INQUIRY:

I was lucky enough to find a website listing the most known serial killers that were active in Missouri and the greater Saint Louis area. Inquiry, for me, looked like finding different articles covering what happened in the lives of these serial killers. A very inspirational person for me is Bailey Sarian. She is a YouTuber who talks about true crime while doing her makeup, and her videos can go on for up to an hour or more at times. I appreciate the way she retells the information she gathers, so she really influenced how I approached my research.

After taking a forensics class, I did want to make sure that I was covering actual serial killers, not somebody who had killed once or twice. I did have to narrow down my field of research and eliminate killers I could not find enough information on.

I really did wonder throughout this project why the police were not more involved in solving these crimes, but since many of the killers traveled between multiple states, it was easy for them to operate because eventually the trail went cold. However, almost every serial killer I covered was a serial rapist who was repeatedly released from jail. If I could, I would've researched that more and why these men were ever offered parole.

STORY:

From my understanding, I am covering an overall story of crime taking place from the 1900s all the way to the 2010s. I believe every killer has their own smaller story which contributes to an overall look at how serial killers operated in Saint Louis during this past century. I did not put this in chronological order, but going back, I would. I believe potential harm from these stories could come from the family of the victims, as they might find this insensitive. After all, I am covering the killer and not the people who suffered from their actions.

COMMUNITY:

I didn't consider how the community at large was affected by these killings. I would've liked to find more insight on the impact that these murders caused to the communities during this time. I believe that my story does tell a cautionary tale of why we should not let repeat violent offenders on parole, and why we should be wary of anyone and everyone, from a neighborly nurse or dentist to your neighbor. I believe that the police force really needs to take more action, as well as the homicide department. There is no reason that there should have been so many victims, and why one assailant could roam free for decades without getting caught. Again, I feel like this project is missing the impact that each murder caused the community. Who were these victims and what did their lives look like? How did their deaths impact the world? There was a lack of resources to really explore this topic, but if I had time to interview some of the families of the victims, I would've.

MORE:

Knowing that this is a website, I have tried my best to make is visually appealing and engaging. If I could change the mode, I would've liked to make a podcast or perhaps a video essay. The website did work well. I had to use multiple sources to get one clear view of the timeline for each murder, and I believe knowing multiple sides to multiple stories helped me tell it more efficiently.

I believe I would've changed the inquiry if I had the change to fit more along the lines of STL Serial Killers - A Look Over a Century.