http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Luka+Rocco+Magnotta+girlfriend+talks+about+dark+romance+with+video/6757995/story.html
1. Quote his former lover: "He confessed to her about being routinely sexually abused by an older man when he was a child - a trauma he then deliberately relived with older men in the sex trade."
In my personality profile, I proposed that Eric Newman/Luka Magnotta was harbouring deep-seated feelings of rage against his father. Now with the revelations of the alleged sexual abuse at the hands of an "older man," it is possible that this unidentified adult male figure may have been the primary object of hatred in his revenge fantasies.
2. Regarding Magnotta's body dysmorphic disorder and obsession with plastic surgery.We have seen that Eric Newman adopted at least two replacement names, Luka Magnotta and Vladimir Romanov, in an attempt to make himself in a new image. He photoshopped himself into glamorous pictures to portray himself as a successful model and high roller, when in reality he had filed for bankruptcy. His body dismorphic disorder and constant need for plastic surgery should therefore come as no surprise to us. Magnotta may have believed that he hated his body for its perceived imperfections, but in reality this would have been more reflective of his desire to annihilate every last vestige of "Eric Newman" - the neglected, molestation victim. Juxtapose this against the fact that he dismembered his victim, and we have a portrait of a killer who believes that a person's essence can be destroyed by physically altering it.
3. Quote Magnotta: "If I don't have my body - if I don't have my looks, then I don't have any life."
I commented in my profile that Newman's career as an escort and porn star would have been jeopardized by his advancing age. This quote gives credence to that theory, but also reinforces his aforementioned obsession with re-creating himself.
Having watched the 1 lunatic 1 ice pick video twice now, I have also arrived at the conclusion that Magnotta did not actually have sexual intercourse with the corpse, nor did he cannibalize it. Instead, the video was staged to draw as much attention to himself as possible. Don't agree? Ask yourself this: why don't we see Magnotta's penis entering or exiting the victim's anus at any time during the video? We see him making thrusting motions against him with his hips, but no actual penile penetration. He also goes to great lengths to show himself cutting out a portion of the victim's buttocks and skewering it on a fork, but we do not see him eating it.
If we now consider the extent that Magnotta has gone to in order to fake the level of his depravity, and the fact that his victim was his lover and not a stranger, the probability that he is a serial killer plummets significantly.
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Friday, 1 June 2012
Luka Magnotta - Who he is, and what to expect.
Luka Rocco Magnotta (aka Eric Newman) - A Personality Profile
In order to understand the way that a murderer operates psychologically, we must examine his acts; relationship to his victim(s); childhood; and his adult life leading up to the first homicide. Using this analysis of the information currently available, I will now attempt to construct a psychological portrait of the fugitive Luka Magnotta so that we might understand the motivations for his horrific acts, and hopefully, predict his future behaviour.
According to an anonymous relative who knew Magnotta since childhood when he was simply "Eric Newman", the future murderer came from a "very dysfunctional" family, spent his early years in Scarborough, and was raised by his grandparents in Lindsay, Ontario. "The essence of this whole story is parenting or the lack of," the relative explained. Newman and his younger cousin Louis Yourkin, now in a Peterborough court facing gun and drug trafficking charges, were reared chiefly by their biological grandmother, Phyllis Yourkin, described as "... the typical matriarch of the family. She is very domineering, controlling and if you have a submissive personality, she will beat you up and do what she wants." Newman's upbringing has also been depicted as structureless.
Recent studies in lust murder have indicated that, more so than physical or sexual abuse, parental neglect is instrumental in the development of sexually sadistic tendencies. Starved of affection and attention, a neglected child may not form the ability to empathize normally. Left alone, he may spend an inordinate amount of time in a world of fantasy, coloured by resentment over his abandonment. This anger, combined with fantasy, will often lead to the playing out of elaborate violent scenarios in the child's head. As the content of his thoughts and actions are either unknown or disregarded by his caretakers, there is simply nobody to intervene to stop these recurring psychological rituals of violence. When the child reaches puberty, and begins his sexual development, eroticism also enters his wicked fantasies. The child thus sexualizes aggression and violence, masturbating to mental images and scenarios such as torture or mutilation - ideas that people who have gone through a "normal" sexual development would find appalling.
