Articles


The Fearful Vampire Killers

The fate of one "vampire killer" was determined in Arkansas recently, while three people in Guyana still await their chance to prove in court that they acted rationally...if they can.



Valentine's Day Surprise

A Valentine's Day surprise occurred in Arizona when an apparent agreement between a man and woman became much rougher than expected -- even terrifying. Robert McDaniel, 46, learned to his dismay he was with a "vampire."



You have a Friend in Pennsylvania

Lisa Manderach was three weeks short of her thirtieth birthday when she went for a quick errand to Your Kidz & Mine, a new children's clothing store in Collegeville, Pennsylvania on September 10, 1995. She took her daughter, Devon, only nineteen months old, and that was the last time anyone saw either of them alive. The details of this case are from the Philadelphia Inquirer.



Canadian Vampire Plot

A case in Canada that acquired the moniker, "the vampire murder" during the trial seems to have less to do with vampires than with the public's fascination with vampire-related crimes.



Vampire Witch

In the Ukraine in March, 2005 Diana Semenuha, 29, was arrested after police discovered that she had lured street children to her home to drink their blood. She admitted to the deed. Apparently, she believed that this practice could thwart a muscle-wasting condition she had, but her crime appears to have a different agenda as well.



Superstition Rules: Death, Murder, and Vampire Hunters

Although it's generally vampires who are considered deadly, those who hunt them down can be just as lethal, as the following modern-day stories reveal.



Vampires as Victims

As vampires gain in popularity, they start to appeal to a different kind of person as well: the self-styled vampire hunter. The long-running popular television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, about a group of teenaged vampire fighters in California, has influenced this subculture. While for many, it's just role-playing, some take this game with deadly seriousness.



Influenced by Fiction

Allan Menzies, 22, used to view the vampire film, Queen of the Damned, over and over and over. He admitted that he had obsessively watched his "queen," Akasha, more than 100 times. His fixation on her and his beliefs about how this cruel vampire stepped out of the role and into his life to barter for his soul eventually turned deadly.



Forensic Evidence

Forensic odontologists can match the bite mark impressions on a body against the teeth of a suspect to decide if there's a match. Ted Bundy was convicted of murder with such evidence, and so was Wayne Boden.



A Most Vicious Vampire

One of the worst cases of clinical vampirism is that of Fritz Haarmann, also known as Germany's "Hanover Vampire." Haarmann was actually institutionalized at one point during the late 1800s, but he managed to escape. Eventually he became a homeless vagrant. Then he learned to butcher meat, which allowed him to have a home and start a business. Having his own place protected his attack on boys.