by Dale Leavitt
Keep in mind people, and make no mistake, we are dealing with a dangerous serial killer. We have taken the necessary steps in assembling a task force dedicated to finding out who the Jackass Killer is.
They will re-analyze every piece of evidence collected from each crime scene, view every piece of security camera footage, and they will be combing the streets for any potential witnesses or leads. If you have seen anything out of the ordinary or suspicious, please contact crime stoppers at the number below with your tips. I want to thank everyone that took the time to listen and please be safe”.
Mark was grandstanding during the press conference, in hopes of turning the general public's view of the Jackass Killer into concern. What Mark does not know is many of the general public plus Tyrell’s family, and friends are still blessing the unknown Jackass Killer.
After seeing and hearing all of this on t.v., Jason leans back in his recliner, opens up a beer, and smiles as if he did not care that the whole city is now looking for him. He imagined being caught someday by Mr. Mark Timbers because everything that has happened was not premeditated and he is sure he left something behind that will identify him. Whether it be a camera somewhere that recorded his image or a piece of hair that was left behind.
Little did Jason know that currently, the detective only has a partial fingerprint that could never identify him without comparison of the same finger in the same spot. His last thought before he went to bed was, well if I am going to go down for this, I mine as well go down swinging.
Chapter 9. The Jackass Insurgence
As the days go by, anywhere you venture to in the city; there is constant chatter of the Jackass Killer. So many people are talking about things that have happened to them where they wish they could have acted upon them. Jason even got in on the action now and then.
On this night Jason is picking Laura up at work. Feeling in the drinking mood, he went inside to get a beer from the bar. The bartender, just sparking up a conversation, asked what he thought about the whole situation? Jason laughed, stating the guy that killed Tyrell got off easy and the other two must of had it coming.
Just when they finished talking about the killings, a special news report comes on the air. With everything that has happened all attention was now facing the t.v.
“We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this special report. We are now on the scene, where there has been another shooting. About an hour ago police received a call of gunshots, they arrived on scene to find a body in the street and a fleeing car. They are currently in pursuit of this vehicle and ask everyone to please stay in their homes. Police did confirm that there was a jack of hearts card laying next to the body. Our news helicopter is in route to the scene, and we will keep you informed on the chase as soon as more details come.”
As you can imagine, Jason was particularly enlightened, upon viewing that report. Before he can finish his beer, the news channel cuts in on the chase at the very end.
“We are now live, where police may have finally caught up with the Jackass Killer. For our new viewers, police were dispatched to the scene of a shooting on the west end, where they discovered a body with a jack of hearts card next to it. A fleeing car from that scene has just been successfully pit maneuvered off the road by the police.”
As police approached the car with guns drawn, two hands extend from the driver's side window. The police then swarm on the car pulling the murder suspect out and put him on the ground face first. Once the cuffs were secured onto his wrists, they lift him up to escort to the nearest cruiser.
“As you can see with our helicopters footage, the police have possibly just apprehended The Jackass Killer. He looks to be in his mid 20’s and of spanish descent. Once new information is assembled, we will report it to you. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.“
After the news, Jason takes Laura out for dinner where he was clearly, not himself. His mind was going in a hundred different directions as he does not know what to think of these latest events.
After a quick dinner, the two decide to go their separate ways for the night. Once home, Jason was pacing back and forth not knowing how to feel about the whole situation. And then, another report that the police will be holding another press conference in approximately one hour.
Press conference by Detective Mark Timbers is about to commence;
“Police have confirmed that the suspect apprehended, Manuel Diaz has confessed to the killing of the unknown subject today. We have also learned that this is a copycat murder and not the original Jackass Killer. This incident was nothing more than a drug deal gone wrong. The suspect stated that the victim tried robbing him and he only acted in self-defense. He also said that hearing about the Jackass Killer inspired him to leave the card. Mark follows that statement up with, people, please don’t take matters into your hands. Even though Manuel felt his life was in danger, he will still be charged with negligent homicide. Call the police, and we will handle any situation.”
With this news, in the following days, not just media in our country, but, media all over the world have picked up on the story. Everyone now knows The Jackass Killer and his mission. Stores are reporting that decks of playing cards have become a hot commodity. Even online, there is a new emoticon becoming popular. It is a jack of hearts with either a gun, knife, or stick pointing at you.
Watching all of this unfold, and people all over the world rallying behind The Jackass Killer, Jason is trying not to be sidetracked from his mission. The news is all of a sudden an enemy to him. After tirelessly watching since the death of his wife and family, I believe, he is finally starting to feel closure.
As days go by, all over the country and throughout the world, Jason hears more and more stories of copycat killings, with the use of the Jackass card. There are even T-shirts being sold online stating; Proud To Be a Jackass, I Am Not A Jackass, Don’t Be A Jackass, and Jackass For President.
