Post by winters on Sept 13, 2016 13:39:11 GMT
It's still possible that he did the latter (saw people out in public, then stalked them. repeated until he found one geographically suitable). Yes, it would take a lot of work, but if the stalking is what thrilled him the most, it certainly wouldn't seem like work.
But I really don't know. I think that stalking from a public place is "safer" than prowling neighborhoods at night, though we know that prowling was certainly a "step" in the "process".
I'm assuming that at least some of his victims were chosen from public places. We have some evidence that it happened with #1 and #9 at least.
But I think he used a variety of methods. Sometimes maybe a victim would be seen in public, then followed. He might have to do this several times until an appropriate geographic location was found. But in the meantime I also think he was scouting for good geographic locations and maybe doing some prowling at night. During prowling, a nice location (2nd house from the corner, nice open field behind them) might be noticed that housed a "suitable" victim and then they were selected that way. A potential victim might draw him to the neighborhood but be abandoned if a more geographically-suitable victim existed. It's been theorized that he had "alternate" victims in mind sometimes, and surely that was determined while stalking/prowling.
But he initially might have noticed at the grocery store and then followed them home, and done it a few times until one was geographically suitable. Then while planning and prowling he might find a second victim (there seems to be a loose pattern of striking deep in the neighborhood and then striking closer to the escape route).
So yeah. I think he would prowl to find suitable neighborhoods, and I think he would stalk people from public places near those neighborhoods and would sometimes hit the "jackpot" and both of those worlds would intersect.
This also makes him harder to catch because the selection process varies.
I have to believe that the ONS phase was similar. I used to think there was more of a personal connection to the victims, but the victims are so varied and spread out that I think it was just more of the same methodology with extra caution built in because the stakes were higher and he was a little older.
But I really don't know. I think that stalking from a public place is "safer" than prowling neighborhoods at night, though we know that prowling was certainly a "step" in the "process".
I'm assuming that at least some of his victims were chosen from public places. We have some evidence that it happened with #1 and #9 at least.
But I think he used a variety of methods. Sometimes maybe a victim would be seen in public, then followed. He might have to do this several times until an appropriate geographic location was found. But in the meantime I also think he was scouting for good geographic locations and maybe doing some prowling at night. During prowling, a nice location (2nd house from the corner, nice open field behind them) might be noticed that housed a "suitable" victim and then they were selected that way. A potential victim might draw him to the neighborhood but be abandoned if a more geographically-suitable victim existed. It's been theorized that he had "alternate" victims in mind sometimes, and surely that was determined while stalking/prowling.
But he initially might have noticed at the grocery store and then followed them home, and done it a few times until one was geographically suitable. Then while planning and prowling he might find a second victim (there seems to be a loose pattern of striking deep in the neighborhood and then striking closer to the escape route).
So yeah. I think he would prowl to find suitable neighborhoods, and I think he would stalk people from public places near those neighborhoods and would sometimes hit the "jackpot" and both of those worlds would intersect.
This also makes him harder to catch because the selection process varies.
I have to believe that the ONS phase was similar. I used to think there was more of a personal connection to the victims, but the victims are so varied and spread out that I think it was just more of the same methodology with extra caution built in because the stakes were higher and he was a little older.