Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris Are the Toolbox Killers

In late October 1979, California authorities were busy hunting down and capturing The Hillside Strangler, Angelo Buono. In the meantime, two more barbaric killers had teamed up to fulfill a prison time fantasy - to kidnap, rape, torture and kill a girl for each teenage year. For two months, the duo hunted roads and beaches, looking for victims who  matched their demented fantasy. They almost met their goal, killing five young girls, ages ranging between 13 to 18. This is their story. Bittaker and Norris Meet In 1978, Lawrence Sigmund Bittaker, age 38, and Roy L. Norris, age 30, met while in the California State Prison at San Luis Obispo. Norris was labeled as a mentally disordered sex offender and previously spent four years at a state mental institution. Once released, he raped again and returned to prison. Bittaker spent most of his adult life behind bars for various offenses. As their friendship grew, so did their fantasies of raping and murdering teenage girls. The Murder Mack After their release from prison, they paired up, transformed Bittakers 1977 GMC van into what they nicknamed, Murder Mack, and began their kidnap, torture and killing spree of young girls. As is characteristic of psychopaths, the pain inflicted on their victims grew more vicious with each new captive. Cindy Schaeffer On June 24, 1979, in Redondo Beach, Cindy Schaeffer, age 16, was walking to her grandmother’s house after attending a church program. Bittaker and Norris pulled up next to her in the Murder Mack and tried to entice her to go for a ride. Her attempts to ignore the two failed. She was forced into the van and taken to a pre-selected spot in the mountains. There she was tortured and denied her requests to pray before the two beat and strangled her to death with wire coat hangers. Andrea Hall On July 8, 1979, the duo went hunting for their second victim and found 18-year-old Andrea Hall hitchhiking on the Pacific Coast Highway. With Bittaker hiding in the back, Norris stopped and offered Hall a ride. Within minutes after she entered the van, Bittaker attacked, raped and took pictures of her bound and in fear. As if playing a game, Bittaker then asked why she should be allowed to live. Not liking her answer, he stabbed her in the ear with an ice pick and choked her to death. Jackie Gilliam and Jacqueline Lamp On Sept.  3, 1979, the murderous pair picked up their youngest victims from a bus stop at Hermosa Beach. Jackie Gilliam, 15, and Jacqueline Lamp, 13, were kidnapped and taken to the mountain location where they were raped and tortured for two days. As with Hall, both girls were stabbed in each ear with an ice pick, their small bodies viciously attacked with vice grips, then strangled to death with coat hangers tightened with pliers. Lynette Ledford The killers last known victim was killed on Oct. 31, 1979. Sixteen-year-old Lynette Ledford was kidnapped and her body mutilated. The young girl was stabbed numerous times, and with pliers, Bittaker ripped at her body. During her torture, her screams and pleas were tape-recorded as Bittaker repeatedly beat the young girls elbows with a sledgehammer, all the time demanding that she not stop screaming. In the end, the pair strangled her with a coat hanger. For fun the pair decided to leave Ledfords brutalized corpse on the lawn of a suburban home in Hermosa Beach, just to see the reaction of the media. The Hillside Strangler, Angelo Buono, had been caught just a few days before the discovery of Lynette Ledfords body, although authorities were not swayed into identifying her killer as Buono. Captured Norris was the murderous pairs downfall. He bragged to an old prison friend about his crime spree. The friend tipped off police, and the story sounded much like that of the victim, Shirley Sanders. On September 30, Shirley Sanders managed to escape from two men who used chemical mace on her, then raped her inside a van. Police interviewed her again, this time armed with pictures, and Sanders was able to identify the van and Norris and Bittaker as her attackers. Norris Points the Finger at Bittaker The two were arrested for unrelated crimes and held without bail for violating their probations. During an interrogation, Norris began admitting details about the pairs murderous activities, and he pointed the finger at Bittaker for being the one who killed their victims. 500 Photos - 19 Missing Girls Norris worked out a deal with authorities in exchange for his testimony against Bittaker, as well as showing police where they hid the bodies of their victims. Overall, police found over 500 photos of teenaged girls, 19 of which were listed as missing. But Norris clammed up and would only tell investigators what happened to five of the 19 missing girls. The Sentencing During Bittakers and Norris trial, the disturbing pictures of their crimes and the tape-recording of Lynette Ledfords final painful hours were shared with the jury. The impact was substantial. Bittaker was sentenced to death, and the judge included an extra 199-year life sentence just in case his death sentence was ever commuted to life. Norris was given 45 years to life for his cooperation in the investigation. In 2009, Norris was denied parole for an additional 10 years. Sources Couples Who Kill by Carol Anne Davis

Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson Compare and Contrast...

Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson, Compare and Contrast Emily Elizabeth Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe are two of the biggest poets in American Literature from the 1800s. They had many things in common from their writings about death and sadness, because of their unfortunate losses in life, to the fact that they were both born in Massachusetts. They were also different in many ways. They were different in the way they looked at life and wrote about their experiences from it. While it is obvious they had many differences, they also had many things in common from their lives to their styles of writing making them amazing writers. Both Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson had many similarities and differences in their lives itself.†¦show more content†¦Emily lost her cousin whom she was very close to and considered her a very close friend. Edgar lost his mother and his dad also left at a very young age which affected him tremendously also. Since they both lost loved ones it influenced the things they wrote about, which is why they both wrote about death as much as they did. Because Poe and Dickinson lost loved ones in the beginning of their lives it made them the writers they became. Edgar Poe and Emily Dickinson both isolated themselves from the world because of the loved ones they lost and because they were afraid of death. Emily isolated herself by hiding out in her house. Poe isolated himself not by hiding out but by keeping his feelings in. The topic of death was obviously of great interest to both of them, which was an uncommon trait in literature at the time. Poe wrote about not understanding d eath and about what happens afterwards. Dickinson just wrote about death itself, and the many ways you can die. They both were incredibly criticized when publishing their work. They also had difficulties getting out the original copies due to alterations before publishing to fit the â€Å"rules of literature† at the time. Another interest of these great American poets was how they both felt the need and the passionate want to feel loved. Poe was considered a big part of the American RomanticShow MoreRelatedDeath in American Literature2425 Words   |  10 PagesEssay 2 05/07/2012 Dickinson and Edgar Allan Poe (writing a  few decades prior to Dickinson) ask us to explore a consciousness that doubts and questions its own reflections. They employ death as the focal point of self-consciousness, the unknowable center around which our thoughts inevitably swirl (whether we are aware of it or not).   Compare Dickinson’s poem #315 and Poe’s â€Å"Ligeia† on the topic. Philosophy of the death The theme of death has always been a presence in American writings – from earlyRead MoreThe Raven By Edgar Allan Poe945 Words   |  4 Pageshad to experience hardly any grief in my life. Everyone is different which results in everyone having their own way that they deal with grief. The way that Edgar Allan Poe describes grief and the way that Emily Dickinson describes grief is both different and similar. Poe’s famous poem titled â€Å"The Raven† is a great example of how Edgar Allan Poe writes about grief. The poem is about the grief of the narrator during the loss of the love of his life, Lenore. The narrator’s opening statement in theRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Mind1900 Words   |  8 Pagesideas that diverged from Freud s views.† (Carl Jung Biography) Another famous author known for dark romanticism is Edgar Allan Poe he was born January 19, 1809 and died October 7, 1849 he was a very talented American writer, editor, and literary critic. Edgar Allan Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe both explore in their writings the mystical and the melancholy aspects of America s Puritan thought. In theirRead MorePoetry Essay Prompt2545 Words   |  11 Pagesthe dead groundhog. Develop your essay with specific references to the text of the poem. 1983 Poem: â€Å"Clocks and Lovers† (W. H. Auden) Prompt: Write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the attitude of the clocks with that of the lover. Through careful analysis of the language and imagery, show how this contrast is important to the meaning of the poem. 1984 NO POEM 1985 Poems: â€Å"There Was A Boy† (William Wordsworth) and â€Å"The Most of It† (Robert Frost) Prompt: These two poems present encountersRead MoreAmerican Revolution and Study Guide Essay example5377 Words   |  22 PagesIndians. What specific developments illustrate that the English living in the plantation colonies tried to apply these lessons? (25 pts) 2. Compare and contrast the ways in which tobacco and sugar affected the social and economic development of colonial America (10pts) Chapter 3 Study Guide â€Å"Settling the Northern Colonies† 1. Compare and contrast the motives of the their founders, religious and social orientation, economic pursuits, and political developments of TWO of the early colonialRead MoreANALIZ TEXT INTERPRETATION AND ANALYSIS28843 Words   |  116 Pageselsewhere, most frequently to character or idea. Understanding a plot on a schematic level becomes even more difficult when dealing with works, usually novels, that have more than one plot. Many novels contain one or more subplots that reinforce by contrast or parallel the main plot. Some novels even contain a double plot, as in Thackeray’s â€Å"Vanity Fair†, where we are asked to follow the careers of both the selfish adventuress Becky Sharp and the innocent, good-hearted Amelia Sedley. As Amelia’s fortunes

