MIND OF A VAMPIRE

Members of the self acclaimed "vampire cult" are sworn in at their first appearance in a courtroom at the Marion County Jail in Ocala, Fla. Saturday morning Dec. 8, 1996. From left: Sarah Remington, Heather Wendorf, Howard Scott Anderson, and Roderick Ferrell. The four teen "vampire cult" members are accused of brutally murdering Wendorf's parents in Eustis, Fla. Nov. 25. The four teenagers were taken back to Florida from Baton Rouge, La. Friday Dec. 6, 1996 and will be taken to a Marion County Juvenile Correction Facility in Ocala, Fla.

Being a True Crime junkie, if I click the TV on for background noise, nine times out of ten it’s gonna be playing Investigation Discovery, at least to begin with. (I might flip over to Destination America or The Travel Channel, depending on what’s on.) The other day I was busy puttering around the house with ID on in the background when I heard the word “vampire” and my attention was immediately snagged. I sat down to watch the program, which turned out to be an episode of the series “Mind of a Murderer,” where a psychiatrist, Dr. Michelle Ward, visits notorious murderers in prison and interviews them, trying to get into their heads. This particular episode was entitled “Bad Blood” and profiled Rod Ferrell, the “Vampire Cult Killer.” Ferrell, along with an accomplice, bludgeoned to death the parents of his female friend and follower Heather Wendorf.

I remember when Ferrell and his cohorts first made the news in 1996. All the TV stations loved it, sensationalizing the crimes to score ratings. The suspects making faces at the cameras, so smug and cocky. After 20-plus years in a cage, Ferrell no longer comes across that way. He also no longer claims to be Vesago, a 500-year-old vampire. (Vesago was a character he created for the VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE roleplaying game.) He now admits that he was just a “very fucked-up teenager who threw his life away.” And unfortunately it wasn’t just his life that he destroyed.

Ferrell was initially sentenced to death, but that sentence was later commuted to life in prison without parole. I’m not sure which is worse.

By TheCheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS, specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced, and directed (and occasionally acted in) over two dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and True Crime genres. He obtained a doctorate in Occult Studies from Miskatonic University and is an active paranormal investigator. Is frequently told he resembles Anton Lavey. And Ming the Merciless. Denn die totden reiten schnell!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: