
Center of the universe - pudakai
http://www.orangecoast.com/features/2013/09/23/center-of-the-universe
======
mistercow
Oh oh! I remember this technique from Cialdini's _Influence_. During the
Korean war, the Chinese used the same technique on American POWs:

 _For instance, prisoners were frequently asked to make statements so mildly
anti-American or pro-Communist as to seem inconsequential (“The United States
is not perfect.” “In a Communist country, unemployment is not a problem.”).
But once these minor requests were complied with, the men found themselves
pushed to submit to related yet more substantive requests. A man who had just
agreed with his Chinese interrogator that the United States is not perfect
might then be asked to indicate some of the ways in which he thought this was
the case. Once he had so explained himself, he might be asked to make a list
of these “problems with America” and to sign his name to it. Later he might be
asked to read his list in a discussion group with other prisoners. “After all,
it’s what you really believe, isn’t it?” Still later he might be asked to
write an essay expanding on his list and discussing these problems in greater
detail._

~~~
pudakai
In retrospect, I'm pretty convinced he was going to try to get me to undress
myself at his escalating suggestion w/out him ever touching me. He was
extremely careful about not touching, "accidentally" brushing, etc, and
keeping out of my personal space. I realize now that this was a survival
mechanism for him, as if the spell were broken by some wrong move, he really
could have gotten hurt badly in this sort of situation.

~~~
westicle
Some people seem to have an almost super-human level of charisma/ability to
influence others (there is probably a D&D reference to be made here).

Certainly the trope is common in fiction. See: The Mentalist (both the
protagonist and antagonist share this ability) and several Agatha Christie
novels with similar storylines.

This guy sounds like a real-life Red John; able to subtly re-wire people's
thinking so that they actually want to do what he suggests.

I have only ever experienced this in the formulaic pattern of dark-arts sales
tactics. Israeli companies selling cosmetic products from the Dead Sea are
notorious for making a superficial connection with their potential customers
and then exploiting that connection for a sale. But those tactics aren't hard
to see through and resist. Quite scary to think that someone who has mastered
those techniques could actually alter my preferences simply with the power of
suggestion.

~~~
JunkDNA
I complety fell for one of those Israeli cosmetics things in the mall in my
early 20's. My dad was in sales so I am accustomed to all the techniques of
persuasion. But for some reason that day I bought $20 or so worth of skin care
products I had no intention of using. When I got to my car, I was like, "what
on EARTH just happened?!" I have never allowed myself to be so manipulated
before or since. Creepy to think of those same techniques being applied to
nefarious ends.

~~~
westicle
Tricking you into buying junk you don't need qualifies as a nefarious end in
my book. But you're right; serial killers rarely have a cooling-off period or
returns policy.

------
michaelwww
I was impressed by the fact checking:

[http://www.orangecoast.com/webexclusives/2013/09/24/a-factch...](http://www.orangecoast.com/webexclusives/2013/09/24/a-factcheckers-
journey-to-a-1980-afternoon)

~~~
mutagen
I was as well, I'm glad they shared the process that they went through.

------
Pxtl
That's moderately horrifying. It's also a sad reminder - so many of us go
through life having to chisel and scrape that kind of affection out of the
world. I can see how having it freely given could be very enticing.

~~~
jessaustin
Parents of young children: the time to inoculate your children against this
tool of sociopaths is _now_. Communicate your love with every word and
embrace, and you'll fill a reservoir that will never go dry.

------
VexXtreme
More facts:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Steven_Kraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Steven_Kraft)

~~~
Pxtl
Jesus, it just goes on and on and on... and in the end, there's no heroic
manhunt, no great victory. He was caught driving drunk with a corpse in the
passenger seat, so used to murder that he'd gotten lazy about it.

You can't help but feel outrage that nobody stopped him... that the public
wasn't sufficiently warned that any of these _boys_ , these _kids_ could have
known there was a serial-killer stalking them.

~~~
JabavuAdams
Reading about Jeffrey Dahmer left me similarly shaken. One of his victims --
Konerak Sinthasomphone -- managed to escape out onto the street and contact
some women who called the police.

When the police officers (John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish) arrived, Dahmer
managed to convince the them that it was a gay lovers' quarrel and the
officers let Dahmer take Sinthasomphone home again.