This is what I believe happened to young Eric Newman. A former transvestite lover has claimed that Newman both hated his biological father and had very little interest in sex, unless for profit. I propose that Newman grew up harbouring violent fantasies towards his birth father, which may have taken on sexual overtones as he reached adolescence. Though Newman has repeatedly stated that he is bisexual or only participates in homosexual pornography for the cash, given his history, this is likely either a lie or self deception. Newman is not only a homosexual in denial, but also a gay sexual sadist. This explains his lack of interest in conventional sex with either gender. Newman's sexuality has developed in such a way that he can only be fully satisfied by acting out violent sexual acts. Among his various paraphilias, I have identified the following:
- Picquerism: sexual gratification gained from piercing the skin with a sharp object
- Necrophilia: sexual attraction to corpses
- Paraphilic cannibalism: sexual gratification gained from the ingestion of human flesh
- Paraphilic dismemberment: sexual gratification gained from amputating a victim's appendages
- Sexual sadism: sexual gratification from witnessing pain and submission in a victim's body language.
Fundamental to understanding Newman's personality is recognizing his extreme narcissism and psychopathy. Judging by his online exploits alone, there is ample evidence to support a diagnosis of both personality disorders. This narcissism probably developed as a means of counterbalancing the feelings of self loathing he developed growing up due to parental neglect, and his ego-dystonia concerning his homosexuality. Though narcissists are known for their arrogance and perceived superiority, this is almost always underscored by a deep inferiority complex. Their self images are either grossly inflated or delusional, and when these paradigms are challenged by reality, the narcissist's fragile esteem is shattered. The result is often intense anger or depression, as the narcissist is confronted by what he knows deep down inside: that his entire reality and sense of self are completely fraudulent.
Given his upbringing and aberrant psychology, it is unsurprising that Eric Newman decided to change his name to the more exotic sounding "Luka Rocco Magnotta" and sought to reinvent himself as a homosexual sex symbol and model. In his narcissistic mind, he had shed the misery of "unloved Eric Newman from Lindsay," emerging as the glamorous and coveted star Luka Magnotta. Of course, in reality he possessed no exceptional talent or appeal, and was simply prostituting his young body to people who objectified him. Despite small successes here and there, ultimately he would have remained financially unstable or in a state of dependence on an older man. In all probability, he spent his twenties waiting for the big break that never came. Along the way he used the internet to orchestrate numerous publicity stunts to bring attention to himself - the alleged relationship with Karla Homolka may be a prime example of this. Throughout his twenties, Magnotta maintained his secret life of violent fantasy, suffocating kittens in plastic bags to satisfy his sadistic tendencies. The posting of videos of this animal abuse online implies that he derived a thrill from knowing that his work was also causing emotional upset and outrage to animal lovers all over the world. By videotaping the murder of a cat, Magnotta was not only hurting the animal, but also the millions of people who love and wish to protect them. This can almost be viewed as a form of "sadism by proxy."
Enter 2012. At the age of twenty-nine, Luka Magnotta found himself confronted with the fact that his body was getting past its prime, and that his "career" was going nowhere. As an extreme narcissist, the thought of giving up and accepting a regular job would have been psychologically impossible for him. Furthermore, he still carried a deep need for attention, stemming from the neglect he experienced in childhood. This brings us to the murder.
Recent news reports tell us that the victim was a Chinese student who was Magnotta's boyfriend. Past lovers have informed us that Magnotta had a frightening temper and was extremely difficult to get along with. With "the career that never happened" weighing on his mind, and possibly sensing that the one person propping up his fragile self worth - his boyfriend - would soon leave him, Luka Magnotta caved in to the pressure. This does not necessarily indicate a psychotic break, in which he "went insane." Rather, with the weight of the world on his shoulders and little to lose, he finally submitted to the sadistic fantasies he had been keeping at bay all of his life. The murder, overkill, dismemberment and post-mortem rape of his boyfriend/victim would thus have comprised a major psycho-sexual release for Magnotta - the realization of all of his darkest sexual desires and rage in a single gruesome homicide. Emotionally, this would have resulted in a profound sense of catharsis. At least for the time being... until the desires begin to rebuild.
