Serial Killers on the Loose

[7hurricane]

on THS on E channel tomorrow it repeats at 9 am.....it actually talks about the case from UM about the pregnant woman being attacked after stopping for a drink. I didn't get to watch a lot of it so I can't wait to see what else is on it. Just thought I let you guys know in case you want to DVR it or can catch in the morning

[dynoguy88]

I already uploaded it to YouTube back in December. If anyone wants to watch it, send me a pm and I'll direct you to it.

What I liked about that special was they got more into the specifics of the other murder victims in the area that are believed to be connected to Jane's attack. On the Unsolved Mysteries segment, they just showed their pictures and mentioned all the women had similar stab wounds.

After watching this, I went out and bought the book about the cases.

[Mastermind]

I will check it out. Thanks

You know it's interesting though.

People are so fascinated and scared of serial killers..

yet if you look at statistics, your more likely to be killed by your spouse, children, parents, lovers, ex-spouse, friends, employees, etc than by a random psychopath.

Just look at how many UM cases involve people being killed by persons that they knew.

If you ask most big city police departments, the biggest trouble they have with murder cases involve drug and criminal enterprise murders.

The fascination with serial killers is an interesting look at human fears.

[7hurricane]

Mastermind your very right. Statistics show you are more likely to be raped or killed by someone you know or a relative. I think that's even scarier. But I do love serial killers. But when I think about it most of the true crime books I have are about husbands killing their wives or blah blah. But you know out of all the books I've read the one that sticks with me the most is the night stalker. Richard Ramerez gave advice to always be aware of your surroundings and that is the best advice ever given. I didn't reliaze the serial killer on the loose was actually that old until I looked. I have never seen it on E.

[atomicfizz]

edit: OOOOppps I thought I Was in the Night Stalker thread when I wrote my original post!! I wish I had been able to see the whole serial killers special. I hope it runs again, I don't see it on again today. Anyway, I am recording the night stalker special after this.

original post
It's on at 10am here, so I just set the DVR to record it. I wish I had been able to record the serial killers show that's on right now. I'm on medical leave and recovering at my mom's house, so my DVR is sitting almost full at home and I have nothing to watch here. Trying to build a little up until I leave. LOL

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by Mastermind

I will check it out. Thanks

You know it's interesting though.

People are so fascinated and scared of serial killers..

yet if you look at statistics, your more likely to be killed by your spouse, children, parents, lovers, ex-spouse, friends, employees, etc than by a random psychopath.

Just look at how many UM cases involve people being killed by persons that they knew.

If you ask most big city police departments, the biggest trouble they have with murder cases involve drug and criminal enterprise murders.

The fascination with serial killers is an interesting look at human fears.

Definitely. It's a very strange sociological nuance of our society. I'd love to see a book written on it; it'd be fascinating.

[7hurricane]

ok so I finally watched it from beginning to end...unfortunately I had forgotten about the Boca Rotan murders recently...all so sad.

The one w/ the lady from UM was very interesting maybe since it's been awhile since I've seen the episode but I didn't realize they were tying her attack to other murders. How scary for her to find that out afterwards. And she talks about her child who has cerebal palsy how sad is that. Do you honestly think that Nicholeou or however you spell it was responsible or is this maniac still on the loose?

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by 7hurricane

ok so I finally watched it from beginning to end...unfortunately I had forgotten about the Boca Rotan murders recently...all so sad.

The one w/ the lady from UM was very interesting maybe since it's been awhile since I've seen the episode but I didn't realize they were tying her attack to other murders. How scary for her to find that out afterwards. And she talks about her child who has cerebal palsy how sad is that. Do you honestly think that Nicholeou or however you spell it was responsible or is this maniac still on the loose?

Yes, I definitely think it was him.

If Jane Boroski has reason to believe Michael Nicholau is the man who attacked her, I have no reason to doubt that in the least. I think the resemblance between him and the Valley Killer composite is frighteningly uncanny (this is very apparent in photographs taken of Nicholau when he didn't keep a moustache), and, of course, he was definitely in the area at the time of the murders/attack. John Philpin's (the forensic psychologist interviewed both in the UM segment as well as this special) profile of the killer is expounded upon throughout Philip Ginsburg's book on the murders, Shadow of Death, and Nicholau absolutely fits the bill to a "T". The fact that his first wife mysteriously disappeared and the circumstances surrounding his own demise only serve to bolster the likelihood that he is in fact the Valley Killer, IMO.

I've posted this a couple of times here recently (for some reason--the VK has been popping up randomly in all kinds of threads on the board here lately), but I've read something somewhere suggesting that he may in fact be responsible for Alicia Showalter Reynolds' death as well, and that he may have committed some or all of the "blue light rapes." I'd like to research that more, though.

[dynoguy88]

Jane's attack being tied to the other murders seems very likely...which was evident even before Michael Nicholau became a suspect. All the other women were stabbed with a knife and the most damage was done to their necks because apparently that drains your strength the quickest. When Jane was forced out of her car, the first thing the killer stabbed was her neck and then she took off running. Coincidence? I think not.

Jane is a very sweet lady. Since she posted here last year, I sent her a pm telling her that I've thought about her over the years and I hope she is doing well. She responded with a thank you and that she's trying her best to live as normal a life as possible for her children.

Here's a picture of Jane (pink shirt) standing between her children with Lynn Marie Carty to the far left. Her daughter, the girl in the black shirt, is who Jane was pregnant with when she was attacked.

