Center of the universe

He is still alive. Maybe theres a reunion in the future, death row should be safer than a motel.

Interesting reading.

Some things to think about related to the experiences of the author. At the time of coming into contact with Randy Kraft he had already killed at least 20 people, and during that year had committed at least 5 separate murders. Pretty sobering to think about.

Also, reading these details I can't help but be extremely critical of the criminal justice system's failures in regards to the case. There were so many opportunities to catch Kraft in the earlier days of his "exploits" that were wasted by either poor police work or poor judgment of the district attorney.

Oh oh! I remember this technique from Cialdini's Influence. During the Korean war, the Chinese used the same technique on American POWs:

For instance, prisoners were frequently asked to make statements so mildly anti-American or pro-Communist as to seem inconsequential (“The United States is not perfect.” “In a Communist country, unemployment is not a problem.”). But once these minor requests were complied with, the men found themselves pushed to submit to related yet more substantive requests. A man who had just agreed with his Chinese interrogator that the United States is not perfect might then be asked to indicate some of the ways in which he thought this was the case. Once he had so explained himself, he might be asked to make a list of these “problems with America” and to sign his name to it. Later he might be asked to read his list in a discussion group with other prisoners. “After all, it’s what you really believe, isn’t it?” Still later he might be asked to write an essay expanding on his list and discussing these problems in greater detail.

In retrospect, I'm pretty convinced he was going to try to get me to undress myself at his escalating suggestion w/out him ever touching me. He was extremely careful about not touching, "accidentally" brushing, etc, and keeping out of my personal space. I realize now that this was a survival mechanism for him, as if the spell were broken by some wrong move, he really could have gotten hurt badly in this sort of situation.