Internet Serial Killer

Serial killers are a fascinating subject to the public. On one hand, we as a collective society are frightened by their horrific murders and indignant at how their heinous lives lasted for so long. On the other, we are fascinated by their complex lives and remarkable ingenuity—if anything, reading about them puts us temporarily in the mind of the killer themselves, simultaneously disgusted and a voyeur nonetheless. Maybe we just want to avoid situations for practical sakes where a trusting face may appear and help us recognize the signs of someone capable of these egregious crimes; other times, there’s a voyeuristic pleasure that fuels our innate instincts. This sentiment may not be more apropos for the serial killer John Edward Robinson. Known as the “Internet’s first serial killer,” he embodied a con man’s savvy with reckless precision, taking at least eight women down his path until his conviction in 2003.