The Dark Side of Professional Wrestling: The Tragedy of Chris Benoit

 (Warning: Reference of suicide ahead)

 

                  As I have iterated in the past piece related to the sport of Professional Wrestling, that this sport, in reality is part soap opera and part combat sports, although those who held wrestling championship titles treated as equally legitimate as other branches of combat sport like boxing and mixed martial arts. Although mostly scripted, pro wrestling can (and sometimes inevitably) cross over to the real life, even though in the old days the lines between kayfabe and real life is often enforced. It could also lead so some real consequences as a result of constantly putting bodies (and sometimes even lives) on the line for the sake of entertaining the fans (that's why former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) chairman Vince McMahon coined the term "sports entertainment" to emphasize this element). Some names suffered this after constantly performing high-risk moves and taking brutal bumps, especially if the wrestler in question is known for their hardcore antics, like a Mick Foley or New Jack type of guy.

 

                  But this one is probably the most tragic and controversial case that's ever come out from this world of highfliers and brutal bruisers. There are many true crime cases that involved one or multiple professional wrestlers, each with their own story to tell. But this one is so controversial in light of the circumstances, one wrestling promotion subsequently omitted and erased his name and accomplishments from the history books. Of course, I'm talking about the tragic life and death of one Chris Benoit. The Montreal, Quebec, Canada native was born Christopher Michael Benoit on the 21st of May 1967, but mostly spent his childhood in Edmonton, Alberta. His fascination with the world of wrestling was evident from the early age, as he already idolized Tom "Dynamite Kid" Billington and wrestling hall of famer Bret "The Hitman" Hart. At the tender age of 12, he began his wrestling training under the tutelage of Bret's father Stu Hart in his famous Hart family Dungeon in Calgary, often hailed as one of the best wrestling schools in the world, as it's run by the Hart Dynasty. As a result, Benoit's style has the reference of both Billington and Hart, he even used the latter's submission move "The Sharpshooter" as one of his finishing maneuvers.

 

                  After his stint at the Dungeon, Benoit wrestled in Stu's promotion, Stampede Wrestling. His wrestling style at the time was similar with The Dynamite Kid, as he adopted several moves like the diving headbutt (a move that would cost him later down the road) and the snap suplex. He debuted in a tag team match on the 22nd of November 1985 teaming up with "The Remarkable" Rick Patterson against Butch Moffat and Mike Hammer. He later won the Stampede Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight Championship in 1988, and also held 4 International Tag Team and three British Commonwealth titles. After Stampede closed its doors, Benoit went to New Japan Pro Wrestling, and subsequently trained in the "New Japan Dojo" with the young guns to further polished his abilities. In this promotion, he was one of the wrestlers who feuded with another wrestling legend, Jushin "Thunder" Liger, over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. He also won Best of the Super Juniors tournament twice, as well as the Inaugural Super J-Cup tournament in 1994. Bear in mind, while being contracted with New Japan, he also wrestled in places like Mexico and Europe, he even won the UWA Light Heavyweight Championship.

 

                  Sometime during his stint at New Japan, Benoit was also working with World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and worked in several matches, one in particular was a tag team match that put himself and fellow Canadian Biff Wellington against Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger, their first meeting outside of New Japan. It was in this promotion, where he returned in 1995, where he was approached by "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair to be a part of the New Four Horsemen stable alongside himself, Pillman and Arn Anderson. It was also here where Chris met his future wife Nancy, at the time married to WCW booker Kevin Sullivan, which whom he was feuding with. At first, the "affair" started as an on-screen angle involving all three parties, but then evolved into a real-life affair between Nancy and Chris. This angered Sullivan, and this affair was used to leverage their on-screen feud. Aside from Sullivan, he also feuded with several wrestlers like Booker T, and won several titles, including the WCW World Heavyweight Championship.

 

                  He also worked for Paul Heyman (then known as Paul E. Dangerously) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) where he was the main booker, at the time the only promotion in America who allowed weapons and foreign objects in matches, where he received the moniker "The Crippler" from Heyman after putting Rocco Rock out. But this nickname is further solidified after a freak botch involving Sabu where he accidentally broke the hardcore legend's neck during the opening seconds of the match. Sadly, the only title he won was the ECW World Tag Team Championship with Dean Malenko and was forced out of the company when his work visa expired and failed to be renewed in time by Heyman. He returned to ECW in 2007, now part of WWE after being drafted to the brand. He was supposed to compete for the ECW Championship but didn't show up because of a "family emergency" (this will be relevant later), and he was replaced by John Hennigan (At this point known as Johnny Nitro) who won instead.

 

                  Benoit's exit from WCW became WWE (then World Wrestling Federation/WWF) gain, as he joined the promotion during the end of the Attitude Era. along with his friends Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Malenko, also WCW alumni, he formed and debuted the heel stable known as The Radicalz. Benoit's first championship was the Intercontinental Championship which he won in a two-fall triple threat match at Wrestlemania 2000 pitted him against Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle, with both the latter's Intercontinental and European titles at stake. In this two-fall event, Benoit and Jericho pinned each other, the first one with Benoit winning, and the second one where Jericho won. This is a rare occurrence where a defending champion lost their championship twice in a multi-man match without conceding a single pinfall. Honestly, I hate being Kurt Angle at that time. But this is not the only Wrestlemania he participated and won a championship. At Wrestlemania XX in Madison Square Garden, New York, he won big by securing the World Heavyweight Championship (Former WCW World Heavyweight Championship) by submitting Triple H with his patented submission move the Crippler Crossface. Other titles he won was the WWE Tag Team Title (4 times total) with Angle, Jericho and Egde, and the WWE United States Championship (3 times).

 

                  Back to the ECW incident, Benoit was supposed to work in a match where he would have been won the ECW Championship by defeating CM Punk as indicated by WWE executive Stephanie McMahon but was a no-show due to a "family emergency".  Chavo Guerrerro, the Late Eddie Guerrero's nephew tried to call Benoit through his phone and his American residence in Fayetteville, Georgia, but didn't respond. At this point, Chris already in deep sadness after losing Eddie, who was his best friend in 2005 due to a cardiac arrest that cut his wrestling career agonizingly short. Due to this no-show, WWE requested a welfare check on Benoit and his family, where on the 25th of June 2007, Chris, along with Nancy and his 7-year-old son Daniel was found dead in his own home. The day after the deaths, WWE put together a tribute show on one episode of Monday Night Raw focusing on Benoit's accomplishments, and doing so, also overshadows another angle involving Vince himself under the character of Mr. McMahon, who in kayfabe died in a limousine explosion. But after the circumstances became clear, WWE swiftly disavowed him by deleting all of his archived matches, refused to acknowledge his name and title reigns, and censored any references about Benoit. To this day, the name Chris Benoit became some sort of a taboo, and he is also denied a spot at the WWE Hall of Famer.

 

                  During the three-day period, it was revealed that Nancy and Daniel were killed on the first two days, with Chris took his own on the third day. Toxicology report indicated that Nancy had xanax, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone which were found at the therapeutic levels, Daniel's results had xanax, which indicated a sedation attempt before the killing by suffocation, and Chris was found to have xanax, hydrocodone, and elevated testosterone levels, indicating an extensive steroid use. But further investigations found no connection between Benoit's body and the double murder-suicide. There are some theories on why Benoit did it in the first place, it might be because of his grief of losing Eddie Guerrero that led into a long depression, or some "roid rage" claims, but the most plausible theory was when Chris' brain was examined by neurosurgeon at West Virginia University with the blessings of Chris' father Michael Benoit, who found an extensive brain damage resembling an 85-year-old Alzheimer patient. He was also reported to have an advance form of dementia, but most importantly, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a neurodegenerative disease linked to multiple traumas to the head. This theory is supported by the fact that Benoit himself primarily used the diving headbutt, which is a move involving him jumping off the top rope using his head to finish off opponents,  and also many bumps he took during his career, often involving chairshots to the head, which has been banned since. 

