Sunday, 15 August 2021

Alice

‘CRUCIFIX’ KILLER MURDERS AGAIN

By Alice Sark

The Crucifix Killer has struck again.

Police confirmed that the body of a woman, 21, was found early on Saturday morning, in the driveway of a house in Grappenhall. The victim’s identity has not been revealed.

DI Jane Wynne – who is leading the investigation – confirmed that this was the latest victim of the serial killer who has been operating recently in the Warrington area.

‘I can confirm that this is consistent with the prior three murders,’ she said. ‘The killer folded the victim’s arms and left a crucifix on their person.’

Fear was palpable on the streets of the town this morning. ‘This has to end, and soon,’ Andrea Jones, of Dallam, said. ‘This person needs to be caught and stopped.’

It seems unlikely that they will be so obliging.

‘These cases typically only end when the killer is brought to justice,’ Professor Bob Collins, a noted criminal psychologist, said. ‘Their motives for killing are highly personal and so a cessation is unlikely.’

The professor indicated that it is even more unlikely in this case, given the signature folded arms and crucifix found at the crime scenes.

‘Many serial killers have a ritual element to their crimes,’ he said. ‘With the “Crucifix” Killer this is clearly present. My estimation is that there is a religious motivation for these murders – the crucifix is obviously a religious symbol, but I believe the folded arms are no less religious in origin. Arms folded over the chest indicate that the victim is at peace – and the killer may believe they are bringing peace to the people they are terrorizing.’

It’s possible that this may explain one unusual aspect of the case – the mixed genders of the victims. If the killer believes they are leaving their victims at peace, then they could as well attack a man as a woman.

What is clear is that this killer is evil and degraded. Whatever significance they think their crimes have, however grandiose they think they are, they are nothing more than a common criminal – and they will be caught.

Tuesday, 17 August 2021

Tom

Tom folded the clingfilm around his half-eaten sandwich and put it back in his bag. Before the pandemic he had eaten at the company canteen most days – there was a well-stocked salad bar that was subsidized by the company to encourage healthy eating. It was cheap and good for you, and very popular.

Not any more. Buffet-style dining, with the shared utensils and multiple customers all hovering over the same food was now a thing of the past. Maybe it would return at some point, but for the moment it was another victim of the pandemic. Tom, like most of his colleagues, ate lunch at his desk.