Of all TC cases, which one do you find most intriguing?

[johnnie]

The one case that you read most about, or watch programs about? And why?

Mine would probably be the Sam Sheppard case. I find it interesting for a few reasons, one being that it happened in a suburb here that I am well familiar with.
After all these years they still have not figured out who really did it and it keeps on going after over 50 years.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/sheppard/sheppard.htm

[XanaDUer]

1. "Fatal Vision" and The Zodiac:

In the Z's case, who and why?

In the MacDonald case, did he or did he not (I think he did, btw).

[Bunny]

2. Those are two great choices.

Zodiac is so interesting. Who did it? You have to wonder if he died or was incarcerated shortly after the last shooting.

Jeffrey McDonald is another one. I also think he did it, what I can't understand is how you get to the point where you can butcher your pregnant wife and two little babies. How does that kind of evil get generated?

[livetohike]

3. JonBenet Ramsey case

because I can't believe there isn't enough evidence to bring someone to trial. It will probably go on for over 50 years too.

[XanaDUer]

4. That's also like the Fatal Vision case...

who, why, how?

Yes or no.

[flamingyouth]

5. Mine is a little obscure - the "Original Night Stalker"

Also known as the East Area Rapist of Sacramento, he later took to bludgeoning people in Southern California in the late '70s and early '80s. There is an hour-long Cold Case Files episode on him that freaked me out so much that I could barely sleep the night I saw it. When he was terrorizing Sacramento in 1976 or so, the police held a community meeeting where a man stood up and said he thought it was impossible that someone could break into a house in the night and tie up the husband while his wife was being raped right in front of him. Guess whose house was broken into two or three nights later? :scared: The rapist was actually at the meeting and apparently followed that man home...

The case is unsolved and I don't think he has struck since 1986, but still... :scared:

http://www.catchbtk.com/discus/messages/1/340.html?1108593644

[johnnie]

6. Reading about it now

It sounds familiar, but I can't believe I don't know more about this one. Thanks for the heads up.
This guy got around...shezzzzzzz. Did you go to the one site and click on the face...you can hear a message left by this guy. Yikes!
http://www.ear-ons.com/index2.html

[XanaDUer]

7. I saw that CCF episode

Do you know if there is a book about that case?

PS- Didn't Unsolved Mysteries cover this case, as well?

[CanuckAmok]

8. Pee Wee Gaskins.

Just an absolute, amoral monster.

[mitchum]

11. He was indeed a monster.

His "Final Truth" is truly chilling. I now regret that I tried to get a friend to enlist Gaskins as a record reviewer for his fanzine. It seemed like a good idea at the time. My only defense is that I was a young punk who was titllated by the trangressive. I am both older and wiser now.
The world is truly a better place without Pee Wee Gaskins

[jdots]

9. The Black Dahlia

I went overboard on this case

[mitchum]

10. The Dean Corll murders

For a few reasons:

-The whole huffing paint while listening to Grand Funk Railroad teenage wasteland milieu of Houston in the early 70s
-Corll's resemblance to some type of monstrous spider whose prey entered his lair. He makes Gacy appear to have a work ethic
-Corll's ability to draw his accomplices Henley and Brooks into his sick pathology. "Hey guys, bring some more of your friends over so that I can torture and kill them" I still find their willingness to act as procurers mind boggling.
-The Houston Police Department's unwillingness to investigate the disappearance of many of the victims because they were "just poor white trash from the Heights"

[XanaDUer]

12. What is the name of the book?

Looks like my library does not have anything on this case.


Here's his grave, and his victims' graves, as well?

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8499897&pt=Dean%20Corll

[mitchum]

13. There are two that I know of:

The Man With The Candy by Jack Olson
Mass Murder In Houston by I can't remember the author's name :)


Odd side note: You know how many infamous inmates paint or draw? And how most of them aren't very good? At best, their work looks like that of a "talented" 8 or 9 year old? One of Corll's accomplices, Elmer Wayne Henley is actually quite a good painter. I'm sure that his far superior work doesn't fetch Gacy prices, but the people who are buying that stuff aren't really concerned about aesthetics.

[XanaDUer]

15. Gacy and his clowns

I remember reading that a psychiatrist/profiler, looking over pix of Gacy in his clown makeup for all the lucky kiddies (:eyes:) was indicative of a very disturbed person because the mouth lines he drew around his mouth came to points instead of rounded.

[johnnie]

14. I just saw one of the shows about them

I can't remember if it was on Court TV or where it was, but they had the show about it.

[southlandshari]

16. Robin Hood Hills murders in West Memphis

It's the case that got me interested in all of this murder and mayhem in the first place!

[johnnie]

17. I was going to point you in the direction..

..of the thread we have here on that. LOL, then I noticed who started that thread :)

[southlandshari]

20. It's the thought that counts!

:loveya:

[XanaDUer]

18. Is there a book on that?

I never heard of this case, either. Thanks.

[southlandshari]

19. At least two that I know of

The first one written was called "The Blood of Innocents" by Guy Reel, Marc Perrusquia and Bart Sullivan. The better of the two is called "Devil's Knot" and was written by Arkansas journalist Mara Leveritt, who followed the case from the beginning.

What first drew my attention to this case was the HBO documentary "Paradise Lost: The Murders at Robin Hood Hills" - it won all kinds of awards back in the mid-90's. A follow up was made a few years ago, "Paradise Lost II: Revelations". Both are very, very interesting.

Lots of info on the case at the West Memphis Three website here:

http://wm3.org/

Be warned - this case will get under your skin and never leave. I hope that one day the truth is revealed about who really killed the three little boys in West Memphis, because I do not believe the three in jail had anything to do with it.

[XanaDUer]

21. Right, that's the West Memphis 3 case!

Thanks. I read Devil's Knot, but think I may re-read it.