wives keeps disappearing and/or dying.

Cindy, you are right about that. All they need is a body. Drew Peterson's psychopathic arrogance makes Scott Peterson's behaviour after Lacey's death pale in comparison.

Well, if I've learned anything from the news in the past several years... apparently it doesn't pay to marry a man named Peterson. :)

Yes. The Peterson name definitely gives me pause. It will be interesting to see which wife's death he is convicted of first. What a creep!!

Hi all,

I'm guessing a book will be coming out about the mass murder in Carnation, WA, on Christmas day.

It's so disturbing even I might not want to read it! And that's unusual. Very sad and distressing.

On the global front, I'd like to know more about Benazir Bhutto's assassination from an unbiased journalist.

The murders in Carnation are profoundly disturbing, especially since the people died at the hand of their own family member. The massacre of an entire family brings In Cold Blood to mind.

The news stations here in Philadelphia obsessed over the death of the teenager at the San Francisco zoo over the past few days. Little was said about the Carnation murders.I recently read The Life of Pi and was reminded of parts of the novel when I heard about the zoo incident.

I'm sure that we will be hearing several versions of the circumstances surrounding Bhutto's death. It will probably take some time to sort out the facts.

Cindy, I chuckled when I read your comment about not marrying any men named Peterson. I thought the same thing when I read about Drew. He's another fascinating/horrible character due to his complete lack of remorse - not for the killing which of course he doesn't admit to - but for the fact that his wife is missing and presumed dead. Like many sociopaths, he walks around smiling and completely unconcerned. Even if I was struggling in a marriage, I would be horrified to hear that my husband or ex-husband had just disappeared and was presumed dead. I guess that's the difference between normal and sociopath. I have never wished that anyone I knew would be murdered even if they were complete jerks. I just wanted them out of my life.

Not to mention the fact that his children are without a mother!

Clare - He is a horrible character whether he is guilty or not, as you said, for his complete lack of feeling. But then, he appears to be a textbook sociopath. Despite the fact that he is such a loathsome man, I am still fascinated by him, as I tend to be by all serial killers, and I hope that when someone does write a book about this case, or cases as it may turn out, they delve well into his life and childhood. Most of my friends are throughly creeped out by my obsession with true crime and serial killers and the like. I try to explain why I'm fascinated and some of them get it and some of them just kind of back away slowly. lol It's the pathology that gets me. The how and why of it all. Why did this person grow up to become an upstanding member of society without so much as a traffic ticket to his name and then this other person grew up to be a sociopath or psychopath or whatever the case may be. Ah but I'm rambling now. I hope everyone has a happy new year!

Happy New Year to you too, Cindy. I am very much the same way when it comes to serial killers. It is so hard to believe that people can lead double lives like Scott and Drew Petersen and BTK. I thought for sure that Drew Petersen would have slipped up by now but by all appearances, he has been able to keep any and all evidence of his involvement in his wife's disappearance hidden.He must be a very bright person.

I am also very curious about Drew's step brother who attempted suicide after he claims to have assisted Drew in discarding Tracy's body. If this man's claims are true, Drew could not have chosen a more unreliable accomplice/witness.

I am also fascinated by serial killers because like others here have said they often appear normal but lead double lives. Actually there are some theories about a "recipe" to produce a serial killer (strange as that may seem). Psychiatrists have found common denominators in their backgrounds such as severe childhood abuse. I have read a lot about Ted Bundy (who gives me the creeps to even think about). Supposedly he was treated brutally by his maternal grandfather with whom he and his mother lived when Ted was a child. There is also some reports that his grandfather may have impregnated his mother, thus his father and grandfather would be the same person. Scott Peterson's mother had an interesting background - highly abnormal - she had two babies she had given up for adoption and I believe (if memory serves) that she was ready to give up her 3rd baby as well. It seems that babies were expendable to her, and perhaps to Scott as well. Reports have stated that he never wanted children and was not happy when he learned Laci was pregnant.

