The Faces of Evil

It seems like every few weeks or so there is a hot crime story that captures a lot of media attention. The latest has been the Craigslist case. A man is accused of allegedly robbing several women, and robbing and killing another woman through contacts he made on the classified internet site.
The constant images and clips you see connected with the story are a photograph of the smiling blonde suspect and his cute fiancee, and clips of the suspect’s family and friends expressing doubt that he is guilty.
This brings me to the question of what is the most sinister form of evil. The evil that you see clearly and can be ready to react against. Or the evil wrapped in a pretty package that catches you off guard.
Part of serial killer Ted Bundy’s M.O was to present himself as a good looking friendly guy in need of help from a stranger. It was too late for his female victims by the time they learned his true intent.
John Wayne Gacy, on the other hand, was hardly dashing and lovable, yet he managed to murder several young men and bury them in the yard and basement of his suburban home without arousing the suspicion of his neighbors.
When it comes to these kinds of cases, there seems to be a universal response by the killer’s neighbors.

INTERVIEWER: Did you suspect anything at all?
NEIGHBOR: No. I really didn’t. He was mostly quiet and kept to himself. You know, he was always out in the yard digging. I’d say hi, you do a lot of digging, don’t you? And he would laugh it off. But I swear. I never knew he was digging graves. Because, you know, he was quiet.
INTERVIEWER: And kept to himself.
NEIGHBOR: Yeah. He was quiet and kept to himself. I never suspected a thing.