Serial killers give me shivers.

@ronaldinu (12422)
Malta
January 16, 2009 6:08am CST
This week I was watching a documentary about BTK serial killer in Wichita, Kansas. It really gave me shivers that he managed to kill a lot of people without being captured for almost thirty years. He seemed a normal person. It give me shivers to know that there might be someone like him living in my area. I fail to understand how does a father of two and founder member of a christian protestant church is capable of doing such horrible crimes. What do you think of serial killers? Dennis Lynn Rader (born March 9, 1945) is an American serial killer who murdered 10 people in Sedgwick County (in and around Wichita, Kansas), between 1974 and 1991. He was known as the BTK killer (or the BTK strangler), which stands for "Bind, Torture and Kill," which describes his modus operandi. Letters were written soon after the killings to police and to local news outlets, boasting of the crimes and knowledge of details. After a long hiatus, these letters resumed in 2004, leading to his arrest in 2005 and subsequent conviction.
9 people like this
29 responses
• United States
16 Jan 09
What I found most scary about serial killers is they live among us and most people interviewed say stuff like...he always seemed like such a nice guy. They never seem shady or odd and often have jobs and families. I truly wonder what turns people into killers. Once upon a time they were someones little cute baby and they grew up and killed many people in horrible ways. Why? What made them decide that they wanted to kill others? There really isnt a pattern either. Some serial killers come from wealthy families and have every advantage, some are not abused as children. Is this something they are born with that is wrong in their mind? And if so why did schools or other people never catch on that something was wrong? It would be interesting if we could really ever get to the bottom of the whys so we could prevent it from happening....but I think they will always be among us unfortunately.
2 people like this
• Chile
16 Jan 09
Quite often serial killers hide behind the guise of being an ordinary guy, a pillarstone of the community so that suspicion doesn´t fall upon them. They can go undectected for a long time. At least in this case he was finally caught, how many have never been caught and indeed might still be out there, a chilling thought.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
16 Jan 09
We could probably be free of serial killers within a generation if we would treat our children with the even same regard as we treat our cars. We recently had a young man who murdered a mom, sexually assaulted her 4yr old son and stole the computers in the house then dropped off the child at a rest area on the highway. This man had lived in foster care all his life, been beaten and sexually abused by his foster parents, was hearing impaired and is probably clinically insane. What if someone had taken him in and really loved him? I doubt he'd be where he is today. A little humanity goes a long way and most serial killers have been mistreated as children. Nearly all our problems can be solved by treating our children with love.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Jan 09
I think this would eliminate most serial killers, but there would still be a few, people suffering delusions, and 'thrill killers' who act out of boredom and desire for excitement. But I agree that treating our children better would eliminate most serial killers, and reduce rates of addiction, violent crime and so forth. Unfortunately many of the people who hurt their children do it because they themselves are broken and hurt, not because they decide 'ok, this is how I should do things' and are able to simply be caring and loving by changing their minds.
1 person likes this
@iskayz (5420)
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
Oh I am also afraid of those kinds of news. That's why I am so cautious when it comes to talking to strangers. I am careful when going out and I make sure that my house is secure. There was also a news that I have seen on TV. An engineer and contractor killing of over I think 50 people. His victims are teenage kids and he buried all of them at the basement of his house. It's like his house was built on a cemetery. The scene when the police caught him and pulling out the bodies was really scary. I hope bad people out there will change soon and that God protect us all.
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Jan 09
I'm more cautious when I talk to people I know. You never know when someone you think you know snaps and suddenly becomes the chainsaw massacre dude.
@iskayz (5420)
• Philippines
17 Jan 09
Hey Allen thanks for reminding me about that. Yeah, it could happen that our friends would turn out to be killers.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
17 Jan 09
He is able to continue killing for thirty years is astounding, obviously law enforcement has to be sleeping or hibernating during the early year of his career, it is amazing one man can elude suspicious from authority for so long and keep on his killing rampage till the end .
1 person likes this
• India
17 Jan 09
ronaldinu, I just watched the movie 'secret window' some time ago and was really spooked by Johnny Depp who is this obsessive writer who invents a serial killer and he gradually looses his mind and begins killing people. But when we find such people in real life that really creeps us out even more. As a counselor with a psychology background, I had attended a seminar by a researcher from Iran who had conducted research in Bosnia after the consequent wars there. From the research conducted by him he found that societies that encourage violence though T.V., Newspapers, study books and other media were societies that later became more violent. He proved that by introducing Peace as a study subject in schools in Bosnia that overtime societies became more peaceful. Since the seminar, I too have begun to believe that violence results in violent behavior. The media should be careful in propagating heinous crimes as this may lead to more people with violent behaviors.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
16 Jan 09
I think they may have lost their conscience or sense of right or wrong or their values have screwed up so considerably and they are considerably evil people. Now I know there are probably sociopaths and psychopaths who never kill because well, they are so full of themselves and so conceited that they say "if I go and kill those people who are not as good as me, then people will think I am an evil person," etc. but these serial killers are so devoid of conscience and so evil that they will murder people and to use the Church to hide behind makes it even worse. In fact these scum bags make themselves equal to God and cause many to turn away from Christianity. He was a hypocrite. He was pretending to be a God fearing man but he was not.
• United States
19 Jan 09
Anne Rule is one of many true-crime authors who gives us all the details of these cases, and they're horrifying! I had a daughter who was killed by a serial killer most people have heard about - Ted Bundy. She was waiting outside her school for me to pick her up to go shopping for her birthday, and I'll never stop crying over her.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
19 Jan 09
I am really sorry that you have passed from this experience
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
20 Jan 09
I really hope that at least you will be able to recover your son. Your posts open up a deep discussion how the victim's family really suffer and their pain never ends. It's like an open wound. HOpe that God grants you serene and peaceful about this experience.
