“Sometimes the devil comes as an angel of light”

For the victims of serial killers such as Ted Bundy this metaphor came too late. He chose girls and women who had white skin with long hair that was parted in the middle. Confident and self-assured he approached his victims by telling stories. He said he was a police-officer and on other occasions he pretended to have a broken arm carried in an –easily removable-plaster cast. Charmingly he manipulated his victims to follow him and consequently paid with their lives for their good-heartedness. He raped, mutilated and murdered over 40 victims.

Aileen Wuornos was America’s first executed female. She was working as a prostitute in the Florida district. During her nightly work, she shot 11 men. Convicted for her crimes she was sentenced to six death sentences and went to the electric chair in 2002.

Aileen’s sad story started in her childhood. Her schizophrenic father raped her when she seven years of age. It must have been a harrowing experience. Later at an age of 14, she fell pregnant to her grandfather’s friend. Faced with giving up her baby, she was also thrown out of home, and the only way to support her was through prostitution, where she was beaten and raped several times.

There are countless books written about serial killers who resorted to murdering their victims either as a result of physical and organic deficiencies, such as over stimulated sex-drive, childhood traumas, man-made experiences, being born into poverty, and / or like holding a grudge against certain successful people.

If we would have met these killers at a service station or at a party, we would probably feel quite at ease about them as they come across as charming, helpful and friendly. Dr Norris coined it as “the mask of sanity”. Still, it is not only serial killers who can give you sleepless nights and turn your life upside down. People with emotional baggage might not murder their partners, but easily place undue pressure on partners and relationships.

A man and woman -healthy sound in mind- whose intention it is to build a long-term successful relationship must show honesty and love, develop trust and empathy, as a common goal towards their quality of life, happiness and peace of mind.

Therefore, every man and woman must place trust as a high priority. Trust is not cheap to gain. It takes openness, honesty and time to develop trust.

Unfortunate  ‘desperados’ are willing to place themselves in harm’s way to risk life and limb to blindly trust strangers.