True Crime: Why the fascination?
I honestly don’t remember when I became interested in crime stories, especially true crime stories. I love many different types of stories and shows. Yet, my main go to shows are the procedurals on CBS. Mainly all three NCIS shows, Criminal Minds, FBI, etc. I also like true crime shows that ultimately solve cold cases. I even have an idea for a book on a cold local case from over 30 years ago.
I often wonder why I have this fascination. No, it’s not because I want to find out how to get away with murder and the best ways to hide a body. Although I have a friend or two who could walk me through it.
Some shows are hard to watch, like when the victim is a child. I was born in the early 70’s not many shows growing up were about true crimes, that I remember. But I remember watching shows where the bad guy was caught by the end of the show. Then made for tv movies started in the 80’s, I remember thinking how could one human being do that to another? Especially after using the mightiest three words in the English language, I LOVE YOU.
Three stories come to mind that have stuck with me all these years. I didn’t even know they happened until somebody made them into a “made-for-tv-movie.” The first one had Annie Potts playing a mother trying to find the pedophile who approached her teenaged daughter in a chat room. When the police told her they couldn’t do anything it was freedom of speech. Annie’s character said, “Well God Bless America, but keep him away from my daughter.” That was the beginning of chat rooms and another way pedophiles can approach their victims. I remember wondering if that kind of thing could really happen. Sadly it does.
Another made-for-tv movie, true story brought police inaction to protect wives from domestic abuse to light. Tracey Thurman called the police in her hometown of Torrington, Connecticut at least 19 times. Her calls for help; even after getting a restraining order to protect herself and her toddler son went ignored. Her estranged husband got a job at a diner in town where police officers ate and initially became friends with him, even giving him legal advice and the name of a lawyer. When she called the police for help the last time, they asked her what the problem was, she responded as she always did, “You already know what the problem is, he’s threatening to kill me.”
Although on a call for a restraining order violation and domestic abuse, the police officer who answered the radio call, nonchalantly stopped at the police station to take a leak. Even though Tracey tried to keep Buck calm and away from their son, he became angry and started screaming and chasing Tracey around her yard with a knife. By the time the first officer pulled up the yard was chaos, witnesses were screaming for help, and Tracey had fallen on the ground. As the officer and witnesses watched in horror, Buck stabbed her 13 times, then proceeded to stomp on Tracey’s head and jaw. Tracey Thurman barely survived the attack, and became permanently disabled due to her injuries. Tracey Thurman proceeded to sue the police department and individual officers for their lack of protection, because it was a domestic dispute not other criminal matters.
The two aforementioned stories were solved, not within an hour, but they were solved. But not every case is solved within the same year they are opened. Sometimes not even in the same decade. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if all crimes were solved within an hour?
