Are there Real-life Fight Clubs?
In a few episodes of the first season of “Homicide: Life on the Street,” our heroes investigate a character named Calpurnia Church, who is suspected of killing her five husbands in order to collect on insurance money. Parrish had taken out life insurance policies on several members of her family (as well as others) and had them name herself as the beneficiary. This, they claimed, was why they did her bidding and even remained silent after her murders. Geraldine Parrish’s family believed she possessed special voodoo powers to control others.
Seem far-fetched? It is. But not very. In 1992, Dr. John Schneeberger, a physician living in Saskatchewan, drugged and raped Candace Foley. But a blood test proved negative. Foley, conscious throughout the ordeal, accused him and saved the clothes she had been wearing for evidence. Foley was persistent, but nothing came of it until years later, when John’s wife figured out that he had been raping her teenage daughter from a previous marriage.
He claims he fought a “bushy-haired man” who knocked him unconscious twice. Newspaper stories and public opinion generally assumed Sheppard’s guilt, and it didn’t help his case when it was revealed he had had a longtime affair. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the jury in the first trial wasn’t properly shielded from the media frenzy surrounding the case. In the ensuing trial, a national media frenzy took hold. Sheppard was found guilty and spent 10 years in prison before his conviction was overturned.
Are there real-life fight clubs? Ramsland, Katherine. “The Heaven’s Gate Cult.” TruTV. Urbina, Ian. “From Two Broken Lives to One New Beginning.” New York Times. Oliver, Willard M. Nancy E. Marion. Remnick, David. “Is This the End of Rico?” The New Yorker. Chermak, Steven M. Frankie Y. Bailey. Bruno, Anthony. “Real Life Sopranos.” TrueTV. Simon, David (Interview). “Total Wired.” Guardian. Do criminal psychopaths enjoy other people’s fear or just not notice it? Cina, Stephen, J., Josua A Perper. Dwyer, Kevin, Jure Fiorillo.
