GUILTY PLEA DEAL ACCEPTED - 4 Univ of Idaho Students Murdered, Bryan Kohberger Arrested, Moscow, Nov 2022 #111

[iamshadow21]

Jumping off this point in your post to ask your - and everybody else's - opinion on the last Katherine Ramsland interview I saw and related issue. ( Also author Howard Blum's)

It disturbed me to listen to Ramsland and Blum salivate over the prospect of interviewing BK for future book projects.
While I appreciate that BK won't be able to sign any book contract nor gain financially from recounting his crimes, it sounds as if others will offer him a platform for their books

As much as I too am interested in the details & unanswered questions - having followed the case on WS for the first 1.5 years - I worry he will get a mouthpiece.
( Maybe authors will also put money on his commissary? Also empathise with the families at the prospect of BK's future prison interviews & exclusive access books)

Ramsland's interview is around 23mins through to the end of the show where Howard Blum replies ' You bet, I'm ready to go'

As an aside, I was also surprised to hear Ramsland say she thought he'd had great potential. Like you, I don't think he's very smart

It's distasteful, in my opinion.

Yes, I consume true crime, and yes, I consume books on true crime, but it's put me off reading either of their efforts, so they won't be getting a purchase from me. Not that I was buying Blum's book anyway, he's a weak writer. I wasn't impressed with American Lightning. He flailed around for a couple of hundred pages and failed to bring the disparate threads together. He was trying to make it his Devil in the White City and really didn't pull it off.

MOO

 

[girlhasnoname]

His trial appearance would have been irrelevant. All the prosecutor had to do was to show the selfie photo with his bushy brows and it would have matched the surviving roommates description of him. Suspects change their appearance in court all the time to appear more sympathetic to a jury. It's allowed. Probably his lawyer was allowed to bring the razor into jail for him to shave his brows.

Yes the infamous selfie, and also his DL photo which LE compared to DM's description to begin with and also his booking photo. Big hairy eyebrows all around.

 

[I am not Sherlock H.]

I imagine it has already been said, but IMO coiffing those furry eyebrows so heavily prior to and in the lead up to the trial speaks of ‘consciousness of guilt’. MOO

 

[girlhasnoname]

RBBM

I think we need to keep in mind that Dr. Ramsland wasn't BKs only professor, just the one with the most well known name. There are others whom haven't been interviewed and we have no idea what their take is on everything. JMO. FWIW.

Yes his other main Prof. (MB? she was on the witness list) is the one that gave the glowing remarks about BK that helped get him into WSU. It sounds like she knew him on a more personal level than KR.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Certainly! I just meant Ramsland could reread his work and discuss it with him, if he agrees to meet with her.

Regardless of its quality, I think there will unfortunately be a market for his written work if BK agrees to publish any of it. Think of all the “murderabilia” out there for other crazed killers.

IMO

Yes, it's sad that all the attention is usually focused on the killer, and that the poor victims of their heinous crimes are often forgotten about.

I chose to remember Maddie, Kaylee, Xana and Ethan. 4 beautiful and promising lives snuffed out by your run of the mill Psychopath. BK wasn't a genius, he wasn't a criminal mastermind, and he wasn't special. He was actually quite subpar leading LE straight to him in a number of ways.

He is a sick, evil person who did what he did for any number of reasons. I don't blame his parents, bullying, ASD, OCD, VSS or anything else, and I wouldn't believe a word of what he says if he did speak to anyone. (Including KR)

I'm glad he's sentenced to never see the light of day as a free man, and will eventually fade into obscurity like so many before him. The Plea helped to ensure that with absolutely no chance of appeals or future hearings.

This is what will hurt BK the most, nobody talking about the brilliant, young CJ doctoral student who murdered without reason. Unfortunately, a new, shocking murder will come along and BK won't be a thought on anyone's mind in the months/years to follow, just another warped statistic. Good.