Knowing that he would be linked to the murder, Magnotta decided to use his horrific acts to propel himself to the superstardom that had eluded him his whole life. He had forsaken conventional notions of success as an actor and model, for the notoriety of being one of Canada's most heinous sex murderers. This is why Magnotta posted the snuff video on the internet; why the body parts were shipped to the highest offices of government in Canada. His statement was entirely non-political, and geared towards garnering as much international attention as possible. In doing so, Luka Magnotta finally embraced his true nature - a heartless depraved sadistic killer and pervert - while simultaneously demanding the attention he had strove for his whole life.
At the time of this writing, Luka Magnotta remains on the run. Some claim he may have absconded to Europe. One thing is certain however: he will kill again. With his bank accounts and credit cards monitored and/or frozen, and an APB put out for any vehicle known to be in his possession, sooner or later Magnotta will be forced to obtain cash or a fresh set of wheels. The likelihood that he will rob and murder to do so is extremely high, though these slayings may be less elaborate and more utilitarian than his first known murder. I believe that Magnotta will stick chiefly to urban and suburban centres where he is comfortable, will fit in easier, and be able to access the luxuries his narcissism craves. The key to catching him will be to play upon his need for attention. If possible, lines of communication should be established between Magnotta and the police, with a "supercop" type character emerging with whom the killer can develop a rapport. It is through these channels that he will give himself away. Despite his claims to desiring a life of solitude, Luka Magnotta can not go away. He will be forever the shunned boy acting out for attention.
One final question should be addressed before we reach the end of this analysis: has Luka Magnotta/Eric Newman killed before? This is a difficult poser for a number of reasons. The fact that his first known victim was a lover seems to indicate that domestic problems may have been responsible for this homicide. Serial killers tend to target strangers only, so this could indicate that, though he is extremely vicious and sexually deviant, the Chinese lover could be Magnotta's first homicide victim. At the same time, the slaying involved dismemberment, picquerism, various necrophilist acts, potential cannibalism, and the mailing of body parts to political parties. That Luka Magnotta could go from killing kittens to this Dahmeresque level of depravity without a preliminary murder is comparable to going from 2 to 9 without hitting any of the numbers inbetween. Considering this, I would not be surprised to find that Magnotta was responsible for at least one or two previous homicides. I can also predict with greater certainty, that unless he is swiftly brought to justice, he will kill again.
The likelihood of Magnotta committing suicide is about 50% - he might want to bask in the attention of being Canada's new #1 sicko, or alternatively, his narcissism could spur him to take his own life simply in order to retain control and minimize his own suffering. If apprehended, I expect him to be extremely manipulative and to toy with police - confessing to murders he did not commit, withholding information, lying, and generally playing games. With no structure in his childhood and narcissistic traits, he is simply unable to comply with authority.
In conclusion, let us hope that this extremely dangerous individual is put behind bars before another man endures a similarly agonizing death and degradation. This may or may not be Magnotta's first, but it won't be his last. Presented with the right opportunities, he is likely to escalate the depravitiy of his crimes. Given his starting point, the fate that could befall subsequent victims is almost incomprehensible.
Lee Mellor, author of "Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder"; June 1, 2012
In order to understand the way that a murderer operates psychologically, we must examine his acts; relationship to his victim(s); childhood; and his adult life leading up to the first homicide. Using this analysis of the information currently available, I will now attempt to construct a psychological portrait of the fugitive Luka Magnotta so that we might understand the motivations for his horrific acts, and hopefully, predict his future behaviour.
According to an anonymous relative who knew Magnotta since childhood when he was simply "Eric Newman", the future murderer came from a "very dysfunctional" family, spent his early years in Scarborough, and was raised by his grandparents in Lindsay, Ontario. "The essence of this whole story is parenting or the lack of," the relative explained. Newman and his younger cousin Louis Yourkin, now in a Peterborough court facing gun and drug trafficking charges, were reared chiefly by their biological grandmother, Phyllis Yourkin, described as "... the typical matriarch of the family. She is very domineering, controlling and if you have a submissive personality, she will beat you up and do what she wants." Newman's upbringing has also been depicted as structureless.
Recent studies in lust murder have indicated that, more so than physical or sexual abuse, parental neglect is instrumental in the development of sexually sadistic tendencies. Starved of affection and attention, a neglected child may not form the ability to empathize normally. Left alone, he may spend an inordinate amount of time in a world of fantasy, coloured by resentment over his abandonment. This anger, combined with fantasy, will often lead to the playing out of elaborate violent scenarios in the child's head. As the content of his thoughts and actions are either unknown or disregarded by his caretakers, there is simply nobody to intervene to stop these recurring psychological rituals of violence. When the child reaches puberty, and begins his sexual development, eroticism also enters his wicked fantasies. The child thus sexualizes aggression and violence, masturbating to mental images and scenarios such as torture or mutilation - ideas that people who have gone through a "normal" sexual development would find appalling.
This is what I believe happened to young Eric Newman. A former transvestite lover has claimed that Newman both hated his biological father and had very little interest in sex, unless for profit. I propose that Newman grew up harbouring violent fantasies towards his birth father, which may have taken on sexual overtones as he reached adolescence. Though Newman has repeatedly stated that he is bisexual or only participates in homosexual pornography for the cash, given his history, this is likely either a lie or self deception. Newman is not only a homosexual in denial, but also a gay sexual sadist. This explains his lack of interest in conventional sex with either gender. Newman's sexuality has developed in such a way that he can only be fully satisfied by acting out violent sexual acts. Among his various paraphilias, I have identified the following:
- Picquerism: sexual gratification gained from piercing the skin with a sharp object
- Necrophilia: sexual attraction to corpses
- Paraphilic cannibalism: sexual gratification gained from the ingestion of human flesh
- Paraphilic dismemberment: sexual gratification gained from amputating a victim's appendages
- Sexual sadism: sexual gratification from witnessing pain and submission in a victim's body language.
Fundamental to understanding Newman's personality is recognizing his extreme narcissism and psychopathy. Judging by his online exploits alone, there is ample evidence to support a diagnosis of both personality disorders. This narcissism probably developed as a means of counterbalancing the feelings of self loathing he developed growing up due to parental neglect, and his ego-dystonia concerning his homosexuality. Though narcissists are known for their arrogance and perceived superiority, this is almost always underscored by a deep inferiority complex. Their self images are either grossly inflated or delusional, and when these paradigms are challenged by reality, the narcissist's fragile esteem is shattered. The result is often intense anger or depression, as the narcissist is confronted by what he knows deep down inside: that his entire reality and sense of self are completely fraudulent.
Given his upbringing and aberrant psychology, it is unsurprising that Eric Newman decided to change his name to the more exotic sounding "Luka Rocco Magnotta" and sought to reinvent himself as a homosexual sex symbol and model. In his narcissistic mind, he had shed the misery of "unloved Eric Newman from Lindsay," emerging as the glamorous and coveted star Luka Magnotta. Of course, in reality he possessed no exceptional talent or appeal, and was simply prostituting his young body to people who objectified him. Despite small successes here and there, ultimately he would have remained financially unstable or in a state of dependence on an older man. In all probability, he spent his twenties waiting for the big break that never came. Along the way he used the internet to orchestrate numerous publicity stunts to bring attention to himself - the alleged relationship with Karla Homolka may be a prime example of this. Throughout his twenties, Magnotta maintained his secret life of violent fantasy, suffocating kittens in plastic bags to satisfy his sadistic tendencies. The posting of videos of this animal abuse online implies that he derived a thrill from knowing that his work was also causing emotional upset and outrage to animal lovers all over the world. By videotaping the murder of a cat, Magnotta was not only hurting the animal, but also the millions of people who love and wish to protect them. This can almost be viewed as a form of "sadism by proxy."
