The Toolbox Killer

It's been a long time since one of these "true crime docs" really got under my skin. This one did definitely not for the faint of heart. Just felt really sad for the family and friends who were affected by this evil. I did think the Psychology student was playing with fire.

They did an amazing job not only telling the story of Norris and Bittaker, but also the victims. Laura Brand did an amazing job interviewing Bittaker over several years. She was able to get information from him that police and investigators have tried for years to get. I only wish that they showed more of their relationship and what information he provided to help her find the missing girls. Laura is a true Jersey girl at heart and is fearless. She will bring the girls home!

The crimes of Bittaker and Norris were brutal and there are plenty of details and images in this doc that will be upsetting for some viewers. It's a well-made doc and certainly shows compassion for the victims and family/friends of victims too. One interesting aspect is how the criminologist was able to get Bittaker to talk when he had refused to do that before. Her approach was successful.

In order to understand the mind of anyone, one must cultivate a relationship in order to step into their mind. In this particular case, it wasn't the most popular or well liked person on the block. However, this kind of psychology and work is necessary and critical. To physically step into the cell of death row at San Quentin and successfully cultivate a relationship with Bittaker and Norris along with stepping into their mind is exactly what Laura Brand did. She started building this relationship over the phone and even after being shunned at first, Laura simply wasn't going to take no for an answer. I give her ten stars for being able to get the location of the victims remains that even the FBI wasn't able to successfully do. This wasn't an easy task, but she did it and she did it well. I look forward to reading her book because the show barely touches the surface of all the work she's done on this case. The families of the victims are lucky she is giving them a voice, a voice these sadistic serial killers thought would be silenced until they met Laura Brand. Expect to see more of her amazing work in the future.

I love crime documentaries and this one was outstanding. Laura Brand was able to get information that Bittaker refused to give to the authorities. She didn't try to rush him but built up trust and that made him willing to share information with her. Way to go.