 

                  Chris Benoit was a pro wrestler who has achieved everything imaginable in the wrestling industry. His work as an in-ring performer regarded as one if not the best the world has ever seen. Hell, some wrestling legends regarded him as one of the best that ever laced a pair of boots, but what he did during the last moments of his life that destroyed everything for him. In another life, he might have been a member of the WWE Hall of Famer and regarded as one of the legends of the Squared Circle, but after this tragic murder-suicide, his name is erased forever, buried deep inside the pro wrestling lore, never to be discovered again. The tragic occurrence of the Benoit family serves as a harrowing reminder that professional wrestling, no matter how heavily scripted they are, still presents a real physical and mental consequences bore by the wrestlers we come to know and love. There is a reason the phrase "don't try this at home" was put up during any wrestling program, is to prevent any occurrences like this from happening again.

Amos Yee: From Activist to a Total Creep

 (Warning: Distressing references ahead)

 

            Here I am, on the last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan as per time of writing, writing about some Singaporean guy who ran his mouth so bad, he caused multiple headaches across two different countries. You see, as per my stance across multiple pieces of article, freedom of speech is an essential part of a functioning society. Without freedom of speech, any discourse would simply be obsolete, as the top majorities be it big government or big tech that would dictate the society's school of thought. But I must iterate something here. While freedom of speech is encouraged, it doesn't shield you from the consequences that it may cause. We've seen how it would turn out with those LGBT discourses being slammed and condemned due to its main target audiences, i.e., underage kids.

 

            When it comes to the region of Southeast Asia, the region I proudly call home, the notion of freedom of speech is quite grey to say the least, as some countries have varying degrees of control of speech. In Singapore, these rights are restricted to some degree as Singaporeans are not protected against government-sanctioned surveillance and varying constrictions of credible opposition parties' growth in terms of freedom of expression, assembly, and association, while also guaranteeing the rights of peaceful assembly without arms. 

 

            And from this country too, came a former child actor turned social commentator turned online creep named Amos Yee. He was born Amos Yee Pang Sang, on the 31st of October 1998, just two years younger than yours truly. He was initially raised a Catholic, but then turned to Atheism after he was kicked out of his congregation. Back then, he was known as a child actor with esteemed accolades, as evidenced with his award-winning short film Jan, which is a "self-written, self-directed film" he made when he was 13 years of age. The film was so successful, Singaporean filmmaker Jack Neo took Yee under his wing and offered him an internship, as well as an audition offer to Neo's film, We Not Naughty, which revolved around juvenile delinquency. And from his foray with Neo, young Amos Yee continued to the path of satirical comedy, or as we call it in Indonesia, "Cliff-edge comedy" (komedi tepi jurang). Hell, prior to his first scandal, he already uploaded several videos on his YouTube channel detailing various subjects, most notably abut Singapore's ban on same homosexuality and his decision to drop out of school to focus on his YouTube career. 

 

            And in 2015, Amos Yee's first entanglement with law happened on 28 March. To better explain the context, five days prior, Singapore lost its first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew after a bout against severe pneumonia. Naturally, the entire city-state mourned the departure of the esteemed statesman, who was the first ever Prime Minister along with Yusof bin Ishak acting as the first President after Singapore's involuntary independence from Malaysia in 1965. Everyone was saddened by the news, everyone except Amos Yee. The jack-butt had the audacity to post a nine-minute video tarnishing LKY's legacy, calling him a "horrible person", an "awful leader" and the most heinous of all, a "dictator but managed to fool most of the world to think he was democratic". He even challenged Mr. Lee's son and current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The video itself resulted in more than 30 police calls, and even after that, Yee doubled down by producing and publishing a picture depicting Prime Minister Lee doing an intimate act on former British Prime Minister Margaret "The Iron Lady" Thatcher. He was arrested and charged with three counts of harassment, based on his video essays and his obscene picture. He was initially released on bail with condition of he must not post any content while the case is still ongoing which he breached by posting two blog posts. From this case, he was sentenced to 4 weeks imprisonment and the bail was set at SG$ 10.000.

 

            His second case was a blasphemy case. It all started on 27 November 2015 when he addressed Businessman Alvin Cheng's comments about terrorism and proceeded to mock the religion of Islam. This resulted in another arrest and another incarceration, this time for six weeks. While serving his jail time, he was visited by US-based Singaporean activist Melissa Chin and by her own admission, provided Yee with documents needed for Amos to flee the country to the States. In December 2016, Amos Yee fled to the United States via Chicago O'Hare Airport to seek political asylum. Shortly after his arrival, he was detained by the Immigration and spent his 9 months pending his asylum status in two places, those being McHenry County Jail in Illinois and Dodge County Detention Facility in Wisconsin. By doing this, he also breached another Singaporean law, this time about compulsory military service for Singaporean men when he turned 18 years of age. Singapore is one of few countries like the two countries in the Korean Peninsula, as well as Finland to have mandatory military conscription for their citizens over the age of 18. 

 

            You may think that Amos Yee's shenanigans in his home country is dangerous enough, but in the US, he became something more sinister: an advocate for pedophilia. In November 2017, he uploaded three videos on YouTube, all discussing his views in favor of grown adults initiating intimate advances on minors. This time, the banhammer was swift, those videos eventually got all of his social media accounts banned and his Harvard invitation rescinded. And to put a cherry on top of this filth-infested cake, he was arrested in Illinois in October 2020 on state charges of solicitation and possession of child pornography after an allegation of him exchanging risqué contents and messages with a 14-year-old Texas girl. He was denied internet access during custody and his bail was set on US$ 1 Million. He initially plead not guilty to the charges in November 2020, he eventually accepted a plea deal in late 2021 in exchange of a six-year incarceration, with the implication of deportation, denied future entries to the US and ultimately denied of naturalization as a U.S. citizen. If he would be deported, he still has to face the charge of draft evasion by fleeing to America, and in turn, failed to report for enlistment in the first place, a crime that carries up to 3 years in prison and a SG$10.000 fine under Singaporean law. 

 

            When it comes to someone like Amos Yee, this is the case of someone testing the limits of freedom of speech and its implications, while at the same time, toying with the notion that nothing is off limits, even if it means that some parts of their statement might be detrimental to their own well-being as well as others surrounding them. Yes, freedom of speech is highly encouraged in this day and age, but as like other forms of expression, every statement has its consequences. And by guaranteeing freedom of speech doesn't guarantee freedom of consequences either. For Amos Yee, for all of the stuff that you've done, I hope you find peace for yourself.

Jeffrey Marsh: "Trans" Groomer on the Loose

 (Warning: Strong languages, sexually explicit and distressing references ahead)

 

            I can't believe I have to write this. For weeks I tried to steer clear from this man and this subject. But now, people from the left and the right side of the political spectrum are made aware of this man's online presence. And believe me when I say that aside of what he identifies himself with, child grooming is a heinous form of child exploitation. But then again, I lost pretty much all respect I have for most of the members of the LGBTQ community, particularly those who want to shove this gender ideology bullshit to others with differing opinions, as well as silencing those who are opposing the narrative, whether they are on their side or not. Ever since the puberty blocker debacle, and the fact that people like Dylan Mulvaney is roaming around unchecked appropriating womanhood (Yes, this is what I call gender appropriation), today's political landscape has become a free-for-all, as the (in)tolerant left press on to instill their deranged version of inclusivity. 

