If you're like a lot of people, you're dying (no pun intended) to learn more about The Golden State Killer. I blogged last week just after Joseph Angelo was arrested as a prime suspect. I noted some of the basic info about The Golden State Killer that law enforcers released after his arrest. The Golden State Killer. Since that time, there have been many articles and TV newscasts adding more details about The Golden State Killer case. But, one of the most interesting sources of info of late is … [Read more...]
Golden State Killer suspect arrested. Victims & timeline.
Do we finally know the identity of the Golden State Killer who likely killed 12 people and raped 50? Golden State Killer suspect arrested. DNA and other forensic tools—as well as a working group of amazing crim justice personnel—are the heroes of the hour. (In recent days, we've also been blessed with news of a hero during the Waffle House killings and a heroine pilot who safely landed a Southwest Airlines plane that lost a passenger 'cuz it lost an engine.) The Sacramento County district … [Read more...]
Did The Unicorn Killer found Earth Day?
The Unicorn Killer, a character in a book I'm writing, often shows up in media stories. This is especially true just before the annual celebration of Earth Day. The big day is always April 22, just as it was back in 1970 when Senator Gaylord Nelson and others helped get it off the ground. Usually the story headlines look like this: "Earth Day Cofounder Killed, Composted Girlfriend" “Earth Day Started by Convicted Killer who Mummified his GF’s Body.” The Unicorn Killer. I’ve spent time … [Read more...]
White economic privilege impacts crim justice system.
White privilege statistics. I've been writing a memoir of late about how four murders seriously changed my career as a criminologist. So, how do white privilege statistics come into play? Well, among the many reasons the murders changed my worldview was the fact that the crim justice system treated the killers well. They were all white and given remarkably light sentences in comparison to black killers who committed similar crimes. This was back in the late 1960s and 1970s, … [Read more...]
Scariest Horror Villains of all time? Halloween edition.
It's Halloween season, and so why not have some scary villain fun? It's appropriate here, too. My site is dedicated to heroes, villains, and fools... as well as to the more abstract notions of discrimination and preferential treatment in the justice system. Scariest horror villains of all time. Thrillist.com has put together a list of the 33 scariest horror villains of all time. Scott Weinberg at Thrillist has left politicians and Hollywood producers off the list. Wonder … [Read more...]
Post-Charlottesville: Violent/Nonviolent cops in the face of bullying?
No bullying allowed? With the tragic killing in Charlottesville, VA and the subsequent debates about police behavior pre and post Charlottesville bullying, it seems time to mention Policing Society. I wrote the book during a sabbatical in England where I compared the Greater Manchester Police Department with the Oakland Police Department. I chose Manchester and Oakland for my tale of two cities because they were remarkably similar cities with historically different policing philosophies. … [Read more...]
Crime Museum: Down but not out with addition of OJ’s Bronco..
Just had a wonderful trip to Tennessee, but missed the Crime Museum there. I saw the Grand Ole Opry the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Jack Daniels Distillery—all in the Nashville area. Alas, I didn't make it across the state to Alcatraz East in Pigeon Forge where the renamed Crime Museum relocated recently. Crime Museum The founder of the museum, attorney John Morgan , formerly operated it as the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, DC. He figured DC was where laws … [Read more...]