I meant to write that there ARE some reports, not IS some reports. I hate bad grammar.

I agree that Scott Peterson's mother is a case. If I'm not mistaken, I think that she was raised in an orphanage. If that is true, I am not surprised that children seemed very expendable to her.

The Peterson daughter who was given up for adoption is also a very interesting person. I'm sure that she is counting her blessings in regard to her own adoption.

I believe Scott Peterson was raised primarily by his mother and step-father. I'm sure that his step-father brought even more chaos into the mix.

On the other hand, Lacy Peterson seems to have come from a very stable environment. I wonder how she got mixed up with the Petersons.

Women like Lacy often get mixed up with men from unstable environments. It's all part of that "I can fix it" mentality, of which I am very familiar. lol

I have to admit I've tried to fix a few things along the way myself:D

I think that Lacy Peterson did come from a stable family but Scott Peterson also looked very normal from the outside. With his charming personality and good looks and he probably seemed like a wonderful husband. He certainly was able to fool a lot of people for a fairly long time.
I read a book about the case, and remember that at one time when he was in college and married, he and Lacey had to live apart for a period of time. I think she had already graduated and he was finishing up his courses or something. He was living with a group of guys. One time Lacy came to visit him. A female that he had also been seeing came to his apartment and saw him sleeping in bed with Lacy and said to his roommates, "Who is that woman with Scott?!!" His roommate said, "That's his wife." So even when he was first married he was cheating on her. I don't know if she knew about it or not; he probably could have talked a good line and convinced her the other woman was crazy or something. I get a horrible feeling when I think of what must have happened the night that he murdered her. She was so innocent and trusting, and from all reports was ecstatic about having her baby. What in God's name did he say and do that night? Why couldn't he have just gotten a divorce life 50% of the rest of America?

I have heard it said that wives kill their husbands to permanently get rid of them and husbands kill their wives because they don't want anyone else to have a relationship with them after they divorce them.Scott was definitely the jealous type.I wouldn't be surprised if this theory applied to him.

Peg, I don't see him as the jealous type. Why do you think this? (I can't remember all the details I have read about him.) I think he killed Lacy because he wanted to be with Amber Frey. I think he though he would get away with the murder.

Hi Clare. I haven't been ignoring you. Big Brother at work blocked Goodreads on our computers and I havent't been able to spend as much time here now as I had been before "the censorship" :(

It has been a long time since I read anything about Scott Peterson but I seem to recall an interview in which Laci's mom made the comment that Scott always kept close tabs on Laci and wanted to know where she was,who she was with,etc. I believe she also mentioned the fact that Scott had suspected Laci of seeing other men prior to her pregnancy.

I have always found it surprising that Scott involved himself with someone who had a small child. He charmed Amber and talked about their future together but they had to have been empty promises. I doubt that Scott intended to support Amber and raise her child as his own.

Another thing about Scott that I don't understand is why so many women have been in contact with him and have proposed to him since his incarceration. What is the psycho pathology behind that? A woman married Eric Menendez after his sentencing and moves to another location every time Eric is transferred.She has also encouraged a father-daughter relationship between Eric and her daughter. Now they visit "daddy" in jail every chance they get.

Hi Peg, I hate when "big brother" interferes with our internet use. LOL.
I didn't know that Scott Peterson checked up on Laci. I am often struck how men/women who cheat will frequently accuse/suspect their wives/husbands of cheating. Sort of a "If I do it, you must too" mentality.
As for marrying men who are in prison, I cannot understand it. I know a woman who did that and what a mess it made of her life. Her husband subsequently murdered two women.
Past actions are frequently indicators of future behavior so I do not believe I would ever marry a man who was in prison. Even women lawyers have done it though. I think we forget that sociopaths are very, very good at being charming in order to get their needs met.
Looks also seem to play a huge part in this phenomenon, don't you think? Eric Menendez and Scott Peterson are both handsome men.
I wonder if men marry women in prison? I've never really thought about that. Probably not as most men would not remain celibate while their partner was incarcerated.

