Why Chicago?

[Ghost]

Why does Chicago seem to have relationships so many serial killers? Gacy, Kaczynski, the Tylenol killer, etc. Pure coincidence? Something more? Any theories?

[Amanda]

Don't forget...

Don't forget Francis Tumblety and Thomas Neill Cream....

Interesting question.
Amanda

[GUT]

Maybe because it's a big city with a history of being a rough place.

[pinkmoon]

I read a book about al capones reign in Chicago and it suggested that for every dollar spent in Chicago nine cents went into Mr Capones pocket it said it had always been a rough an corrupt city but Mr Capone took full advantage and turned something bad into something even worse

[Pcdunn]

"Devil in the White City" offers a lot of history about Chicago, as well as a chilling biography and true crime account of H. H. Holmes. It was interesting to learn tourists would visit the "modern" automated slaughterhouses just to see them. I wonder if Holmes was inspired by them to build his own "murder hotel".

[Penhalion]

As long as we are tallying up Chicago's serial killers, let's not forget that Belle Gunness started her killings here in the Windy City.

Plus, Richard Speck isn't a serial he's more of a spree killer but we get to claim him too. Lucky us!

[Errata]

I think you'll find it has the second or third largest population of serial killers. The first being New York City, the other being LA.

And that's because of the size and age of these cities. Chicago is Second City. Literally. It was the second major metropolis. New York being the first. LA came later, but it's population expansion was faster than Chicago. The bigger the city, he more likely there is to be a serial killer. The old that big city, the better the chances are of having several serial killers in it's history.

The exception being Tennessee, because apparently there is something in the water or whatever. We have a fair number of serial murders, though the killers tend not to be from here. We also have the most unknown serial killers, and who knows why that is, but it is.

[MacGuffin]

Hi Errata,

I think you'll find it has the second or third largest population of serial killers. The first being New York City, the other being LA.

And that's because of the size and age of these cities. Chicago is Second City. Literally. It was the second major metropolis. New York being the first. LA came later, but it's population expansion was faster than Chicago. The bigger the city, he more likely there is to be a serial killer. The old that big city, the better the chances are of having several serial killers in it's history.

The exception being Tennessee, because apparently there is something in the water or whatever. We have a fair number of serial murders, though the killers tend not to be from here. We also have the most unknown serial killers, and who knows why that is, but it is.

Don't forget Florida, while some are born are bred here, we do get more than our fair share of traveling killers who end up getting caught here.
I've often though it must be our romantic beach sunsets, or perhaps lost pirate treasure luring them down to our sunny climes.

Regards,
MacGuffin

[Steadmund Brand]

Don't forget Francis Tumblety and Thomas Neill Cream....

Interesting question.
Amanda

Hey Tumblety is Rochester NY... don't take him away from there ( Being in Buffalo NY I like to throw Tumblety in folks from Rochesters face when they say Buffalo is a bad city, Buffalo and Rochester are only an hour apart)

Steadmund Brand

[Amanda]

Greetings....

Hey Tumblety is Rochester NY... don't take him away from there ( Being in Buffalo NY I like to throw Tumblety in folks from Rochesters face when they say Buffalo is a bad city, Buffalo and Rochester are only an hour apart)

Steadmund Brand

Hi Steadmund,
Apologies, but Tumblety did spend time in Chicago didn't he?

Cream was also an outsider but the bright lights of Chicago seemed to bring out the worst in him.
Amanda

[Steadmund Brand]

Hi Steadmund,
Apologies, but Tumblety did spend time in Chicago didn't he?

Cream was also an outsider but the bright lights of Chicago seemed to bring out the worst in him.
Amanda

That he did I was just having a bit of fun with you... he spent time not only there but in Tonawanda (tiny suburb of Buffalo where I was born) But I still like to blame Rochester!!

Steadmund Brand

[Amanda]

That he did I was just having a bit of fun with you... he spent time not only there but in Tonawanda (tiny suburb of Buffalo where I was born) But I still like to blame Rochester!!

Steadmund Brand

Ooh, good old Tonawanda, now there's a place that might harbour criminals...
Amanda

[Steadmund Brand]

Ooh, good old Tonawanda, now there's a place that might harbour criminals...
Amanda

I have to ask, have you ever really heard of Tonawanda or just having a bit o' fun...it is actually semi famous.. Wurlitzer (of the theater organ and Juke Box fame) is from North Tonawanda.... and Tonawanda is the end of the Erie Canal...hmm and at one time it was the Lumber Capital of the World.... plus the river that flows into Niagara Falls goes thru the center of Tonawanda....

Steadmund Brand

[Errata]

Hi Errata,


Don't forget Florida, while some are born are bred here, we do get more than our fair share of traveling killers who end up getting caught here.
I've often though it must be our romantic beach sunsets, or perhaps lost pirate treasure luring them down to our sunny climes.

Regards,
MacGuffin

Yeah but you guys have the population to support multiple serial killers. I mean, it's New York, Chicago, LA, Miami. Even Boston comes in at 7 or 8. So Florida makes sense.

Tennessee on the other hand has two big cities and one big college town, with serial killers in none of them. Mobile serial killers have hit Memphis and Nashville, but don't originate from there and don't stick around.

We have four known serial killers operating in the state, identities unknown. It's estimated that we have as many as seven unidentified serial killers. So about a dozen serial killers in a population of 6.5 million people. Which is easily the record for the most serial killers per person. And they don't prey on the big cities generally, and that's not counting the four arrests of serial killers in the past 20 odd years, only one of them actually living in the state. So not only do we grow them, we import them apparently. I don't know how they aren't tripping over each other. Yet Tennesseans are far less likely to be killed by a serial killer than more that 3/4 of the country, so serial killers not from here show up and apparently kill people also not from here. So apparently we make better killers than victims? Trying to figure it out will drive you mad. My boss spent a year on it, and much of that year was spent with his head on a desk weeping from frustration.

We also have the highest concentration of cults in the nation in West Tennessee, which is where a majority of serial killer activity occurs. And that part of the state is just.. odd. I know there are other people from Tennessee on here to back me up. "Something in the water" is not exactly out of the question. But who am I to talk? I live in the birthplace of the KKK.

[Amanda]

Oops...

I have to ask, have you ever really heard of Tonawanda or just having a bit o' fun...it is actually semi famous.. Wurlitzer (of the theater organ and Juke Box fame) is from North Tonawanda.... and Tonawanda is the end of the Erie Canal...hmm and at one time it was the Lumber Capital of the World.... plus the river that flows into Niagara Falls goes thru the center of Tonawanda....

Steadmund Brand

Sorry Steadmund, have to confess I was messing about...

Never heard of Tonawanda but thanks for those most interesting snippets.
Have to admit, my knowledge of the states is very limited... The little I've learned has only been through research for my Cream biography.
Amanda