The Batlord

So like, as internet weirdos I'm sure we've all spent at least some time looking up serial killers, so here's a thread where we can just talk about whatever the **** we want to related to serial killers.

Note: Consider this a safe zone for people interested in psychopathic murderers, so if anyone wants to come in and complain about how Ted Bundy gets all the press whereas his victims are forgotten, then this is not the thread for you. There's a reason why serial killers get remembered and their victims do not: what killers do is notably interesting, unlike normal people who generally do nothing more of note than anyone else. Just saying.


I was recently watching a Stone Phillips interview with Jeffrey Dahmer and it struck me just how normal the dude sounded. I know that's kind of a cliche when talking about serial killers, but so many of them KINDA sound like normal people, but still have that thing about them that is not quite so normal. When talking about their crimes they often come across as bragging, or at least like they're reliving their crimes while all of us just happen to be watching. Or you have someone like Ted Bundy who comes across like a politician, saying exactly what he thinks you want to hear, but like he's on cocaine because he's so hyped up on the thought of you hearing about how awesome he is.

But Dahmer just seems like he has no interest in what he's done. Not so much like he's ashamed, but like he's answering questions and not trying to take control of the interview away from the interviewer just so he can grab as much attention as he possibly can.

For most of the interview he come across as legitimately normal in a way that most don't, in a way that I can actually see myself enjoying a conversation with him. He breaks the spell when he talks about how he's accepted Jesus as his savior (not criticising Christianity, just Jeffrey Dahmer's interpretation of it), and how he believes that morality is entirely derived from the edicts of God. It's clear from his religious views that he has no conscience, and cannot contemplate the conscience of those who do have one, so he can only understand the idea as a series of restrictive laws to keep people in line as if there was nothing innate within them keeping them from murdering, raping, and stealing everything not nailed down.

But yeah, other than that Dahmer comes across as normal in a way that is abnormal even for the serial killers I've seen in interviews. It's also highly, HIGHLY unusual just how honest, forthright, and disinterested in not making himself look like a victim he is.

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