CSI: The Spikol Chronicles
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I've always been interested in crime, especially in the abnormal psychology of serial murderers. I've studied the topic for many years, and probably know as much as if I'd taken several classes. But I never read much "true crime." Now I find myself completely consumed by these books, each detailing several cases of murder and mayhem.
I've completely freaked myself out numerous times, thinking I heard some scratching outside—surely a murderer rather than a tree branch. It's like when you go camping as a kid and everyone tells ghost stories. Suggested terror.
When I was living in Austin, there were two rapists at work: the Hyde Park Rapist and the Mopac Rapist. It's not clear to me if the two were the same person or not. But the city lived in fear. When I thought about moving to Hyde Park, I was told not to because of the rapist. The attacks had been going on for years. The cases were cold.
During this time, I became friendly with a guy who was always on the verge of violence. His name was Christopher, and he was enraged that his wife—from whom he was separated—was having an affair with my best friend. He'd show up at our grad school parties, the ultimate "townie," and threaten my friend with a gun. In Texas, that's not so unusual; every car and pickup had a gun rack, and I became accustomed to firearms. But Christopher, holding a gun in one hand, a bottle of Jack in the other, seemed more likely to use it. Still, I'd hang out with him and be consoling. I could imagine how it tortured him, watching his beloved and beautiful wife with another guy. I felt sorry for Christopher, and I tried to help.
A couple years after I got back to Philly, I got a phone call. They caught the Mopac rapist. It was Christopher.
I was stunned. As a rape survivor, I felt like I should have known. But he had operated for years—dozens of victims—and eluded capture. I shouldn't feel guilty about it, but I do.
That experience is what animates much of my interest in crime. How could I be so close to someone and not see the predator? Ann Rule, a former cop, had a similar (and far more dramatic) experience when she worked with Ted Bundy and became friendly with him. When she later found out who he was, she was shocked.
Part of the attraction I have is based on imagining myself in the different situations—not as the victim, but as the killer. I can't stop asking the question: What makes the difference between someone who thinks dark thoughts and someone who acts on them? What am I capable of? I know what it's like to have my perception of things completely distorted. I was violent when my mental illness was at its worst. I had bizarre inclinations.
But I never did anything illegal, or even particularly interesting. What is the line between madness, anger and illness, and murder? What accounts for taking the next step?
Obviously, I know I'm not a sociopath. My shrink laughed at me when I told him this stuff. A forensic psychiatrist, he gave me an article about psycopathic personalities. I mailed it back with a note: "I'm not a psycopath after all. Thanks!" I was relieved.
Anyhoo, I'm tired of thinking about all this stuff. I think I have to give Ann Rule a rest. I bought Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem, which I hear is excellent. It's about a detective with Tourette's. So still has the crime component, but compared to what I've been reading, it'll be fun.
[Photo of Ann Rule dressed for her senior play at Coatsville High.]
Comments
I'm a Washingtonian (that's Washington State resident to you, I guess...I'm not even sure that is what we call ourselves.) I lived in Seattle for 4 years, quite near a part of the Green River, actually. I used to jog on a trail by it.
Rule is masterful, but, I can only take so much.
My favorites were Small Sacrifices and Everything She Ever Wanted. When or if I ever get in the mood again for true crime, I'll head to Rule. Thanks for the link.
The Motherless Brooklyn looks like an interesting title.
Posted by: beagle | March 30, 2006 12:39 PM
That's pretty weird about the guy you felt uncomfortable with but did not know was a rapist. You just never know who can be holding back something like that (very close encounter). It's not your fault.
As for sleep, have you tried Zyprexa (is that how you spell it?). It gave me my first sleep after years of being awake at any time of the night.
Good luck.
Posted by: Gena | March 30, 2006 10:38 PM
Funny that you mention it as I was just thinking about the Purple Rain tour & talking about it to some other friends who were born just a cpl of yrs before Purple Rain was released. I too saw Prince on the Purple Rain Tour. & I remember it like it was yesterday & not 22 years ago. It was I believe on the day after Thanksgiving, 1984. & it was @ the Spectrum. & wowie-zowie, that show was indeed the coolest and also the loudest show ever. Not even subsequent death metal &/or punk shows I saw later on in the 80's @ either City Gardens or in West Philly were anywhere near the db's Prince was blowin that night. But I'm still mesmerized by "Mr Nelson" and do totally dig his new CD an awful lot.
