Diamonds in the Rough: Withering Disapproval

Utterly odious. A battery of heinous crimes that are morbidly gripping and ghoulish paralyze the local law enforcement community. Lacking any corroborative or substantive evidence, all they can do, standby and watch as the kidnapping and killing spree evolves. For years, law enforcement investigators, academics, mental health experts, and the media have studied serial murder, from Jack the Ripper in the late 1800s to the sniper killings in 2002 and the Zodiac Killer in California to the BTK Killer in Kansas. Every day, law enforcement officers across America get called to respond to murders. While each homicide case is tragic, few are more heartrending and troublesome to understand than serial murder. The backdrop for this story is the killing and kidnapping spree of prolific Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen. Hansen abducted, raped, and murdered at least 17 women in and around Anchorage, Alaska. Author Robert Algeri served in Alaska during serial killer Robert Hansen's most active murder years and interacted with Mr. Hansen in numerous settings.