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You may remember my unboxing and review of the November edit of this box and I am so excited to bring you the next instalment. I know that normally I cover beauty and lifestyle boxes, which I love and am passionate about, but I also have other interests and passions too.
Those of you who don't know me, I am a Junior Psychologist and when I was doing my undergraduate degree, I specialised in Criminal and Forensic Psychology. I am fascinated by true crime, what makes criminals tick, why they do what they do etc and spend most of my free time reading true crime books, watching documentaries and researching cases that interest me.
Just Killin Time is a true crime subscription box containing hand picked and specially curated, mystery and collectible items every month- all related to true crime. A lot of the items are also exclusive to the box, or limited edition items such as tshirts and art prints to delight every true crime fan. They have had a slight delay in being able to get hold of some of the stock which meant that the December edit didn't arrive until January, but they did include an extra book as an apology!
As always, I unboxed this on my YouTube channel and you can watch it here:
I was so excited to get into this and potentially discover new cases I wasn't familiar with, as well as other items to add to my collection. I really like the design of the box, with the evidence seal tape and printed artwork on the box, it definitely sets the mood! I will go into a little detail on some of the cases mentioned and will also link to further reading for those of you who want to look into any of them a little more!
The first thing I took out was the product card, which is illustrated to look a little like a comic strip, depicting the likes of Peter Sutcliffe (The Yorkshire Ripper), Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) and Rose West, as well as some light-hearted comments (or as light hearted as you can be on this particular subject!).
I then took out a magazine, which is actually a magazine I have bought a few times before- Crime Monthly. It is a great magazine, it covers a lot of different cases and areas of crime, so there is often articles about lesser known cases mixed in with some more well known ones. Definitely not for the faint hearted though!
There were a couple of little items, one being a sticker and one being a badge, which were 'extras' and great additions. During my unboxing, I drew a blank on who the woman on the sticker was, but it is Mary Vincent, who survived a vicious attack and attempt on her life by Lawrence Singleton. She was a 15 years old when Lawrence picked up as she was hitchhiking in California in 1978. She was subjected to rape and mutilation, as he cut off her arms before leaving her to die after throwing her off a 30 foot cliff. Thinking quickly, she stemmed the bleeding from her arms by putting them into the mud and she bravely managed to pull herself back up the cliff. From there, she walked for 3 miles, naked, covered in blood and armless before being seen by a couple passing by, who took her to hospital. She now wears prosthetic arms. Lawrence Singleton was sentenced to 14 years in prison, before being released to his native Florida in 1990. He then went on to murder Roxanne Hayes, as well as assaulting multiple others, for which he was sentenced to death. He died of cancer in 2001. Just a quick word on Mary Vincent- what an absolute queen she is! The badge included was a silver background with a black fist design on it, which I believe is designed to show solidarity and support. After the events of the past year, it is definitely something we should all do!
I absolutely loved the limited edition art print- they include one in every box and this one depicted high profile American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer as a Llama- so he's Dahmer the Llama. I think this is the perfect way to make him look like an idiot so we can have a laugh at his expense- which is the very least he deserves after his abhorrent crimes! Dahmer was known as the Milwaukee Cannibal and he murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys. Some of these murders also involved necrophilia, cannibalisation and preservation of body parts. Dahmer would pick up his victims in various bars around the city, taking them back to his apartment for sexual activity, often drugging them first before murdering them.
There was also a Popsocket in the box, which you attach to the back of your phone to help you hold onto it better and prevent you dropping it. It was printed with a similar design as the box itself, so definitely a quirky item that fits the theme perfectly!
I was so excited as this box contained not 1 but 2 books- one of the books was the aforementioned extra item to apologise for the late dispatch.
The first book was 'Cults Uncovered: True Stories of Mind Control and Murder' by Emily G Thompson. The blurb on the back reads:
'FANATICISM BREEDING ACTS OF SAVAGERY.
How did Charles Manson inspire his Family's campaign of murder?
What twisted ideologies lay behind the Waco Siege, and the mass suicides of Jonestown?
Why did the suicidal followers of Heaven's Gate believe doomsday was nigh?
Uncover the secrets of the world's cruellest criminal cults'
This sounds like a fascinating read and one that I maybe wouldn't have picked up in a book store myself. I am not as read up on cults as I am on other true crime topics but it is sure interesting, from a psychological point of view, to think about how one person is able to gain control over so many others. Looking forward to reading this!
The second book has me so excited! It is 'Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter: True Stories from victims and survivors of The Yorkshire Ripper' by Carol Ann Lee. The blurb on the back reads:
'Much has been written about the brutal crimes of Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper, and - thirty-five years after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of thirteen women - scarcely a week goes by without some mention of him in the media.