 

            I believe I've written something about sketchy individuals and people with a tendency of predatorial behavior, but what I'm about to dive into not only is a creep, but also acknowledge himself as one, and people actually support him. Let's begin by dissecting who are we dealing with. The one in question is Jeffrey Marsh, born in York, Pennsylvania, USA, on the 7th of July 1977. He claimed to have been misunderstood during his so-called "rough childhood". Not much information regarding his education history, but he attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, earning himself the Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theater. Before his internet infamy, he moved to New York City to pursuit a career in cabaret performance. 

 

            After this, Marsh turned to social media, with his first platform being the now defunct Vine, creating contents around self-affirming and self-empowering, usually presented with a pep-talk, song, or dance. Nowadays, he has a TikTok account (which we'll be getting into later on), Instagram, Facebook, even a YouTube channel. Lately, he also set up a Patreon account. Outside of his social media activities, he is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post, arguably one if not the most woke publication ever existed beside BuzzFeed. In 2016, he even released a book entitled How to Be You, supposedly inspired by his time growing up. He identifies himself as "non-binary" (which is, again, pretty much an undeniable sign that you are a total idiot) and is of Buddhism faith. For one, I might get branded as a blasphemous little bastard, but Buddha himself would laugh at your fucking ass.

 

            Now, let's address the elephant in the room. Marsh is currently the biggest LGBT influencer on TikTok, amassing 682.000 followers. Most of the time, the contents are not really that harmful, except that those same videos contain an intro SPECIFICALLY aimed towards children. Hell, he begins his videos with "hi kids" or some variation of that phrase. Now, we all know where this is going. We've seen too many true crime videos to not noticing straight away that this intro, more or less, is a MAJOR RED FLAG FOR CHILD GROOMING. These particular offenders are trying to establish communication to children by isolating them from their parents. And as I learned first-hand, parents are the strongest defense mechanism against these abusive tactics. 

 

            The second thing that I want to address is the contents themselves. Recently, Marsh's content is revolving around teaching those same kids on how to go no contact from their parents. Again, isolate them for your own benefit later on, and once the trust has been established, then the groomer can do whatever to the kids as they pleased, often for a long period of time. Or, if the audience is equally as demented as he is, they might be onboard as well. Then, to make things worse, his Patreon page contains videos containing OUTRIGHT SEXUAL TOPICS! AND THIS IS AIMED TO CHILDREN! For fuck's sake, this man has too many free times on his hands. And to drive this thing home, the left actually supports him, as he kept roaming around the Internet unchecked, while differing opinions are constantly shut down.

 

            And why is Jeffrey Marsh is allowed to do this? Isn't sexual topics towards children is heavily frown upon? Unfortunately, no. As the British Muslim comedian Shumirun Nessa found out firsthand. She initially made a series of videos on TikTok calling Marsh's contents into question, on how these types of videos is allowed to be viewed by minors. All she did was criticize his content, not for what he is, a "non-binary" man. But what did she get? Jeers and angry comments from his supporters and "trans activists" that extend as far as literal threats. Just two days ago, Indonesian time zone, she was doxed by some unknown perpetrators with emails containing her daily routines, her daughters' school details, and her residence address. She also had her car vandalized prior to those threats. I mean, we are on an uncharted territory here, consider that Marsh is that type of guy who is willing to do the most heinous shit not even the crazed GG Allin would think of, and that is saying something. 

 

            If this is what "inclusivity", "tolerance", and "loving community" are about, I'm jumping off the fucking train. I'd rather be labeled as a "bigot" for standing up to traditional values, that men are born with a penis and a set of testicles, and women are born with a vagina and a uterus. I'd rather be called a "backwards redneck" for sticking to my religious values, which Shumirun and I both share wholeheartedly. I'd rather be called an "ignorant jackass" for standing up for those who are fed up with this gender ideology bullshit. In short, Jeffrey Marsh is a creep, a jackass, an offender, and a total idiot. Parents, if you are reading this, keep your children safe. Question everything. Don't let this creep into your children's life. The consequences are both devastating and irreversible. Now if you excuse me, I'm off to lock myself in my room playing Hogwarts Legacy, the most "transphobe" game made in association with the most "transphobe" a. k. a. the most badass woman in the (wizarding) world, Joanne Kathleen Rowling.

A Complicated Story about Police Officers Killing Each Other

 (Warning: References of violence ahead)

 

            Police brutality. Quite frankly, this topic is already a common discussion among the people who are at least quite aware of the problems plaguing the law enforcement institution. But most of the time, especially in recent times, every instance of police brutality always involving police-on-civilians violence. This sentiment, in several countries like the United States, are amplified as part of the progressive movement demanding that the police institution should be abolished altogether. But what I'm about to tell you in this piece will turn your perspectives about this matter upside down.

 

            Many of you, until this very day are quite unfamiliar with police-on-police violence when it comes to cases of this caliber. But believe it or not, the Indonesian Police Force were shocked to its core when this case was unearthed. It all starts on the 8th of July 2022, at Duren Tiga, South Jakarta, when the public was shocked by the death of Police Brigadier Noviansyah Joshua Hutabarat, where his cause death at the time was gunshot wounds due to a shootout. Brigadier Hutabarat was the aide/bodyguard for the then Head of Internal Affairs of The Indonesian Police Force, Inspector General Ferdy Sambo. The address in question was Sambo's work residence. The suspects, by the time of the revelation, were Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer Pudihang Lumiu, and Brigadier Ricky Rizal, both of which were also aide of Sambo's. 

 

            The story at the time, at least by Sambo's perspective, was triggered by an alleged sexual harassment done by the late Brigadier Joshua towards Sambo's wife. That incident caught the attention of Second Patrolman Eliezer. By the time the suspect reached the source of the incident, Joshua allegedly opened fire, triggering a shootout. It has been said that Joshua was killed during said shootout. At first, this story was amplified as part of the narration that Sambo was forced to kill his own aide for self-defense and to preserve his family honor. But there are some irregularities in those statements, particularly those said by people inside Sambo's circle, like his personal driver Kuat Ma'aruf, his own wife Putri Candrawathi, and Brigadier Rizal. Suspicions arose when Patrolman Eliezer, said to have several wounds of his own, came to public bearing no wounds at all. The family of the late Brigadier Joshua also notice some irregularities, particularly towards the deceased's body, full of several wounds, both gunshot and some knife and defensive wounds. The family then, with the aid of Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, their lawyer filed a report alleging that the case was in fact a premeditated murder. This then prompted The Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to form an investigation team due to these irregularities. 

 

            By this point, Eliezer was the sole suspect for the murder. But when you look inside the hierarchy of the Police Force itself, there are several discrepancies when it comes to rankings within the force. First of all, Sambo, being the Inspector General, is considered to be one of several high-ranking officers with substantial amount of power of influence. Brigadiers like the late Joshua and Rizal sits somewhere at the middle, both obtained their rankings via regional police schools. Eliezer, on the other hand, sits at the lowest ranking possible, being Second Patrolman. As a result, whenever someone of higher ranking needs him to do whatever, he has to oblige, no questions asked. 

