The Serial Killer Whisperer Summary

In the book, The Serial Killer Whisperer: How One Man’s Tragedy Helped Unlock the Deadliest Secrets of the World’s Most Terrifying Killers, Tony Ciaglia writes letters to various serial killers and starts a friendship with them. The friendships Tony’s build’s with these serial killer’s through phone calls and letters helped law enforcement in more than one way. The serial killers trust Tony and opens up to him about things they’ve done and why. The Serial Killer Whisperer gives readers an inside look of serial killers minds. Although the letters in this novel are between Tony and various serial killers, Pete Earley is the author. He interviewed Tony and his friends and families. Pete Earley is also the author of three New York Times bestsellers and he has won the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime. Ealey wrote this gripping tale in a way that would captivate any audience.

The author begins the story by giving readers a peek at a typical Saturday

morning for Tony Ciaglia. Tony rushed excitedly to his postbox to pick up his letters from inmates but he was most excited for Metheny’s letter. Metheny is known as the cannibal killer and he prided himself on being the real life Hannibal Lector. He was known as the cannibal killer because he would dismember his female victims and serve their ground up body parts at diners at a roadside barbecue stand. Out of all the serial killers Tony talked to, Metheny was the most insensitive and explicit when describing his sexual debauchery. When Tony finally got home one of his parents read the letter to him since Tony promised them he wouldn’t read any of the letters from serial killers unless one of them were present. In Metheny’s letter he tells Tony about the time he killed a prostitute in 1995. In the letter Metheny states: “I have never shed a tear for those I have killed, nor will I down the road. Those sweet young drug addicted prostitutes that I killed back in my past were pretty much dead to the world long before I killed them.” Metheny gives Tony descriptive details of one of his victims and explains why he feels no remorse for his actions. Tony knew he would need to find out more information about the women Metheny killed so he could return her dignity and give police the information. Tony would later go on to write Metheny and other serial killers about their victims to help law enforcement close cold cases and solve many missing persons reports.
The author then talks about the accident that lead Tony Ciaglia to begin to write to serial killers. On July 23, 1992 Tony was at Camp Grady Spruce in Texas when he suffered from a fatal head injury. Tony’s friend was riding a WaveRunner and wanted to splash his friends with water but ended up not being able to control it and the WaveRunner smashed into the back of Tony’s skull. Tony’s heart stopped beating three times during the helicopter ride to the hospital and was in a coma by the time his parents reached the hospital. When Tony finally woke up his doctors informed his parents of the permanent brain damage Tony would suffer from. Tony had to relearn how to eat, walk, and talk. He would also start taking medication to control his emotions. Tony would soon return back to school and lose all of his friends. When Tony first arrived to back to school everyone was nice and excited from him to return. After a while Tony began losing his friends and got treated differently. Tony was homeschooled after not feeling like he belonged at his current school and he graduated from high school. Earley goes in depth about Tony’s brain injury and how it affected Tony’s life and family and friends. Ealey gives readers an inside look of how life can change in an instant and what it’s like for someone who suffers from a brain injury.
Tony began writing his feelings to occupy his time once he graduated but his therapist felt his writings were bleak so he suggested Tony find a past time. Tony took to the internet and found a website that sold true crime collectibles and was intrigued. Tony ended up buying a letter written by Ted Bundy and it made him feel connected to Bundy. The next morning Tony decided he would write to serial killers. Tony started his letters off by telling about his accident and uncontrollably rage. He ended his letters letting the serial killers know he would not judge them and how he’s only looking for a friend. Tony received a respond from Arthur Shawcross, the Genesee River Killer. Shawcross tells Tony about his horrible childhood and why he killed people. Shawcross talks about how he had incest in his family with his mom, sisters, and cousins. Shawcross began having oral sex with his mom when he was 7, then his mom took his virginity when he was 14. Shawcross became hooked and ended up having sex with his sisters, cousins, and even his mom best friend. Shawcross childhood played a big role in what he became. Shawcross grew up in a toxic environment that was detrimental to his development. Tony had asked the serial killers in his letter did they ever experience uncontrollable rage like he had from time to time since his traumatic brain injury. Shawcross let Tony know rage had nothing to do with his killings because all his murders were calculated and he did them on purpose. Shawcross wanted to rid the city of a hooker who had HIV and was spreading it on purpose. He confessed to the murder of 11 women and said if he had found the women he was looking for first the other murders who have ceased.
The Professional Experience of a Killer: Devotion or Need, is an article that discusses the differences between serial killers and criminals of opportunity. Serial killers do not feel fear or compassion but they have a need to kill. They find pleasure in killing and do not feel empathy. Criminals of opportunity kill for self-conservation whereas serial killers are devoted to killing. This article also touches on brain dysfunctions in serial killers and how their mental illness can contribute to their crimes. Brain dysfunction or mental illness does not mean a person will become a serial killer or commit a crime. Tony Ciaglia is a perfect example of how a person with a brain dysfunction can function in society. Tony had uncontrollable rage from time to time but with his families help he was always able to calm down. Tony did not let his brain injury hold him back from being a good person. Tony helped many victims family heal and find peace. Tony also helped with various unsolved murders. Tony feared his uncontrollable rage but never let it get the best of him. The Serial Killer Whisperer: How One Man’s Tragedy Helped Unlock the Deadliest Secrets of the World’s Most Terrifying Killers gives details about Tony Ciagla’s childhood and how growing up with a brain injury affected his live in many ways.
There are two types of serial killers: organized and disorganized serial killers.