Al Jazeer A New Imperative Of Competition - 1452 Words

In the last decade of the 20th century, Al-Jazeera is constructing a new imperative of competition in the news industry (Radsch, 2007: 1). Ever since Al-Jazeera assists system changes in situation where political movement are dynamic and political transformation process begun to unfold, there is increment of audiences who turn to Al Jazeera as their first news choice (Jamal, 2009 Radsch, 2007). In 2008, Boyd-Barrett and Xie claimed that Al-Jazeera has an estimation of 50 million audiences worldwide from its various channels such as the original international service, a news channel broadcasting 24-hours in Arab language; Al-Jazeera Sports 1 and 2; a children’s channel; a documentary channel, and Al-Jazeera Mobasher, a live political and public interest channel similar to C-SPAN or BBC that broadcasts conferences in real-time without editing or commentary. Moreover, Al-Jazeera has soon open up a vast array of medium for news such as online press, social media, and citizen jour nalism on Internet which emerged as an alternative to mainstream press (Radsch, 2007; Hafez, 2008: 333; NÃ ¶tzold, 2009: 4). Not to forget its first privately own satellite TV. Thus, this has eventually intensified the competition among news producers whereby the journalists aim to tailor a better coverage especially on satellite stations to attract audiences who have short attention span (Radsch, 2007: 7). For instance, the Egyptian government launched Nile News after seeing the appearance of