 

            It seems like Private Eliezer was going to be the scapegoat for the case, as several of the statements placed him as the one who fired the fatal blow to his higher-ranked senior. But with the help of his legal team, as well as the cooperation with the Investigation Team, Eliezer singlehandedly turned the tables on its head, revealing key evidences that not only would be proven beneficial come the trial stages, but also sealed Sambo, and his circle's fates down the line. What he did was putting out statements completely opposite to that of Sambo's by saying that instead of a shootout, late Brigadier Joshua was executed by Sambo and his entourage. With this fact unearthed, Sambo and his team scrambled to change the narrative, by again playing the sexual harassment card, saying that Putri was molested by the late brigadier, which triggered Sambo's anger and then placed the burden of executing him to Eliezer. All statements by Sambo were proven false after a lengthy investigation, as Eliezer's recounts are proven to be the most accurate. As a result, he was stripped of his position and was ordered a dishonorable discharge by the Internal Affairs Court. At that point, Ferdy Sambo, Putri Candrawathi, and Kuat Ma'aruf were all pronounced as suspects for the murder, along with Eliezer and Rizal.

 

            What really happened was all aides are ordered to be present at Duren Tiga. The plot to kill Joshua was prepared by Sambo and his team since even before that day, with Sambo promising several rewards like money, new smartphones, and legal immunity. Initially, Sambo gave the kill order to Eliezer, who proceeded to fire several shots towards Joshua after being tortured first. Noticing his faint movement, Sambo then took it upon himself to administer the killing blow to the back of Joshua's head. Then they would cook up the story of a fake shootout to amass sympathy to the public. This involved Sambo firing at random locations to perceive the crime scene as the place where a shootout took place. The case itself was not revealed until three days later, giving them a window to produce such narratives. The oddities didn't stop there, in fact, the CCTVs inside Sambo's residence were all damaged, suggesting that there is an attempt of tampering/damaging the evidence. Lastly, everybody's statements conflict with each other.

 

            With the evidence finally complete, the case proceeded to the trial stages. While Eliezer kept his composure as he explained the recount of the incident word-by word, Sambo, Putri, Rizal and Kuat Ma'aruf gave conflicting, blabbering and nonsensical statements. More twists and turns unearthed, and finally, Eliezer's fate was sealed as his plea deal to be included as a justice collaborator was granted by the court. In the end, 5 people had their lives changed forever, one of them for the worst. Eliezer was given a 1 year and 6 months jail sentence, lighter than the prosecutor's charge of 12 years. Brigadier Ricky Rizal was given a 13-year incarceration, while Kuat Ma'aruf and Putri Candrawathi got 15 years and 20 years respectively. All of which is heavier than the prosecutor's charge. But in the end, Ferdy Sambo took the heaviest punishment of all. Initially being charged with a life imprisonment, he was instead given the death sentence, owning to the fact that all 5 parties involved participated in a conspiracy to commit a premeditated murder, with Sambo also found guilty of obstruction of justice by tampering the evidence and alleged cover up of the murder, not to mention their attempted defaming of the late Brigadier by producing the sexual harassment claim, which only to be found false due to the lack of evidence.

 

            Since the 2004 Munir case and the Kanjuruhan Stadium Stampede, this is the latest high-profile case that gripped the entire nation, as well as a sour reminder that since the fall of Soeharto and the New Order, the Indonesian police force is still a bit untrustworthy at times. This case not only served as a reminder that humans can go as low as they can be to achieve power and influence, but also sobering fact that even fellow police officers are not safe from their own peers. 

Scambaiting: Online Vigilantism Done Right

                 I have to admit, almost all of my true crime stories posted in this blog are about some of the grisliest cases the humanity has ever seen. Some are real tearjerkers; others make the readers go seething mad. But what makes those stories common are it focuses on particular individuals doing what the others describe as the most depraved behavior a human being can commit. And in this one, for the first time ever, I am not focusing on a certain case or an individual, but a country and a series of organized criminal activity that is so common it became an industry in and on itself.

 

            First of all, what are the first thing that come across your mind when I mention the country of India? For movie maniacs, Bollywood sprung up to mind, as this industry is basically India's pride and joy. Many actors, actresses, and celebrities we all came to know, and love came from this Indian equivalent of Hollywood, California. Some might say their cuisine, which is perhaps the most rich and vibrant cuisine in the world. I can't resist a good plate of curry when I see one. In fact, I recently came across an Indian restaurant here in Jakarta, and they serve the best butter chicken in town. 

 

            Unfortunately, those two are not what this piece is about. This one is about an underground industry, probably the biggest one in India, which specialize themselves as online call center scams. Yes. For the first time ever, I'm writing a true crime story about a fraud case of some sort. This one is about taking advantage of others posing as a tech support officer for major companies. But why online scams are heavily connected to India? Other countries could be on the same shady industry as this one, right? The reality is most of these scams involving someone with an Indian accent, and thanks to India's outsourcing boom during the early 2000s, most of us associate Indian workforce, or at least most of them, as those who are typically employed at some call centers for major companies, mostly for tech support. When the outsourcing market began to shift outside India, some who still in the business began setting up several call centers, real or fake as the means of extension for their companies. And this is where the online scam industry began to prosper in places such as Gurgaon, Calcutta, Bangalore, or even the country's capital of New Delhi. 

 

            These call center scammers have their own modus of operandi, but they basically have the same premises, by posing as tech support officers in order to scam as many people as they can. And their victimology (sorry for the Criminal Minds reference there) is what makes my blood boil. They typically target overseas victims, mostly in either United States, Great Britain, or Australia, and predominately targets either senior citizen (age 65 and up. Sometimes, the scammer would hit a jackpot if the victim in question is suffering from a debilitating condition like dementia) or those who are technologically gullible. The way the scam is run is by posting fake ads, fake notifications or send bogus emails to the target, posing it as an official email from either Microsoft, Amazon, Norton, or other similar companies. The victim is required to call a tech support contact number inside those emails (which turns out to be the scammers'), and once connected, they are required by the scammers to install a remote sharing software (like AnyDesk or TeamViewer). This is one way for the scammers to gain access to their victim's computer and all the data stored inside it. 

 

            And from here, the story varies depending on the scammer's mode. It can be for a refund request, subscription cancellation, tech support, or purchases. Many of which involves the scammers promising refunds to the victims and gaining their trust, only for the victims to give all of their sensitive information, like credit card numbers, social security numbers, or even their bank access. From here, the scammers would guide their victims for their "refund" only to discover that the victim had put the wrong amount (in fact, it was the scammers who did this by taking control of their computers in the first place) and had to transfer the excess back to the scammers. The truth is, there is no such thing as excess refund, and the victims are tricked to believe it. And for the magnum opus, the victims are offered to pay the scammers using three ways: Ask them (read: force them) to withdraw cash from the nearest ATM and send the money to a specific address, wire online transfer or gift cards. For cash deliveries, those address the scammer claimed as the "support offices" is actually an address to a money mule planted somewhere around the country, be it US or UK. When the money mule receives the money, they took 20% off the scam money and ship the rest back to India.

 

            It is estimated that this industry averages around US$ 1.000.000 to a whopping 18.000.000 a year. And all of this is achieved by draining unsuspecting victims' bank account, sometimes in the long run. The data extracted from the victims can be used by scammers to illegally purchase things that would benefit themselves and costing the victims more as it goes on. And by the time the victims realized that they are being scammed, it was all a second too late. And believe it or not, there are hierarchies to this business too. For starters, inside a call center scams, the call is received by an initiator, who by themselves alone, could make as big as US$ 7.000 a day. Once trust had been established, then the call is transferred to the "closer" who will "guide" the victims through the process of actually draining their savings without them noticing one bit. If the money is being transferred via a money mule, the mule would take 20% off the money that they fraudulently acquired and send the rest to their boss in India. 

