What do novelists get wrong (and right) about serial killers? Interview with homicide detective Brian Foster.
Some people nerd out over comic books. Others, Star Wars or Manga. Me?
I nerd out over true crime.
I can’t get enough of it. I want to understand how murderers (especially serial killers) come to be. I want to know everything there is to know about Ted Bundy, Ted Kaczynski (Unabomber), Marjorie Diehl Armstrong (Pizza Bomber), Aileen Wuornos, and the Golden State Killer.
So it’s no surprise I ran as fast as I could to grab a seat at Brian Foster’s DFWCon session on writing about murder. You see, Brian spent 30+ years on the Houston Police Department as a detective. After working burglaries and armed robberies, he tried his hand at homicide, where he found his home on the 4:00 p.m. to midnight shift for 17 years.
He’s worked on four serial killer cases and has an abundance of knowledge.
I asked Brian to teach us a thing or two about murder so we, as novelists, can get things right. I hope you enjoy this insider’s perspective on homicide.
1. You’ve dealt with four serial killers in your time as a homicide detective. What do novelists get right about serial killers and what do they so often get wrong?
Serial killers, like serial rapists, vary as to what motivates them. Some men like redheaded women; some men only drive Fords. You have to figure out their stimulus. You can’t get into their minds, but you can anticipate them. We are all creatures of habit.
Carl (or Coral) Watts, during transport after arrest, pointed out a woman and said, “She’s evil. If you weren’t here, I would follow her.” Another serial rapist turned killer picked older female victims he had seen sweeping or raking leaves. He would break into their homes and steal something minor from their bedroom. Then he would come back in a day or two and rape and beat them. The violence level kept increasing until he began beating his victims to death.
You can’t think like these vermin — you just try to identify them. Process the scene, knock on doors, pass out business cards, and hope you get lucky. There again, often you make your own luck.
2. Our society is fascinated with serial killers. So much so, that there are plenty of documentaries and even a hyped-up one about Ted Bundy featuring Zac Efron called Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The point of this documentary is to show who Ted was to other people: a nice, funny, charismatic guy. Do you think most killers — serial or not — present themselves in this way? Or was Ted just an anomaly?
Ted Bundy was a true psychopath — manipulative and as genuine as talking to a Mynah bird. He was the perfect example. The only emotion other than hate he could show was a false put-on.
Serial killers are like everyone else. They have different faces they show to different people. Some are pleasant, some just mean. A personality sketch is not possible. Some are withdrawn, some full of hate. There are likely more serial killers than we even know about. We just have not linked them to jurisdictions. Some will confess, others will not.
3. You worked the 4:00 p.m. to midnight shift for 17 years. Is that where all the action is? You mentioned in a presentation at DFWCon that 11:00 p.m. is a typical time to murder someone. Why do you think that is?
I worked 4:00 p.m. to midnight because traffic was light in a big city and it fit my lifestyle. It was prime time for murder because most people were out working. After work, they may have a few drinks or come home and fight with the wife. Many don’t let their hair down until after dark. Junkies sleep in till noon and then start hustling. If you’re looking for active burglars, you hunt either late at night, or strike between 9:00 a.m. and noon. If you’re hunting, you have to know the habits of the vermin you hunt.
4. If a novelist were writing a character sketch for a female murderer, what are some differences between a male and a female killer that he’d need to note?
Female killers work off emotion. They are emotion-driven. Some are just mean. They often will confess when guilt hits them.
5. What are some things a novelist needs to know when writing a detective as a protagonist?
Detectives vary. Take your pick: You have cowboys, pretty boys, drunks, and Christians. A strong ego is found among many — and a high divorce rate.
6. What are some of the best novels you’ve read that accurately portray murderers as antagonists?
One of my favorite crime books was Red Dragon by Thomas Harris. A good example of an intelligent psychopath and scene-processing.
7. When writing crime novels, it’s normal to head straight for a gun as the murder weapon. But to keep things interesting, novelists could try for a different option. What is the weirdest murder weapon you’ve seen in your time on the Houston Police Department?
We are a gun society. There again, beware of a carpenter with a hammer, or a meat cutter with a knife. The oddest murder weapon was a plastic garden trash sack used by a retired banking exec to strangle his wife of many years. He killed himself later that same day by taking a swan dive through a four-story window out of his lawyer’s office. Then he bounced off the top of a city bus. I never cared for his high-powered lawyer, anyway.
8. Every cop has a career story. You mentioned in your presentation that some cops are proud of them, and others carry those unsolved ones in the pits of their stomachs. Do you have a career story?
We all have career cases that visit us from time to time. I have a career case involving dirty cops I put in federal prison.
9. When writing crime fiction, how should novelists watch out for errors in murder weapons such as guns?
Always have a gun-knowledgeable person review your work before you send it off. You need a Bubba. A good ole country boy who knows his guns. Find someone who knows weapons better than anyone and ask him or her to read your story and spot any errors.
Wow! What an interview! Thank you, Brian, for taking the time to teach us novelists a thing or two.
If you all would like to read his books, click the links below:
They Were Graveyard Dead: Cases That Stay with You Forever
Blood Trails Across Texas: True Crime Stories as Told by the Men Who Lived Them
An expert editor, best-selling author, and book marketer, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with authors and business owners every day. A lifelong lover of books, she has edited over 400 books and has launched several Amazon best sellers for her clients.
Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books.
She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, The Rotting (in Shivers in the Night), The Suicide Tree, and The 10 Commandments of Author Branding. In her not-so-free time, she acts as organizer for the Yukon Writers’ Society, volunteers at the Oklahoma County Jail, and obsesses over squirrels. She lives in Oklahoma with her dogs, Chanel, Wednesday, and Baker.
