Liamcrime

When I first discovered that notorious serial killer Ian Brady (the Moors Murderer) had written a book from his prison cell offering an insight into the phenomenon of serial killing and its analysis, I thought this can offer a fresh insight into the mind, motive and methodology of a serial killer, through the lens of a serial killer himself. The book within itself holds so much room for critical analysis and interpretation, it is incredibly challenging to pinpoint one particular finding. This blog aims to explore in smaller parts, numerous findings throughout the book- “Gates of Janus”. The book is broken into three significant chapters. The first chapter explores the contextualisation and social construction of serial murder with ties to morality, hedonistic nihilism and the social constriction of murder, and the ways in which the phenomenon of murder has been commodified and romanticised, this is explored through the lens of the media, and produces a cultural criminological narrati...

Jack the Ripper strikes again in Whitechapel.  Picture this: an unknown assailant, prowls the dark, smoggy and dingy streets of Whitechapel in a top hat and leather apron. His victims? Vulnerable, desperate, and easily accessible women. Murdered, mutilated and dismembered in the most inhumane, degrading and violent way.  You would be forgiven for thinking that we have gone back in time to Whitechapel 1888, but the scene described above is in fact, the backdrop to the ITV Crime thriller series ‘Whitechapel’ set in 2008 onwards. It depicts violent crime focusing on spree killings and gangland crimes. By drawing upon the rich pool of folklore, history and genuine criminal history research, a copycat killer emerges in every episode. In this series, a copycat Ripper. This blog will be exploring Whitechapel’s media portrayal of crime, as a fascinating collusion between the key facets of policing practises, both past and present, when solving a murder case. The characterisation o...