A True-Crime Memoir from the Inside — Not the Outside. What happens when serious crimes aren’t just stories but happen in places where you live and work? And involve people you know? It shocks you, but compels you to tell the story somehow, some day! Readers say Schonborn's explosive hybrid book (true-crime and memoir) pulls back the curtain on worlds of privilege, violence, and secrets. They like that the story is told by someone who's lived … [Read more...]
What to Watch After Netflix’s YOU Series Ends.
You may know that one of my murdering "friends" in my true crime book, Privileged Killers, is a serial killer. If you don't know that, you undoubtedly know that countless Americans tune into serial killers when and wherever they can. The hit series You, is no exception.It features this cage room where the serial killer Joe Goldberg keeps his victims. First a couple of true facts about the book-based series: Is Joe Goldberg based on a real serial killer? While some fans have … [Read more...]
A Test to see if you have a Psychopath in your Life.
Do you know a psychopath? I certainly do. My latest book, Privileged Killers, is about a few who crossed paths with me in my everyday life. Not about some whom I encountered as an academic criminologist doing research. For some who've wondered if their partner or a friend might be dangerous or psychopathic, venerable Psychology Today has an easy, quick questionnaire for you. It's not the classic one based on Paul Hare's work that's mainly used in prision settings. See here for that and … [Read more...]
Narcissist versus sociopath – which is it?
I've posted a number of blogs about fraudsters Anna Sorokin and Alexander Marc Hatton as well as pieces about the Casanova Scammer and the Tinder Swindler. It's about time now to try to figure out they can be differentiated. So, Narcissist versus sociopath. What're the differences? Using the following two lists, a leading London therapist, psychologist Mark Levrant, weighs in on the attempts to distinguish between the two. Narcissist versus sociopath - how to tell 'em … [Read more...]
The Tinder Swindler – a male Anna Sorokin?
This website is about justice and equity, and so today it's about the Tinder Swindler. It's only fair that I give equal time to a male who's similar to fraudster Anna Sorokin whom I've blogged about here and elsewhere. I have less info about the the Tinder Swindler —Netflix's name for him— than I did about Sorokin, so I promise to add second blog soon about another male who preys financially on women, the Casanova Scammer. And in order not to discriminate visually as well, I'll … [Read more...]
CRIME INVESTIGATION Tutorial IV – Silent Witnesses talk.
This blog looks at the recent history of forensics allowing increasing numbers of silent witnesses to testify in criminal trials. What're silent witnesses? All those essential non-human bits of evidence - like fingerprints, blood, clothing, documents - that don't talk. Readers and writers of traditional Who-Done-It's love old-fashioned evidence. And here and here are former tutorials and a textbook on evidence-gathering. However, this history should be useful to those writing … [Read more...]
CRIME INVESTIGATION Tutorial III— fingerprint techniques.
Officer TenDigits* here, Welcome students, mystery writers, and true crime authors. Oh, and any others seeking info about fingerprint techniques. Whatever your reasons to master this arcane subject, be sure to check out the other fingerprint tutorials in this series. Go here and here. Another similar tutorial's coming soon. In today's class, ahem, I won't be talking about any newly-created forensics methods requiring gold and zinc that local police jurisdictions can use. … [Read more...]