Narrative Essay about Cold Cases
I have always been fascinated by cold cases. This is because of the new information and evidence that keeps coming up in the cases. Studying and reviewing true crime cases is something I am passionate about. Cold cases make me want to dig a little more to try and know what the consequences would have been. Perhaps it is because I am obsessed with investigative movies like CSI that portray criminal masterminds who nearly escape the investigation. As you can guess, crime thrillers are my favorite movie genre with an extra investigative element. Cold cases make me think hypothetically and view the world from a different perspective. Cold cases have made me find it effective to look at the situation from both sides, which are the law, and the criminal.
Most of the cold cases make you shiver or have chills just by the thought of them. You are left wondering what tactics the criminals use while committing these crimes. Cold cases criminals must be very smart and intelligent because they are never caught. Most of them die without ever being arrested or arraigned in court. Sadly sometimes their criminal mind-orientation provides them with the necessary knowledge to go around the law and get their way, at the cost of others. Regardless, the ingenuity of criminals is what fascinates me in cold cases and how inventive they can be in hiding evidence and covering their tracks. Because of this, cold cases are the most difficult to handle because they lack evidence, and enough resources to support them (Davis et al 1). However, this is not to say that I intend to become a criminal because I value a free life and respect the law. But, respecting the law has nothing to do with my passion for unsolved cases. I find reviewing true cold cases captivating, and to me, it is more than a hobby. Cold cases enable me to think for myself, piece evidence together, and come up with possible conclusions that may or may not be factual.
Because of reviewing many cold cases, I have come to the point of believing that I cannot trust a person fully. This is because even the so-called relatives can make you become a victim of a cold case. This gets me thinking of the reason that could drive a family member to harm another member that they are related to. Every day I look at apartments surrounding me, wondering what goes inside, what conflicts there are, and what secrets people hide behind their black windows. Doing this makes me reflect on most people’s misconceived ideas that others possess the same values as they do. Notions such as no one in their right mind would do to another what they would dread to be done to them. Also, regardless of the provocation, no one would result in violence unless in an attempt to protect themselves. Such notions attribute to the belief that people close to us cannot result in a crime. But we still wake up to numerous crimes happening around us and it is unfortunate that sometimes, the perpetrators of such cold acts are people we are related to. It, therefore, becomes hard to comprehend why people who seem innocent and clear-minded to us would act so inhumanely. It is sad to even think that the perpetrators don’t think of the impacts that the act will have on the people that care about them. Such acts leave the survivors with trauma, which never ends because they keep following up on the cases. The media too constantly reminds the survivors of the acts that may have caused the deaths of their loved ones (Wellman 1). This causes more emotional turmoil making the afflicted party feel more devastated, and their need to seek justice increases. Such alignment of thoughts is what led my fascination with cold cases, attempting to solve unsolvable crimes if only to get a peace of mind and getting a thrill while at it.
One of the fascinating cold cases to me was the one on “Jack the Ripper.” It is said that the mysterious murderer killed five different prostitutes, all found within a mile of each other. Their throats were slashed ear to ear (Anderson 6). Though this case is from 1888 Whitechapel, London, it is one of my favorite cold cases. The crime in itself is indeed inhumane, but the ability of “Jack the Ripper” to die with his secret portrays creativity. Lead investigators speculated that the killer was left-handed, speculation I concur with since the victims were slaughtered from right to left. The consistency and precise nature of the cuts suggest a professional, and most probably a surgeon (Anderson 26). This is because a post mortem was done on one of the women and a uterus was missing and how it was done, only a surgeon could. Based on his specific targets, it is clear that the killer hated prostitutes.
To my understanding, the killer was a self-righteous person who saw prostitutes as abominations and the epitome of moral degradation. Given the period, prostitution was an unaccepted “profession” at the time, and as such, some may have viewed his acts as just to the society (Anderson 19). Jack even dared to write a letter to police officers teasing them of his activities and speculating the murders that would happen. It is like he was too sure that the police would not find him and knew he would play games with them. According to some speculations, he was said to be the grandson of Queen Victoria. This makes me think maybe that is the reason he was too confident and crafty in his acts because the royal family would protect him.
The case on "Jack the Ripper" is one of the few that illustrate my enthusiasm for cold cases. As shown, cold cases make me think outside the box, piecing out evidence based on facts about the time and society the crime occurred. Jack’s case and who he was speculated to be shows that a criminal could be anyone and this makes it even more thrilling to me. He was speculated to be a surgeon (Anderson 26), meaning if that was true he was learned and if so why would he be involved in such acts. Things like this make me want to be involved more and find the missing pieces of the puzzle. Not to go ahead of myself, but I believe that this could make me a detective. Perhaps I am destined to solve a crime that had escaped authorities and shed light on cases that have often been dismissed owing to lack of evidence. Certainly, I would be honored to have brought the truth to the light, however late it might seem. Rest assured, my interest in cold cases is not popularity-oriented. It comes out of the need to know the truth of why and how something happened. I have always craved the truth. It does not rest well with me, knowing that someone has escaped punishment after doing some of the world’s worst crimes. I believe that criminals, however inhumane they might seem do make errors as any person would. Therefore, there are clues that, when pieced together, would provide a conclusive answer as to what happened and why it happened. My persuasion of the truth originates from my honest nature and belief injustice. Therefore, solving cold crimes fulfils my desire to seek justice for all afflicted by criminalist individualistic acts.
Cold cases are the ultimate human dramas. They are the real-life depictions of fictitious movies and films. Moreover, to me, they are one of the terrifying horror stories. When it comes to fiction, they are people’s speculations of what would happen, attempting to depict the human condition. However, cold cases are the speculations brought to life. It is, therefore, understandable why cold cases are such a fascination to me and why it means so much for me to solve some of them. Cold cases speak to me differently, offering a new perspective to the human condition. They reveal the harsh truth of life in what we hope might not be but is. I am sure that my feeling concerning the topic aligns with most people’s fears, which they are afraid to confront. Such reflections incite feelings of curiosity and need to view cold cases afresh as if the victim was someone related to me. With this, empathy further increases my fascination with cold cases. It might be paranoia but regardless, cold cases remain to be an intriguing subject to me that might impact my career path.
Works cited
Anderson, Jennifer J. Jack the Ripper. Minneapolis, MN: ABDO Pub. Company, 2012. Internet
resource.
Davis C. Robert et al. Cold-Case Investigations: An Analysis of Current Practices and Factors
Associated with Successful Outcomes. March 2012 Retrieved from
https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237558.pdf
Wellman, Ashley RP. “Exploring the Relationship between Cold Case Homicide Survivors and
the Media.” Crime, Media, Culture, vol. 14, no. 1, Mar. 2018, pp. 3–22,
