Why Sending Love Letters or Fan Mail to Convicted Serial Killers Should be Illegal

The names and faces of convicted serial killers continue to enlist the feeling of disgust, horror, and anger whenever we come across them. Such reactions are completely understandable considering the heinous nature of the crimes these individuals have committed. In fact it would be unnatural or even inhuman not to share these or similar sentiments towards the likes of:

Dr Harold Shipman, also known as Britain’s most prolific serial killer preyed on his vulnerable elderly patients. Shipman’s trial started in 1998 and he was sentenced for life in 2000. He was convicted for 15 murders although the total number of his victims is believed to be over 200. Shipman picked his victims randomly and killed them by means of a poisonous injection. It is believed that his crimes dated as far back as the 70s. Shipman hanged himself in his cell in 2004.

Fred & Rosemary West the British husband & wife serial killer duo who tortured, sexually abused, murdered, dismantled, and buried a total of victims in their home. The victims included their own children! They were finally caught and charged with 10 counts of murder involving mostly young women. Although they were also suspected of murdering many more in the 20-year killing spree, including 9 young women who went missing after visiting their media dubbed “house of horror”.  Fred West hanged himself in 1995. Rosemary West continues to serve her life-sentence.

Ted Bundy was an American serial killer who preyed on young women in the mid to late seventies. A chance arrest for a minor traffic violation led to the discovery of items in Bundy’s car, which lead to his conviction for kidnap in 1977. While serving the 15 years sentence, Bundy was also facing a murder charge. Bundy, a University graduate with degrees in psychology and knowledge of Law, opted to represent himself in the trial. This gave him some freedom, which he took advantage of when he escaped from police custody while in the library. He then went on to kill another two young women in Florida State University Chi Omega 1978. He had intended to murder four but was interrupted when another student returned home early that day.  Bundy was finally arrested, charged, convicted of the Chi Omega murders in 1979 and another in 1980. He was sentenced to death. Despite this Bundy continued to use his knowledge of Law and psychology to reverse the sentence. He wanted life imprisonment not death! Once his various appeals failed he then confessed to almost 30 murders. He tried to bargain with the murdered victims’ family by promising police that he would reveal the location of the bodies in exchange for the victims’ family support for the change of his sentence. They refused! Bundy was executed in 1989.