Darker than Night

[+Nature Kids]

I was thinking of making a a Multi/ Mystery cache about the true story of a double homicide "Darker than Night" I live not too far from the area. I was thinking of maybe putting coords of some of the places & where persons lived & events happened, in a cache, so a person check them out, if they wished. Its a gruesome true story, and just driving through the area can give you the willies, if you ever read the book, you'd understand.

 

I'm Just trying to come up with some interesting ideas for caches. I don't want it to be a tragicache, but along the lines of a mystery murder cache. It was a horrible thing to happen, but people are always attracted to places where such bizarre events happened. Any thoughts? or would it be just plain wrong?

[+9Key]

Sounds like it might be interesting. I suggest hiding a few simple, one stage caches before you tackle something complicated like this though. Crawl, walk, then run.

[Mr.Yuck]

I was thinking of making a a Multi/ Mystery cache about the true story of a double homicide "Darker than Night" I live not too far from the area. I was thinking of maybe putting coords of some of the places & where persons lived & events happened, in a cache, so a person check them out, if they wished. Its a gruesome true story, and just driving through the area can give you the willies, if you ever read the book, you'd understand.

 

I'm Just trying to come up with some interesting ideas for caches. I don't want it to be a tragicache, but along the lines of a mystery murder cache. It was a horrible thing to happen, but people are always attracted to places where such bizarre events happened. Any thoughts? or would it be just plain wrong?

 

I seem to remember a cache based on murders like this in Vancouver, B.C., and people went bonkers over it, and it was archived. Hopefully someone has a link. If no one else remembers (and I can't possibly be the only one), then I'll do a little research later.

[+Knight2000]

If it is well planned out then it sounds like fun. If you feel you need it you could have a local cacher do a beta test on it.

 

Is the final the candlestick in the courtyard?

[+Harry Dolphin]

Somehow, the word 'morbid' comes to mind. I wouldn't be interested, but probably, a lot of people would.

[+niraD]

There is a multi-cache around here that is based on a true case (kidnapping, not murder). There is no mystery or puzzle to the cache itself though. It just takes you to a series of locations relevant to the case.

[+mrbort]

My feelings on what could be a very interesting albeit macabre cache like this would pertain to a few things:

 

1) The time separation between the events and the placement of the cache. Obviously (to me) it would be completely inappropriate to place a cache series based on the events say of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Similarly (and I'm using these as examples of taste rather than violation of the cache guidelines like placing on school property etc), a cache series based on Columbine would be, in my opinion, in poor taste. However, when the incident fades into the dimness of the past and the wounds caused by the incident aren't as fresh (for instance, old west shootouts, civil war battles etc) then it becomes a perfect thing to place a cache there -- it involves people in history and brings them to the places where these famous events occurred. In this case, murders in 1983 are really in that gray area for me and would probably edge into the realm of inappropriate. Perhaps a good timescale for a cache involving crimes like this could be if there is a reasonable expectation that those immediately affected by the crime (i.e. family members, witnesses etc) are still alive and especially living in the same locations, then it would be considered too recent.

 

2) The actual tasteful implementation of the cache series itself. If done well in a non-lurid manner, this type of cache has the potential to be really educational and interesting for the same reasons that people buy true crime books. In this case, however you bump into concern 1) where people, instead of reading about it in a non-interactive way, are actually out where the events occurred and care needs to be taken to make it not a ghoulish or offensive thing.

 

Summary: I think it's a neat idea but perhaps too soon after the events. That being said, I have no idea how raw this story is in the collective consciousness of where you live... Good luck with planning interesting, compelling caches! They're the best kind imo

[+ras_oscar]

if the crime was sufficiently in the past or sufficiently "local" so as not to be widely known, you could do it as a multi or a series, write a little bit of the story at each cache as a fiction piece and then link to the newspaper report at the end as a twist.

[+Nature Kids]

Thanks for the input everyone. I wasn't thinking of anything morbid, more along the lines of informative. You find the cache & get info & the coords of the murders house, or the area where it took place etc. Maybe another connected cache has more info & coords on other events.

What Mrbort said does raise some questions in my mind tho, as it was only 2003 when it all came to light. There are relatives of the persons involved that still do reside in the area. I don't want to cause harm, or resentments just for a game. I don't know it'll take some thinking. thanks again

[+Pork King]

Thanks for the input everyone. I wasn't thinking of anything morbid, more along the lines of informative. You find the cache & get info & the coords of the murders house, or the area where it took place etc. Maybe another connected cache has more info & coords on other events.

What Mrbort said does raise some questions in my mind tho, as it was only 2003 when it all came to light. There are relatives of the persons involved that still do reside in the area. I don't want to cause harm, or resentments just for a game. I don't know it'll take some thinking. thanks again

 

OMG, TOO SOON!.. That being said, I'd like the idea of a night cache following fire tacks from the place the murders happened to the place the killer dumped the bodies. How cool would that be? I mean... too soon.

[+WRASTRO]

Thanks for the input everyone. I wasn't thinking of anything morbid, more along the lines of informative. You find the cache & get info & the coords of the murders house, or the area where it took place etc. Maybe another connected cache has more info & coords on other events.

What Mrbort said does raise some questions in my mind tho, as it was only 2003 when it all came to light. There are relatives of the persons involved that still do reside in the area. I don't want to cause harm, or resentments just for a game. I don't know it'll take some thinking. thanks again

If this all happened 75+ years ago it would probably be fine. 50 years ago would be a bit iffy. Six years ago is like yesterday for anyone who was around when the murders happened. I agree with mrbort's comments.

