In your opinion, what are the elements that make up a good

[Bunny]

true crime story? In other words, what is it about individual true crime stories that get and keep your interest?

For me, anything that is unsolved is automatically interesting. Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, JonBenet Ramsey, the Zodiac killer, etc. Just trying to piece everything together, and figure out who in the world could have done it, is fascinating to me.

Also, if the victim is someone that I can identify with, I'm more likely to pay attention to it, i.e., if the parties involved are white middle class women with somewhat staid lifestyles. I guess that's because it's how I would characterize myself. I don't think this makes me a bad person - I think it's just human nature.

I'm interested (in a sick, anxious way) when there are children involved. I think it's because I have two kids, and when someone's child is hurt or killed, I feel such anguish for the parents. JonBenet, Elizabeth Smart, and the little girl missing now in Florida (Jessica?) are all just gut wrenching to me. All girls were stolen or murdered in their own homes, with their family asleep in the next room practically. How does that happen? Thankfully Elizabeth was returned to her family, safe and hopefully sound.

I tend to be uninterested when the perpetrators are just bizarre, like Son of Sam, Jeffrey Dahmer, and that one with Phil Spector killing an actress. I just can't get too interested in them, maybe because it's hard to identify with that level of weirdness.

The whole BTK thing leaves me a little cold, as did the Green River Killer, and I don't know why.

Ted Bundy is almost in a group by himself.

But enough about me. What types of true crimes are you interested in? And what types tend to pass you by?

[XanaDUer]

1. Lol! I am fascinated by stuff like Dahmer, etc.

One TC element that never seemed to interest me was when it was a nurse killing patients. One exception was the Michael Swango, MD case. That was fascinating to me!

And Son of Sam! I was in NYC that summer and I can remember it like it was yesterday.

I also like the elements of the unsolved, like the Zodiac case.

[Bunny]

2. Well, if you were in NYC during the Summer of Sam, I can see

how you would definitely be interested, to say the least! Swango was quite interesting, wasn't he? How the hell did he get away with it?

[XanaDUer]

3. He got away with it because he was a doctor

and docs are like lawyers and cover each others asses.

[Bunny]

4. Yes, didn't the college in Ohio keep his record a secret?

What a turd he was.

[XanaDUer]

5. I cannot remember if no one checked AND

they kept it quiet.

On paper, he looked pretty damn good. Mr. White Bread , wholesome, middle American doctor who kept recipe cards for poison!

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

6. Serial killers don't interest me.

The only part I find interesting is how they got caught. The ones that really interest me are Did they or didn't they? Like Lizzie Bordon, etc.

Crimes of passion, like the Betty Broderick case I found really interesting. The whole head trip her husband put her on.

Also, the ones where the killer plans it all in advance a la Perry Mason, & tries to fake the alibi & still gets caught.

Also, cases like the Mormon Murders where it escalated into murder so he could cover his tracks.

I think for me the more important part is just a well written, well researched book with maybe some psychological stuff thrown in.

[Bunny]

7. Betty Broderick was put in a terrible situation - her husband

was a complete turd. And although he hardly deserved to be murdered in his sleep, he more than contributed to Betty's instability. And for what? Because he was so competitive that he simply couldn't lose at anything?

I also like when the psychological stuff is dissected.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

10. um, I dunno

And although he hardly deserved to be murdered in his sleep.
Could I get back to you on that one? :)

[Bunny]

12. ***snarf***

:D

[johnnie]

8. It's more..what doesn't interest me?

I find almost all of them intriguing to some level. I will admit that the ones involving the "angels of death" aren't that interesting to me.
The unsolved ones are definitely at the top of the list (Zodiac, The torso killer, Jack the ripper). The torso killer was from here (Cleveland) and that one is very interesting because I know of the places where certain things took place.
The Son of Sam interests me because I still believe that there was more than one killer.
I am trying to think of an answer to the question, but I can't pin it to certain elements. It's just the idea that truth is so much stranger than fiction that keeps my interest.

[XanaDUer]

9. Ever read "The Ultimate Evil" by Maury Terry?

It's about how the Son of Sam murders were comitted by more than one person, and how other murders were also carried out by groups of people.

Now, I have to say that, while interesting, I don't believe that every murder from the Tate/Lo Bianco slayings, et al, were all done by some kind of pan-Satanic group. There is some interesting evidence that could show that the Son of Sam killings may have been done by a group of young people who hung around Untermeyer Park in Yonkers, however.

[johnnie]

11. I had that book

Quite a few years ago, but it got lost in one of my moves I think. That was the first time I read the theory on it being a cult that did the murders. They had a TV show not long ago where the guy went thru a lot of the evidence, and although to me it looked cut and dry that it was many killers, the guy who did the show said it was just one.
I wish I still had a lot of my books. I still have a lot, but about half of the TC books I used to have.

[Bunny]

13. The Torso Killer - isn't that the one Eliott Ness was involved in?

He was unable to solve it, and it haunted him forever? The ones that occur close to home are all the more interesting because you can put recognize the places involved.

[johnnie]

14. Yeah, that's it

Ness was pretty sure he knew who did it, but could never prove it and it pissed him off. He lost his bid for mayor of the city because of it and ended up in bad shape.
The best book on it is called "In the Wake of the Butcher" by James Jessen Badal. Very detailed and interesting.
My grandmother lived in the area that most of the bodies were found at the time of the murders. She remembers it well.

[livetohike]

15. In depth descriptions about the background of the accused

and the victim. That is why I really like Ann Rule's writing style.

I also like "obscure" cases - while OJ, Son of Sam, etc. were interesting cases, I like to read about the lesser known crimes.

[Bunny]

16. Yes, good point. Ann Rule is the master of detailing people's lives.

She adds so much that you almost feel as if you knew the victim.