Clare, I agree that sociopaths often seem intensly charming and intelligent and I understand how women can be attracted to the likes of Scott Peterson and Eric Menendez before the jury's verdict rolls in. Fact is,I found it hard to believe that either of these men was guility of the crimes they were accused of committing prior to the trials. But doesn't the fact that these men are murderers give one pause?

A few years ago Barbara Walters was asked if she kept in touch with any of the famous people who she had interviewed in the past. She named several people I might have guessed and, much to everyone's surprise, she mentioned Eric Menendez. She went on to mention his marriage and the fact that he has a stepdaughter. In the interview Barbara Walters implied that he is a sensitive and intelligent person in spite of the fact that he committed one of the worst imaginable crimes. Months later Eric's wife was interviewed on the Larry King Show and I became more intrigued with prison marriages than ever, so much so that I sent for her book, They Said We'd Never Make It,which she coauthored with Eric. After reading about Eric's wife's background I wondered if marrying a man in prison was her way of receiving a man's affection and love in a safe environment,without the threat of his physical presence in her home(She claims to have been sexually abused as a child and that her ex-husband physically abused her). But if that is true, the fact that she was fighting for Eric's parole seems a bit counterproductive. I wonder what she would have done if he had been freed.

For the reasons you mentioned,I find it hard to believe that men would marry women in prison,and,as a matter of fact,at the end of the day I want my SO's head on the pillow next to mine:)

Aha! I just heard a news report that a body was found on the south side of Chicago near Drew and Stacy Peterson's home. A blue container was found near the body. This just might be the evidence that will convict Drew Peterson. The body has not yet been positively identified as Stacy's remains. It will be interesting to see this story unfold.

I also saw that story on the news. What is interesting is that a neighbor claimed to have seen Drew Peterson putting a blue container into his truck around the time of his wife's disappearance. Or was it a relative who helped him do that? I forget the specific details. It's just terrible but every time I see Drew Peterson's smarmy grin I want to barf. Isn't he a little old to have been married to a girl in her 20's anyway?

I believe Drew's step-brother helped carry a blue container out of Drew's home on the day of Stacy's disappearance.When he realized that Stacy was reported missing that very day,the step-brother attempted suicide.Later he reported that the container was warm and weighed about as much as Stacy would have weighed.Unfortunately,the man has a history of some degree of mental illness and there is a question as to whether he is a reliable witness.Drew was probably taking advantage of his brother's history when he chose him as an unsuspecting accomplice.

I can't stand the sight of that man. I highly suspect that he is guilty of the murder of his second wife as well.As usual,it's Stacy's children who will suffer the most.Drew has told them that their mother is away on vacation.

Looks like the discovery of a woman's body in Chicago was a red herring in the Peterson investigation. I thought for sure that the body was going to be identified as being that of Tracy Peterson.What could possibly have happened to her?

He took a plea deal. Life, no parole. Thank heavens for those boys that they didn't have to relive it in front of the universe. Shawn has a foundation and website.

I read about that guy in Germany on the news, indeed that would be some book. I couldn't believe that.

I'll be up for the one about the family that lived in the basement in Austria until the daughter got sick, the daughter who was in her 20s and had never been outside. Unbelievable.

Ok, I hope this isn't too over the top, but there is an underground movement where men get their testicles removed for the sexual thrill of it. There is even one doctor who is famous for doing it. There was a long article in the Bay Guardian and much as I wanted to look away I had to read it all the way to the end.

Alie- Do tell! Where is this taking place?

Regarding the German cannibal, there is a book about the case: Cannibal by Lois Jones. Definitely disturbing and guaranteed to ruin your appetite for a while.

Peg, apparently where ever they want. It's a US doctor, his name and picture were in the article and everything. It isn't illegal. They also talked about some cases in Europe. The guys need to take hormones for the rest of their lives. And how about those people that just had to cut off a leg because, well, because they wanted to. I saw something on tv, and oh my goodness gracious.