More On Ben Fawley?

I've no idea how legit this is. But if it is, please, do tell us more ...

Lets go back a few years, shall we? This guy in my theatre department, Ben Fawley AKA Skulz, kinda creeped everyone out. He's just a weird guy, but thats fine. He's 38, which is a bit old to be in undergrad with us I thought, but hey, whatever. I found out the guy has a criminal background, stealing cars, chop shops, etc, that was kinda odd, but hey, I guess he cleaned up or somthing. I was nice to the guy, hell, I even drove him to the hospital when he cracked his head on a pipe while working in the theatre.

Fast foreward a year. I knew that one of my friends had gotten in some trouble for breaking into a guys house and kicking the sh!t out of him, but I didnt know whos house, or why. I come to find out, it was Ben's house, and it was because he raped a girl I know a few years ago (thats when the break in/fight/stabbing happened) That was enough for me.

Comments

[Midwest anon]

Can't say I'd be shocked if this were proved to be true. (See all posts regarding power/dominance/sexual violence).

[Me]

All that I will confirm is that Ben was a Theater Undergrad at VCU for two years I believe, focus on lighting design.

The rest I aint touching.

[Duncan]

Justice Magazine has two old protective orders, filed against Ben by an ex-girlfriend, up on their site: http://www.justicemag.com/daily/item/1420.html

[anon]

I really can't figure out this guy. Does anyone know how he supports himself. Is he from money?

[cricket]

Interesting that this person is saying that Ben F was 38 a few years ago. I thought he was 38 years old now. Hmmmmm.....

He's supposedly on disability due to "severe bipolar disorder" according to early news reports.

[mouse]

There was a double murder of two young girls in the UK a few years ago. Ian Huntley was convicted. "The Soham murders."

He was the caretaker at the school these two poor girls went to.

Why do I bring this up? Because as the school caretaker, he was running the pressies, and talking about those two poor sweet girls.

After he was convicted (after the found the girls in a shallow grave near the school Huntley's dad worked at, ie a place he was familiar with) he was charged, and convicted.

Why do I bring this up? Under UK law, you can't talk about an accused's antecedents. If they are convicted, their previous charges fill up a week's worth of papers.

But they are there.

[anon]

Feeding at the public trough. Figures.I was just trying to understand how he afforded camera gear, a computer, rent, meals, beer at the Village, all of life's necessities.

[complex brian]

dan,

it would appear that this story is true about him being jumped...check out the link...

http://skulz.deviantart.com/journal/6447076/

[Midwest anon]

Interesting that this person is saying that Ben F was 38 a few years ago. I thought he was 38 years old now. Hmmmmm.....

He's supposedly on disability due to "severe bipolar disorder" according to early news reports.

Posted by: cricket | Oct 7, 2005 5:50:46 PM

Cricket-
My thoughts, exactly.

[Midwest anon]

dan,

it would appear that this story is true about him being jumped...check out the link...

http://skulz.deviantart.com/journal/6447076/

I think this post is just more of the CYA crap he came up with to hide his complicity.
The stuff about Erin, etc., notwithstanding. I just don't buy for a SECOND that he was jumped.

[complex brian]

midwest -

i was referring to the story of his apartment being broken into and being jumped for apparently raping a girl, as claimed in the above post. it starts out referring to a story that took place a year ago. not his story of being jumped the night taylor disappeared, thats most likely a complete lie.

[suzyqueue]

It's getting to the point where a list of things that are not bizarre/terrifying/illegal about Ben Fawley and his behavior would be shorter than the list of those that are. Without regard to his guilt or innocence, this is one accomplished sociopath. Frightening.

[Midwest anon]

Brian-
Gotcha, thanks

[coconuttree]

These sex offenders should be put away for good. But I am wondering? We all agree people are born with talents. Some excel in music or sports, others are good in languages or are good cooks or carpenters, you name it. But most of us do not believe human beings are born with bad talents. I have my doubts. Sometimes you have children in the same family raised the same way and still with a different outcome. I think when we are born, we already have something inside of us which stipulates our destiny.

[curiousmom]

While looking at the above post, from midwest anon, that shows the link to Skulz site, I decided to go look and read thru his journals again. Seems I'm not the only one revisiting it. When I tried to go to the link of his journal that says, "Our all night", this is what came up:

"Due to a pending legal investigation, this page has been closed. We would also like to state that this user has never been affiliated with the management of deviantART, Inc."