Enter 2012. At the age of twenty-nine, Luka Magnotta found himself confronted with the fact that his body was getting past its prime, and that his "career" was going nowhere. As an extreme narcissist, the thought of giving up and accepting a regular job would have been psychologically impossible for him. Furthermore, he still carried a deep need for attention, stemming from the neglect he experienced in childhood. This brings us to the murder.
Recent news reports tell us that the victim was a Chinese student who was Magnotta's boyfriend. Past lovers have informed us that Magnotta had a frightening temper and was extremely difficult to get along with. With "the career that never happened" weighing on his mind, and possibly sensing that the one person propping up his fragile self worth - his boyfriend - would soon leave him, Luka Magnotta caved in to the pressure. This does not necessarily indicate a psychotic break, in which he "went insane." Rather, with the weight of the world on his shoulders and little to lose, he finally submitted to the sadistic fantasies he had been keeping at bay all of his life. The murder, overkill, dismemberment and post-mortem rape of his boyfriend/victim would thus have comprised a major psycho-sexual release for Magnotta - the realization of all of his darkest sexual desires and rage in a single gruesome homicide. Emotionally, this would have resulted in a profound sense of catharsis. At least for the time being... until the desires begin to rebuild.
Knowing that he would be linked to the murder, Magnotta decided to use his horrific acts to propel himself to the superstardom that had eluded him his whole life. He had forsaken conventional notions of success as an actor and model, for the notoriety of being one of Canada's most heinous sex murderers. This is why Magnotta posted the snuff video on the internet; why the body parts were shipped to the highest offices of government in Canada. His statement was entirely non-political, and geared towards garnering as much international attention as possible. In doing so, Luka Magnotta finally embraced his true nature - a heartless depraved sadistic killer and pervert - while simultaneously demanding the attention he had strove for his whole life.
At the time of this writing, Luka Magnotta remains on the run. Some claim he may have absconded to Europe. One thing is certain however: he will kill again. With his bank accounts and credit cards monitored and/or frozen, and an APB put out for any vehicle known to be in his possession, sooner or later Magnotta will be forced to obtain cash or a fresh set of wheels. The likelihood that he will rob and murder to do so is extremely high, though these slayings may be less elaborate and more utilitarian than his first known murder. I believe that Magnotta will stick chiefly to urban and suburban centres where he is comfortable, will fit in easier, and be able to access the luxuries his narcissism craves. The key to catching him will be to play upon his need for attention. If possible, lines of communication should be established between Magnotta and the police, with a "supercop" type character emerging with whom the killer can develop a rapport. It is through these channels that he will give himself away. Despite his claims to desiring a life of solitude, Luka Magnotta can not go away. He will be forever the shunned boy acting out for attention.
One final question should be addressed before we reach the end of this analysis: has Luka Magnotta/Eric Newman killed before? This is a difficult poser for a number of reasons. The fact that his first known victim was a lover seems to indicate that domestic problems may have been responsible for this homicide. Serial killers tend to target strangers only, so this could indicate that, though he is extremely vicious and sexually deviant, the Chinese lover could be Magnotta's first homicide victim. At the same time, the slaying involved dismemberment, picquerism, various necrophilist acts, potential cannibalism, and the mailing of body parts to political parties. That Luka Magnotta could go from killing kittens to this Dahmeresque level of depravity without a preliminary murder is comparable to going from 2 to 9 without hitting any of the numbers inbetween. Considering this, I would not be surprised to find that Magnotta was responsible for at least one or two previous homicides. I can also predict with greater certainty, that unless he is swiftly brought to justice, he will kill again.
The likelihood of Magnotta committing suicide is about 50% - he might want to bask in the attention of being Canada's new #1 sicko, or alternatively, his narcissism could spur him to take his own life simply in order to retain control and minimize his own suffering. If apprehended, I expect him to be extremely manipulative and to toy with police - confessing to murders he did not commit, withholding information, lying, and generally playing games. With no structure in his childhood and narcissistic traits, he is simply unable to comply with authority.