 

            Despite the efforts to shut down these illegal activities, scam call centers continue to prosper due to corruption and the subsequent neglect by the Indian authorities, which is why, there is a phenomenon on the Internet, about some people who dedicated themselves to stop scammers with the art of scambaiting. As the name suggests, these people posed themselves as a potential victim, and proceed to wreak havoc on the scammers themselves. A lot of these scam baiters uses softwares like spoof bank accounts, virtual computers, voice changers, as well as the scammers' own techniques to deceive the scammers. Often times, making them susceptible to embarrassing information. Other scam baiters used their connection to the scammers to hack into the system and proceeded to expose them online by streaming their activities. This is typically accompanied with the deletion of the scammer's files, and in some extreme cases, planted the scammer's computer, and sometimes the entire server system with computer viruses or malwares, practically destroyed their system. If the scammer in question has a money mule, they would go and intercept the packages with the help of the freight couriers and law enforcements and confront the money mule face to face. 

 

            But this is not the limitations when it comes to scam baiters roaming around online. By tapping into the scammer's database, as shown on several YouTube channels like Scammer Payback or Trilogy Media, the baiters are able to intercept the calls from the victims to the scammers and redirected them to the baiters instead. Once the connection is established, the baiters then explain the situation to the victim and warn them for the potential scam should they go ahead with the scammer. Others, like a Northern Irishman who goes by the name of "Jim Browning" went as far as hacking into some scam call centers' security systems and spying on them, while doing what he does best, exposing and shutting down scam calls after scam calls. One of such instances, while collaborating with fellow YouTube personality, India-based Kiwi Karl Rock, with the aid of BBC's documentary program Panorama, resulted in a police raid and multiple arrests of one of the call centers Browning was spying on. Their channels, aside from providing us with quality content, could also serve as an education on online safety and how to recognize a potential online fraud. 

 

            In the end, no one wished that they would get scammed. I don't want to wish it to my worst enemies either. But what these people have done is robbing the victims of their savings, and consequently, their will to live. These scam baiters are doing everything they can to put a stop to this fraud, although temporarily. But as time goes on, the scammers might shut down for good. And for that reason and that reason only, scambaiting is the online vigilantism that I endorse wholeheartedly. 

Jake Davison: From Incel to Murder

 (Warning: Strong languages and graphic description ahead)

 

            With the immortal words of Carl Johnson from the game GTA: San Andreas, "Oh shit, here we go again", we dive head-first (again) into the world of the involuntarily celibate. It is a bottomless pit to explore, especially with the members of this particular sub-culture is basically men who has little or no care of their appearance or social cues, desperate for some good times with some girls that are way out of their league. This time, it's about another deranged unsub (thanks, Criminal Minds) who resented his life, his sexlessness and his lack of romantic attraction, to the point of lashing out onto the world, even dared to hurt his own mother.

 

            The story is set in Keyham, Plymouth, Devon County, England. The unsub in question was Jake Davison. His exact birthdate is unknown, but by the time of the shooting, he was 22 years old. He was the youngest of three from Mark and Maxine Davison, previously settled in Shetland Islands, just outside of mainland Scotland. His parents were poor, and his dad was arguably the worst of all. He was known as an antisocial fisherman with the tendency of violence and struggled with alcohol abuse. He has two siblings, Zoe, and Josh, but with Mark's alcohol problems, tensions are often unavoidable, and by the time Maxine fell pregnant with Jake, they left the island and moved back to Keyham. He was a quiet kid, but apparently had developed anger issues. He then diagnosed with ADHD and autism and attended Mount Tamar School for special needs children. The school is a public-funded, but was severely underfunded and consequently, the school's reputation was not very good. Jake was a quiet kid at school who didn't get along well with his peers. He wasn't necessarily a bad kid, though. He was described by his neighbors as a "pleasant kid", and often seen helping his mom with groceries. 

 

            As like other teenagers at the time, Jake wanted to lose his virginity, but due to his autism diagnosis, struggled to even socialize in person, much less finding a possible romantic partners. But as with other subjects of the incel world, he was active on online forums and video games. As an outlet to vent on his loneliness, he documented his personal thoughts and views on his YouTube channel with the name of Professor Waffle. In one of the videos on the channel, he often blamed his mental barrier (that being his autism) as an excuse of his inability to secure a girlfriend. He also blamed his appearance, commenting that he was "fat as fuck". His personality shift happened way before that. In 2016, when he was 17 years old, he once attacked a 25-year-old man while accompanying his pregnant girlfriend. He allegedly punched the man almost 20 times unprovoked while they were walking around the local neighborhood. Jake was warned by the police but didn't escalate into a prosecution due to the lack of evidence. He would also argue with his mother, who just wanted him to get the help that he needed. This also exasperated by the fact that when he turned 18, his mother lost her government funds to support their economics. From then on, he found work as a scaffolder, but his hatred towards his mother would only grow bigger.

 

            As I said earlier, he was active on online forums and his YouTube channel. He would often complain about his encounters with women, not just about his own mother. He would complain about women being simple-minded and only cared about money. He was a nihilist and a proud misogynist. He would also share his blatant homophobic views on Reddit, as well as other subreddits dedicated to either the involuntary celibacy movement or the nihilism subreddit, like r/doomer. Davison presented the classic characteristics of an incel, such as his sense of entitlement to women and sex, and also his resentment towards the more attractive men who could effortlessly get women to do the nasty together. This is known as the "black pill" ideology, where in order for someone to successfully settle for a partner, he must be physically attractive or economically stable (or in this case, being a filthy rich person akin to the members of the Royal Family). 

 

            Strangely enough, in 2017, he applied for a gun license. When it comes to gun control laws, the United Kingdom has a fairly strict laws that dictates for those who want to apply for a gun ownership must state that they must be judged not to pose a threat for safety and has a fair reason for owning one. Radically different than those in the United States, which thanks to the Second Amendment of the US Constitution, permitted their citizens to purchase and own their own guns freely as well as establishing a "well-regulated militia", with laws about carrying those guns dictated by individual states. Weirdly enough, despite his circumstances, he was approved to own a firearm, and subsequently purchased a pump-action shotgun. If that weapon was a simple handgun or a rifle of some sort, it would be understandable, at least for the Englishmen standards.

 

            For years, Jake's dramatic personality shift sparked concerns on his family, particularly Maxine and freshly out-of-the-prison Mark, who has since reformed. Then 2020 happened, the world went into lockdown, and NHS was overrun, understaffed, and underfunded. At this point, mental health care was deemed almost impossible. Maxine even resorted to call the police to do a welfare check on Jake but was met with deaf ears. In December 2020, he was involved in a fight with two teenagers that turned so volatile, it resulted in his gun license revoked, and his shotgun taken away. His previous offence being unrecorded and registered, means that his gun ownership would be instated, if he attended anger management class, which he completed in July 2021. This was a disastrous decision on their part, that would set up the horrific events just one month later.

