Recap

Criminal Behavior

Author and crime expert Philip Carlo shared his research into the psyches of killers and pedophiles. You can't excuse such people's behavior but you can look into factors in their past-- the majority of such criminals suffered severe abuse while growing up, he reported. How people become serial killers, he said, is a bit like "minestrone,"—a bunch of different ingredients go into it and it takes a long time to simmer. Sex, however is the driving force in their motivation, he noted.

Carlo said he spent 100 hours interviewing Richard Ramirez, "The Night Stalker," who was in Death Row at San Quentin. Ramirez opened up to him about his childhood and his crimes, as Carlo gained his trust and acted non-judgmental towards him. He described Ramirez as having a unique odor about him—like "wet leather." Carlo said that other serial killers also exuded strange odors, which may be related to their body chemistry.

He also discussed his investigations into pedophilia, and in particular the problem with many priests in the Catholic Church. In a saga that's "one of the darkest stains on American society," Carlo said pedophile priests moved up in the hierarchy of the Church and served to protect other priests by transferring them to different parishes, after their molestations came to light. To combat future crimes of rapes and murders, Carlo advocated setting up a system where children are watched for early signs of abuse. If abuse is discovered, these children should be given prompt treatment or moved to safe homes, he said.

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Death of a Skeptic

Philip J. Klass, well known UFO debunker, has passed away at his home in Maryland after a long illness. Born in 1919, he was a senior editor at Aviation Week and Space Technology for 35 years. While Klass was at odds with many in the study of ufology, he'll be missed as the field's most legendary skeptic. Read more at UFO Magazine.