In any story featuring Sutcliffe, however, his victims are incidental, often reduced to a tableau of nameless faces. But each woman was much more than the manner of her death, and in Somebody's Mother, Somebody's Daughter, Carol Ann Lee tells, for the first time, the stories of those women who came into Sutcliffe's murderous orbit, restoring their individuality to them and giving a voice to their families, including the twenty-three children whom he left motherless.'
I have a personal interest in this case as I am from Yorkshire, born and raised, so I am familiar with a lot of the locations where he committed his crimes. He was actually caught in Sheffield, the city I was born in, at the top of the road where my dad lived as a young boy. Peter Sutcliffe (link to more information about him is further up the page) recently passed away from covid 19 but had spent the rest of his life in prison after the murder of at least 13 women and attempted murder of at least 7 others. I love the idea of this book as it focuses more on the innocent victims who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, meeting their end in a horrific and violent way. Whilst I am fascinated with the way the minds of these perpetrators work, it is far too easy to give them all the attention and notoriety-which they often crave- without paying any mind to the poor victims who lost their lives in the process. I cannot wait to read this.
There is a clothing item included every month and this month was a very snug and comfy hoody with the slogan 'The Brother Did It'. I daren't post the case that this is referring to, as there have been many occasions where people have been sued as a result, but I am sure those of you who are interested in true crime can figure out who it may be! This was a size small but was still slightly oversized- which is how I like my hoodies anyway! I will definitely be wearing this around the house and when watching true crime documentaries!
Finally, there were some trading cards and case cards to look over. The trading cards came in a little brown envelope and inside were 3 of these cards- I assume they include these every month for you to collect. The trading cards were of Ian Brady, arguably one of the most evil men to ever walk the earth and one half of the infamous Moors Murderers. He and his partner Myra Hindley murdered 5 young children and buried their bodies on Saddleworth Moor, which is in Manchester in the UK. Unfortunately, one of those bodies has still not been found to this day. He died in 2017 at the age of 79- an age he denied his young victims from ever reaching. The second card was another Ian, this time Ian Huntley, also known as the Soham Murderer. He murdered 2 10 year old girls who attended the school where he was a caretaker in 2002. I remember this case well as these girls were around the same age as me when it happened and I remember feeling like this was something that could happen to anyone at any age- a truly scary thought. He is currently serving a life sentence. The third and final card was of Rodney Alcala, the Dating Game Killer. When he appeared on American dating show The Dating Game, he was already a serial killer. The woman on the show picked him as her date but her woman's intuition told her there was something not right so she never went ahead with the date- which probably saved her life! His total number of victims is thought to be between 5 and 100- we may never know the exact amount. He remains in prison in California.
The case cards had 3 interesting cases, 2 of which I wasn't aware of! As it was the December box, the cases were all Christmas time murders. The first card was Alexis Valdez, who murdered his aunt's boyfriend in 2013 at the age of 18 and was arrested on Christmas Day. He was living with his aunt at the time and there had been tension as her boyfriend asked him to move out as he continually failed to contribute towards the household bills. The case is quite gruesome, so I won't go into too much detail here but if you do want to know more, then click the link above.
The second case card was Connie Villa, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2017 for crimes she committed on Christmas Day 2013. She and her ex husband were going through a divorce and custody battle of their 4 children. She stabbed him in the back and shoulder but he managed to escape and drive to the hospital. She then attempted to overdose her 3 youngest children but when the oldest refused to take the pills, she suffocated her until she died. Thankfully, the other children and her ex husband survived.
The final case card was Jeffrey Pardo, who turned up to his ex in-laws house during a party on Christmas Eve 2008 dressed as Santa, before going on a shooting rampage- including his 8 year old niece who opened the door to him, and then using a flamethrower to set the house alight. There were around 25 people at the house that night and 9 of those people died with 13 children left orphaned. He then took his own life a t his brother's house 30 miles away. It is said that this stemmed from his divorce from his wife of one year, which was finalised only a week before his rampage. Among his victims were his ex wife, both of her parents, 5 of her siblings and a 17 year old nephew. The 8 year old niece miraculously survived her injuries.
I have really enjoyed this box and typing out the review, I love things that are a little different and I find this sort of thing fascinating. If you like true crime, I think you will find it fascinating too.
The prices are as follows:
Infraction- a mini box offering a snippet of what the full box includes: £12.95 per month.
Misdemeanour- the full box, and what I have here: £29.95 per month.
Serial Offender- 6 month prepay: £173
Most Wanted- 12 month prepay: £335
Partners in Crime- recurring plan for 2 people: £59.90 per month.
I think for what you get in the box, the price is very reasonable. The items are all so relevant, interesting and a lot of them are exclusive and limited edition too.
I am thinking of starting another blog dedicated to true crime, conspiracies and unsolved mysteries with a friend who is also into that sort of thing- I of course will not be abandoning this blog but I feel that including content like that on here would be too much of a mish mash and would take away from the purpose of this blog, so I will start a new one from scratch, I will link it here of course, and will continue to bring you reviews of amazing boxes and brands as always!
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