Posted by: John Cecil Price | March 31, 2006 04:22 PM
When I was living in Austin as an undergraduate at UT, my neighbor was the last victim of Christopher Dye. She was the only one who was stabbed, in the back in this case, after being raped on a cold night in January of 1995. Me and the other residents of our small apartment complex administered first aid until the ambulance got there. It was one of the scariest nights of my life, especially when the police told us later that night/morning that the rapist was a serial rapist and had probably been watching all of us. I was told that I was lucky I was living on the second floor, since the Mopac rapist only struck first floor apartments. It took me a long time to get over the feeling that I was still being followed. About a year later, I was in the coffee shop I had frequented my first year in Austin during the time of the attack, Rutamaya on Rio Grande, when Ryan, the owner, stopped me and told me the rapist had been caught (I had gone there as soon as the shop opened after the police had interviewed me the morning of the attack because I was fairly new in town and they were the only people I really knew). Then he told me to sit down--"it was Christopher, you know, the guy that used to come in here on chess tournament nights?" I had played chess with him many times, leaving the coffee shop at 1 or 2 a.m. to go home alone to the apartment where the last attack had happened. Had I led him inadvertently to his last victim? Had he been following me, but changed his mind when he saw I lived on the second floor?? I, like you, have lived with guilt over that, even though I know rationally that it wasn't my fault. There was a woman who used to close the coffee shop, I can't remember her name now, who told me after his arrest that Christopher used to walk her to her car and warn her about how she needed to be careful because there were dangerous people out there in the dark. I believe Christopher died in prison not too long after his arrest. Years later, I was being treated for anxiety, this was in Tucson where I went to graduate school, when another neighbor was raped and stabbed. My therapist was trying to tell me that my anxiety, not entirely based on what happened in Austin, but definitely related, was based on the possiblity of very unlikely events. And I asked her, "How many people do you know who have had two neighbors raped and stabbed??" She had nothing to say to that.
Posted by: Cathy Hicks Kennard | October 7, 2006 01:31 PM
I was watching a show on Biography about another guy that seemed "normal" and was later convicted of killing his wife. This got me thinking about Christopher Dye, I Googled his name and found this article.
My connection with Christopher is that I sublet a room from him my senior year at The University of Texas in 1994-95. From reading the newspaper articles after he was caught, I believe I worked out that he raped around 5 women during the time I (and a friend of mine) lived in the same house as him and we never suspected a thing.
Christopher helped me check out the first car I bought at his Dad's autoshop, took me out for dinner with friends on my birthday, and was generally very polite. Reading other's experience with him above was very interesting - I never realized he had expressed some violent actions to anyone other that those he raped. Finding out what he did certainly opened my eyes to how you can never know what is lying below the surface of people you meet and how initial and superficial impressions can be completely wrong.
I certainly still have a bit of guilt over not noticing anything during the 10 months I lived with Chris. But other than one night when I ran into him in the kitchen and he seemed a little out of it (possibly, he was on meth at the time) I never noticed anything even remotely suspicious. I'm not positive, but this very well could have been the night he stabbed someone.
I found the fact that he reportedly plead guilty and asked for the maximum sentence very odd - that's not sometime you hear of happening in most rape cases.
Anyway, I always wished I had guessed something was amiss and been able to give the tip that led to him not being able to rape any more women, but it does help finding out that he fooled lots of other people as well.
I'm more cautious about people after my experience with Chris, but I try to not let it get to me so much that I can't trust anyone. I hope that other's who were misled by him have been able to adjust and still put their trust in those that deserve it.
Posted by: Daniel | December 14, 2006 05:16 PM
I know this is an old post but I was just thinking about people I used to know that I knew had gone astray and I goggled Chris and got your page. I knew Chris and his family since he was a small boy. I lived up the street and used to babysit him (talk about guilt of did I do anything) his real father (not Dye)abused his mom, who was the sweetest woman and died of cancer when he was young. I beleive he had deep issuses due to this. He was also very subconscience about his size being a small man. This is just my oppinion. He was a totally different person when his mom was still alive.
Posted by: Wendy Lambert | October 11, 2007 02:53 AM