Posts Tagged ‘David Berkowitz’

In the world of Jack Thompson and Fox News, violence would cease to exist if it weren’t for those pesky video games. There’s just one wee little problem. None of these killers were alive during the age of video games, unless you count Pong. And last time I checked, losing a game of Pong won’t cause you to fly off the handle and go on a murderous rampage. Unless your friend unplugged your controller on a return volley and still claims claimed victory.

6. Lizzie Borden

Story – On August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally slain in their Massachusetts home. A week later, their daughter Lizzie was arrested on suspicion of murder. Police found a hatchet with handle missing in the basement, a cotton dress that Lizzie had burned in the stove, claiming she’d “smeared paint” on it. Excluded from testimony was Lizzie’s prior attempt to purchase cyanide.

Outcome – Lizzie was acquitted of the murders after jurors deliberated for an hour and a half. Look at her eyes, you’d be hard pressed to kind that kind of evil elsewhere, unless you dated my ex-girlfriend. They say the crazy ones are always the best in bed…

5. Jack the Ripper

Story: During the fall of 1888, a string of murders led Whitechapel area of London led police on the search for a suspect nicknamed Jack the Ripper. Although there is an ongoing debate as to how many victims Jack was responsible for, experts agree that 5 can be attributed to a single killer. Jack often slit the throat of his victims, mutilated the abdomen, and removed internal organs.

Outcome: Jack’s identity was never revealed and many letters written to the police are believed to be hoaxes. Jack the Ripper also went by the nickname Saucy Jacky, which makes it hard for us to take him seriously. With a name like that, I just imagine a proper Englishman trying to be evil and domineering but taking it as an invitation to drink tea and crumpets.

4. Zodiac Killer

Story: In the late 1960s, a serial killer by the name of Zodiac terrorized northern California with a string of killings. To add insult to injury, Zodiac created ciphers for local newspapers to print and solve. Hidden within the cryptograms were messages about his love of murder, new threats, and his promise to keep killing. Well at least the guy has work ethic, I’m too lazy to boil a cup of noodles these days.

Outcome: After killing 5 and injuring 2 others, the killer’s identity was never discovered. The police’s prime suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, only had circumstantial evidence linking him to any of the crimes. Allen passed a polygraph, and his fingerprints were cleared. On a search warrant, however, police found knives covered in blood in the back of his car, a day after one of the killings. Allen claimed it to be chicken blood, and really, who doesn’t have knives with chicken blood in the backseat of their car?