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Yep, that may be the only thing that gives the judge (literal) pause as far as unsealing the records.

It really is his decision, though. The media does have an interest, so it's basically the media v. the State, and AT's indicated she agrees with the State's position.

The judge will weigh whatever legal argument Thompson can make against the media's arguments.

I'm not sure that Thompson will convince Judge H. there's a substantive reason to keep them under a gag order now that the plea has been entered and accepted.

I like the media's chances of getting these records unsealed.

JMO.

I'm curious if all the Motions that were filed and approved Under Seal will now be released? Also the pending motions?

If all this is made available to the public, who needs to read a book that may or may not be factually fair and unbiased? <Rhetorical>

JMO

 

[girlhasnoname]

I don't actually see how? I'm very glad she won't have to testify. But some of those forums are freaking scary. I almost think she needs to change her name and move somewhere she isn't known. It's not like the world doesn't know her name or what she looks like, so how does this protect her from crazy forum/SM people?

At least DM and BF won't have to relieve and testify to the traumatic event on the world's stage, to be quoted and dissected by every Tom, D ick, and Harry.

They have been put through the mental ringer and I'm overjoyed that don't have to deal with that also. The haters are gonna hate on SM no matter what those young girls would have said.

IMO

 

[cottonweaver]

It's distasteful, in my opinion.

Yes, I consume true crime, and yes, I consume books on true crime, but it's put me off reading either of their efforts, so they won't be getting a purchase from me. Not that I was buying Blum's book anyway, he's a weak writer. I wasn't impressed with American Lightning. He flailed around for a couple of hundred pages and failed to bring the disparate threads together. He was trying to make it his Devil in the White City and really didn't pull it off.

MOO

I haven't read American Lightening but I'd heard uncomplimentary remarks about Blum's book. ( Inaccuracies)

In that interview Ramsland justifies it by saying that it helps criminologists evaluate a killer's development - she's hardly going to say ' well, I need a new subject, there's also money to be made & I have special access.'
Then Chris McDonough pops up on that show reminding everybody that 'at this stage, BK will just lie anyway.'

Obviously I don't object to the prospect of FBI's behavioral experts/LE & their psychs studying him if it helps them in future crime-fighting & we're certainly seeing an increase in these highly destructive young, male killers but those experts probably don't have agents & publishers.

Final thoughts- why does Ramsland keep smiling in the interview? Nerves or is it the spotlight? Also, why did she contact BK's family/parents?

 

[iamshadow21]

I haven't read American Lightening but I'd heard uncomplimentary remarks about Blum's book. ( Inaccuracies)

In that interview Ramsland justifies it by saying that it helps criminologists evaluated a killer's development - she's hardly going to say ' well, I need a new subject, there's also money to be made & I have special access.'
Then Chris McDonough pops up on that show reminding everybody that 'at this stage, BK will just lie anyway.'

Obviously I don't object to the prospect of FBI's behavioral experts/LE & their psychs studying him if it helps them in future crime-fighting & we're certainly seeing an increase in these highly destructive young, male killers but they probably don't have agents & publishers.

Final thought- why does Ramsland keep smiling in the interview? Nerves or is it the spotlight?

In my opinion? She's happy and excited at what her future holds. She's dreaming of exclusive access to her test subject and of dollar signs from the book she's probably been developing since his arrest.

I wish I didn't own any of her books, but I think the two? I do own I bought secondhand exlibrary from betterworld books, so, there's that.

MOO

 

[girlhasnoname]

Why do you think she'd want to have anything to do with him?

Not the OP but, because she has said so herself on more than one occasion:

<snipped>

Ramsland - who worked with BTK serial killer Dennis Rader to co-author Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer - told NewsNation's Brian Entin that she would be interested in working with Kohberger.

Serial killer expert reveals how Bryan Kohberger "completely" fooled her

 

[Dotta]

It just boggles my mind that ONE person
could wreak all this havoc

- Four young beautiful people dead
- Families in despair
- Town affected by infamy
- Students experiencing trauma
- Huge amount of money spent on neverending dragging Court sittings.