 

            The date was 12 August 2021. Keyham was enjoying warm summer weather, but not for one Jake Davison. He himself was a ticking time bomb at that point. His rage was at his peak, and he just got his shotgun returned. His reddit account was suspended just one day prior due to his inappropriate remarks on a 16-year-old American girl on an online gun forum. He had his usual argument with his mother, before storming back into his room, burst into Maxine's room, and shot her at point blank range twice, each shot targeted the chest and head. She died instantly. Without remorse or any slight thought of compassion, he reloaded his shotgun, and exited his home, and found 43-year-old Lee Martyn and his adopted daughter, 3-year-old Sophie. With his sight set on the father-daughter duo, Davison opened fire, killed both of them. At this point, the shotgun shots were so loud, multiple police calls were made on Biddick Drive, Jake's home neighborhood. He continued down the neighborhood, and locked eyes with Ben Parsonage and his mother Michelle, 53 and 33 respectively. They were struck, but manage to drag themselves into safety, and subsequently survived the ordeal. He then turned into the local park, and shot another unsuspecting victim, 59-year-old Stephen Washington. He then continued his rampage, shooting at random directions without any care in the world. His last victim was 66-year-old Kate Shepherd, who was fatally wounded in front of her own salon. Sensing that police were on his heels, and also the thought of no longer living his life as a free man, he encountered a bystander, said the words "there is nothing to worry about, mate", before turning the gun on his head, and pulled the trigger, having stolen 5 innocent souls and cowardly taking his own as well. The rampage lasted for 6 minutes, and left a devastating aftermath to Keyham, and to the county of Devon as well. 

 

            The wake of this incident sparked a massive reform to the UK's gun control laws. On 15 August 2021, the British government announced that it would issue guidance to require police to investigate social media posts of firearms license applicants and current holders. Before the new guidance is published, the Home Office asked all police services in England and Wales immediately "to review their practices and whether any existing licenses need to be looked at again". The two officers who handled Jake's reinstatement of his license were disciplined, and the police issued new guidance on applicants with history of mental illness. In remembrance of the 5 lost lives, an evening vigil was held on 13 August at North Down Crescent Park in Keyham. Flags in the city were flown at half-mast, and Smeaton's Tower was lit up that evening as a mark of respect.

 

            This case, at least at the surface, was like a typical incel rampage, with one man who is frustrated to the world who turned their backs against him, unleash rampage in the name of sexual desire, Having little to no conscience of their actions. But what lies beneath is despite the excellent services, the NHS was lacking the mental health department. It would take forever to someone to be noticed, and by the time that chance came, it was almost all too late. For those 5 innocent lives snatched from the rampage, rest in eternal peace. And Jake Davison, I hope you rot in the deepest pits of hell, sucking the biggest devil dicks imaginable. A coward killer incel belongs to a special place in the very depths of hell.

Jimmy Savile: From Friend to Foe

 (Warning: Strong languages and sexual references ahead)

 

            There are plenty of stories of celebrity being ousted as sexual predators during the height of their fame, and many more are uncovered during their rise to fame. But never in recent history, that someone that was loved and praised by a country would wound up as the most prolific sexual predator ever existed after his death. When it comes to this man, between his active years as a radio disc jockey and television personality all the way to years after his death, people's perception changed from being starstrucked to outright mockery. Beware. What I am about to uncover is so demented, you wouldn't touch your meals after this.

 

            For people outside the UK and Ireland, the name Jimmy Savile is perhaps quite foreign, but for the British, he once was a celebrated personality due to his philanthropism and charity work, even earning himself the Order of the British Empire. The man was born as James Wilson Vincent Saville, born on the 31st of October 1926 in Leeds, England. He was the youngest of seven and grew up during the Great Depression. He later claimed, "I was forged in the crucible of want” and described his father as "scrupulously honest but scrupulously broke." He went to St Anne's Roman Catholic School in Leeds and started working in an office at 14 years of age after leaving school. During the second world war, he was conscripted to work in a coal mine, where he suffered spinal injuries from shot-firer's explosion. After his stint at the mines, and further extensive treatments, he became a scrap metal dealer. His first taste of music came in 1940, where he started playing records in dance halls, and claimed to be the first disc jockey (DJ). In his autobiography, he claimed to be the first person to use twin turntables and a microphone at the Grand Records Ball at Guardbridge Hotel in 1947, although this claim is disputed.

 

            Before the fame from all those radio and television shows, Savile was a semi-professional sportsman, most notably having competed in the 1951 Tour of Britain cycling race and worked as a professional wrestler. His first radio gig was in 1958 by joining Radio Luxembourg as a DJ, presenting six programs a week. By 1968, he joined BBC Radio 1, where he presented various programs such as Savile's Travels, Speakeasy, and an old chart show Jimmy Savile's Old Record Club. His got his first television job in the midst of his stint at Radio Luxembourg in 1960, where he presented Tyne Tees' Television music program Young at Heart. He was the first host of the BBC's favorite music chart show Top of the Pops when it first aired on New Year’s Day of 1964 and co-hosted the final edition on 30 July 2006. Of all his TV shows, the most notable one is probably Jim'll Fix It. This particular program works by letting Savile to respond to letters send by kids to help them grant their wishes, or as he would say "fix it". 

 

            He was also active during charitable events. Since he was a survivor of spinal cord injuries, one of his targets was Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he invested in the Spinal Unit, NSIC (National Spinal Injuries Centre), and St Francis Ward – a ward for children and teens with spinal cord injuries. Savile also volunteered at Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor Hospital. From 1974 to 1988, Savile was the honorary president of PHAB (Physically Handicapped in the Able-Bodied community). He sponsored medical students performing undergraduate research in the Leeds University Research Enterprise scholarship scheme, donating more than £60,000 every year. In 2010, the scheme was given a commitment of £500,000 over the following five years. Aside from all the causes above, Savile also set up two charities, the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust in 1981, and the Leeds-based Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust in 1984.

 

            And from all of his work either from radio, television, or charity, he became one of the most beloved figures in British history. During his lifetime and at the time of his death, Savile was regarded as "an eccentric adornment to British public life ... a ubiquitous and distinctive face on television", who "relished being in the public eye" and was "a shrewd promoter of his own image". He created a "bizarre yodel", and catchphrases which included "How's about that, then?", "Now then, now then", "Goodness gracious", "As it 'appens" and "Guys and gals". Savile was frequently spoofed for his dress sense, which usually featured a tracksuit or shellsuit and gold jewelry. A range of licensed fancy dress costumes was released with his consent in 2009. Savile was often pictured holding a cigar. He claimed to have started smoking cigars at the age of seven, saying "My dad gave me a drag on one at Christmas, thinking it would put me off them forever, but it had the opposite effect." 

 

Savile was a member of Mensa and the Institute of Advanced Motorists and drove a Rolls-Royce. He was made a life member of the British Gypsy Council in 1975, becoming the first "outsider" to be made a member. In 1984, Savile was accepted as a member of the Athenaeum, a gentlemen's club in London's Pall Mall, after being proposed by Cardinal Basil Hume. He was chieftain of the Lochaber Highland Games for many years, and owned a house in Glen Coe. And he also grew close to many political figures through his charity work, some of them included members of the royal family. One name that stood out however, was then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The woman known as "The Iron Lady" praised Savile's work as "marvellous". He also met several members of the royal family, such as Prince Charles, Prince Phillip, Princess Diana, and many others. Despite his relationship with the public, Savile was never married, and stayed with his mother until her death. 

 

            Sadly, the man known for his unusual antics and his lovable personality must meet the bitter end. On 29 October 2011, just two days shy of his 85th birthday, he was found dead in his apartment in Leeds, and the funeral service was held on 9 November 2011, at Leeds Cathedral, and finally rested at Woodlands Cemetery in Scarborough. But one year later, the floodgates would open, revealing the darkest secret a man has ever kept during his lifetime. During Savile's lifetime, sporadic allegations of child abuse were made against him dating back to 1963, but these only became widely publicized after his death. Savile claimed the key to his success on Jim'll Fix It had been that he disliked children, although he later admitted to saying this to deflect scrutiny of his personal life. He did not own a computer, claiming that he did not want anybody to think he was downloading child pornography. His autobiography entitled, As it Happens (1974, reprinted as Love is an Uphill Thing, 1976) contains admissions of improper sexual conduct which appear to have passed unnoticed during his lifetime. One celebrity, being former Sex Pistols frontman John Lydon once alluded that Jimmy Savile was in fact a sexual predator targeting kids, saying that he'd "like to kill Jimmy Savile" and he "knew some rumors" but was edited out by the BBC. When the allegations broke out, Lydon doubled down on his earlier quote, even expanding it into "By killed I meant locking him up and stopping him assaulting young children... I'm disgusted at the media pretending they weren't aware."

