Katherine Ramsland - The Vampire Trap

The Vampire Trap
Copyright 2011 by Dr. Katherine Ramsland
Foreword copyright 2011 by Marilyn Bardsley
Cover art to the electronic edition copyright 2011 by RosettaBooks, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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Electronic edition published 2011 by RosettaBooks LLC, New York.
ISBN e-Pub edition: 9780795319280

Periodically, the vampire subculture becomes a popular subject for books, games, movies, and television programming. The vampire myth combines the romantic appeal of sex, eternal life, and supernatural power, but it is also intrinsically infused with the need to kill to sustain the vampires existence. For most people, vampire stories are a source of entertainment, but for a few mentally unstable individuals, the vampire subculture becomes an inducement for murder. The Vampire Trap is an example of what kind of tragedy can occur when an alienated and unstable young man becomes dominated by the fantasy of vampiric power.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland is unique in having extensive experience in researching and writing about the vampire subculture, criminal psychology, and forensics. She holds graduate degrees in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, and philosophy, and is working on a masters degree in criminal justice. Currently, she teaches forensic psychology and criminal justice at DeSales University in Pennsylvania.

As the founder and editor of Court TVs (now truTVs) Crime Library, I was fortunate enough to have several authors of Dr. Ramslands caliber to write for the website. It takes a particular talent to transform forensic information and psychological analysis about a criminal case into a moving, dramatic story. Dr. Ramsland has that talent in abundance.

She has published more than 1,000 articles and 38 books, including The Forensic Psychology of Criminal Minds, Beating the Devils Game: A History of Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation, The Human Predator: A Historical Chronicle of Serial Murder and Forensic Investigation, Inside the Minds of Serial Killers, Inside the Minds of Healthcare Serial Killers, Inside the Minds of Sexual Predators, and Inside the Minds of Mass Murderers. Additionally, she has written several books on the vampire subculture, including The Science of Vampires, The Vampire Companion, The Heat Seekers, The Anne Rice Reader, and Piercing the Darkness: Undercover with Vampires in America Today. Her background in forensic studies positioned her to assist former FBI profiler John Douglas on his book, The Cases That Haunt Us, and to co-write a book with former FBI profiler Gregg McCrary, The Unknown Darkness. She also co-wrote a book with Henry C. Lee, The Real Life of a Forensic Scientist.

Ramsland speaks internationally about forensic psychology, forensic science, and serial murder, and has appeared on numerous documentaries, as well as on such programs as The Today Show, 20/20, The Montel Williams Show, NPR, Larry King Live and E! True Hollywood Story. She was the recurring expert for the American Occult series on the ID network, and her latest book is The Mind of a Murderer: Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence.

Lust for vampires runs hot these days, and some people identify with this serial-killing bloodsucker. An entire subculture has embraced the vampire image for several decades. I entered it as an observer during the 1990s, at a time when it was associated with several murders and missing-person cases. I spent more than a year talking with members and exploring the vampires appeal. Many just liked feeling sexy, hypnotic, and intimate with the symbolism of blood, while some craved a sense of power over others. A dangerous few blurred the boundary between fantasy and reality. One man committed one of the most heinous acts ever associated with role-playing.

It was an exceptional fall day. Joggers and hikers enjoyed trails that snaked for some 28 miles throughout the 3500-acre Valley Forge National Historic Park outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the harsh winter of 1777-78, George Washingtons Continental Army had camped here, but on September 10, 1995, the weather was sunny and seasonal, even a bit warm. As early evening approached, it was still light enough to take a late-day walk.

Valley Forge Park

A hiker made his way through the woods along a trail at the foot of a tall, grassy embankment. Something caught his eye, and he looked up. He saw a cloth-covered bundle approximately 20 yards overhead in the bushes. It looked out of placea discarded doll, perhaps, or someones picnic trash. He climbed up to retrieve it, but quickly realized it was no doll. It was a baby, a little girl. She lay chillingly still. When he was certain he couldnt revive her, the hiker hurried away to contact park authorities. They called the police.

State trooper Brian Reppert responded. He parked on the access road above the spot and made his way down to where the child lay. He rolled her over, horrified that someone had killed her and dumped her out here. It hadnt been long ago, he could tell. He picked her up. She was so light. Marking the spot where she had lain, he carried her to the top of the embankment to try to breathe life back into her. She failed to respond. Reppert gave up, called it in, and took the body to the nearby Phoenixville Hospital. A dispatcher notified Deputy Chief Tim Woodward, who notified Detective Bruce Saville from the Upper Merion Police Department and Detective Rich Peffall from Montgomery County.

Saville had been with UMPD for eighteen years, working mainly major crimes, robberies, sex offenses, and auto theft. Hed investigated several homicides. When he saw the child, he believed it would be easy to discover who she was: We knew from her clothes that we were going to identify her quickly. She was dressed nicely.

Woodward also called First Assistant District Attorney Bruce L. Castor Jr. Having begun as an intern in the Montgomery County DAs office Castor had served in the Sex Crimes, and then in Major Crimes Units, as well as taking charge of the Investigating Grand Jury. In 1991, hed become Deputy DA and Chief of the Trials Division. A highly successful prosecutor, especially for death-penalty cases, Castor had been DA Michael Marinos choice in 1993 for the position of First ADA. Thus, this case went to him.

Bruce L. Castor Jr.

I had spent the entire day cutting the grass at our house, Castor said. It was hot, and the Eagles were playing in a rare Sunday-night game. I had just sat down to watch when the call came in. Being the hard-bitten experienced prosecutor I was, I informed my wife with confidence that Id be home in a couple of hours. I thought it was obviously a parent whod gotten angry at a child and had killed her in a fit of rage, and it wouldnt take long to figure out who did it. So, not having had a shower since Friday morning, I left, figuring I would write a warrant and leave my associate in charge. Well, that was Sunday night. I didnt come home till four oclock in the morning on Wednesday.