Review of The Serial Killer Whisperer

Review of The Serial Killer Whisperer  by Pete Earley

It’s been awhile since a book has given me so much to write about and this was both a high and a low reading it. Earley tells the story of Tony Giaglia, who as a 15 year old has a traumatic brain injury. This brain injury caused certain psychological and emotional damage and resulted in him, being able to somehow make connection with serial killers. No, this is not some weird supernatural psychic link but the ability to communicate with them in prison, express his thoughts and feelings and get them to open up to him about a wide range of subjects.

At first I thought, this would be a couple of letters similar to what one might think of a celebrity. I’ve read my share of crime novels and stories and I understand the concept of a sociopath and con artist and attention seeking convicts who want an audience. Much to my surprise it wasn’t just a couple of letters but over 3,000 letters plus phone calls and visits. Even law enforcement officers were stunned and surprised by the depth of material that Tony had obtained. For the sake of brevity I won’t go into the personal aspects of Tony’s life such as his ostracism from school after the accident, the emotional outbursts, the therapy or the changes of thought processing that took place. The book provides a treasure trove of information about the effects of traumatic brain injury, the thought processes of a serial killer,  how they express themselves and from a self defense standpoint, a great deal of how they operate.

The skeptic could point his finger at much of what has been written from the serial killers as nothing more then self seeking, aggrandizement and there is some truth to that but what “could” be is also the opposite- it’s all true.  When several killers from different prisons all write a similar thought you know there is some truth there.  Tony was able to draw out the killers unlike even trained psychologists. During one interview, the killer reveled some things about two past cases and when Tony brought up the fact that this was different then what was told the psychologists, the killer roared with laughter and said it was all BS to her. He just wanted to see her rattled yet he told Tony the truth, which was later born out as accurate. Tony communicated with some of the worst killers: Arthur Shawcross, Joe Roy Metheny, David Gore are highlighted.

This book was beyond disturbing and is not for the faint of heart or the weak in will. A good portion of the book is reprinted letters from the killers often times retelling of their crimes. This is not surprising since part of the serial killer mentality is to relive the crime as often as possible so having someone request it is an excuse to retell it. But reading several accounts of rape, torture and murder was tough.

What I find interesting was the evolution of Tony’s story and it was just that, a story. Hopes, dreams, aspirations, upsets, setbacks, triumphs and Earley does a good job of intertwining it all together.( I look forward to reading some of his other works.) There is telling the story of some of the victims lives, how they lived and their families; some of the killers backgrounds and how they were raised; some trial stories and how Tony’s brain injury made him non-judgmental . One investigator states “ I’m not a trained therapist, but I think the prisoners write to hi because of his demeanor he’s almost like a child. That brain injury made him so damn nonjudgmental that can stomach these pieces of shit”(pg 301).Many people talk about how great it is to be human, to be alive, the gloriousness of the human soul, the great heights to which we can aspire. This is almost like Poisoned Soup for the Soul. Apart from a few unsolved cases which can be put to rest, there is not much to celebrate in the way of championing mankind.

Some general observations:

Tony buys into “They wouldn’t hurt me” mindset. A while ago I read a book on women who fall in love with serial killers and Tony fits into the mindset that they have. The women, without fail, believed the bad guy wouldn’t hurt them even if they acknowledged the crimes committed. Tony says “ They wouldn’t harm me. We’ve alked about this in our letters. They might hurt others, but not me. They care about me and would never do anything to hurt me because I’m important to them.”

Serial killers can be charming and personable and can be con men extraordinaire. While reading a letter from killer Arthur Shawcross who was detailing a particularly gruesome moment… “ Chris (Tony’s mother) was upset. It was difficult for her to visualize that the Arthur Shawcross who called her from prison to chat about Italian recipes and st her a four-leaf clover from the prison yard was the vicious rapist and murderer cannibalizing women in his confession”(pg 196).

After reading so many books on serial killers this one stated plainly why they do it; power and the desire to feel important and in control of something, anything even for a moment. From one of Arthur Shawcross’s letters.” When you kill someone, it is a feeling of strength beyond human belief. There is only one problem. It does not last. After the brain or soul or whatever gets back in control, you calm down and you feel guilt and you look around to see what harmed you’ve caused. That’s the worst part. Because you see what you really are and what you have done an dyo hate that. But the feeling –you want that feeling- that rush back. You want to be in control again. To dominate. And so you do it again and again and again until someone stops you”(page 201).

And again “ But during the final seconds in his victim’s lives, as he clutched their throats and squeezed the life from them, Shawcross had finally achieved the superhuman, genetically superior warrior status that he’d fantasized about in his letters” 

And “ When he was strangling those girls, he felt like he was God…Art got to decide –not God- who lived and who died. And that turned him on because he was in total control and, most of all, he mattered. He was not just somebody, he was all powerful to the person he was killing. He finally was somebody”(pg 202).

Within law enforcement it is very easy to overlook crime details that would tie things together. The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reports of wanted persons, missing persons, stolen vehicles, etc aka as “hot files” were being reported at a rate of 300,000 per day in April 1981 or 10 million monthly. (pg 267). I would think that number has increased just a bit. People often hold law enforcement to impossible standards like…”the killer broke into homes 4 states away and threatened his mother with a chain saw, why didn’t you stop him when he…” It’s no longer a lack of information as it is connecting all the strands together.

The serial killers want some sort of positive interaction even though they know they are killers and evil. It was not  surprising to hear how many of the killers acknowledged their dark side and their crimes but what was surprising was to hear them long for a friend, even calling Tony their best friend. Some had not had a visitor for 10-15 years or have anyone give them the time of day other than law enforcement. Tommy Lynn Sells was sentenced to die in Florida and requested Tony visit him when he was executed. “ I just don’t want to die alone and without someone I can trust…”  But what about the victims? This lack of empathy or sense that someone else may feel the way you do will be addressed in another post.

In conclusion, this is a great book for those interested in serial killers, crime prevention, criminal justice or aberrant criminal psychology. Not a great book for those looking for a pleasant Saturday afternoon read.