 

            More floodgates opened after his death. many investigations are launched to examine the possibility that the once beloved DJ and television personality committed heinous acts on children. Immediately after Savile's death, Meirion Jones and Liz Mackean from the BBC program Newsnight began to investigate reports that he had sexually abused children. They interviewed one alleged victim on camera and talked to a number of others who were willing to be quoted about alleged abuse at Duncroft Approved School, the BBC, and Stoke Mandeville Hospital. The former headmistress of Duncroft was Jones' own aunt. The Newsnight team, which included former police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, also found out about a 2009 Surrey Police investigation into Savile. The report was scheduled for broadcast on 7 December 2011, but a decision was taken to cancel its transmission, which ultimately developed into a major crisis for the BBC when the allegations against Savile were made public in October 2012. The subsequent Pollard Review found that Jones and MacKean had assembled cogent evidence that Savile had a history of abusing young women and Newsnight had been in a position to break the story in 2011. In November 2021, Mark Williams-Thomas spoke to GB News calling the BBC's treatment of the allegations "absolutely appalling".

 

            In January 2012 the Sunday Mirror reported that Newsnight had investigated allegations of sexual abuse immediately after Savile's death but that the report had been shelved. An article by Miles Goslett in the March 2012 edition of The Oldie alleged a cover-up. The BBC showed two Savile tributes over the 2011 Christmas period, and it was alleged that the Newsnight report had been dropped because its content would have compromised the showing of the tributes. A joint submission to the Leveson Inquiry from Anna van Heeswijk (Object), Jacqui Hunt (Equality Now), Heather Harvey (Eaves) and Marai Larasi (End Violence against Women) was titled "Just the Women", a phrase which was reportedly written by Newsnight editor Peter Rippon in an email to a colleague concerning the lack of other authorities [than the alleged female victims] for evidence of Savile's abuse. A Newsnight spokesman said, "Any suggestion that a story was dropped for anything other than editorial reasons is completely untrue."

 

            In October 2013 the transcript of Surrey Police's interview with Savile in 2009 was published after a request under the Freedom of Information Act. Savile denied the sexual abuse allegations relating to Duncroft Approved School put to him by the police, saying, "I've never, ever done anything wrong" and stating that the accusers wanted a "few quid".

 

            Other investigations soon followed and was made public on different occasion. One report concluded that Savile sexually assaulted victims in NHS hospitals over several decades. At Leeds General Infirmary, 60 people, including both staff and patients, stated that they had been abused by Savile, their ages ranging from 5 to 75. It reported on a number of organizational failures which had allowed him to continue unchallenged. One report even detailed Savile's boasting to nurses and other staff that he performed sex acts on the bodies of recently deceased persons in the mortuary of Leeds General Hospital and claimed to have removed glass eyes from corpses and made them into rings. A separate report on Savile's activities at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, prepared by independent investigator Dr. Androulla Johnstone and published on 26 February 2015, found that he had sexually abused more than 50 people there, including staff, patients, and visitors. One was an 8-year-old child. Savile had full access to all parts of the hospital. The report stated that it was widely known at the hospital that Savile was a "sex pest", and that 10 complaints had been made at the time, but no action was taken. In total, combining all the reports and findings, Jimmy Savile has sexually harassed an estimated total of more than 450 victims throughout his lifetime. Let that sink in.

 

            To be honest, I am lost for words when I uncover so many heinous facts and all those confessions, even when writing this piece while watching the Netflix documentary Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, I need to hold myself from throwing up, as this is as demented as someone can be. And I thought that Chris Chan doing a fling with his dementia-ridden mother was the worst of it all. I just found out that Jimmy Savile was in fact, the most sick, twisted, and demented human being ever lived. Previously I wished you R.I.P, but now, rot in Hell you pedophile bastard.

When Incel Attacks Part 2: The Van of Death

 (Warning: Strong languages ahead)

 

            Researching about an internet movement known as those who are involuntarily celibate (incel) is an interesting one, as this particular movement, first known as a channel to vent about one's loneliness, turned into a radical and borderline terroristic group, with all of the members inside this exclusive movement being someone who desires a 10, but they themselves is basically a 0 or 1, 5 if they are lucky enough. Lest we forget about the tendency of violence that these men are capable of, even one of them gained instant infamy for carrying out a deadly attack as the way to "avenge" himself for not getting any romantic relationship. In this piece, I'll be talking about another killer incel, who had some connection to the one previously mentioned in a separate article, but they are actually one the same, a heartless individual capable of absolute evil.

 

            From Isla Vista, California, we turn into Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to meet Alek Minassian (I know I spelt his name wrong in the previous piece. So, this is my way to make it up to it). Minassian was born on 3 November 1992, from an Armenian-Iranian family settled in Canada. His father worked as a software developer, while his mother held a job at an IT company. Young Alek himself was an aspiring software and mobile app developer. His formal education history included Sixteenth Avenue Public School, an elementary school in Richmond Hill, where he was assigned in a special education class. The move was done because of Minassian's Asperger syndrome diagnosis, as told by his mother in 2009, which is a high-functioning form within the autism spectrum disorder. He then attended Thornlea Secondary School in Thornhill, where his former classmates described him as "not overly social" and "harmless". By his LinkedIn profile, he attended Seneca College in North York and resided in Richmond Hill. In 2017, he tried his luck enlisting in the Canadian Army for two months, but never made it out of training stages after 16 days. One senior military official stated that Alek at that stage "wasn't adapting to the military life, including in matters of dress, deportment and group interactions in a military setting".

 

            During his school days, particularly in Seneca College, he tried to befriend some of his classmates, but always come across as annoying, as he often cuts into conversations midway, but on group projects though, he has proven that he can be a responsible team member. But during 2017 to 2018, his behavior changed. He started harboring anger towards his peers. Hell, he was involved in a fight in one of his classes in March 2018. And by the time of his graduation, he actually posted a message read "Finally finished college. Fuck you all and good riddance".  It is disputed when did exactly Minassian came into contact with the incel ideology, but in 2014, back when Elliot Rodger was still alive, Minassian befriended him over their shared hatred and contempt of not having a romantic partner. They met at an incel subreddit, and started to communicate, revealing that they actually had more things in common than it actually seemed. Their friendship lasted until Rodger's rampage (he referenced it as "an important mission", and that he "might not make it out alive") that took 6 innocent lives, as well as his own. After the incident, Alek remained active in the incel community, particularly in 4chan's r9k forum. Unlike reddit, 4chan's level of moderation is low enough, that someone could be talking about the most heinous ways to end another person's life, and easily get away with it. Days leading up to his own "revenge plans" he remained active on that forum, while stoking his anger and frustration to the point of no return. He has failed multiple jobs, failed at the army, and even failed at socializing. 

