Stalking

​The Netflix show Lover, Stalker, Killer is worth watching. I’m not writing about that case, but I will provide some general information on stalkers. 
​Characteristics of a stalker: Typically, 30’s to 50’s (not always), underemployed (it takes time to stalk), often an ex-intimate partner of the victim, and chronic social failure. 
​Rebecca Schaefer was in the television series My Sister Sam. She was kind to fans, and not aware of one fan’s growing obsession with her. On July 18, 1989, she answered the door and was shot to death by a man who had sent her letters. She responded to one letter by stating his words were kind. Rebecca was 21 years old.  ​Robert Barto killed actress Rebecca Schaefer. Barto had a neglectful and mentally ill mother, an alcoholic father and a cruel older brother. Robert was considered intelligent but dropped out of high school. He had a foster home placement. Barto wrote this in a letter to his sister before the murder. “I have an obsession with the unobtainable and I have to kill what I can’t obtain.” From a psychoanalytic perspective, envy has to destroy what it can’t have. The criterion for stalking is there has to be a pattern of observing a person, an unwanted threat, and a fearful victim. The majority of stalking is by an ex-intimate partner. 
​A typology of stalkers was developed by Paul Mullen, Michele Pathé and Rosemary Purcell. Here are the 5 categories of stalkers:
 Rejected stalkers = Individuals who are looking for both reunification and to punish their former partner, as a result of his feelings of rejection. The rejected type needs legal sanctions before they change. More often than not, they do respond to legal sanctions.Intimacy seekers = This person has erotomanic delusions. They feel that the victim is their true love, and they are oblivious to the victim’s responses. They put the victim up on a pedestal. The type of attention they receive doesn’t matter (negative or positive). They simply want their attention. The intimacy seeking stalker needs psychiatric involvement (medication).  They are delusional. Sanctions don’t seem to make a difference. Incompetent stalkers = This stalker acknowledges that the victim doesn’t share their feelings but surges forward like a bull in a China shop. They tend to be socially inept and entitled. They more often have an intellectual disability than the other types. The incompetent stalker will often move on to another victim when they are not getting the responses that they desire from the first victim. Resentful stalkers = they tend to be on the paranoid spectrum and feel persecuted. Their goal is to frighten and distress their victim. They want to inflict fear. Predatory stalkers = In this case, more often than not the victim does not know the stalker. The stalker is a sexual predator. They study the victim to look for a vulnerability. They have paraphilias and often have prior sex offenses. They often have a rape kit handy. 
Factors that increase risk:
 
Rejected and Predatory stalkers have the most assaults.
The rejected ex-intimate partner has the highest risk of violence.
Threats increase risk.
Last resort thinking (They talk about the pending punishment of the victim as if it’s a forgone conclusion. “It’s already done”).
Approaching the victim. For example: Property damage to the victim.
 
Sample of a case with an Intimacy Seeker stalker (erotomanic):
In court, the judge said to him, “I’m willing to let you walk out of this court room today, and go home, if you will promise to stay away from the victim.”
The stalker responded, “Judge, have you ever known true love?” Needless to say, he did not go home that night.
 
If you’re being stalked, report it to the police. If you have concerns that someone could stalk you, and you still have contact with that person, you need to make the separation clear. Leave nothing to interpretation. Remember ex-intimate partners are the most lethal. Don’t deal with it alone. They want to isolate you. When you increase the number of people who support you, you weaken their power. ​Psychopathy:
 
The Dark Tetrad (DT) is composed of the traits of Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy and Sadism. It is an extension of the Dark Triad first introduced in 2013. (The Dark Triad did not include Sadism.) Machiavellian means cunning and lacking a moral code. The term is associated with Italian philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli, who wrote the political treatise The Prince in the 1500s, and encouraged “the end justifies the means” behavior, especially among politicians. We have too much of this attitude today.
​Antisocial individuals often have good or charming surface-level social skills. Their social skills are not very deep or long-lasting, but they can make a good initial impression.
 