Thanks to national news, the Jackass craze has people everywhere distributing the cards to unruly co-workers, family members, criminals, bullies at school, selfish friends, wives, husbands, and more. Even though people are having fun with the newfound way to stand up for yourself or someone else. There are still plenty of terrible things that have already occurred or are currently happening to decent people all over the world.
Chapter 10. Helping Shawnee Forget
In a small town in Ohio;
A young couple who has been dating for a few weeks is capping off a date night with a walk along Lake Erie. Shawnee and Rick, obviously in love with each other, and it seems this night will be their first intimate encounter. As they are walking, laughing and joking about all the fun they have had together. Their hands interlocked so tight that their palms are sweaty, but, they will not let go of each other.
A long slow, perfect kiss seems to seal the deal for the main event to follow. The couple sits on the sand of a small beach area near the water, and they continue kissing. Rick positions himself on top of her and starts to grind on her slowly. The kisses are long and hard, and just as they start to progress, Shawnee tells Rick she has to tell him something. Rick knows it must be pretty serious, so he gets off of her and plants himself sitting right next to her.
Shawnee explains that when she was fourteen, she was molested by a family friend on multiple occasions.
Rick all concerned asks “by whom?”
“The guy was my father’s best friend, it happened about seven years ago, and he is no longer a part of my life. The problem I have with it is that I have not been able to have sex with anyone else since. I do like you and I want to be with you, but, every time I get close all I can see is his face. I don’t want to see his face anymore.”
Rick’s face shows that he is not only concerned but, he is also angry. He emotionally tells her: “ Shawnee I really like you and I would love for us to get to the next level but, I want you to know that there is no rush.”
He promises never to force the issue thinkin
g that within time, their love for each other should help her overcome the problem.
Months go by, and nothing has changed. Rick has not been able to erase the image she has whenever they get close. One day, Rick was speaking with Shawnee’s dad, and he was successfully able to get the name of her father's best friend around the time frame the incident took place. After a little research online, Rick found out the man’s name was Jerry, and he also knows where he lives. He could not help himself from wanting to confront this man and telling him how Shawnee’s life has been traumatized.
The very next day Rick set out to find Jerry, which was not far away. He did have an address, and it was approximately a twenty-minute ride to the neighboring town. He was not armed with anything and only wanted to tell Jerry what he did to her. In Rick’s mind, he thought it might help if the molester apologizes or at least talks to her about the incident.
He had seen some of the coverage of the Jackass Killer and decided to bring a jack of hearts playing card. He wrote the word Jackass on the card and had planned to throw it in Jerry’s face. Once he arrived at the home, he drove by slowly to survey the house. There was only one car in the driveway. He stops a couple of houses down and just watches for a little bit.
A man emerges from the house, and it looks like the same man from the pictures Rick saw online, on his Social Media page. He pulls up to the house and introduces himself. After telling him why he was there and what the incident had done to Shawnee, Jerry immediately goes into denial and tells Rick that it’s all a lie. Rick did not believe him, but, had to take into account that it was possible he had the wrong man, and he takes off.
Back at home Rick shows Shawnee a picture of Jerry and asks “Is this the man that molested you?”
Without any words coming to her lips, seeing the look on her face, Rick knew that Jerry was the man. In hopes Jerry would come forward, Rick waited two weeks for him to do the right thing. That time came and passed with no word from Jerry. It was time to confront him again.
By checking Jerry’s Social Media page, Rick knew Jerry bowled every Tuesday night, and he also knew where the alley was. Rick waits right next to the car he saw in Jerry’s driveway. Finally, he emerges from the building, and as Jerry approached his vehicle, Rick threw the Jackass card at him and accused him of lying. “Shawnee told me you were the one,” Rick says. Jerry was thinking he was going to be attacked and dropped his bowling ball bag. He then assumed a defensive position.
Rick now enraged grabs a tire iron that was in the backseat, just in case, and started beating Jerry violently. He does not kill him, but, the beating will leave scars that Jerry will have to live with for the rest of his life. After the last blow, he drops the jack of hearts playing card on Jerry’s chest and takes off.
With no witnesses, Rick has nothing to worry about with the law because there is no way Jerry will report this. The best thing Jerry could do is make amends with himself and his former victim or victims. After a week in the hospital and the same amount of time to do nothing but think, Jerry makes his peace with God. After three weeks go by, Jerry contacted Shawnee on the phone and apologized for what he had done to her. With this, hopefully, one day Shawnee will be able to forgive and forget about what that Jackass did to her.
Chapter 11. Kindness Can Kill
In Texas;
Seventy-six-year-old Grace Keller who recently lost her husband to cancer was on her way home from her once a week volunteer shift at the local hospital. Deciding to make a quick stop at a convenience store to pick up a bag of sugar she will need for her tea.