History of Photojournalism Essay Example For Students

History of Photojournalism Essay Photography has been around since 1800s and stories have been around forever, so putting them together Photojournalism becomes possible. Putting stories and pictures together have shaped magazines, newspapers even lives. Action is captured by camera lens and told by writers that share stories needing to be heard. With the increasing technology process Photography has become known to all and becoming more common. The digital world is taking over Photography and will keep getting better as the future and technology progress. The word Photography is derived from the Greek language, photo   meaning light   and Graphein   that means, to draw  (Bellis 1). Photography is a method of recording images by the action of light or related radiation on a sensitive material  (Bellis 1). The photograph was the ultimate response to a social and cultural appetite for a more accurate and real looking representation of reality, a need that had its origins in the renaissance   (Langton 11,1). The first goal of photography was reportage, which were the most potential. Context is important to photographers; photographers have to show images in a larger social event, whose significance goes beyond the individual act (Westbrook 3). In 1000 A. D a man named Alhazen created a Pin Hole camera, which explained why images were upside down   (Bellis 2). In the summer of 1827 Joseph Nicephore Niepice took the first image with the Pin Hole camera. Prior to Josephs image he was using the camera for heliographs or sun prints. In 1829 Joseph partnered up with Louis Daguerre. Louis invented the first practical process of photography  (Bellis 5). In their partnership they improved Niepices original process. When Niepice died in 1839, Louis developed a more convenient and effective method of photography  (Bellis 4). In this process Louis would have a fixed image on a sheet of silver plated copper polished with silver coated with iodine creating a surface sensitive to light   (Bellis 5). Then putting that plate in the camera and exposing it for a few minutes, the image is painted by light   (Bellis 5). Lastly bathed in silver chloride, this creating a lasting image the wouldnt change when exposed to light  (Bellis 5). Later in 1839 Louis and Josephs son sold the rights to the Daguerreotype   to the French government and published a book about the process (Bellis 5). Henry Fox Talbot a botanist, mathematician and contemporary of Daguerre invented the first negative process. By putting sensitized paper to light with silver salt solution until the background became black and the subject was rendered in gradations of gray   (Bellis 6). This was later known as the negative image  (Bellis 6). Then from the negative image Talbot made contact prints reversing light and shadows to create a detailed picture  (Bellis 6). In 1841 Talbot perfected the paper negative process and called it a Calotype   which in Greek means beautiful picture  ( Bellis 6). Next came Hamilton Smith who invented the Tinitype   in 1856, another medium that herald the birth of photography  ( Bellis 7). TiniType was a thin sheet of iron used to provide a base for light sensitive material, yielding a positive image   (Bellis 7). In 1851 Fredrick Scoff Archer an English sculptor created the wet plate negative. (Bellis 8). The wet plate process included using a viscous solution of collation, Archer coated glass with light sensitive silver salts. Because it was glass and not paper, this wet plate created a more stable, detailed negative   ( Bellis 8). The downside of the wet plate process is that Photographers had to carry around a portable darkroom. Later in 1879 the dry plate was invented with a glass negative plate with a dried gelatin emulsion   (Bellis 9). This process made it easier for Photographers because it was not necessary to carry around a portable darkroom. Now hand held cameras are possible with the invention of the dry negative process  (Bellis 9). A Brief History Of The Blues EssayPhotojournalism is not a glam job   it is a hard job, news never stops meaning photos are always being taken and stories always being written (Hancock 11). Between the years of 1990 to the year 2012 technology has changed profusely, and so has photojournalism. Over the years, the assignments that a photojournalist shoots remains pretty constant, but the technology has changed and a photo that took five hours on wired service now takes a mere five seconds  (Lent 3). The photos quality have gotten remarkably better as the years go on as well  (Lent 3). Within this modern society digital and wireless have become key words in photojournalists words now. Having the ability to take a million photos on one camera and send then thousands of miles away in a click of a button. Digital photography has opened up new doors for photojournalists. It increases the market and an accelerated pace for the transmission of news through photographic images.  (Westbrook 7) Also with digital photographers are not limited to film, the can have a thousand plus images on one camera. Now with wireless internet photojournalists can send images from the field to the editor within seconds of their capture.  (Westbrook 7) With all this new technology meant more money being spent, with new equipment such as DSLRs and computers that can keep up in software and with being in the field you are looking at 6,000 bucks (Lent 6). But what that 6,000 bucks can get you is images that are magnificent and having the ability to sent it to the editor in a blink of an eye. The future of Photojournalism looks bright; with technology always processing it will become even more advanced as time goes on. The past is what has shaped our present and photography has evolved into so much more than just pictures; its stories and these photos represent so much more now with Photojournalism. All those men that created the little things that have brought this career and past time so famous and enjoyable. It is amazing how far it has come since this all started in 1000 A. D and now in 2012 photos are everywhere and have captured moments no one will ever want to remember, and sometime moments are captured that we just want to forget. Bibliography: Bellis, Mary. History OfÃÆ'‚ Photography. About.com Inventors. About.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.  . Collins, Ross. History of Photography and Photojournalism. A Brief History of Photography and Photojournalism. NDSU. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.  . Hancock, Mark. PhotoJournalism. : What Is a Photojournalist? Web. 30 Apr. 2012.  . Langton, Loup. Brief History of Photojournalism in the United States. Photojournalism and Todays News: Creating Visual Reality. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. 13-45. Print. Lent, Mark. How Digital Technology Has Changed Photojournalism. From Adorama Learning Center. Adorama Learning Center, 9 Mar. 2010. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.  . Westbrook, Dillon. ÃÆ'‚ Photography Schools. A Brief History of Photojournalism. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.