I hope they figure out the stories behind all those entries and pictures!!

[curiousmom]

"Due to a pending legal investigation, this page has been closed. We would also like to state that this user has never been affiliated with the management of deviantART, Inc."

Well, in the span of time it took me to post my previous comment, all of his journal pages are now locked and saying the same thing. Guess we won't be going back there for awhile.

[anon 2]

Fawley evidently cleaned out basements and probably other rooms of "estates." People have made a lot more of that than they should--I think. This means the property of the deceased and probably includes evictions and abandoned property. He sold things on E-Bay. Maybe Pawn shops.

Then, there is part-time work at The Village and probably lots of other odd jobs. Part-time work at The Village might get him the beers and some meals. Sounds like he was good a finagaling (sp). Made deals with people. Lots of artists live like this. It's not uncommon.

[U.S.Marine]

coconuttree:

You commented: “I think when we are born, we already have something inside of us which stipulates our destiny.”

Every person is born with talents – special, often creative or artistic aptitude - of various degrees. However, I am not aware that a talent is intrinsically good or bad. Rather, the principle here is really that a talent may be used for either good or bad.

It is important to realize that a person has free will – he is free to chose. This would then preclude destiny.

For example, if a child has a musical talent and he chooses to not pursue it and instead be an over-the-road truck driver, one can see from this that even talent does not guarantee what may seem to be an obvious destiny.

Free will really takes hold when a child becomes a teen. He/she can choose to accept or reject the good learned from parents and teachers and peers. Similarly, he/she can choose to accept or reject a bad upbringing.

A saying of our dad’s when my brother and I were kids was:
“If you run with a skunk, you will smell like a skunk.”

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

Due to the fact that I study in the filed of Forensic Psychology (ahhhh many of you long-timers here didn't know that!)I needed to express myself on this one. You can classify this guy with bi-polar if you want but, I am almost sure he seems to have schizophrenic tendencies mixed with a bit of a psychopath. This guy is out there for sure, and he tends to hang out with younger people to feel "bigger". A look into his childhood upbringing and other will figure this one out. He is a sicko for sure, but, not a smart one. Pardon the expression. Evidence is blasted all around this guy so it doesn't seem to well planned. Maybe he thought he could control himself with her, but, he snapped or crossed a line and he freaked out.
Just my speculation.
Thoughts and Prayers to Taylor's family.
S2S

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

U.S. Marine

I hear ya loud and clear, many abused kids, such as me, blame their past on everything. I do not, I have turned the bad into good, and raise my son comletely different. I chose to be good, I chose to love and I choose to follow the law. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS.

[anon 2]

Slysmoothie,

Busted!! You wouldn't know a schizophrenic from an obsessive/compulsive from a borderline. Hang it up. An unmedicated "schizophrenic" (a term that has been retired and replaced, by the way) cannot function on this level. Fawley is not incompetent. He is not plagued by hours or days long psychotic breaks with reality. He is lucid.

I am really kind of ticked that you said this. Schizophrenia is so misunderstood. It is a terribly heart-breaking disease rendering what were often very young, brillant minds nearly completely incapacitated. It is so God awful a thing to live with that if a schizophrenic commits a violent crime, 9 times out of 10 it will be suicide.

Far, far, far more murders, rapes and other acts of violence are commited by us "normal" people than by schizophrenics.

[MOONKAT]

Free choice does preclude destiny so some make terrible choices (Doris Lessing's "Fifth Child" comes to mind). I agree with you, Anon, that diagnoses are flying from many armchairs but I think people just want to understand. As S2S alluded to Fawley's childhood, and no degree of trauma excuses his current actions, I would be curious about his family. I read he was adopted but could not find much else.

[U.S.Marine]

anon 2:

Wouldn't mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, obsessive/compulsive disorder, paranoia, etc. exist in a person on a percentage scale from 0% to 100%?

In my personal studies, I coined the term "sociologically induced paranoia." Some years later, a Psychiatrist and Professor varified the validity of my hypothesis.

Further, being slightly diabetic, I am aware that this illness exists on a percentage scale because there are both 30mg and 45mg Actos prescriptions. Worse cases must take insulin shots. Of course, this is a physical condition and not a mental one.

