How to recognize and recover from everyday sociopaths - narcissists

You are here: Home / Lovefraud Blog

Appalling, shocking, psychopathic behavior, and acting before you have evidence

//  by //  24 Comments

I've collected more than 10,000 Lovefraud cases, all of them atrocious tales of deceit and betrayal. Even so, the behavior of Loretta Burroughs, 63, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, was way over the top, heinous beyond belief. On August 3, 2007, Loretta stabbed her husband to death, dismembered his body, packed the remains into plastic totes and dragged them around from house to house, until they were discovered on May 17, 2013. She told her friends and family that Daniel Burroughs, 63 at the time, had left her for a younger woman. They had driven off in a yellow Hummer with Florida license plates. Last week, Loretta Burroughs was convicted of murder. I covered the trial for the Daily …

Appalling, shocking, psychopathic behavior, and acting before you have evidenceRead More

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: My story about a family of sociopaths, or, how I got bankrupted the gentleman way

//  by //  3 Comments

Editor's note: Lovefraud received the following letter from a Greek woman, whom we'll call "Alessia." Names have been changed. In Greece I had a quiet life. I kept living with my Greek husband on a small island, we had a small rented house and a cute doggie called Fiffi. In Greece I got baptized as an orthodox Christian and got a new first name “Alessia”. Everything was just great until the economic crisis hit the island seriously. We had to leave, so we decided to move to Germany. After a move in summer 2011, I desperately tried to find a job in Germany. My Greek husband did not speak any German by that time. Our marriage did not survive the move so we considered to have a divorce. Thi …

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: My story about a family of sociopaths, or, how I got bankrupted the gentleman wayRead More

Police say 15-year-old boys shoot and kill a man who was walking his dog

//  by //  1 Comment

James Stuhlman, 51, of the Overbrook section of Philadelphia, was walking his dog last week when he was allegedly killed by three teenagers in a totally senseless murder. They were going to rob him. One of them had a gun. "Please don't shoot me," he begged. One of the boys allegedly shot him. Then they ran away, without taking anything. All three suspects are now in custody. Philadelphia 15-year-olds murdered married father in failed robbery: cops, on NYDailynews.com. Alleged teenage gunman in Overbrook murder surrenders, on 6abc.com.   …

Police say 15-year-old boys shoot and kill a man who was walking his dogRead More

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: A sociopath’s power over uninformed humans

//  by //  59 Comments

Editor's note: Lovefraud received the following email from a reader who calls herself, "Emotionallyraped." You meet him (or her). He is charming and kind and exciting. He takes an interest in you and you feel special. He studies you. He learns your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. He becomes exactly who you want him to be. He mirrors you. He is a chameleon. He tells you things you want to hear. He is intense. He quickly declares his love for you. He talks about plans for the future. He convinces you that you are meant to be together. This love is like nothing else you've ever experienced. You are high with happiness. You feel sorry for other people who don't have the love …

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: A sociopath’s power over uninformed humansRead More

Jail employee who had sex with an inmate calls him a ‘sociopath’

//  by //  4 Comments

Jill Curry, a former employee of the Washington County Jail in Hillsboro, Oregon, was convicted of having sex with an inmate and sentenced to more than four years in prison. After the sentencing, Curry released a statement calling the inmate, a "sociopath." "He made me feel like I was good," she wrote. "Most of the time, I felt like I was in a trance. Like there was no reality around me." Third jail worker had sex with same inmate, says convicted ex-employee Jill Curry, on OregonLive.com. Link sent by a Lovefraud reader.   …

Jail employee who had sex with an inmate calls him a ‘sociopath’Read More

Loretta Burroughs, 63, guilty of murdering her husband and chopping up his corpse

//  by //  2 Comments

Loretta Burroughs, a 63-year-old grandmother, was convicted of stabbing her husband to death, dismembering his corpse, and stuffing the remains into plastic boxes that she dragged with her as she moved from house to house. Burroughs forged a power of attorney document so she could sell the home after he disappeared, and then filed for divorce 18 months after she killed him so she could collect the profits. Donna Andersen covered the story for the Daily Mail. Read it here: Guilty: 'Head in a handbag' grandmother who murdered husband, chopped him up and moved remains from house to house for six years, on DailyMail.co.uk.   …

Loretta Burroughs, 63, guilty of murdering her husband and chopping up his corpseRead More

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: The crazymaking type of sociopath

//  by //  49 Comments

Editor's note: Lovefraud received the following story from the reader who posts as "SoConfused." This is my story of living with someone that I believe could possibly be a sociopath. I am just not sure and just learning about this, so that is why I am searching for answers. First met years ago I met this guy through a friend that only knew of him as being a local police officer, but we met him out many years ago. The first time I met him we hit it off right away, after leaving the place we were at, he called me and we talked on the phone for hours.  Felt good at the time, I had been single for a few years and raising kids alone so it felt good for someone to pay attention to me. We …

LETTER TO LOVEFRAUD: The crazymaking type of sociopathRead More

Research suggests parenting style can turn children into narcissists

//  by //  1 Comment

A new study from Ohio State University suggests that parents who "overvalue" their children, treating them as more deserving than others, are not nurturing self-esteem, but they are nurturing narcissism. Narcissism is partly based on genetics, according to research. So Eddie Brummelman, one of the study's authors, says that if a child has inherited a genetic risk for narcissism, it's important not to inflate the child's sense of self-worth, because that could enable the narcissism to flourish. Too much praise can turn kids into narcissists, study suggests, on Forbes.com. Link submitted by a Lovefraud reader.   …

Research suggests parenting style can turn children into narcissistsRead More

Grandmother, 63, on trial for stabbing husband, dismembering him, and keeping his body parts in Tupperware

//  by //  4 Comments

Loretta Doyle Burroughs, 63, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, is accused of murdering her husband, Daniel Burroughs, in 2007. "This defendant killed her husband in cold blood, eviscerated his corpse and placed him in Tupperware to rot for seven years," said Seth Levy, Atlantic County chief assistant prosecutor, in his opening statement. Photos of the remains were shown to the jury last week. Donna Andersen, covering the trial for the Daily Mail, obtained exclusive photos of the remains. EXCLUSIVE: Photos of dismembered body parts positioned on a white sheet shown to horrified jurors as woman stands trial for stabbing her husband, chopping him up in pieces and then storing them in …

Grandmother, 63, on trial for stabbing husband, dismembering him, and keeping his body parts in TupperwareRead More

Why am I a magnet for sociopaths?

//  by //  34 Comments

I received the following email from a woman, whom we'll call "Adriana," who had been in touch several years ago about the psychopath in her life. Her experience was so outrageous that I wrote it up as one of the True Lovefraud Stories. As you'll see from her email, after that destructive involvement, she met three more psychopaths. Her question is, "Why?" Read her story: Adriana's story After dealing with that psychopath I didn't date anybody for 3 years, the trauma was so hard on my trust I just couldn't bring myself to date anybody. Finally after 3 years of healing I dated a person from my workplace; I'm a teacher. It lasted only 4 months with multiple cheating on me with other …

Why am I a magnet for sociopaths?Read More