True Stories of Law & Order series authors Kevin Dwyer and Juré Fiorillo weigh in on crime, justice, and their favorite television show. Kevin and Juré can be reached at authors@truestorieslaworder.com
Did you know?
In the late 19th century, penitentiary inmates were expected to maintain a code of absolute silence—no verbal communication was permitted.
While all three of types of murderers kill multiple people, there are major differences between each type. Although every rule has its exceptions, each generally has its own characteristics, the knowledge of which is instrumental to finding, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrator.
Serial killers are usually motivated largely by violent urges revolving around sex. They tend to carefully plan out each murder and take time to “cool off” between each one. Predators in the most literal sense of the word, serial killers are usually diagnosed a psychopaths (as opposed to psychotic) and tend to come across as normal, even likable, people who lead ordinary lives. Experts disagree about the number of victims a person must murder before being deemed a serial killer, but three is generally the accepted number. (more…)
Truffaut takes us to juvvy in his classic The 400 Blows
In the past decade we’ve heard a lot about juvenile super predators—sociopathic kids that allegedly pose a danger to us all. Of course, there are kids who kill, but they are the exceptions. The reality is that most juvenile offenders commit non-violent misdemeanors such as vandalism, petty theft, and property damage. Most juveniles are tried in juvenile court.
Juvenile courts are now part and parcel of our criminal justice system. But this was not always so. Before the 18th century, juveniles–some as young as seven years old—as were tried in adult criminal courts in the United States. Those juveniles found guilty were given adult sentences.
It wasn’t until 1899 that the first court for juveniles was established. Based in Chicago, Illinois, this juvenile court was inspired by parens patriae—the doctrine that held that the state was responsible for the parenting of any child or individual in need of protection. Gradually, the rest of country followed Illinois’ lead; by 1945, all 50 states had adopted juvenile courts.
The implementation of juvenile courts saved most young offenders from being prosecuted in adult criminal courts. Juveniles who committed especially heinous crimes, or who were thought to be beyond redemption, were transferred to adult courts. The Juvenile Court Act required that the court examine the offender’s record and personal situation before determining where the juvenile should be adjudicated.
In our True Stories of Law & Order books, Juré and I wrote about some of the biggest bastards in the annals of crime. Now, Juré has moved on to a different type of “bastard”—people burdened with the stigma of being born illegitimately who still managed to put their thumbprint on history. While some of the men and women in her new book seem to have been nice enough bastards, some fit the bill in both senses of the word.
By Robert Schnakenberg
What is it with great directors and crime? Roman Polanski is just the most famous example of a legendary filmmaker who ran afoul of the law—and we’re not talking about the time he cut off Jack Nicholson’s schnozz in Chinatown. Oliver Stone has been busted several times for drug offenses. Quentin Tarantino has had numerous brushes with the po-po—all for petty offenses like not paying his parking tickets and shoplifting an Elmore Leonard novel from his local K-Mart. Here are three examples of renowned moviemakers who skated on the thin ice of infamy—including one who managed to make it into the international criminal docket after he was already dead.
Blame It on Kane
Did Orson Welles commit one of the most gruesome murders in Hollywood history? That’s the contention of author Mary Pacios, childhood friend of Elizabeth Short, the so-called “Black Dahlia,” an aspiring actress who was brutally butchered and literally cut in half by an unknown assailant in January of 1947. In a 1999 book about the killing, Pacios charged that Welles did the deed while in the throes of a mental disorder known as diphasic personality, which left him prone to violent outbursts. She also claimed he had a fetish for bisecting women, and cited as evidence Welles’ magic act (in which he sawed a female assistant in half) and some—ahem—cut footage from his film The Lady from Shanghai during which a chopped-up female mannequin appears. Others have also chimed in on the speculation, suggesting that Welles mysteriously left for an extended stay in Europe shortly after the murder. In his defense, Welles’ family has denounced the allegations as a “sick joke.” For the record, the late Mr. Paul Masson isn’t the only unlikely suspect in the Black Dahlia killing. Los Angeles Times publisher Norman Chandler and beloved folk icon Woody Guthrie have also been implicated by aficionados of the case. Roman’s Holiday
Long before he was busted for sodomizing an underage girl in a hot tub, of course, Roman Polanski had been embroiled in an even more sensational crime saga. In 1969, the murder of his wife Sharon Tate and her unborn child by the Manson Family made international headlines. Much of the initial suspicion swirled around Polanski himself—which was odd considering he wasn’t even in the United States at the time of the slayings. When he did return from Europe, Polanski began his own unofficial investigation into his wife’s death. Before the police rounded up “Charlie” and his associates, the wee Polish auteur drew up his own list of suspects. It included several jealous husbands whose wives Polanski had played “Hide the Kielbasa” with—including “Papa John” Phillips of the seminal 60s folk rock group The Mamas and the Papas. Polanski had enjoyed a one-night stand with “Mama” Michelle Phillips and thought Papa John might have killed Sharon Tate in a jealous rage. To test out his theory, Polanski even had Phillips’ car checked for blood and hair samples. He also threatened the folkie’s life with a meat cleaver. In the end, Phillips managed to emerge unharmed, and lived to violate his daughter MacKenzie another day.
Stealing Chaplin’s Body Charlie Chaplin lived in mortal fear of being assassinated. But maybe the Little Tramp should have worried less about getting killed and more about what might happen to him after he died. In March of 1978, grave robbers in Vevey Switzerland absconded with Chaplin’s two-month-old corpse, demanding £400,000 in ransom for its return. It took Swiss police nearly three months to catch the corpse-nappers, during which time a number of unsavory rumors began circulating about the motivation for the crime. (One report suggested Chaplin had been dug up because he was a Jew buried in a Gentile cemetery—an odd allegation since Chaplin wasn’t Jewish) In the end, the culprits turned out to be a pair of unemployed Bulgarian auto mechanics who were desperate for money and saw an opportunity. After their arrest, the men were charged with attempted extortion and disturbing the peace of the dead. The ringleader was eventually sentenced to four-and-a-half years of hard labor. Police had to use a mine detector to locate Chaplin’s coffin, because the bumbling criminals had forgotten where they’d stashed it. It was reburied that May in a high-security tomb lined with concrete. Of the ghoulish caper, Chaplin’s widow Oona offered the most apt summary. “Charlie would have thought it ridiculous,” she said.
For even more outrageous, Oscar-worthy anecdotes and alibis, be sure to check out Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers. It’s what we’ll be reading during the awards show this weekend.—Fio
The theme from Law & Order drives dogs wild. Don’t believe us? Take a look at this kick ass montage of canines reacting to that oh-so-familiar opening song.
You can also drop by nastynets.com to see—and hear—for yourself. My new favorite hobby is playing all of the video clips on their “pups & order” page at once. It’s enough to drive the neighbors crazy. As for me, I’m already there.
Many thanks to our favorite raconteur, Robert Schnakenberg for bringing this fantastic page to our attention.
Thirteen year old Sanford Clark was living a nightmare. It was 1928, and he was miles away from his native Canada, trapped in California, with his Uncle Stewart. Presumably, Sanford was there to help his uncle start up a chicken ranch. It was a trip the teenager made begrudgingly. His mother had sent him packing, despite his protests. The experience, his uncle promised would offer “boyhood adventure and help with [Sanford's] character development.” In reality, Gordon Stewart Northcott had little interest in developing his nephew’s character, and even less interest in ranching. At twenty, Northcott was handsome, charming—and a sadistic sexual psychopath. More on page 972