Can you imagine the horror of escaping torment and certain death, only to be
handed right back to your tormenter by the police?

~~~
tempestn
Holy shit. This victim, who 31 year old Dahmer claimed was his lover, was also
_14 years old_ at the time, and the police returned him (naked and bleeding)
despite his protests. (Sinthasomphone was disoriented at the time, having been
drugged, but apparently still did protest.) At least the officer was fired:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Balcerzak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Balcerzak)

~~~
kevindication
He was reinstated apparently upon appeal.

~~~
ekianjo
How is that even possible after such misconduct? Words fail me. Don't they
even feel ashamed of appealing ?

------
elwell
Gives a different meaning to "Hacker News". But seriously: a very engaging,
honest story.

~~~
lnanek2
psychopaths are pretty good social hackers :) to them a person is just a
machine they have to act the right way towards to get some benefit

------
sethev
I'm not sure if this anything to do with why this is on HN but Jay Roberts is
Jason Roberts's brother (Jason Roberts is co-host of the TechZing podcast).

------
MrJagil
If any of your would like to read more about "underrated" serial killers after
this harrowing story, Albert Fish comes to mind. Even just the wikipedia
article is about as scary a horror tale as they come. Many friends have been
unable to finish reading:
[http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish](http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish)

~~~
drpgq
Popular Crime by sabremetrician Bill James has a good chapter on Fish, plus
some other American serial killers.

------
popee
This story is for great (non-blockbuster) movie. Almodovar, but with good
ending :-)

But it's interesting to think why is author still alive. Is killer possessive
gay that is willing to kill guys that are ignoring/rejecting him? Because
author didn't reject him as many others that are now in the grave?

Also, even if author is wrong, really interesting and non-intrusive emotional
overview.

------
drderidder
I know there's a policy to keep the title of the source article, but if admins
are going to blindly change post titles to remove all useful context and
revert to meaningless, misleading headlines, can't they at least come up with
a prefix for it? There's Ask HN, Show HN... in this case "Distract HN" might
have been appropriate.

------
nnnnnn
Not sure if I'm excited that the first time I've seen an alum from my college
(Claremont McKenna) at the top of Hacker News it is Randy Kraft...

------
robdimarco
whoa, I used to work with Jay about 10 years ago. Small world.

~~~
pudakai
Hi Rob, hope all is well. I don't think any of us will ever forget those
Adrenaline days.

------
peteforde
Creepy and fascinating story. Thanks for sharing.

I do have two questions, though:

1\. Polaroid wasn't making a black and white integral film in 1980, and
FujiFilm didn't make instant film until 1981. Kodak's instant film was color.
So how did Kraft produce an instant B+W image?

2\. Did you really drink 2-3 beers and then get on a motorbike?

~~~
pudakai
1) I really don't know. Maybe he had a stockpile? Maybe it really was color,
but the room was somewhat dark/shaded, and I'm only remembering/assuming it as
B&W?

2) We used to do a lot, lot, lot worse than that in the USMC in those pre-MADD
days. Different era.

Fun fact - same motorcycle, I was struck by lightning on it several months
later, riding home from California (to Ga) on I-70 in Missouri. This was
following my discharge (actually, end of active service) in late August.

------
moocowduckquack
This'll get turned into a multi series drama on HBO.

------
Sarien
Somebody should extend this article:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superficial_charm#Psychopathic_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superficial_charm#Psychopathic_charm)

------
FrankenPC
WOW! That's some powerful stuff! Lots to think about in the mind of a serial
killing monster. This is a great premise for a indie drama.

------
HaloZero
Isn't Randy Kraft still alive? I imagine the author has decided not to
actually try to arrange some type of conversation with him?

~~~
avalaunch
In the comments under the article someone asks him whether he's contacted
Kraft. He has by mail but got no response.

------
ffrryuu
It's the Earth.

------
blahedo
Once again, some admin has changed the title from better to worse---it was
"How I met a serial killer when I was a marine", which is considerably more
descriptive.

~~~
vnchr
Considering there is frequently space-related articles here, it is
particularly misleading.

~~~
noarchy
I have to concur. I clicked on this article wondering if there was some sort
of new discovery in astronomy. Still an interesting read, but the old headline
was much more appropriate.