And yet,
during Plea in Court
the perpetrator seemed unperturbed, stoic, sporting fancy hairdo,
with seemingly no remorse.

It even seemed to me watching the photos
that I detected a hint of a smile on his face???

Words fail me

JMO



Photo from this link:

Bryan Kohberger admits murdering four Idaho students

Kohberger, 30, spoke calmly, answering 'yes' as he was asked plainly whether he murdered the four students.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[LAborn]

Not the OP but, because she has said so herself on more than one occasion:

<snipped>

Ramsland - who worked with BTK serial killer Dennis Rader to co-author Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer - told NewsNation's Brian Entin that she would be interested in working with Kohberger.

Serial killer expert reveals how Bryan Kohberger "completely" fooled her

Thanks.

 

[maskedwoman]

During her NewsNation interview with Brian Entin the day after the plea deal was announced, Dr. Ramsland said she would like to study BK if he is willing to let her. The video of the interview is linked on the following page (start at 9:33 to hear her speak about her desire to work with BK in the future):

Bryan Kohberger’s former professor wonders if serial killer classes inspired him

This July 2 New York Post article recaps Dr. Ramsland’s NewsNation interview:



BBM

as does this Daily Mail article from the same day:



BBM

It is interesting that he apparently got along with her, even though he dislikes women. Possibly because he had to for his grade. Probably the same with his attorney. Surely he hated having to rely on AT to save him. Either way, I wonder if he will consider Ramsland "worthy" of studying him.

To be honest, I'm not impressed with Ramsland's ability to recognize evil when she sees it. With that flat look he always has, he totally looks like someone who already has a grave dug somewhere and is just shopping for someone to occupy it!

 

[Tragg]

Jumping off this point in your post to ask your - and everybody else's - opinion on the last Katherine Ramsland interview I saw and related issue. ( Also author Howard Blum's)

It disturbed me to listen to Ramsland and Blum salivate over the prospect of interviewing BK for future book projects.
While I appreciate that BK won't be able to sign any book contract nor gain financially from recounting his crimes, it sounds as if others will offer him a platform for their books

As much as I too am interested in the details & unanswered questions - having followed the case on WS for the first 1.5 years - I worry he will get a mouthpiece.
( Maybe authors will also put money on his commissary? Also empathise with the families at the prospect of BK's future prison interviews & exclusive access books)

Ramsland's interview is around 23mins through to the end of the show where Howard Blum replies ' You bet, I'm ready to go'

As an aside, I was also surprised to hear Ramsland say she thought he'd had great potential. Like you, I don't think he's very smart. A diligent & obsessive student, sure.

We can't be both disappointed that the plea deal did not include allocution and disappointed that serious authors are interested in providing the insight we crave into BK's actions and motivations.

Ramsland's BTK book contained the killer's verbatim statements, but I don't think she can fairly be described as his "mouthpiece". And while Rader didn't get anything out of it but a chance to tell his story, 75 percent of the proceeds went to his victims' families. She took years to research and write the book.

<modsnip: No link to quote from book review>

Blum, a former reporter with two Pulitzer Prize nominations (one for coverage of this very case), is also a serious crime writer: his American Lightning - about the bombing of the Los Angeles Times building in 1910 - earned an Edgar Allen Poe Award in the category, Best Fact Crime.

Either would do a decent job if given the opportunity IMO, but Blum would be more inclined to look for commercial success while these murders remain a subject of public fascination: Ramsland would be going for scrupulous accuracy and attention to detail: a portrait of BK's inner life. She would take as long as it takes to do that, and she'd be my choice if a choice is made.

 

[Vaderman]

Big hairy eyebrows all around.

Literally.

