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Something a little bit different today, but in a good way!
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.
This box has been on my radar for a while now and I actually ordered this back in October (this is the November edit as I missed the cutoff for the October box) but the UK then went back into lockdown and messed everything up, including a lot of deliveries. Their customer service is great, I emailed to ask about the whereabouts of my box and they replied straight away with an apology and tracking details, so I cannot complain there.
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. The sticker is based around the Netflix series 'Don't F*** With Cats', which has been a huge hit! I haven't watched it myself as yet, I haven't been able to bring myself to as I have cats and I know it would upset me, so I am trying to build up to it! The sticker says 'If I go missing, please call Baudi, Moovan and John Green', who I believe are the internet sleuths that the docuseries is based around. The badge depicts a inkblot pattern but on closer inspection, it has a woman's face at the centre. I haven't figured out if the woman is supposed to be anyone in particular but it is still a very interesting piece.
I also loved the limited edition art print, which shows 2 hands giving the middle finger with the quote 'Did his little penis drive him to be so angry all the time? He truly is an evil monster with no soul' by Patricia Murphy. This quote is referring to the 'Golden State Killer' Joseph James DeAngelo and Patricia Murphy is one of his survivors. 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. He is now serving life in prison for his crimes.
An item I was really excited to see was the book 'Manhunt' by Peter Bleksley, as I was planning on buying this after seeing an interview with him on a podcast by youtuber Jaackmaate. Peter is a former Scotland Yard detective who has also worked undercover for many years. The blurb on the back of the book reads 'In the early hours of 19 June 2004, 16-year-old Liam Kelly was lured to a location in Liverpool and shot dead. The following year, another Liverpudlian, 22-year-old mother of three, Lucy Hargreaves, was shot dead in her own home. Her partner and their 2-year-old daughter escaped after the house was set alight by leaping from a first-floor bedroom window.
For more than fifteen years, six-foot six-inch, broadly built, ginger-haired Kevin Parle has been wanted by the police for both murders. How could he have evaded national and international crime investigators for so long? Who is harbouring him?
Author and former Scotland Yard detective and undercover cop, Peter Bleksley, is determined to find the answers. He has immersed himself again in the world of serious and organised crime, this time armed only with a pen, a notebook and a mobile phone. He has vowed not to rest until Parle is found.
This gripping story goes behind the scenes of the hit BBC Sounds podcast, Manhunt: Finding Kevin Parle.' It sounds like such an amazing book, and Peter is so compelling in his story telling, I was riveted when I was listening to the interviews Jaackmaate did with him. I am so looking forward to getting stuck into this book.
The next item made me giggle, as it is so accurate to my life! It was a pair of yellow, grey and black socks by the brand Gumball Poodle, with the slogan 'True Crime all the Time' down the side. These feel really good quality and are one size fits most, I plan on wearing these around the house on those days where I just want to wrap up warm and watch some true crime.
There was also a Tshirt, which depicts the MacDonald Triad. This was developed and made famous by psychiatrist John MacDonald in the 1960's. Essentially, it is a set of 3 factors which are considered to be associated with violent tendencies and serial offences. These factors are Cruelty to Animals, Persistent Bed Wetting and Fire Setting and it is said that the presence of all three behaviours is linked to violent offenders. The efficacy and accuracy of this has often been disputed.
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 cards I received were of Dorothea Puente, who ran a boarding house in Sacramento, where she murdered various elderly and vulnerable boarders and cashing in their social security checks. She has at least 9 confirmed murders with a further 6 unconfirmed and she was serving life in prison up to her death in 2011 at the age of 82. The second card was Ed Gein- and what an interesting chap he was! Ed was also known as the Butcher of Plainfield and he was a bodysnatcher and murderer from Wisconsin. He would exhume bodies from the local cemetery and made keepsakes and trophies from their body parts, as well killing at least 2 women. He inspired the films 'Psycho' and 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. He died in prison in 1984 from cancer at the age of 77. The third card was Dylan Klebold, one half of the Columbine shooters. They attended Columbine High School in Colorado and on the 20th of April 1999, they opened fire on their school, killing 13 people and wounding 24 others before turning the guns on themselves. It is said that they had been planning the attack for a year and there are many conflicting stories about their motives.
The case cards also had 3 interesting cases, one of which I wasn't familiar with! The first 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 is Jasmiyah and Tasmiyah Whitehead, who were twins and, at the age of 16, killed their mother Nikki by stabbing her repeatedly and beating her with a vase in 2o1o. They were convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 30 years in prison. They are in separate prisons.
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 have another box coming for December and I cannot wait to get stuck into that one 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!
