The Real Monsters

After watching a few documentaries on some serial killers the other day, I got to thinking about a few things that really inspired me to write this article.
 

You know something that I have always told my kids over and over again, is that "monsters" are real. But the real monsters aren't going to be some kind of creature under your bed, a possessed Chucky doll, flesh eating zombies, or Freddy Krueger out to kill you from your dreams. 

No, I make sure to constantly remind them that monsters like the ones from those kind of movies are not the real threat. The "REAL MONSTERS" don't look anything like those scary boogie men, but even worse, they look just like you and me. Which really makes that even more scary when you stop to look at it. Because if they really did look like that, at least you'd know what they were right away. But the "real monsters" look just like any normal person. They blend in with the rest of us. And some of the most absolutely diabolical ones hold down good jobs, go to church, and raise families. (Well at least most of them. I am aware that there are deranged psychos out there, like Richard Chase for example. But at least with those guys, you can see them for what they are right off the bat.)

Just take a look at some of the "real life monsters" who targeted sex workers. 

 
Obviously, these girls felt like they could go off somewhere alone with these guys because they didn't "appear" to look like a real threat for one reason or another.

Lets start with one of the most surprising monster, Philip Markoff A.K.A. the "Craigslist Killer". 

Philip Markoff was a 22-year-old second year medical student at Boston University. Markoff grew up in Sherill, New York, outside of Syracuse and went to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School, where he was on the bowling team, youth court and history club. He was also in the National Honor Society. Markoff attended the University of Albany, where he received a bachelor's degree in biology. 
He did some volunteer work at a nearby medical center emergency room and even graduated summa cum laude. A young, good looking, smart man that looked like some body no one who ever suspect of murder.




Then we have Gary Ridgeway A.K.A. the "Green River Killer". 

Looks harmless enough, kinda nerdy... He had a son, just a little boy that he would take with him sometimes when he went to go pick up girls He did this to make himself look less threatening. He treated his wife like a queen. Always so loving and thoughtful towards her. None of his family or friends would have ever suspected him of being one of America's worst serial killers.




Kenneth Bianchi, he and his cousin Angelo Buono where the "Hillside Stranglers". 

OK, so IMHO Angelo Buono pretty much strikes me as the kind of guy that you wouldn't want to trust. I mean he just reeks of "slime ball". Plus, he had a reputation for being terrifyingly violent. But Bianchi, I mean just look at him. He looks like a total "marshmallow". Kinda pathetic, but not threatening. 

Many argue that Bianchi would have never started murdering on his own. That the only reason why he started was because he teamed up with his cousin Buono, and I do agree with that opinion. But after Bianchi moved to Washington state away from Buono, he still went on raping and killing without his partner in crime.

 Robert Hanson

He was an Alaskan serial killer and trophy hunter who lured prostitutes and topless dancers into his plane and flew them to his remote cabin where he brutalized them and then letting them loose in the forest where he would hunt them for sport. 



Here's some other serial killers that targeted Sex Workers, and what they look like:

 Keith Jesperson A.K.A. the "Smiley Face Killer".

Joel Rifkin A.K.A. "Joel the Ripper Rifkin".

 

Lorenzo Jerome Gilyard, Jr.

Robert Yates

Aurthur Shawcross

John Boyer

  

This is just a small list, and these sicko's come in all different shapes and sizes, and they live in many different countries around the world.

 And I know that the majority of these girls happened to be "street walkers", but not all of them... The "Craigslist Killer" obviously targeted Sex Workers with online classified ads, but few know that the Hillside Stranglers also had a victim that they found by calling an escort agency.
Yes there are definitely some sick fucks out there, who want nothing more then to rape and murder. So a lot of times they target sex workers because (amongst other things) they see their victims as easy prey, sense prostitution has been forced to operate "underground", giving sex workers little to no protection under the law. And with the stigma that goes along with being a sex worker, it's easier for them to "dehumanize" their victims as well.

One of the best things that you can do to keep yourself safe, is to arm yourself with knowledge. Know what "red flags" to look for and take safety precautions.

Here are some links to some very well written articles on advice about how to keep yourself safe while "on the job": 

Verifyhim.com's Screening Tips

How to not become a victim on a new date

Top 5 Client Screening Mistakes By Escorts

Safety Tips for Sex Workers
I'll add more when I come across them. Until then, stay smart and stay safe.