Today I was forwarded an email that has been doing the rounds. An email that was most likely created by someone was taking notes during the ‘Psychic Taskforce Event’ that I posted about (thanks to Andy D) on my blog entry called ‘The Horror, The Horror – Psychics Propose ‘Claremont Serial Killer’.
Honestly? I’m torn. Because I’ve now read the email and was tempted to post it here. But what good would that do? What if someone then just passed it on, cutting and pasting?
First of all, there is absolutely no evidence that backs up the claims in the email. We can see that in the blog entry I wrote, how the police are not swayed by claims without evidence. More importantly, or at least to me, we have to regard the feelings of one of the victim’s relatives who has spoken out on the matter:
The father of Claremont serial killer victim Sarah Spiers yesterday lashed out at a group of psychics who claimed to have identified the murderer and displayed an identikit image of him at a recent show in Perth.
This is something that Andy D, on his blog ‘Thinking is Real‘, has elaborated upon:
Sarah Spiers’ father has made it abundantly clear in the past that he wishes “psychics” would just leave him and his family alone and let the police work on solving the crime of his daughter’s disappearance. He publicly restated this plea as recently as August this year – a month before this latest “entertainment” fiasco.
People releasing supposed identikit pictures based on little more than stage-managed guessing games is hardly likely to progress the case one bit but is sure to add to Mr Spiers’ pain.
So – my suggestion now?
If you get an email called: Fwd: *CLAREMONT SERIAL KILLER*
Delete it.
Better yet, forward this line instead back to the person and ask that they forward it on instead: 400 fake seers drove Sarah’s dad to depression. Or perhaps this: http://www.skeptics.com.au/resources/pamphlets/cold_reading.pdf
Or maybe the image featured on this blogpost. Just in case they wondered about how valid they have to be to get away with it. They don’t have to be – they’re entertaining…
By the way – will say one thing. Two nights of shows at the Burswood, remember? Would have helped if they were CONSISTENT about their ‘readings’ for both…
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Perhaps add a link to “what’s the harm?” on any return mail?
I think that this might be a better option: http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2003/s1042100.htm
Yeah I got that email too…..
What a load of wank
The problem I have with the Australian Story article is that it could actually feed the idea that the police are not linking things up properly just like the psychics said.
Unless the link is explained (what the psychics are saying is nothing new. It’s all been said before) then some people will accept is as more evidence for the Psychic Taskforce, not against it.
Yeah, that’s why I thought the quote from the book was the most powerful summation.
Psychics; if they really knew anything would simply charge their fees by saying; Look i`ll find the body, show the police some pictures & you pay my fees, then i`ll show them the exact locality. And let them get on investigating the dump Site.
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