Organized serial killers plan out their murders so well that the crime scene has little to no evidence to incriminate them. Disorganized serial killers are the complete opposite because their crimes are usually spontaneous and their crime scenes are always filled with evidence. Shawcross would be a perfect example of an organized killer because all of his murders were calculated carefully. In the article, Serial Killers: Organization or Disorganization Changes Over Time, researchers found both organized and disorganized elements in all of the twenty-two crime scenes they studied (Boschken, 2016). When serial killers leave organized and disorganized elements at a crime scene it makes it harder for investigators to find the offender. Some killers are either organized or disorganized but a few serial killers switch from organized to disorganize over time. Ted Bundy is a perfect example of an organized killer that became a disorganized

killer.
In the article, The New American Hero, by Ashley Donnelly talks how serial killers rise of fame and suggest that serial killers are used in movies and books as a way to express Americans fear. Donnelly also suggest that serial killers are not just used to evoke Americans fears but to make us fear the darkness within ourselves. Serial killers started making their way onto films and books in the mid 1980’s. In most novels about serial killers the protagonist struggles between his good and evil side. Unlike in real life the serial killer depicted in novels choses the good side over their deviant other side. Horror films and novels suggest there is a presence of darkness in our society. The letters Tony received from inmates in correctional facilities lets us know darkness is real. In the beginning of The Serial Killer Whisperer, Tony receives a letter from a serial killer named Metheny who tells Tony he feels no remorse for the murders he committed. Metheny will never feel remorse for what he’s done because he was proud of his work. Darkness is real in today’s society and Tony gets a firsthand look at how gruesome serial killers can be. Gothic novels and horror films informs American society about the evil lurking around every corner.
The Serial Killer Whisperer contributes to our understanding of serial murder by giving reader’s an inside look of a criminal’s mind. This books helps reader’s understand the motives of serial killers and how their childhood could have affected them. The Serial Killer Whisperer shares these killers’ personal thoughts, feelings, and memories through letters they write to Tony Ciagla. When trying to understand a mind of a killer psychological assessments are important. Research has shown that people who are mentally ill are at a higher risk of violence, which can include homicide (Culhane, Hilstad, Freng, & Gray, 2011). In the article Self-Reported Psychopathology in a Convicted Serial Killer research is shown to support that sexual homicide offenders have numerous disorders. To understand the underlying persona of a serial killer researchers must gather more psychological measure data from the actual serial killer. The letters Tony receive from inmates are great ways to gather data from the actual serial killer. These inmates Tony received letters from trusted him and shared personal information about their lives with him. In a way Tony was a researcher that helped solve problems; like unsolved murders.
The author tells Tony Ciagla’s life story throughout the novel while adding the letters Tony writes and receive from various serial killers. The author uses many literary devices to describe how Tony and his letter helped law enforcement in unsolved murders. In Chapter 44 Tony calls the Seward, Alaska, Police Department to inform them about 2 unsolved murders that one of his pen pal’s had committed but never confessed to. Tony had an interest in cold cases and helping the victims’ families heal. Tony often received letters from serial killers that talked about their childhood. In Chapter 20, entitled Excerpts from Letters between David Gore and Tony, David Gore discusses his childhood with Tony. David tells Tony about the time he fell into a fire ant bed when he was just a toddler. David went into a convulsion and was rushed to the hospital where they learned his temperature was 102-103. The doctors informed his parents because of his high temperature his brain was altered. David Gore states in one of his many letters to Tony that, “I think when people go through such ordeals you really can’t control the way we act” (123). This statement is true for most of the inmates Tony wrote to. Most of the inmates went through a traumatic ordeal that changed them forever. The foundation for the serial killer is usually laid down in their early life experiences during childhood; such as David Gore’s childhood and Shawcross childhood. In the article, A Case Study of Serial Killers, the authors discuss how a serial killers family background such as harsh childhood punishment and discipline or broken families can influence personality characteristics. A traumatic childhood plays a big role in a serial killers development and can change their outlooks on life. The serial killer never really bonds with his family and is often viewed as a loner with few friendships.
In all, The Serial Killer Whisperer is an intriguing and eye-opening book and a must-read for anyone interested in learning about serial killers. This books gives reader information about serial killers motives, childhood, and cold cases. It would also be of interest to those working in law enforcement hunting for other serial killers and for those who would just like a glimpse into a criminals mind. This book should be required for every Criminal Justice Major taking a class about murderers to give students direct insight to a serial killers thoughts and feelings. After reading The Serial Killer Whisperer readers will have a better understand of serial killers. Tony’s letters helped him cope with his brain injury and helped give readers a direct link to serial killers. Either way, this is a book I would highly recommend to everyone.