Post by northernjustice on Apr 15, 2014 16:02:36 GMT
I think the simplest explanation is that LE used conventional investigative methods in hunting an unconventional criminal - as far as what type of suspect they were looking for during the early stages of the EAR crimes. For example, from what I have read, Sacramento LE left almost no stones unturned in reviewing young males living in the area of the crimes. This is a very logical and rational approach to investigating a prolific serial rapist who targets the same area over and over again. However, if the EAR commuted to his Sacramento crimes - he was home-free for a critical time period - the time-period when he was making stupid mistakes like wearing an open-face mask.
After that, EAR had refined his methods and was not making stupid mistakes - and that is generally the way LE apprehends serial criminals who attack victims at random - they wait for them to make a stupid mistake. From reading ST, Task Forces were scaled back fairly soon after EAR rapes stopped occurring in jurisdictions. The case grew cold. LE familiar with the case retired or passed away. Now, most of the public, most politicians and probably most LE have never even heard of the EARONS. Detectives Cromptom and Pool are sort of like modern day Captain Ahabs, and the EARONS is their great white whale (perhaps shark is more accurate) - Moby Dick....
I fully agree with you, re: "using conventional methods to hunt an unconventional criminal." I've said in another thread before how much our knowledge and understanding of serial killers and criminal pathology has changed since the EAR case began, and most of us here are using knowledge we've gained from years of studying this subject matter with the benefit of hindsight.
We both mentioned serial killers being caught due to their own stupid mistakes (which is also true for other types of criminals), and often the job of law enforcement is simply to be ready when those mistakes are made. I know that makes it sound like LE are these bumbling idiots who just get lucky, but that's not what I'm saying. Rather, "being ready" is a skill unto itself and maintaining a thorough investigation is of course one aspect of that readiness. The GSK did make mistakes but I believe law enforcement was not always "ready" or capable of capitalizing on those at the time and the status of this case has as much to do with that as it does the unique behavior of the GSK.
There was nobody pulling the strings to protect the EAR when a screaming family ran to a neighbor's house after an aborted attack and he calmly walked out of the neighborhood with no pants on. There was no conspiracy when law enforcement was in hot pursuit of this guy as he rode away on his bike or on foot, only to leave them with a cold trail. We don't know exactly how he got away, why he was so elusive to law enforcement, or what the true nature of this individual was or is, but it is logical to believe that there were many different factors that contributed to the status of this case.