The Last Victim (book)
The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer is a non-fiction work by author Jason Moss in which he details his fascination and subsequent correspondence with several notorious American serial killers.
Plot
Moss was an 18-year-old college student at UNLV. While studying for his honors thesis, he established relationships with John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Charles Manson. He obtained samples of correspondence from and interviews with these men. Jason researched what would interest his subject the most and then cast himself in the role of disciple, admirer, surrogate, or potential victim.
In his book he mentioned that he was interested in a career with the FBI; he reasoned that gaining the trust of a serial killer, possibly learning more about their stated crimes or unsolved murders, was a way to distinguish himself as a job candidate.[1]
It was with 33-time killer John Wayne Gacy, that Jason forged the strongest relationship. Letters led to regular Sunday morning phone calls, during which Gacy trumpeted his innocence even as he gave Jason a guided tour of his world. In the book, Moss tells the story of his correspondence and eventual live meeting with Gacy shortly before Gacy was executed. According to the viewpoint informing the title of this book, Moss became Gacy's "last victim" after a face to face meeting in prison, in essence being overpowered by the mind of the serial killer. Moss felt that this misadventure allowed him to understand how a killer's mind works in not only controlling the vulnerable but also in terms of how to break them.
Film adaptation
A film adaptation of the book, titled Dear Mr. Gacy, has been produced and stars Jesse Moss (no relation) as Jason Moss, and William Forsythe as John Wayne Gacy.
References
- ^ Moss, J: The Last Victim: A True-Life Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer, chapter 3. Grand Central Publishing, 1999.