Crime Library: Criminal Minds and Methods

Stewart Wilken

Victimology, Part 2: The Prostitutes

Where did his hatred of prostitutes come from? We don't really know. Wilken accused his first wife of prostituting herself after Wuane was born. He also believed that prostitutes were committing a sin by charging money for something that God had given freely to women and men (Pistorius, 2002). Perhaps it was displaced anger at his biological mother for deserting him, at his adoptive mother for not being the mother he wanted. Perhaps it was displaced anger at his wives.

Catch Me a Killer, by Micki Pistorius
Catch Me a Killer, by Micki Pistorius

Of course, prostitutes have always been a favourite among serial killers. Indeed, Jack the Ripper, the first widely known serial killer, preyed on prostitutes. Why? Prostitutes are easy prey: They are easily accessible, will talk to anyone who is a potential client and go with that person without knowing who he is. Particularly those who walk the streets, as opposed to the higher class escorts, are not always missed and are only noticed after their bodies are found (Ressler & Shachtman, 1998). But there is also a motivational issue: Prostitutes are explicitly connected to sex and openly flaunt their sex, which may somehow tie into the killer's fantasies, perhaps because these "worthless whores" need to be punished (Pistorius, 2000).

Whatever his reasons, Wilken truly hates prostitutes and does not think that they deserve to live. He has never demonstrated any remorse about the women he killed (Pistorius, 2002).

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