I feel the need to address an uncomfortable and very unpleasant subject...
This being the many false and untrue narratives which have attached themselves to the "Son of Sam" crimes. It's a subject I really don't want to discuss or think about, but I probably need to.
On occasion I would get letters from college students who are majoring in forensic psychology, criminology, or other related subjects. I've no objection to this, and I do try to answer those whom I believe to be sincere.
A disturbing aspect to this, however, is the ignorance I will sometimes encounter from the misinformation that people have been exposed to by some of the questions that are asked of me. But I don't fault any of these individuals. They're simply inquiring about things they have seen on television or read in books or articles, or online.
For example, in a photocopied page from a book sent to me to comment on, it said, "In a moment of honest transparency, he admitted to a fellow inmate that he had targeted women and couples kissing in cars to prevent the inevitable birthing of additional illegitimate children into this unforgiving world." How ridiculous!
I wonder how much this former inmate was paid by the media outlet who quoted him. I have always been extremely guarded when talking to fellow cons, especially when I am asked about matters concerning my case. In addition, most convicts seldom if ever discuss their case unless they are seeking advice from other inmates who are knowledgeable about the law, and on how to perfect an appeal.
While other questions involve the hair color of the victims. It had been speculated that this was a factor. It was not. This had merely been the guesswork of a claimed "expert."
While another was where some shootings occurred in so called "lovers’ lanes." The fact is, more attacks happened in busy well-traveled areas and in residential neighborhoods, than in places where couples gathered.
Yet another involved my alleged hatred of dogs. I have no hatred or dislike of dogs. When I visited friends who owned dogs, I would oftentimes play with their pets. In addition, after I got out of the Army I got a job with a security outfit known as IBI Security. I worked as a dog handler in a truck and rail yard in Manhattan where the dogs and I would patrol all night long.
Since we were inside the huge, enclosed yard which was several city blocks in length, I kept the dogs off their leashes to roam free with me walking alongside them. We worked the midnight shift together. They were attack dogs who let me play and wrestle with them.
Sometimes on my way to work I would stop at a local meat market to buy chopped meat for them to eat, and large pieces of fresh cut bones for them to gnaw on. I'd watch as they'd go wild with pleasure over the raw meat and bones.
There are other areas of misinformation as well, too much to list here, but all these things were merely the opinions and guesses of so called "experts" whom I never had the opportunity to challenge as one would have if they said these things in a courtroom setting.
While there is a lot of misinformation about me and the Son of Sam case out there, much of it now having already been in circulation for more than forty years, all I ask is that people keep an open mind and not be too eager to believe everything they see and here, be it from the media or any other source.
D. B.
On occasion I would get letters from college students who are majoring in forensic psychology, criminology, or other related subjects. I've no objection to this, and I do try to answer those whom I believe to be sincere.
A disturbing aspect to this, however, is the ignorance I will sometimes encounter from the misinformation that people have been exposed to by some of the questions that are asked of me. But I don't fault any of these individuals. They're simply inquiring about things they have seen on television or read in books or articles, or online.
For example, in a photocopied page from a book sent to me to comment on, it said, "In a moment of honest transparency, he admitted to a fellow inmate that he had targeted women and couples kissing in cars to prevent the inevitable birthing of additional illegitimate children into this unforgiving world." How ridiculous!
I wonder how much this former inmate was paid by the media outlet who quoted him. I have always been extremely guarded when talking to fellow cons, especially when I am asked about matters concerning my case. In addition, most convicts seldom if ever discuss their case unless they are seeking advice from other inmates who are knowledgeable about the law, and on how to perfect an appeal.
While other questions involve the hair color of the victims. It had been speculated that this was a factor. It was not. This had merely been the guesswork of a claimed "expert."
While another was where some shootings occurred in so called "lovers’ lanes." The fact is, more attacks happened in busy well-traveled areas and in residential neighborhoods, than in places where couples gathered.
Yet another involved my alleged hatred of dogs. I have no hatred or dislike of dogs. When I visited friends who owned dogs, I would oftentimes play with their pets. In addition, after I got out of the Army I got a job with a security outfit known as IBI Security. I worked as a dog handler in a truck and rail yard in Manhattan where the dogs and I would patrol all night long.
Since we were inside the huge, enclosed yard which was several city blocks in length, I kept the dogs off their leashes to roam free with me walking alongside them. We worked the midnight shift together. They were attack dogs who let me play and wrestle with them.
Sometimes on my way to work I would stop at a local meat market to buy chopped meat for them to eat, and large pieces of fresh cut bones for them to gnaw on. I'd watch as they'd go wild with pleasure over the raw meat and bones.
There are other areas of misinformation as well, too much to list here, but all these things were merely the opinions and guesses of so called "experts" whom I never had the opportunity to challenge as one would have if they said these things in a courtroom setting.
While there is a lot of misinformation about me and the Son of Sam case out there, much of it now having already been in circulation for more than forty years, all I ask is that people keep an open mind and not be too eager to believe everything they see and here, be it from the media or any other source.
D. B.
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