*spoilers below*
....does anyone know why Dr. Ken Taylor killed his wife?? Other than just the obvious?
What was his family background like? The film says very little.
"Some laughed. He let them. His own heart laughed, and that was enough."
-A Christmas Carol
You can get a lot more information from the book. I haven't yet finished it but Teresa was not the first woman he attempted to kill. He also tried to kill his second wife, and it's pretty obvious that he administered the near-fatal beating to Teresa in Mexico on their honeymoon. It was only a matter of time before he killed someone, and these women seemed to give him too many chances. He also had a huge drug problem with I'm sure only fueled up whatever hatred towards women that was already brewing inside of him. That's just my opinion, based on what the book said.
shareHey fiatlux-1.... Get a copy of the book on Ebay or somewhere and it will give you a lot of insight into Ken Taylor's background. And it WILL get your attention. Bob
ps - Hi jrzychris-1.
SPOILERS
As previously mentioned, he did have a history of abusing women.
From what I remember from the book, the night he killed her, they had some friends over, another couple. Everything was going well, until Theresa mentioned to the other woman that she was having her monthly cycle. Apparently, she had neglected to mention this vital information to Kenneth.
Soon after this, he seemed anxious for the couple to leave.
I haven't read the book but why did he get pissed off that she mentioned she had her monthly cycle ?
shareI am one half of the couple that was at the house that last night. He liked to have oral sex with Teresa while she had her cycle. It grossed her out so she didn't tell him. The look in his eyes when he heard was was scary.
shareI am almost done reading the book. As much as I am also dying to have an answer as to "why Ken did it," it doesn't seem to be anything more than mental illness combined with extreme drug use. I have to also wonder about sexual abuse when Ken was a child (especially with the slip-up during the sodium amytal test, as well as his bizarre fantasies- sex while menstruating, the phone calls after the murder.)
It is infuriating to me that with all the evidence, the parents think Ken is just a perfect angel. With all the attention on Teresa's recreational drug use, Ken's habitual drug abuse was overlooked.
IMO, Marilyn Hope seems to be suffering from battered woman's syndrome. I.e. The husband tries to kill her, says oh I'm sorry it will never happen again, and she goes back to him thinking he's a saint for apologizing. The fact that she could almost be murdered by Ken, and think that this had no effect on Teresa's murder is inexcusable on her part.
Hey danatania - if you want to know WHY he killed her read the 3 previous posts JUST prior to yours.... Start with Nicholas Andrew, then Babygurl432 and finally arozek1958. You (hopefully) will get the idea of WHY. Ken enjoyed it very much and was REJECTED by Teresa that night after their company had departed the home. He would not take NO for an answer and we can assume it created the situation that led to the tragedy.
If you recall in the book the "motive" was never an issue.
Bob
That's not really a good reason to kill someone, unless you are insane like Ken is. His attempts to sweet-talk and manipulate made my skin crawl.
sharedanatania - That was NOT the reason he killed Teresa. It was the catalyst that led to his anger at Teresa and his going after her to "smack her around" (if you would use that term). When this happened, Teresa ran into the downstairs spare room and took one of Ken's weight lifting bars (a hand bar without the weights on it) and defended herself from him. THIS IS WHAT REALLY SET HIM OFF. Her defending herself from him. If you read the part in the book about Ken's confession he stated that "she swung the bar at him and he ducked, took the bar from her and gave it to her." Asked if her struck her more than once he responded "of course, that's a stupid question." Then he invoked his right to have an attorney present. END OF QUESTIONING.
Also, the movie depicts the master bedroom UPSTAIRS as the room that the murder took place...it was actually in the downstairs spare room just off the kitchen. He then wrapped Teresa in the padding on the floor (the rug was rolled up for new carpeting), dragged her over fifty feet thru the hallway, kitchen, dining room/living room, thru the hallway to the garage and into the trunk of Teresa's Oldsmobile Cutlass. He left a long blood trail but cleaned it up very professionally. Who knows better how to clean up blood than a dentist.
Hope this helps. Bob
"she swung the bar at him and he ducked, took the bar from her and gave it to her."
yeah I remember that part but I just thought he was lying about it. It never crossed my mind that she defended herself, only that he attacked her for no reason. Thanks.
I think he also did it to have control over her as he hated it when things did not go his way. Also, in the movie, Michael Ontkean made him more handsome than he was in real life. Whatever became of his first two wives and daughters? The book really does not delve into what happened to Marilyn Hope and Emily?
share[deleted]
it's actually mentioned (according to Ken) in the book In a Father's Rage by Raymond Van Over in Chapter 10 pages 153-158,hope this helps
Hey xaquarianxpixiex - It's also found on page 98 in the VERY ACCURATE Peter Maas book. I read Van Over's book and just can't figure how he could almost duplicate Maas's work and make some errors in his book when he says in his afterword that he took information from police reports, court transcripts and "interviews." NEVER did he interview ME. Hummmmm.
Have a GREAT rest of 2008. Bob F.
I have since read the book, and it does indeed give more information on this case and Ken.
A chilling novel. Besides the crimes against Theresa and Marilyn, the part where Ken and his mother talk about 'how one calms a baby' makes your hair stand on end.
Stunning on how such a psychopath exists in the world, eh? Are there any other books on this case, does anyone know?
"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."