1 person likes this
• United States
19 Jan 09
Although it was many, many years ago, the pain never lets up. I really appreciate your sympathy.
1 person likes this
@Annmac (949)
16 Jan 09
All killers 'appear' normal! The worst serial killer I've ever heard of was Harold Shipman! He was a British Doctor and it's believed he killed over 200 'elderly' patients! He was only caught when he got greedy and tried to fake a will! If his patients had been dying of some terrible terminal condition and all alone, it might have made some small degree of sense, but they were relatively fit, mentally aware and had families who loved them! It's scarey to think that someone is capable of doing such a thing especially someone you'd trust like a GP! I don't understand how anyone could murder even one innocent person but serial killers give me the shivers. They must be really sick in the head!
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
17 Jan 09
I have heard about Dr Shipman another sad case and really shivering to think you are putting your own life under a serial killer
@carinio98 (2929)
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
that was the most horrifying news i ever read online.... i think the movie saw is a reality thing too... killing and torturing people are only thing for mad people.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
16 Jan 09
I have not seen that movie yet but it seems gross too
1 person likes this
@carinio98 (2929)
• Philippines
16 Jan 09
yep it is very gross....
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
16 Jan 09
i remember reading or seeing him on tv,it's so dad that someone like him was not caught before he was. maybe the world will get lucky & they'll hang him instead of the taxpayers having to keep his sorry a$$ uo like they do so many. i think it's a disgrace to keep someone like him alive,
1 person likes this
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
16 Jan 09
That is the scariest part. It could be you, it could be me, because they seem just like us. Not all serial killers, as some are the ones people will say, "Well, I thought that he was always a bit odd," but enough are normal to the world and that is the part that scares the stuff out of me.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
16 Jan 09
Hi nana.... I am growing fond of you after reading your posts here.... don't get me scared :)
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
17 Jan 09
Hahaha!! You never know (check under your bed at night.... Helter Skelter!!)
• Malaysia
16 Jan 09
I think God created disease to show that human beings are not a perfect being and when they contact these diseases, it just shows how low a human being can be. To me, it just show that we must not take things for granted and work towards making this world a better place. But when human are faced with so many problems. Will they ever be able to have enough time to save the world?
1 person likes this
@divinchris (2449)
• India
18 Jan 09
Friend have you watched this movie Disturbia.Its a similar kind of story what you have mentioned here.So the serial killers can even be your neighbor.Only God knows what others are doing at home.
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
18 Jan 09
NO I have not watched distrubia. Is it really scary?
@cuttyrish (2667)
• United States
20 Jan 09
i have'nt heard of BTK...i would want to watch that documentary..It also gives me shivers just thinking about the idea of a serial killer.. We cannot tell if the people especially strangers, that we are talking to are serial killers too.. i have watch some crime channels, and some of the serial killers portrayed there, (actual ones that are interviewed or either caught) said that they feel nice after killing people, they feel a sense of calmness, purpose, like their are craving for it..but some are just plain psychopaths, who thinks they hear voices telling them to kill people.. whatever their reason is, they are still scary and dangerous..
@laglen (19759)
• United States
17 Jan 09
I understand why it would give you shivers. This is an interest of mine. There were quite a few sickos out there! The ability to do these things. Being a sociopath. I find this mind set fascinating. Not enough to hang out with serial killers, but enough to read about them.
@ellie333 (21016)
16 Jan 09
Hi Ronaldinu, My aunt used to work in Broadmoor Prison in England where Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper) amongst others were held and I used to worry over her so much being in there amongst them all. Every Monday morning there used to be the escaped prisoner siren go off at 10am and even though we knew it would it used to terrify me in case one had really got out. They give me the shivers too big time and because they are pyscopathic in nature there is no remorse or guilt so they can quite comfortably live in amongst the community whithout giving away their more sinister side. Thankfully with the progress of forensics and CCTV footage they haven't the opportunity to become seriel killers on the majority of occasions as they get caught. Huggles. Ellie :D
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
16 Jan 09
I would be worried for any relaive who works in a Prison. My father in law used to work in a prison for the last six months before he retired. He said that it was his worst months through his careern in the army. You are making me curious to read about the Yorkshire Ripper now. I read he story of Fred and Rosemary the couple who killed young ladies. I really cried when I saw a documentary. How can you kill your own daughter?
@yuna15 (2706)
• Philippines
20 Jan 09
Interesting. Being a christian protestant church founder member is obviously just a cover up. He doesn't want anybody to think that he is the person that he is. Serial killers usually wants to deliver a message or just plain nuts. Kinda like Jack The Ripper. It's so scary knowing that people like this exists.
• United States
20 Jan 09
Well, consider it. Someone who 'hears' the voice of 'God' might be hearing some other insane voice from inside his head. While his 'voice' talks of angels and cherubim, one might start a church. Then, as madness progresses, the voice might talk about less pleasant things. What was the explanation from "Red Dragon?" God kills. So if one wants to be like God, one kills. Zealotry can go really scary places. This is why I encourage people to try to remain neutral even when listening to a preacher and impartially consider the virtue of the message spoken to them. "How do I know this guy isn't a crazy nutcase?"
@kellyjeanne (1576)
• United States
22 Jan 09
I've never heard of that serial killer. I guess we are all capable of atrocities, but, few actually carry them out. I love watching documentaries and/or movies on serial killers. I've seen movies on Ted Bundy, The Zodiac, Ed Gein and John Wayne Gacy. All sickos in my book. I suppose, given time, they'll make a movie about his life as a serial killer too. Well, we are all human and are all capable of committing horrible deeds. Thank goodness not many of us actually do it! Purrs, Catwoman=^..^= & Mija