GENRE ANALYSIS
https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/letter-to-the-golden-state-killer?reload=true
The first article I want to look at as inspiration for my work is this piece on the Golden State Killer. It doesn’t pull any punches and is a direct address to the murderer. I like this perspective because although I probably won’t go this route as much I still think it’s important to consider the killer in the case I am discussing. I don’t really think I want to make it solely focused around him, but I think it will be interesting to delve into the characteristics that drove him to this heinous act. But really I think what I like about the piece is the dedication it has to the details. This is critical to how I will approach my own piece, because I think it’s the minor details, like how the killer said he went off to see his “girlfriend” as an alibi (who of course didn’t exist). The strange details about the case, and about how the body was found several days later in the same park that had already been searched is also an interesting fact. I also want to join the media conversation but address it in a new way. I want to point out how many of the articles around Blaze’s death avoided mentioning he was gay for example, or that the crime was being investigated as a hate crime.
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/1999/13/matthew-shepard-199903
This one is an interesting piece because the image in the title is so visceral and a reminder of how his body was left behind (which is another idea I want to think about in terms of the body’s left behind by these acts and something about Blaze’s body) In any case this article is also an exploration on the paradox of accepting communities lingering hate. While it was written in a different time and much different place, it’s an interesting parallel to this case and of course Matt Shepard’s killing was one that really sparked a ton of press coverage / media attention that brought to light hate crimes against gays and I think part of my job is to bring real coverage to this death that seems to have blown over. I also will reference the coverage of Matt Shepard, and the case in general, as a point of reference for what I write. I think it makes sense to include it in the conversation since it was the first really publicized hate crime against gays (and still remains so in the public eye). The similarity of the mother’s fears, the supposed motivation for the killer’s actions, and the potential of youth inevitably makes me look at these stories in conjunction.