It was early evening but, a little later than she would usually visit the store, as the neighborhood around had been declining in the past few years. At this time of night, hanging out in front of the location is a social outing for those not working and cooped up in a home all day.
Seeing an older helpless woman, a man walks up to Grace and asks for some spare change. Being the generous person, she was, even though on a fixed income, she politely obliged by giving the man a dollar. He said thank you graciously and walked away. A younger fellow in the background seeing how nice she was, giggled and said: “Hey lady, how about you give me some money.”
Grace looks in her purse and says “I don’t have any more money, but I do have some spare change left.” The young man says “yeah I will take it.” Grace goes into the store and buys the bag of sugar using her debit card, while the young man outside looking in, gets mad and says under his breath “I thought you did not have any more money?” Grace gets in her car and heads home where she will get some much-needed rest after four hours of standing on her feet in the hospital.
Grace had worked for one company for forty years, in the graphic arts industry. Recently retired, she enjoys getting out and helping others when time allows. Splurging once a week by playing Bingo, is one of her favorite things to do. Having three kids that are all grown up and now creating a life of their own, she finds a lot of free time on her hands.
Her children; Michael age 50, Susan age 47, and the baby of the family Eddie age 40. Each has two children each, and all live in different cities within an hour from mom. Now and then she makes the drive to visit all six of her grandchildren. Spoiling them rotten whenever she gets the chance to see them.
A few weeks later, Grace made a stop at that same convenience store, and that same young man was there sitting with another friend. He again asked Grace for money, and without hesitation, she opened her purse and gave him a couple of dollars. When she opened her purse, the young man boldly gazing inside looking to see what she had in there. When Grace went in the store, the young man went over to his friend and told him that he saw more money in her purse. The two then decide to rob the older lady by following her home. Living only a few blocks away in the local retirement community, Grace was oblivious that she was being followed.
Once she arrived at her first-floor condominium, the two hoodlums rushed her, pushing her inside. The young man named Darrell ripped her purse off of her shoulder causing her to spin around and lose her balance. As she was falling to the ground, Grace hit her head on the glass dining room table and then the tile floor. The two young bandits took her purse and all of her jewelry that was in a box in her bedroom. Not caring about what happened to sweet old Grace, the men left her dying on the floor.
It was three days later when her son Michael finally was able to come over and check on her after she had not answered anyone’s calls. Unfortunately, Grace lost her life that day, due to head trauma and loss of blood. The family mourned her death and celebrated her life heartbroken on how her life was taken from them.
The police were able to get video surveillance of the two young men that followed her from the convenience store. They put the images on the local news station and unbelievably had not received any solid tips the first couple days after airing. Seeing this enraged many friends and family of Grace Keller.
More Notably, the owner's son Pete, of the company she worked at for forty years. Pete was thirteen when he first met Grace. Lifelong friends are hard to come by, let alone people that have done so much for others as Grace did.
You see, when Pete was sixteen years old, he was hanging around with a group of people that were not on the straight and arrow. He was rebellious towards his parents and would get in all sorts of trouble. One day Pete was caught stealing from a music store with his other friends. When he was told by the police to call his parents to come and get him, he called Grace instead.
He explained the situation and Grace came to get him. She told him that this was his one chance in life to straighten up. Next time you will have to call your parents and face the consequences. Pete took those words to heart and wound up graduating high school and going on to college to get his bachelor's in creative writing. In his mind, he owes her for making him realize what was more important in life.
Remembering this, Pete called a friend to accompany him and decided to visit the convenience store Grace visited just before her death.
Both wearing fleece like hoodie hats to avoid detection. When he arrived, a few people were hanging out in front.
With a picture of the suspect Darrell in his hand, he went to every person asking if anyone knew this individual? Every single person said no, and one even laughed at Pete for trying to find him. The laugh did not sit well with Pete. He then pulled out a picture of Grace and asked if anyone knew her? One gentleman reluctantly said yes, I know her. He stated that she gave me some money one time.
Pete is now speaking in a much more angrier tone and showing a different demeanor. He holds up both pictures of the suspect, and Grace then says “this punk killed this great woman and I am going to find him even if you cowards don’t help me. “People, why are you not speaking?” Pete cries. “Are you trying to help this punk? I am not the police, and won’t search your name to see what crimes you have committed?”
After noticing Pete was starting to lose his temper, everyone begins to leave. Except for the one person that said he knew her. The man Grace had helped not too long ago. When everyone else leaves, the man tells Pete that he had seen the young kid here at the store, his name was Darrell and thinks he lives in the apartment community across the street. Pete now appreciative asks if he could show him the apartment where he saw Darrell and then hands him a $20 bill? The man walks Pete over and points to the building where he saw Darrell last.