In conclusion, let us hope that this extremely dangerous individual is put behind bars before another man endures a similarly agonizing death and degradation. This may or may not be Magnotta's first, but it won't be his last. Presented with the right opportunities, he is likely to escalate the depravitiy of his crimes. Given his starting point, the fate that could befall subsequent victims is almost incomprehensible.
Lee Mellor, author of "Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder"; June 1, 2012
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Errata for Cold North Killers
Writing a book on 60 different cases of Canadian serial homicide was an enormous challenge, and I anticipated there would be some errors on my behalf along the way. Recently, some of these have been brought to my attention by the public, so I would like to start an Errata section here to address any mistakes in my research that may have occurred. If there is a second edition of the book, I will ensure that each of the following changes are made:
William Dean Christensen
1) I misspelled the victim Michele Angier's name "Michelle Angiers." All of the newspapers I had read also had used the spelling "Angiers" so I assumed it was correct. I would like to apologize to the victim's family for this mistake.
2) The misspelling of Dickson City, PA as "Dixon City" in multiple newspapers led me to believe that the Angier homicide had taken place in "Dixon, PA" instead. The correct location was "Dickson City."
Angelo Colalillo
1) I failed to note that Colalillo was released from prison sometime before his 1993 murders of Speich and Cefali. The way the book currently reads, it seems that he was incarcerated from 1987-1998, but in fact this was two separate prison stints. Colalillo was convicted and went back inside for a second time in 1993. This error was one I replicated from newspaper sources.
David Threinen
1) I misspelled the victim Kathy Scott's name "Cathy." Most of the newspapers I had read also had used the spelling "Cathy" so I assumed it was correct. My apologies to the Scott family.
Melissa Ann Friedrich
1) I claimed that Friedrich was incarcerated at Kingston Penitentiary when the actual location was the women's prison across the street. My error was in believing that both institutions were under the same administration.
2) For some reason I stated that Friedrich was sentenced to eight years in prison, when in reality it was six. I checked my sources, and none of them said eight, so I'm not sure what the explanation for this error was, beyond being a simple oversight.
Donald Eric Armstrong
1) In in a brief Toronto Star article on the case, a sentence read "Anxiously waiting is Kathy Caughlin, whose sister Karen Lee, 14, was killed..." I assumed that Kathy Caughlin simply had a different last name than her sister through marriage, or different fathers etc. Now I see that Karen's name was actually Karen Lee Caughlin. I'm not sure why the author of the article chose to write it in such a confusing way, but unfortunately this led me to write the victim's name down as Karen Lee. My apologies to the Caughlin family.
William Dean Christensen
1) I misspelled the victim Michele Angier's name "Michelle Angiers." All of the newspapers I had read also had used the spelling "Angiers" so I assumed it was correct. I would like to apologize to the victim's family for this mistake.
2) The misspelling of Dickson City, PA as "Dixon City" in multiple newspapers led me to believe that the Angier homicide had taken place in "Dixon, PA" instead. The correct location was "Dickson City."
Angelo Colalillo
1) I failed to note that Colalillo was released from prison sometime before his 1993 murders of Speich and Cefali. The way the book currently reads, it seems that he was incarcerated from 1987-1998, but in fact this was two separate prison stints. Colalillo was convicted and went back inside for a second time in 1993. This error was one I replicated from newspaper sources.
David Threinen
1) I misspelled the victim Kathy Scott's name "Cathy." Most of the newspapers I had read also had used the spelling "Cathy" so I assumed it was correct. My apologies to the Scott family.
Melissa Ann Friedrich
1) I claimed that Friedrich was incarcerated at Kingston Penitentiary when the actual location was the women's prison across the street. My error was in believing that both institutions were under the same administration.
2) For some reason I stated that Friedrich was sentenced to eight years in prison, when in reality it was six. I checked my sources, and none of them said eight, so I'm not sure what the explanation for this error was, beyond being a simple oversight.
Donald Eric Armstrong
1) In in a brief Toronto Star article on the case, a sentence read "Anxiously waiting is Kathy Caughlin, whose sister Karen Lee, 14, was killed..." I assumed that Kathy Caughlin simply had a different last name than her sister through marriage, or different fathers etc. Now I see that Karen's name was actually Karen Lee Caughlin. I'm not sure why the author of the article chose to write it in such a confusing way, but unfortunately this led me to write the victim's name down as Karen Lee. My apologies to the Caughlin family.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
The book is out, and I'm making news!
