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You may remember my unboxings and reviews of this box a year ago- now I am bringing you another one of their Mystery boxes! I first reviewed one back in March.
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 work in mental health 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.
As always, I unboxed this on my YouTube channel and you can watch it here:
I received an email letting me know that they had mystery boxes for 50% off on their website for a limited time, so I swiftly parted with £15 (plus postage!) and eagerly awaited my box! 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 a magazine, which is actually a magazine I have bought a few times before- Real Crime. 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 some little extra's inside the box too, a badge and some stickers. The badge simply stated 'no comment'-something many criminals say during interrogation- I do already have this from the last mystery box I reviewed back in March but I don't mind having another- that's the risk you take when purchasing a mystery box after all! The first sticker states 'Hot for Holes. Fuck the Golden State Killer'. This is referring to former cold case investigator Paul Holes, who was known for helping to solve the 'Golden Sate Killer' case using advances in DNA and Genealogy. 'Golden State Killer' Joseph James DeAngelo is a serial killer, serial rapist, burglar and former police officer who committed at least 13 murders, 50 rapes and 120 burglaries across California in the 70's and 80's, however he was only apprehended in 2018 and is now serving life in prison. The second sticker depicts a heart design with 'True Crime' written on it. The third badge says 'Terra Newell's Zombie Survival Academy' on it. Terra Newell is an absolute badass! She was attacked at knifepoint by her mum's husband, however, using self defence skills she learned from her favourite TV show 'The Walking Dead', she fought back and managed to stab him in self defence, killing him. All the while, her dog Cash was biting his ankles to try and protect her. Her attacker, John Meehan was also known as 'Dirty John' and he had a history of scamming and abusing women. Terra now has a podcast and shares survival tips to help other women fend off attackers.
There were also a couple of art prints- one depicting a quote by Monica Lewinsky stating 'I've learned not to put things in my mouth that are bad for me' Lewinsky, of course, is a former intern at the White House, where she famously had an affair with then President, Bill Clinton. Clinton vehemently denied anything had happened between them and it became known as the Clinton-Lewinsky Scandal, which did end up going to court! The second art print depicts Alcatraz, which needs no introduction! Alcatraz was a maximum security federal prison on an island off the coast of San Francisco. It stopped being used for this purpose in 1963, but is open for visitors and tours.
Along with the art prints, there were 4 postcard prints with the following: Amido Black (used to test for blood present in latent fingerprints), Diphenylamine (toxic substance present in gunshot residue), Acid Phospatase (used to identify the presence of semen) and Luminol (used to test for blood). These are certainly interesting and whilst I don't think I will send these out as postcards, they make for interesting art prints to display. I received these in my last mystery box too.
Up next, and a really interesting and quirky item for the home, was a tea towel from their own collection, with the slogan 'Probably thinking about food or serial killers' on it. This is amazing quality and fits right in to my kitchen collection- it certainly makes for an interesting talking point!
There is always a book included and this one is right up my street! A Special Place in Hell- The Worlds Most Depraved Serial Killers by Christopher Berry-Dee. I have read a few books by this author and I like his writing style, so I am excited to get stuck into this. The blurb on the back reads:
'Sunday Times bestselling author Christopher Berry-Dee is the man who talks to serial killers. A world-renowned investigative criminologist, he has gained the trust of murderers across the world, entered their high security prisons, and discussed in detail their shocking crimes.
The killers' pursuit of horror and violence is described through the unique audiotape and videotape interviews which Berry-Dee conducted, deep inside the bowels of some of the world's toughest prisons.
Christopher Berry-Dee has collated these interviews into this astounding, disturbing book. Not only does he describe his meetings with some of the world's most evil men and women, he also reproduces, verbatim, their very words as they describe their crimes, allowing the reader a glimpse into the inner workings of the people who have committed the worst crime possible - to mercilessly take the life of another human being'. I did actually get this in my last mystery box but all is not lost- this has been passed on to my mum for her to read!
