Christopher Berry-Dee: World-famous criminologist reveals the new 'hunting ground' for serial killers
A criminologist and true crime author from the United Kingdom has revealed the most ideal location for serial killers to hunt their prey. According to Christopher Berry-Dee, who has personally interacted with notorious killers, the internet has developed into a potent instrument for criminals to locate victims.
Many murderers, as per Berry-Dee, "[are] like the serial killer John Edward Robinson, the first killer to use the internet for serial killing purposes," who is suspected of killing eight women between 1985 and 2000, reports The Sun. The true crime author is well known for drawing on his psychological knowledge to examine Jeffrey Dahmer's motivations, immoral impulses, and ruthless horror.
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What is the hunting ground for killers?
Christopher Berry-Dee claims that these killers typically enter online chatrooms "as someone else," for example, posing as a businessman to entice "lonely women back to his place" and strike. "People underestimate the internet. It becomes a trawling hunting ground for predators," Berry-Dee said. "Whether it’s scammers or men who prey on lonely hearts [of] women…it goes way back." Prior to dating apps, newspapers had "lonely hearts" columns where readers could publicize that they were looking for love.
'Serial killers used newspaper ads'
Harvey Carignan, dubbed the "Want-Ad serial killer," used newspaper ads to identify people in need of help. He died earlier this month while serving a sentence for the nearly 50-year-old murders of three women in Minnesota and Alaska. Raymond Martinez Fernandez and Martha Jule Beck, the so-called "Lonely Hearts Killers," allegedly murdered 20 people, though they were only convicted of one homicide. They discovered their victims in newspapers that advertised singles. In 1951, they were put to death at Sing Sing Prison in New York.
'The Internet is a dangerous place'
According to Berry-Dee, the "MOs" haven't changed over the years, from paper to pixels. "The internet is really just an extension of that, it hasn’t changed. It’s just the method of doing it is electronic now," he stated, describing the internet as a "dangerous place." Chase Seneca, Louisiana man replicated the horrific crimes of infamous serial killer Jeffery Dahmer by using Grindr, a popular homosexual dating app, to find victims. Seneca was given a 45-year prison term after pleading guilty to the kidnapping and attempted murder of a gay man last year. Authorities claim that, like Dahmer, he meant to consume and preserve the bodies of his victims.
'Gacy knew where to look'
In the 1970s, John Wayne Gacy, who was found guilty of killing 33 boys and men in the Chicago area, preyed on male prostitutes, young people who wished to work for his business, and hitchhikers. "Gacy knew where to look," Berry-Dee stated. "He knew where these weaker people are." The strategy used by serial murderers hasn't changed, the Criminologist claimed, despite advances in technology. They still look for their "hunting ground like an animal" in areas where they believe their "prey" could be.
'They’ll select the weaker one of the herd'
"They’re patient and they’ll strike and that’s it, they’re dead," Berry-Dee added. "They know where their intended prey swim in shoals, they sniff it out and they’ll watch and they’ll wait," he went on, "and then they’ll select the weaker one of the herd or the one who has left the group, the one who is walking to a taxi in the rain and he’s waiting."
Who is Christopher Berry-Dee?
Christopher Berry-Dee, an investigative criminologist and the foremost true crime author in the world, has written several books that offer perspectives on serial killers. He wrote a book titled 'Murder.com' in 2008 about how "evil roams the internet." The work "takes an unflinching look into the darkest recesses of the world wide web from cannibals ordering a human meal by email to mail-order brides whose quest for better lives end in grisly murder," reports The Sun.