 

Given the time frame I would not consider creating a cache like this and I doubt that I would hunt a cache like this if it was placed in my area.

[+Sol seaker]

If this all happened 75+ years ago it would probably be fine. 50 years ago would be a bit iffy. Six years ago is like yesterday for anyone who was around when the murders happened. I agree with mrbort's comments.

 

Given the time frame I would not consider creating a cache like this and I doubt that I would hunt a cache like this if it was placed in my area.

 

Ditto: if it was a 100 year old murder then I'd love to find it. It would be fun.

If the family and loved ones are still in the area and it was within even twenty years, it's just too soon.

I'd call that morbid. wouldn't be interestd. Would be grossed out. and would worry about offending people.

[+kraushad]

Probably too soon for that particular story, but as someone who loves crime/detective,CSI type stuff, I would LOVE this type of cache.

[Mr.Yuck]

My feelings on what could be a very interesting albeit macabre cache like this would pertain to a few things:

 

1) The time separation between the events and the placement of the cache. Obviously (to me) it would be completely inappropriate to place a cache series based on the events say of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Similarly (and I'm using these as examples of taste rather than violation of the cache guidelines like placing on school property etc), a cache series based on Columbine would be, in my opinion, in poor taste. However, when the incident fades into the dimness of the past and the wounds caused by the incident aren't as fresh (for instance, old west shootouts, civil war battles etc) then it becomes a perfect thing to place a cache there -- it involves people in history and brings them to the places where these famous events occurred. In this case, murders in 1983 are really in that gray area for me and would probably edge into the realm of inappropriate. Perhaps a good timescale for a cache involving crimes like this could be if there is a reasonable expectation that those immediately affected by the crime (i.e. family members, witnesses etc) are still alive and especially living in the same locations, then it would be considered too recent.

 

 

I agree with this! This just made me think of a cache near me which tells the story of a 17 yr. old girl who lured two much younger female children onto a railroad bridge, and pushed them off (one was killed, one survived) in 1890.

 

HOWEVER I guess I was forced to do the research about the Vancouver, BC cache. Just kidding, I don't mind. Robert Pickton killed 26 women in the Vancouver area. This cache was placed across the street from where he buried several of his victims. And the local geocaching community did not like it. The SBA'S and heated discussion have been removed from the cache page, but you can read this old discussion in the Canada forum.

 

I really think a cache about recent murders wouldn't go over to well. A guy who killed 4 or 5 women and raped dozens over a 20 year period was recently caught and convicted in my area, and I couldn't imagine the outrage that would ensue if someone made a cache about it.

Edited May 13, 2009 by TheWhiteUrkel

[+usyoopers]

If you read the review of the book you will see that this took place in 1985, long ago enough I think to tell the story. I'm from Michigan (were it happened) so maybe I'm just more interested than some.

 

There is a cache on northbound I-75 GCJYRX "Unsolved Murder" it tells the story of how in 1979 a women with her 2 small boys stopped at the rest area. When she didn't return from the restroom for a long time the 2 boys went looking for her and found her dead. The murder has never been solved. No one that I know of has found that cache to be objectionable.

[Mr.Yuck]

If you read the review of the book you will see that this took place in 1985, long ago enough I think to tell the story. I'm from Michigan (were it happened) so maybe I'm just more interested than some.

 

There is a cache on northbound I-75 GCJYRX "Unsolved Murder" it tells the story of how in 1979 a women with her 2 small boys stopped at the rest area. When she didn't return from the restroom for a long time the 2 boys went looking for her and found her dead. The murder has never been solved. No one that I know of has found that cache to be objectionable.

 

I read it, but the trial was pretty recent. And the murders pretty gruesome. I don't know, tough call here. I just thought I'd bring up the Vancouver thing. And I guess that cache was in 2004, I probably am the only one who remembers it.

 

Also, no one that I know of has ever had a problem with the cache about the 17 yr. old girl who killed a child in 1890.

[knowschad]

If you read the review of the book you will see that this took place in 1985, long ago enough I think to tell the story. I'm from Michigan (were it happened) so maybe I'm just more interested than some.

 

The murders may have taken place in 1985, but the trail wasn't completed until 2003, according to this report :http://www.michiganwaterfowl.com/forum/printthread.php?t=51347

 

I'd be interested in knowing exactly where this took place... I spent a year of high-school in West Branch.

[Mr.Yuck]

If you read the review of the book you will see that this took place in 1985, long ago enough I think to tell the story. I'm from Michigan (were it happened) so maybe I'm just more interested than some.

 

The murders may have taken place in 1985, but the trail wasn't completed until 2003, according to this report :http://www.michiganwaterfowl.com/forum/printthread.php?t=51347

 

I'd be interested in knowing exactly where this took place... I spent a year of high-school in West Branch.

 

Looks like Mio, Michigan and the murders are mentioned on it's wikipedia page.

[+Nature Kids]

@ Knowschad & Urkel ....The killings took place in '85, but the murderers were not convicted untill 2003. It took place in Southbranch, Mi. but the murders lived in the Curtisville area. That is also where the bodies are suspected to chainsawed up & fed to the pigs. The pig farm was located on the 4 corners there. Four people involved in the killings. Two are in prison, the pig farmer died in the 90's, & one killer is still at large.

[+king-of-halloween]

I would personally not have a problem with the caches or you telling about them.History, good or bad will be told in many ways. I did a series in Indiana where dead bodies have been found ,and I enjoyed those.Of course Ive been told im warpped many times!!