 

            And just like what Rodger did, He hatched his own plan for revenge. On the 23rd of April 2018, He went to a local car rental service 16 km (10 miles) from his home and rent a Chevrolet Express Van. He was cleared to rent after his background check came up clear. After he acquired the keys though, he sat inside the van for 20 minutes, and a cryptic Facebook post followed suit, read:

 

"Private (Recruit) Minassian infantry 00010, wishing to speak to Sgt. 4chan please. C23249161. The incel rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!"

 

For some context, C23249161 was his recruit number back when he was enlisted in the army, and "the incel rebellion" mentioned in the post refers to the violent response to sexlessness, sometimes used interchangeably with phrases like "beta uprising". "Chads" and "Stacys" are terms used by incels to refer to conventionally attractive men and women who (in their mind) had no trouble finding romantic partners and eventually sex, due to their attractive appearance. And of course, the post about a supposed "incel rebellion" would not be completed without mentioning the sick unsub who did it the first time, with all of his infamy.

 

            After that creepy move, he released the vehicle's handbrakes, and sped away southward towards the city with clear intention for harm. The first 9-1-1 call reporting pedestrians being hit was received at 1:25 p.m. Eastern Time. At Finch Avenue, the van, rented by Minassian, ran a red light, then drove southbound on the west-side sidewalk of Yonge Street, striking multiple pedestrians. The van continued along the sidewalk for several more blocks, hitting additional pedestrians. Security camera video from a local business shows the van reaching Tolman Street, which is one block south of Finch Avenue, at 1:24 p.m. At one point, the van re-entered the roadway due to the narrowness of the sidewalk, but at Park Home Avenue, the van again drove onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians in front of Mel Lastman Square, a civic plaza on the west-side of Yonge Street, 1.4 km (0.87 miles) south of Finch Avenue. 

 

            The damaged van kept speeding with reckless abandon, and was spotted by one police officer, being TPS constable Ken Lam, who then intercepted it. The van stopped on the north sidewalk on Poyntz Avenue, just west of Yonge Street and two blocks south of Sheppard Avenue, about 2.3 km (1.4 miles) south of where the attack began. Lam stopped his cruiser near the van and confronted Minassian, standing near the opened driver-side door. During the confrontation, Minassian repeatedly drew his hand from his back pocket and pointed a dark-colored object toward the officer as if it were a pistol (in reality, Alek was not armed at all, one defining difference from the Rodger case). Lam ordered Minassian to drop to the ground, while Minassian tried repeatedly to provoke the officer to kill him, demanding he be shot "in the head!" when the officer warned him he may be shot. Lam then went to his cruiser and turned off its siren. As Minassian and Lam advanced towards each other, he realized that the object in Minassian's hand was not a gun, but his wallet. Armed with this knowledge, he holstered his pistol, and took out his baton to avoid the use of unnecessary lethal force. Minassian then dropped the object from his hand, lay down on the ground and surrendered to Lam. He was arrested at 1:32 p.m. (Elliot didn't got this treatment, as he already put a bullet to his head by the time police arrived). 

 

            The devastation left by the van was massive. At the time, 9 people lost their lives due to the reckless rampage, with the tenth victim announced at 8:15 p.m. One initial survivor from that day, 65-year-old nurse Amaresh Tesfamariam succumbed to her injuries three years after the incident that left her paralyzed neck down, on 28 October 2021. Here is the list of all victims killed on that day, beside the fallen nurse who passed away recently:

 

1.      Beutis Renuka Amarashinge, 45, Female, Nutritionist

2.      Andrea Knafelc Bradden, 33, Female, Slovenian Canadian account executive

3.      Geraldine Brady, 83, Female, Saleswoman

4.      Chung So-He, 22, Female, University of Toronto student

5.      Anne Marie D'Amico, 30, Female, Financial analyst

6.      Mary Elisabeth Forsyth, 94, Female, Retiree

7.      Kang Chul Min, 45, Male, Chef

8.      Kim Ji-hun, 22, Female, South Korean Seneca College student

9.      Munir Najjar, 85, Male, Jordanian retiree visiting family

10.  Dorothy Sewell, 80, Female, Retiree

 

In addition to the fallen ones, additional 16 victims were injured as the result of the rampaging virgin with a van. 

 

            During the interrogation stages, conducted by Toronto PD senior detective Rob Thomas, when it comes to the involuntary celibacy movement that Alek allegedly adheres to, he uncovered important, but disturbing information regarding Minassian's motive of the attack, including the earlier attacks done in Isla Vista. And the way Alek delivers his confessions is quite frankly, harrowing to say the least. He actually stated that the movement's goal is to purge all the "Chads" in order to force "Stacys" to have sex with the incels. There is also person of normal statuses, which was nicknamed "normies". By Minassian's accounts, the incels don't wish to harm the "normies", but instead, they want to "subjugate" them. He also referenced the Pepe the Frog meme, which is a mascot (apparently) of 4chan. By his own admission, he did this as a way to stand up to the "Chads and "Stacys", and that he had "accomplished his mission" by running over those innocent bystanders with the van. That statement alone sent chills down my spine, due to the sheer coldness of the delivery. And just like the sick bastard that he dared to call his friend; Alek Minassian was praised by the incel community. Hell, the sick fuck was even SAINTED (yes, you read that right) alongside Rodger for pulling those deadly stunts that left a trail of devastation in their wake. 

 

            As the result of his deadly shenanigans, Minassian was charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. He was originally scheduled to stand trial on 10 February 2020, but later postponed as the pandemic hit Toronto. The trial officially began 10 November 2020 and was conducted online via Zoom meeting. Despite admitting to all the heinous things he's done; he pleaded not guilty by insanity due to his autism diagnosis. During testimony on 12 November, a psychiatrist retained by Minassian's defense team stated in a report that Minassian's "autistic way of thinking was severely distorted in a way similar to psychosis." For this plea to work, one must be confirmed medically to have psychosis or similar mental illness where he couldn't distinguish right and wrong, and clearly, Minassian technically is not psychotic. This legal stunt pulled by Minassian and his team garnered criticism from autism rights advocates, stated concerns that the trials might worsen stigmas towards autistic people. In the end, Ontario Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy believed that Minassian is motivated by the desire of notoriety and avoid giving him further recognition by refusing to refer him by his real name. She also inclined to accept the assessment of the experts that he lied to the police about much of the incel motivation he talked about and that the incel movement was not in fact a primary driving force behind the attack. To hammer the final nail in the coffin, she rejected his attempt to use autism as a defense. On 3 March 2021, Alek Minassian was found guilty of all charges, and sentenced to life in prison without a possibility of parole for 25 years on 13 June 2022. By the time his parole chance came about, which might be his only chance, is in 2047, and by that year, he would be around 54 years of age. Technically, he would spend the rest of his days in prison, with no chance of ever communicate with the incel community. But even after the conviction, this virgin with rage has the audacity to file an appeal over the apparent "misapprehension" of expert evidence and made unreasonable findings. If this is just another ploy to use autism as an excuse, well, let me tell you, as someone with similar mental disorder, that shit would only gone up in flames once again. 

 

            Like I said earlier, news about violent acts done by those who are unlucky enough to find a romantic partner is, to be perfectly honest, boils my blood the most. These people have this warped mindset that they are entitled to a romantic relationship, and those who reject them are deemed responsible for crimes against humanity. What Elliot Rodger and Alek Minassian did were despicable at best, and this must serve as a lesson to never underestimate mental illnesses and disorders, coupled by the fact that today's dating culture is too harsh even for normal members of society, not much less to those with some limitations. For all 11 victims who had their lives snatched away by that white van of doom, rest in eternal peace, you innocent souls. And for Alek Minassian, there is a special place in Hell exclusively for you. Until then, rot in jail, you virgin lunatic.