Alternative Interests

On April 28, 1996, Martin Bryant committed one of the worst mass shootings in Australian history. In exchange for the horrific attack he unleashed, he received the most strict sentence available, one reserved for only the truest of monsters. This event also spurred an overhaul of gun legislation across Australia and Tasmania.

Link to the floor plan of the Broad Arrow Cafe: http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Misc/martinbryant/map.htm

In 1996 one of the world's worst mass killings took place at the tourist site of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Port Arthur on the island of Tasmania. This week, we discuss the background of the gunman, Martin Bryant; his childhood and life leading up to that fateful day illustrate a mix of nature and nurture that created the monster he became.

September 2014, Bell, Florida (why is it always Florida?) A lifetime of wrong choices, a decade old tragedy haunting their every moment, and a system that failed the Spirit's at every turn came to a haunting end when Don Spirit calls 911 to report a horrific murder he had just committed.

The murder of Kitty Genovese is one of the most infamous murders in United States history. Psych 101 students everywhere learn about Bystander Syndrome using her murder as an example. It is often the most infamous cases that go misunderstood, and this story is no exception. We discuss just how wrong the media got it, and the truth behind what really happened on the night Kitty Genovese was brutally killed. 

WARNING: Sexual abuse of children and incest.

Part 2 of this horrific case we pick up where we left off in Part 1 documenting the conditions Elisabeth Fritzl was forced to survive in for over two decades. From the mind of a disturbed man came the basement chambers that held Elisabeth and her children captive for 24 years. This story truly illustrates new depths of depravity that only monsters are capable of.

Austria, 1984. Josef and Rosemarie Fritzl call the police to report their 18 year old daughter, Elisabeth, missing. Elisabeth would not reappear for 24 years. As it would be revealed, she was being held captive below the family apartment the entire time. In part one, Kat goes into the background of Josef's childhood and the day Elisabeth disappeared to set the scene for the details of her imprisonment.

One Sunday in September 2006, the Contreras’ return to their home after a weekend away. Expecting to be greeted by their niece, Cassie Jo, who had been house and pet-sitting for them, the family made their way inside. The horrifying screams of their daughter as she found the brutal scene inside the home began a nightmare of piecing together exactly what happened to Cassie during that awful weekend.

The NYPD may have made a mistake employing this guy... This week we discuss the very oddly specific fetish of Gilberto, who has since been dubbed the Cannibal Cop. He happens to be an online buddy of the individual we discussed in our previous episode, so you can imagine what kind of disturbing fantasies Gil is into. His wife's intuition made her take drastic measures that completely changed the trajectory of both of their lives. Do you think he's guilty, or did the appellate court make the right call? 

*This episode briefly discusses child pornography*

The Dark Web is a mysterious place where the most twisted minds go to find content that speaks to their darkest desires and curiosities. In the next two episodes, we scratch the surface of one of the corners of the Dark Web with the tale of two men with their own stories who both drew the attention of the FBI. We begin with the Canterbury Cannibal and his disgusting ideas of what he considers "interesting as a food source". 

Some people are dealt a tough hand at life. Some people can make do and rise above it, but often people cannot and need support, resources, and the system to step in. What happens when the system fails people? Some are left vulnerable, alone, and make easy targets. Others, with no one watching or caring, see the targets and become the predators. This week's story is one where the system failed all involved parties, leaving two very different ends of the spectrum to come crashing together.