There is usually an item of clothing or two inside and I was spoiled with 2 great items in my mystery box! The first tshirt is pink in colour and has the slogan 'Free Britney' on the front and 'Fuck Cosby' on the back. I am sure most of you are aware of who Britney Spears is, and the battle she has recently endured to be freed from her conservatorship. A conservatorship is granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, such as those with Dementia or certain mental illnesses. Britney's was split into 2 parts- one for her finances/estate and one for her as a person. Her father Jamie was in charge of both initially but he stepped down as her personal conservator in 2019 due to health issues. He was replaced by a court appointed care professional. In 2021, Jamie was then suspended as the conservator for her finances too, and was replaced by an accountant chosen by Britney and her lawyer. Britney has spoken out about how the conservatorship was harming her more than it was helping her and in November, a judge terminated the conservatorship, giving Britney her freedom. The Cosby part is related to Bill Cosby, an American stand up comedian who was accused by around 60 women of sexual assault and convicted of aggravated indecent assault. This conviction was then vacated 3 years later, meaning he walked free. People were (rightly) angry that he was free and yet Britney wasn't, hence this t-shirt.
The second clothing item was also a t-shirt, this time showing Luminol and what can trigger its luminescence. Apparently, blood, bleach, faeces, urine and- wait for it- horseradish all glow under luminol. Certainly an interesting shirt, it is unlike any others I own.
Finally, there were some case cards to look over. These were 4 cases that I have heard of, but an not too familiar with- which is unusual!
The first case card was Henry Layer, who is responsible for one of the most horrific mass killings in North Dakota history. Henry had argued with his neighbour Jacob Wolfe, accusing the Jacob's dog of biting one of his cows. He then ignored requests to leave the property and so Jacob grabbed his shotgun to try and make Henry leave. Henry grabbed for the gun and struggle ensued, causing the gun to discharge twice. One of the bullets his Jacob's wife Beatta and the other hit chore boy, Jacob Hofer, killing them both. Jacob Wolfe fled to the yard and Henry found more ammunition for the gun before shooting Jacob twice, killing him. The couple's daughters- Edna (8), Maria (10), Bertha (13) and Lydia (6) were then shot and killed. The youngest child to be killed, Martha aged 3, was hit with a hatchet. The only survivor was 9 month old Emma, who was brought up by her aunt and uncle.
The second case card was about Charlene Downes who disappeared in 2003 at the age of 14. She was from Blackpool here in the UK and was last seen in the town centre near some fast food outlets. Despite 2 men bragging about killing her and serving her as kebab meat to unsuspecting members of the public, nobody has yet been convicted of her murder and no trace of her has ever been found.
The next case card is Sarah Tarrant and Raymond Roff, who were secret lovers and were convicted of killing Tarrant's boyfriend. Tarrant laced his food with sleeping pills in order for Roff to be able to kill him more easily. His body has never been found.
The final case card was Joseph Clark, also called 'The Bonebreaker Killer'. This story is a harrowing one. In 1995, at the age of 17, he abducted 13 year old Thad Phillips, convincing him that he knew a friend of his and that he was taking him to party where that friend was. Joseph took Thad back to his home and once there, subjected him to unimaginable torture. He threw him on the bed and began to twist his foot until the bone above his ankle snapped. He continued to break more of Thad's bones but strangely, in between doing this, he would treat Thad like a friend, watching movies with him and wrapping socks around his legs to care for him. Thad eventually managed to escape when Joseph was out of the house. Thad was locked in a closet with no food or water but he managed to use a wooden guitar to break down the door of the closet before throwing himself down the stairs and pulling a phone from the wall to call 911 for help. Luckily, the got to him before Joseph arrived home. When Thad was safely with the police, he told them of his ordeal and that, chillingly, Joseph had admitted to doing this to other victims too. This helped the police link him to the murder of Christian Steiner in 1994- his body was found with similar injuries to Thad's. During a search of Joseph's home, police found a list of local boy's names and columns on if he should kidnap them too, plus what he would do to them. He was sentenced to 100 years for what he did to Thad, plus another 50 years for the murder of Christian. What resilience Thad has, especially at such a young age! I did some digging and he made a recovery after several surgeries and he is able to walk, with a limp. I am sure you will all be glad to hear he is doing ok!
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. As I mentioned, this was a half price mystery box priced at £15- there are a few different levels of mystery box available at different price points but they do have a monthly subscription 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- I have been considering it for a while and if I have the time etc to dedicate to it. 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 if I do decide to start it of course, and will continue to bring you reviews of amazing boxes and brands as always!