The Killer from the Genesee River. The Story of the Maniac Arthur Shawcross

Little Artie Shawcross was a riddle for psychiatrists from childhood: he tortured animals, talked to imaginary friends, and repeatedly ran away from home due to his cruel mother. At the same time, he consistently received top grades, excelled in sports, and shared his money and toys with other children. Growing up and serving in Vietnam, Arthur committed a series of arsons and burglaries, followed by the murder of a boy and a girl. After serving two sentences, Arthur is released, and social services settle him in the town of Rochester near New York — forgetting to warn the local police. After a while, bodies of young women begin to be found in the local Genesee River, and their number quickly surpasses ten... Why did Arthur kill such different victims — first children and then women — unlike other serial killers? How did his mother's violence and service in Vietnam affect him? Why did psychiatrists not consider him a psychopath? "The Killer from the Genesee River" is a masterful chronicle of the murders of one of the most controversial maniacs, written in collaboration with his relatives, victims' families, and detectives on his case.