[yuppielawyer]

People are so fascinated and scared of serial killers..

yet if you look at statistics, your more likely to be killed by your spouse, children, parents, lovers, ex-spouse, friends, employees, etc than by a random psychopath.

But, that's the thing. People feel like they have some control when it comes to who they marry, date, live with, and are friends with, so they can limit the risk of being killed by a friend or intimate partner. But, with a serial killer, they just attack people at random, and so, I think the average person feels much more vulnerable and frightened about that. Plus, there is jus something that intrigues people about someone who enjoys or is compelled to kill people, as opposed to someone who kills in the heat of passion or out of some motive for wanting a particular person dead.

[Mastermind]

But, that's the thing. People feel like they have some control when it comes to who they marry, date, live with, and are friends with, so they can limit the risk of being killed by a friend or intimate partner. But, with a serial killer, they just attack people at random, and so, I think the average person feels much more vulnerable and frightened about that

A serial killer still has to attack you just like anybody else. If your carrying a weapon or skilled to some degree you could ward off an attacker. You can avoid high risk areas such as ATMs at night. Unless the guys a sniper or a serial posoiner You have a much better chance of avoiding getting killed by a serial killer or any other type of attacker. Isn;t that the big reason most people want to carry guns in the first place? To ward of theives, rapists, pyschopaths and home invaders.

People feel like they have some control when it comes to who they marry, date, live with, and are friends with, so they can limit the risk of being killed by a friend or intimate partner

Which sadly is why so many of those people wind up getting killed. The case that comes to mind is the Maria Armstrong case. That poor guys thought he could control her psychosis and look what happened. Also Annette Burnside and her husband.

This reminds me of a funny statement somebody made:

A pro-gun advocate said he's going to buy a gun because he wants to protect his wife and from home invaders and serial killers, because that's what guns do, they protect your life" Someone raised his hand and said "What if your wife is the one that shoots you?"

It's also interesting that in 2004 an branch of the MS-13 gang kills a dozen black men for no reason other than to show that they could and people consider their motives rational. Just think about it 12 people killed for no reason and their isn't panic in the streets.

Yet the Zodiac Killer kills only 5 people and an entire city nearly shut down.

[yuppielawyer]

Mastermind, I agree with you. I don't think it's rational, but that's the way people feel. Like I said, they feel like they have control over who they associate with and so are in more control and less danger. That feeling can obviously be an illusion.

[jjmcgr]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Yes, I definitely think it was him.

If Jane Boroski has reason to believe Michael Nicholau is the man who attacked her, I have no reason to doubt that in the least. I think the resemblance between him and the Valley Killer composite is frighteningly uncanny (this is very apparent in photographs taken of Nicholau when he didn't keep a moustache), and, of course, he was definitely in the area at the time of the murders/attack. John Philpin's (the forensic psychologist interviewed both in the UM segment as well as this special) profile of the killer is expounded upon throughout Philip Ginsburg's book on the murders, Shadow of Death, and Nicholau absolutely fits the bill to a "T". The fact that his first wife mysteriously disappeared and the circumstances surrounding his own demise only serve to bolster the likelihood that he is in fact the Valley Killer, IMO.

I've posted this a couple of times here recently (for some reason--the VK has been popping up randomly in all kinds of threads on the board here lately), but I've read something somewhere suggesting that he may in fact be responsible for Alicia Showalter Reynolds' death as well, and that he may have committed some or all of the "blue light rapes." I'd like to research that more, though.

I have been interested in this case since it happened. At the time I lived near Boston and there were two serial killer sprees going on. The CT River one was less famous, overshadowed by the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer. Both are unsolved although the NB killer may have moved to Portugal (NB has a lot of Portugese immigrants) as there were similar crimes there the next several years. The European case was in the news a year or two ago as someone claimed the killer was one of their relatives. I don't think anything came of it.

I have always felt that the Boroski case was not the same attacker as the Claremont Valley Killer guy because most people studying this case do not seem to realize that Keene is not close to Claremont (at least 40 miles apart) or where Nikolou lived near Springfield. One of the Claremont crimes happened during a big blizzard and the victim was left in an obscure field which seems to indicate a local person. The first murder was in a park somewhat to the east of Claremont, really far afield for a Massachusetts based killer. Also the Boroski crime did not follow the MO of the other crimes where the killer hid the bodies in the woods and no one got away. (There was a murder in Vermont where a lady sunning herself in her yard at a bend in the road where cars had to slow down--she was found in her house. This case was between Keene and Claremont and may not have been the Claremont Killer either IMO). If it is hard to believe in multiple killers trolling the VT-NH border area, a guy who killed several women across the river from Claremont had been caught right before the Claremont crimes happened.
Why would Nikolou drive so far (and in a snowstorm) when there were plenty of targets much closer to where he lived in western Massachusetts?Nikolou could have done the Keene crime IMO as it was not a great distance from where he lived. It does seem to be a good possibility. As for Boroski IDing him, I think she has IDed at least one other person previously. Often it is claimed that the police have "linkage blindness" but I think there is often the opposite (particularly among us amateurs) "linkage desire."

JJM

[andy needle]

Hello Mastermind....so nice of you to notice my old contributions to Ms. Voight's tribute page...oops...Zodiac site. Ah, Tom and I had a grand dance, did we not? The simpering fool still has not changed his fawning, corrupt ways. What a bore. I can think of more exciting things to do. Trust me.
Toodles.
Oscar

ps. Boo!

[atomicfizz]

Is this the Zodiac speaking?

WTF. I'm confused Oscar.