Hi everyone,
Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder is officially available in bookstores across Canada, and I've been doing a ton of interviews, both in print and radio. Here's some links for you to check out:
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1312160--varaschin-murder-loder-attack-human-remains-discovered - Speaking to the Orangeville Banner about the murder of Sonia Varaschin, the attack on Shelley Loder, and local serial killer David Snow.
http://www.thestuphfile.com/podcast-0133.htm - Radio inteview with Global's Peter Anthony Holder on his Stuph File podcast. I discuss the process of writing the book, why prostitutes are at particular risk for serial murder, and the role of fantasy in the development of a sexual predator.
http://serialkillers.briancombs.net/3093/interview-lee-mellor-author-of-cold-north-killers-canadian-serial-murder/ - Brian Combs runs a podcast on serial killers out of Austin, Texas. He interviewed me about the book and serial murder in Canada. Lots of topics covered here!
Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder is officially available in bookstores across Canada, and I've been doing a ton of interviews, both in print and radio. Here's some links for you to check out:
http://www.orangeville.com/news/local/article/1312160--varaschin-murder-loder-attack-human-remains-discovered - Speaking to the Orangeville Banner about the murder of Sonia Varaschin, the attack on Shelley Loder, and local serial killer David Snow.
http://www.thestuphfile.com/podcast-0133.htm - Radio inteview with Global's Peter Anthony Holder on his Stuph File podcast. I discuss the process of writing the book, why prostitutes are at particular risk for serial murder, and the role of fantasy in the development of a sexual predator.
http://serialkillers.briancombs.net/3093/interview-lee-mellor-author-of-cold-north-killers-canadian-serial-murder/ - Brian Combs runs a podcast on serial killers out of Austin, Texas. He interviewed me about the book and serial murder in Canada. Lots of topics covered here!
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Hamilton Stabber caught. Also tied to two murders!
http://www.thespec.com/iphone/topstories/article/662264
The man conducting the stabbing attacks in Hamilton has been caught. Even more astoundingly, he has been linked to two murders. I originally posted about the Hamilton Stabber as a good suspect in the Audrey Gleave murder. If you notice, he meets many of the major points on my Audrey Gleave UNSUB profile. Does he have any ties to the Lynden area? As a disorganized offender, it's hard to envision Mr. Cafe using his bike to travel as far as Lynden. Usually they stay local. However, if he had a reason to be in the area during the Christmas holidays of 2010, he becomes a prime suspect. Now it's just a matter of waiting to see how this plays out. Hopefully we will learn more about Mr. Cafe's background as the story develops. Also the distance from his neighbourhood to Lynden is only 14 KM. It's certainly not impossible.
The man conducting the stabbing attacks in Hamilton has been caught. Even more astoundingly, he has been linked to two murders. I originally posted about the Hamilton Stabber as a good suspect in the Audrey Gleave murder. If you notice, he meets many of the major points on my Audrey Gleave UNSUB profile. Does he have any ties to the Lynden area? As a disorganized offender, it's hard to envision Mr. Cafe using his bike to travel as far as Lynden. Usually they stay local. However, if he had a reason to be in the area during the Christmas holidays of 2010, he becomes a prime suspect. Now it's just a matter of waiting to see how this plays out. Hopefully we will learn more about Mr. Cafe's background as the story develops. Also the distance from his neighbourhood to Lynden is only 14 KM. It's certainly not impossible.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
"Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder" now has a Facebook page.
Cold North Killers hits Canadian bookshelves in less than two months - March 3. I've created a Facebook page to promote the book. It'll give you a sneak peak into some of the material, and provides a space for readers to leave questions or comments. Please "like" the page to show your support and receive daily updates.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cold-North-Killers-Canadian-Serial-Murder/206402442704110
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cold-North-Killers-Canadian-Serial-Murder/206402442704110
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