Imagine my chagrin, darlings! I had never heard of Solvang, California, until 2009, when I first read Richard Montanari's 2007 novel, "Merciless." I had retained many details from that first reading, but not of that town, so, just recently, on a second reading, I became reacquainted with it.
And then, last night, after writing all day about the experience of rereading "Merciless," and defining its perpetrator, Marius Damgarrd, as my Favorite Fictitious Serial Killer, I watch, on "Twisted," last night, a program that brought it all home.
"Twisted," is, of course, on Investigation Discovery. It deals with psychologically disturbed people who kill, and asks the question each time--Is it Nature or Nurture? The case last night I had never heard of before. But, when I found out the killer had been raised in Solvang, California, my eyes went up. And I wondered--could this be the real life tools from which Richard Montanari created Marius Damgarrd???????
By the way, with Thor, I think it was Nurture!!!!!! Or lack thereof!!!!!!
Thor Nis Christiansen, also known as "The Hitch-Hiker Hunter," was born in Denmark, on December 28, 1957. He and his parents came to settle in Solvang, California, when he was five years old. The family ran a restaurant, and Thor helped out there, But the father was abusive, and an alcoholic, who beat Thor mecilessly. The passive mother did nothing. Which resulted, when Thor reached puberty, in him killing small animals--the classic indicator of a budding serial killer. As he became older, he became fascinated not only with the idea of killing women, but having sex with the corpses. And this he did four times--with Jacqueline Anne Rook, whom he murdered on November 20, 1976; Mary Ann Sarris, just sixteen days later, on December 6; Patricia Marie Laney, on January 18, 1977; then Laura Sue Benjamin, on May 26, 1979. Each was shot in the head, stripped, clothes left strewn in the areas where they were found, and Christiansen copulated with each corpse.
Lydia Preston, an ex-girlfriend of Christiansen's , was responsible for turning him in to the cops. He first tried to plead insanity, but later changed to guilty, and got a life sentence at Folsom Prison. He did not last long; on March 30, 1981, at the young age of 23, Christiansen was stabbed by inmates. A fitting end, some might say.
Though the photo does not indicate this, Christiansen had a battle with weight; at one point ballooning up to 275 pounds. You would not think so from the photo, nor would you think him a young man. But, I guess, darlings, alcohol, drugs, and especially serial killing can take a toll on one's looks!!!!!!!! Don't make that mistake, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!
But he was some sicko! When he was being interrogated, he said the victims, all the same pretty, physical type, deserved it, because they rejected him, saying he was too fat and ugly. His words were "the bitches deserved it." Darlings, if all the bitches that, in Thor's head, deserved it, were to get theirs, there would be absolutely no one living on the island of Manhattan right now!!!!!!!!!!
Richard Montanari is a careful, intelligent author. That is apparent to me, from having read several of his books. I am sure he does a great deal of research, and when he was creating Marius Damgarrd, and his dream of Solvang, I wonder if he came across the story of Thor in his investigating. It is my belief he did. Though the killings did not take place in Solvang, but in Isla Isle, near the University Of California, Santa Barbara, where all these girls had been students.
I would bet Montanari used Christiansen as a model for Damgaard. It would be interesting to find out.
But what I really want to know is the truth behind Story Book River!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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