 

[FoxxTraxx]

Looks like the Peacock documentary on this case is drawing
a huge audience. Has anyone seen it?
Those thinking of writing a book are probably
on the phone with their publishers right now. A Documentary About A Chilling College Murder Case Is The Top Show On Peacock

 

[Twistinginthewind]

What would be BT’s (or AT’s) concerns about lifting the NDO now? Just wanting to have everything buttoned up tight before all the evidence starts spilling out?

Added: @PunishThenForgive just gave me a reason (above #931). Thank you

I think that's a good possibility, having everything buttoned up tight.

Things could change between his pleas and his sentencing. Perhaps a lot. The judge has lattitude and leverage with the sentencing, and what if some of the reasons for his decisions are based on evidence under the gag order/NDO, and were not included in the charges read out and BT's overview?

Also, what if the victims' parents, who all appear to have different perspectives on the pleas, and the Life In Prison (LIP, saying it this way since I'm not sure about no parole being a given) versus the DP, implore the judge to hand out a different type of sentence for their own child versus the others?

IANAL, and don't even know if that's something that could come up, but if one set of parents feels the options for sentencing since the guilty plea aren't "enough" (e.g., they are still set on the DP, and 4 fixed life sentences [& 10 years for burglary] all served consecutively are "inadequate" or "unacceptable") could they ask the judge to consider a more severe sentence for their child? Like isolation in maximum security, no gen pop, bare minimum privileges, no visitors and/or communications with the outside world, that kind of thing?

Don't even know if that's a thing, I know convicts in ID have their rights by law, but could an exception be made in this case due to the heinousness of a quadruple murder of young people in their beds/home and/or to appease any of the victims' parents?

Also, not to go too far down the rabbit hole on the sentencing options (though I guess I am) but I've wondered about them in terms of any federal aspects that could be overarching coming into play?

JMO

 

[zachs mema]

I would encourage everyone, most especially all the female everyones, to read The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker.

It talks about the importance of listening to those warning bells going off inside your head rather than ignoring them.

It reminds me of another case a lot of us here are following, the Morphew case.
Suzanne herself said she didn't feel safe alone with Barry.
Moral of the story: If you ever hear yourself saying you don't feel safe around (person X), you need to listen to yourself. Get away from them. Immediately.

KR strikes me as being someone with extensive head knowledge but not-so-hot assessment skills.
A lot of academics have the knowledge to be experts in a specific field of study, but they lack the requisite skills and abilities to actually perform well in the field vs. in the classroom.

Based on her comments about BK, I'm dubious about KR's ability to accurately read a room.

She's no Ann Rule.

JMO.

I agree 100%. I was an Ann Rule reader. I was fortunate enough to exchange a few emails with her. She always wanted to do right by the victims. Ted Bundy really bothered her. BTK book took so much out of her. KR to me seems like she wants to profit and see where she went wrong. I won't read her book. imho

 

[Chimera]

I don't actually see how? I'm very glad she won't have to testify. But some of those forums are freaking scary. I almost think she needs to change her name and move somewhere she isn't known. It's not like the world doesn't know her name or what she looks like, so how does this protect her from crazy forum/SM people?

With time this will (hopefully !) fade.
Also maybe tighten up any social media so only close friends and family have access ?
I do pray they can safely move on with their shattered lives, and am grateful there won't be a prolonged trial.
Thankful they're alive, but am sorry for the memories they'll have to live with.

It's not the outcome everyone wants, but still imo seems to be the best possible ending for the surviving roommates; and also there's not going to be the chance of BK sitting in the courtroom smirking at the families of the victims.
He will die in prison with no chance of escape, ever -- and that's a good ending.
Omo.

 

[pittsburghgirl]

Yes the infamous selfie, and also his DL photo which LE compared to DM's description to begin with and also his booking photo. Big hairy eyebrows all around.

The balaclava would also emphasize the jutting hairy eyebrows. Think about it--if you cover all but one part of a face, that part is what you notice.