The serial killer who never killed a single person

On the fascination for liars and psychopaths

This is an older article (from a couple of years ago) but, because of this class, it came back to mind.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/oct/20/thomas-quick-bergwall-sweden-murder

It’s about a Swedish man Sture Bergwell who was “a murderer who never killed anybody.”

Bergwell was originally arrested for robbery (which did happen) but then confessed to being responsible for over 30 murders, and was then judged guilty for 8 of them.

The murders he confessed to were unresolved cases. Bergwell made a list of ones he could claim, learnt the details and fit them into a narrative in which he was the killer. As truth came to light, officials were greatly criticized for falling for his ploy. I think this brings us back to our discussions regarding con artists, how they are conscious of the expectation people have of a certain type. Once they are profiled as a certain type, they will play into our expectations. Here, if Bergwell was considered as insane, then loose ends and conflicted details wouldn’t play against him, but actually consolidate the view people had of him.

Another issue is “why?”
When questioned by journalists, Bergwell said “It was about belonging to something.” And then : "I was a very lonely person when it all started," he continues. "I was in a place with violent criminals and I noticed that the worse or more violent or serious the crime, the more interest someone got from the psychiatric personnel. I also wanted to belong to that group, to be an interesting person in here."

I think this links back to the fascination that surrounds psychopaths. When he was still perceived as a murderer, he garnered a lot of interest in the Swedish media. Then when he withdrew from the spotlight, this, in turn, caught the interest of a documentary-maker. And once he was exposed interest didn't lessen; on the contrary it increased and he had a book written about him!