On Monday, 4/14, I wrote a brief report on my web log ("Today's Advice...", item eight in Random Bits V) about a string of killings in the downtown Phoenix (Arizona) area, in which most of the victims were women with prostitution records and found to have cocaine in their system at the time of death.
A suspect, Cory Morris - dubbed the "Crackhead Killer" by the media - had been arrested and confessed to at least five of the murders at the time of my writing.
The arrest followed the discovery of victim #7's body in the RV where Morris, now charged with three of the slayings, had been living.
His last victim was so badly decomposed it has taken this long to identify her.
I had made some ironic observations in my previous report, but I guess what they say is true:
It's all fun and games, until it turns out you knew Victim #7.
From an 'Arizona Republic' article ("Stench, maggots, clues in home of alleged serial killer", 4/17/03):
"This is the motor home where Morris, 24, lived and where police believe six women died after Morris lured them there with money and drugs. Morris reportedly told police he strangled five of the women during sex, and has been charged with murder in three of their deaths.
According to court records, Morris told police he kept some of the decomposing corpses in his motor home for days before dumping them in his central-city neighborhood." (end quote)
Morris told Phoenix police detectives he killed the women during sex by using neckties, a nylon strap, his hands and a victim's hair extensions. Investigators from Oklahoma are now conferring with their Phoenician counterparts, in the hopes of closing the case on four murders with similar modus operandi in that state.
But enough about the confessed killer. All too often, in our society, the killer is all but glorified - think Henry Lee Lucas or Ted Bundy - while the victims are reduced to nothing more than a matter-of-fact brief mention in the local press, often based on a soon-to-be closed police file ready to gather dust.
This is a story about one of the victims.
Her name was Julie Castillo.
The first time I met her, she said she was in her mid-30s. I would've guessed mid-50s and, even then, I was giving her the benefit of the doubt.
Her frail, emaciated body seemed to be at death's door. Her rough-hewn hands matched her prematurely wrinkled face. The lines in her face were almost a road map to her uncontrollable drive to drink. Blue and brown blotches tracking down her arms spoke of being railroaded by hard drug use. Her shoulder-length brown hair, sun-bleached blonde in places, was unkempt.
While I didn't know Julie very well - only having met her about a half-dozen times - my good friend, James, did.
James is one of the few Christians I know who actually tries to live by the principles set forth by Christ. In other words, he is no hypocrite.
On more than one occasion, I've seen or heard of James lending a direct helping hand to the homeless and down-and-out in our neighborhood - expecting absolutely nothing in return.
Julie Castillo was one such person he had tried to help. With food, free cigarettes from time to time, and the occasional dollar or two.
Although Julie had a mother in the Pacific Northwest, she didn't want to return home, deciding, instead, to remain on the streets of Phoenix - rather than returning to a place where her stepfather also lived. The same man who she claimed had repeatedly molested her as a child.
Article comments
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2 - Shirly Jones
I'm a student of criminal justice. I was told about a very strange serial killer by one of my classmates.
He was referred to as the mini-skirt killer. My understanding is that the murders occured in the 1970's. The killer would lure young college girls into his car. He would then put a plastic bag over their heads and suffocate them to death.
After smothering the life out of them he would remove and keep his victims pantyhose.
He would not rape his victims, they were found fully clothed with the exception of their missing pantyhose. He would only kill college age girls wearing micro mini-skirts and pantyhose. Has anyone else heard of this bizarre criminal?
3 - kelly
What a brutally honest view.Often I have wondered what could a woman in that position be thinking when making the decision that would lead her to her place of death...Is it possible that addiction could be so strong that even if she had sensed danger that she would have ignored the signs?Wish there was some way to volunteer to help such people as the street people,prostitutes and addicts???Thanks for such a touching article...kelly
4 - j
I was living in the area where these killings were taking place and to hear of it in the media and general society mortified me. The more i heard, the more I was afraid for everyone fitting the "profile" that was being sought after., there were times when it was said that he was keeping the corpses for up to a month and repeatedly sexually assaulting the bodies until they were so badly decomposed that he Had to dispose of them..,only to seek out and find another victim within a week. How can anyone be so cruel and heartless??., am only relieved that he can not hurt anyone else., and i pray that noone will repeat his actions. Society cannot, should not have to suffer in this way again.
5 - scott culp
julie was my step-sister even though we didnt get to see each other in her later days i miss her much i wish i would have known she was in such dire straits but mom didnt let me know either. its to late to do anything now but to pray. I still have my memories of her laugh and her way of thought she is very speical in my heart