Psychopaths are often abnormally calm when individuals who “just” antisocial will become upset or angry. Psychopaths tend to underreact. They lack close emotional relationships. They lack emotional attachment. When they build relationships, it is only for the benefit of themselves. They lack remorse. Antisocial Personality Disordered individuals can have empathy for their children or family. A psychopath is narcissistic and has intense but shallow emotions. They have a high degree of boredom and a need for stimulation. Characteristics of a psychopath include disinhibition, while at the same time, stimulus seeking, meanness (aggressively pursuing what they want without concern of the impact on others), and boldness (as defined as being socially dominate and lacking inhibition). Robert Hare, the world’s expert on psychopaths, commented that our society is moving toward valuing some of the traits of psychopathy. Most narcissists aren’t psychopaths, but psychopaths are very narcissistic. A high degree of narcissism makes them more dangerous. Their lack of contrition seems to stand out most in the interviews. Individuals with psychopathy will typically not back down when caught in a lie. Instead, they tend to double down and argue for the lie. They are talkative and attempt to dominate the conversation. They will often shift the topic if they feel they are not in control. They often omit essential details and avoid words associated with emotion. Psychopaths have a low frustration tolerance but can postpone expressing it until they have full control of a situation.
 
It is estimated that about 1 in 10 psychopaths are female. Female psychopaths don’t exist in equal numbers, but they exist. Female psychopaths still tend to have some interest in social interaction. They are more prone to social forms of manipulation. Female psychopaths are more likely to use sexuality rather than force. Female psychopaths may use sexuality more than men because it is available to them. In other words, psychopaths will use what is available to manipulate others. If that same resource was there for men, they would use it also.  
Bail:
 
Food for thought. 82% of the time bail involves a woman (lover, mother or sister) getting a man out of jail by agreeing to pay his bail. When the woman contracts with bail agencies she must agree to be surveilled, including her vehicle, computers and home. The bail company can search their home. She often has to offer collateral which can be her vehicle or home. If the offender doesn’t show up to court, she (most often empathetic partner or mother) is left with a significant financial burden. There are offenders coming out of prison who find work for bail companies. Think about those individuals having the ability to track women. It doesn’t seem right. We a better solution.         
 
Thanks for listening,
​
Frank
 
I should share that if you want to hear me speak you should attend in the next couple months. I plan on not pursuing presentations after my scheduled events are done in October, until the summer of 2025. I am still open to speaking upon request but, will not be pursuing any additional presentations. ​·  Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author, Frank F. Weber, will be at Boom Island Brewing Company & Taproom in Minnetonka speaking from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Frank will discuss some of the bizarre facts related to his newest true crime novel, Scandal of Vandals, based on a case where a Twin City attorney was accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. It was once declared “the crime of the century.” Frank will demonstrate a live lie detector test (volunteer a friend).  Enjoy a cold brew and ask forensic questions. Frank will be at Boom Island from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. answering questions on his work, signing and selling his books, and sharing what they get right and wrong on shows. Boom Island Brewing Company &Taproom is located at: 5959 Baker Road #320, Minnetonka, Minnesota, 55345. ​Thursday, August 22, 2024, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author, Frank F. Weber, will be at Chankaska Creek Ranch Winery & Distillery speaking from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.  Frank will discuss some of the bizarre facts related to his newest true crime novel, Scandal of Vandals, based on a case where a Twin City attorney was accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. It was once declared “the crime of the century,” and much of the story takes place in southern Minnesota. Frank will demonstrate a live lie detector test (volunteer a friend).   Frank will be at Chankaska Winery from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., answering questions on his work, signing and selling his books, and discussing the latest forensic tools. Chankaska Creek Ranch, Winery & Distillery is located at: 1179 East Pearl Street, Kasota, Minnesota, 56050. 
Wednesday, August 28, 2024, Frank Weber, Forensic Psychologist will be speaking to the Minnesota Sex Offender Supervision Agents  at Camp Ripley from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Frank will present  on Creating Change by Synchronizing Supervision and Therapy. The conference is being held at: Camp Ripley 15000 Highway 115, Little Falls, Minnesota, 56345. Friday, August 30 , 2024, Forensic Psychologist & True Crime Author, Frank F. Weber, will be at Roundhouse Brewing Company in Nisswa speaking from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.  Frank will discuss some of the bizarre facts related to his newest true crime novel, Scandal of Vandals, based on a case where a Twin City attorney was accused of hiring a hitman to kill his wife. It was once declared “the crime of the century.” Frank will demonstrate a live lie detector test (volunteer a friend).  Enjoy a cold brew and ask forensic questions. Frank will be at Roundhouse Brewery from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. answering questions on his work, signing and selling his books. Frank will be with the audience by the stage, selling books and enjoying the music after speaking. Roundhouse Brewing Company is located at 23836 Smiley Road, Nisswa, Minnesota, 56468.