The stories coming out of the massacre in the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, are horrific and heartbreaking. The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, 26, walked into the church dressed in combat gear and killed congregants in the pews. One survivor reported that Kelley became enraged that children were scared, and shot them multiple times. Kelley executed 26 people that day, including nine children. Eight members of one extended family were killed. Twenty more churchgoers were injured. Authorities release IDs of Texas church victims, on ABCnews.go.com Afterwards, of course, everyone is asking, “How did this happen?” “Were there any warning signs?” The answer is YES! There …
Another twist on love scams: Notices from the “Bureau of Customs”
Lots of men and women in the Philippines look for foreign romantic partners — and end up getting scammed. Here's how it works: Scammer claims to be from Australia, the United Kingdom or the United States and pursues an online relationship with the target. Scammer claims to send a package of expensive gifts to the target, like laptops, smartphones or designer bags. A few days later, target receives an email, supposedly from the Bureau of Customs, informing him or her of taxes and duties that need to be paid. It comes complete with official-looking documents. Target sends money to the designated bank account, which, of course, belongs to the scammer. Money is gone. BoC caut …
Another twist on love scams: Notices from the “Bureau of Customs”Read More
Harvey Weinstein’s psychopathic behavior
Like much of America, I've been watching the Harvey Weinstein scandal unfold, appalled but not surprised. More than 40 women have now accused the famous and powerful movie producer, whose films have won 81 Oscars, of sexual harassment and even rape. The Weinstein Company, which he co-founded, fired him. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences threw him out. The Los Angeles police have opened an investigation. Still, Hollywood has always been about starlets who want to make it big and powerful men who took advantage of them — that's why everyone knows about the "casting couch." So I wondered — was Weinstein just a prolific user of the couch, or was he disordered? The answer came in …
What criminal profiler John Kelly says Stephen Paddock’s motive was in the Las Vegas shooting
By John Kelly, Profiler STALK INC. Psychological Autopsy The first thing to do when looking at a complicated mental problem is to examine and eliminate any physical problems. Before getting into the psychological and pharmacological dynamics of a persons murderous behavior, one needs to eliminate any physical precursors to such behavior. Paddock's autopsy should determine any brain abnormalities such as tumors or cancer. We have seen this play a role in a similar mass murder, Charles Whitman, the Texas Tower Sniper, who shot 16 people from a high vantage point in 1966. Read: Charles Whitman, on Wikipedia.org Paddock's autopsy did not reveal any brain abnormalities. After eliminating …
Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, and his psychopathic father
Here's the big question after the horrible massacre in Las Vegas: Why? Sunday night, Stephen Paddock, from his room on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Casino, started shooting at the 22,000 people attending a country music concert. From his elevation, and with automatic weapons, it was like shooting fish in a barrel. A total of 59 people were killed and more than 500 wounded. It is the worst mass shooting in recent American history. Stephen Paddock, 64, is the son of Benjamin Hoskins Paddock who robbed two banks between 1959 and 1960. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1961 — but escaped in 1968. Benjamin Paddock, Las Vegas gunman's father, robbed banks and fled FBI, on N …
Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas shooter, and his psychopathic fatherRead More
Did football star and murderer Aaron Hernandez have a personality disorder or a brain injury?
In 2013, Aaron Hernandez, the former standout tight end for the New England Patriots football team, was charged with murdering his friend. Hernandez had a history of violence and infractions with the law, so his behavior appeared to be that of a typical psychopath. For this reason, Lovefraud covered the story: Aaron Hernandez charged with murder; his cousin charged with contempt, on Lovefraud.com. Hernandez was found guilty of the murder on April 15, 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Two years later, at the age of 27, he hanged himself in prison. An examination of Hernandez' brain found that he suffered from CTE — chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It' …
5 steps to avoid being taken in a romance scam — beware of fake documentation
Fake documentation is easy to create, and romance scammers know it. I recently received the following email from a reader in Denmark whom we'll call "Grete": In december 2015 i got to know an engineer from New Jersey. He claimed he was from New Jersey. He got a contract from Shell. The job was in Ukraine. We spoke on the phone every day. He made me believe I was the one. I trusted him. When he arrived in Ukraine, his problems started. He said that his credit card didn’t work. His bank accountant send me a collateral letter. I sent the letter to my bank. They thought it was an original. Unfortunately it wasn’t. I have given him 17.500$ I contacted FBI fraud center and sent them a …
5 steps to avoid being taken in a romance scam — beware of fake documentationRead More
Donna Andersen talks about relationship abuse in the Press of Atlantic City
All year long, the Press of Atlantic City, my local newspaper, has been running a series of stories about domestic violence. A couple of months ago, I wrote to the reporters — not everyone who is abused suffers physical harm. In fact, Lovefraud's research shows that people who sought therapy because of an abusive relationships reported the following types of abuse: Emotional - 98.1% Psychological - 95.7% Financial - 70.1% Sexual - 49.3% Physical - 40.9% Other - 18.4% I was interviewed for the most recent article in the series, which appeared today. You can read it here: The kinds of domestic abuse that don't leave physical scars, on P …
Donna Andersen talks about relationship abuse in the Press of Atlantic CityRead More
Patrick Giblin does time for scamming 132 women, gets out of jail and does it again
Meet the original large-scale dating scammer, Patrick Giblin, 53, formerly of Ventnor, New Jersey, but most recently residing in a Philadelphia prison. Lovefraud first wrote about him in 2007, when he was sentenced for scamming women that he met on telephone dating services. Patrick Giblin trolls phone dating lines, taking money from 132 women, on Lovefraud.com. Giblin was paroled in 2013 and went right back to scamming women. Now he'll spend another five years in prison. Giblin pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler to one count of interstate travel and use of a facility in interstate and foreign commerce with the intent to launder money. Judge Kugler imposed the …
Patrick Giblin does time for scamming 132 women, gets out of jail and does it againRead More
Ohio man charged with killing his ex-girlfriend and crashing his car with her body in the trunk
Editor's note: The victim of this horrific crime was the cousin of Lovefraud contributor Dr. Amber Ault. In her cousin's memory, Dr. Ault hopes to help others by offering her book, "The Five Step Exit," for free. Linnea Satterfield, 56, of Elyria, Ohio, was reported missing by her sister on July 17, 2017. She had recently left the home that she shared with her boyfriend, Roy E. Owens Jr., 56. Neighbors and family members say Linnea was trying to escape an abusive relationship. Two days later, Owens was arrested in Darke County, Ohio. He'd been driving in a ditch by the side of the road, wearing only his underwear and socks, and crashed into a pole. In the trunk of his car, police found L …