The point here is that Sly2SmoothieNJs merely supposed "schizophrenic tendencies." This could be interpreted as 10% or even 50% schizophrenic, but definitely not 100%.

[clydes]

"It is choice not ability that makes us who we are."

[anon 2]

Sure, there are degrees, but not schizophrenia. That's psychosis caused by a chemical inbalance.

Sure, socially-induced paranoia. I guess. Wouldn't one refer to that as hyper-vigilance? The neuroses are learned and become ingrained behavior patterns. Not chemical. And they very by degree.

In Fawley, I see obsessive/compulsive; Borderline; possibly anti-social (I think for that, you have to have had a run-in with the law at a fairly young age; maybe passive/aggressive too. I don't know exactly what to make of him. We have his criminal record, but if there had been run-ins with the law when he was a minor, those records would be sealed. I don't know. I'm not real familiar with passive/aggressive. Probably wrong.

Fawley taught himself sexual sadist, because that is the "hip" thing to do these days.

Yeah, I agree with what you said USM.

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

Anon 2:

I have a VERY close relative that has suffered from schizophrenia her whole life...she was in an intitution at first, but now,she lives in her own apartment, does her own shopping and takes her own meds...WHEN SHE FEELS.....that's where the problem comes in. Please don't insult me with the "busted" comment. People like you, tend to tick off people like me. So, get your facts straight before you start critizing. Better yet, EDUCATE yourself and you might just learn something.
And.I never said he was schizophrenic.I said he had schizophrenic TENDANCIES....fix your glasses before you take your anger out on me.

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

U.S. Marine...I was in the USN.I like you, you think before you post....and your smart too.
Bravo Zulu to you LOL...that's why we Navy folk give you guys rides places..LOL....your smart and to the point.
Thanks :)

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

I have even read recently that a person can have Borderline Schizophrenic Disorder.found it quite interesting. Also, Jeffrey Dahmer had 4 diagnosis' by the end of his spree...serial killer, necrophiliac, canniblism, and psychopath. And..apparently he had a "good" childhood. I have a strong reason to believe otherwise. Point is.you never know what someone is capable of.

[curious]

Where has it been stated that Ben Fawley is adopted? If Fawley is adopted, what are the odds that he is Charles Manson's son? He would be the right age.

[Sly2SmoothieNJs]

curious:

LOL nice tension breaker.but I don't think he has that tatoo on his forehead hmmmm

We all have stuff to talk about, things we want to know so to all, please remember that at least when I post it is speculation, nothing personal.
Peace
S2S

[bkb]

Being schyzophrenic is like being on hallucinagens 24/7. Almost everything that a schyzo sees are hallucinations. The only problem is that the hallucinations are a million times more real than the ones experienced taking lsd or datura. Unlike lsd and datura there are also past memories that couldn't have happened, but you would swear up and down, did happen. Also schyzophrenics experience esp power when they are "in the zone". Schyzophrenics will kill if the "signs" or the "storyline" in these hallucinations tell them to. So schyzophrenics can be very dangerous to others. If the storyline in their mind tells them that they have to follow the signs to get a desired outcome unrelated to the murder, then they will murder. They will not believe anybody except for their conscience voice inside their head because the hallucinations are 120% real to them. These hallucinations can hurt them, make them feel physical pain, draw blood etc etc etc. These are the realities of the schyzos.

[absynth_minded]

I noticed that there was a comment made in the original post about Ben "craking his head on a pipe" and needing medical care for it.

This is often just the thing to push a budding socio/psychopath over the edge; a brain injury.

I estimate that it probably wasn't the first time......

[U.S.Marine]

Sly2SmoothieNJs:

10-4 good buddy! Yer welcome.

You guys always gave us a first-class ride - those decks were swab'd so good they never damaged our spit-shine :)

I apologize for that day I hung over the rail and barfed all over the side of your ship. Had'nt any sea legs yet :(

[cpase]

Does anyone know if Erin (BF's ex) knew Taylor???

[oldline]

neato. ive been perusing these sites since unlike most of you, i live within 10 miles of richmond, and vcu, and the village cafe, and all these other nifty places that some pseudo, er super sleuth from nowhereville, arkansas on here make sad and pathetic attempts to relate to. it agitates the people of this city, and trust me, i know plenty of em, that we have the focus of internet sherlocks from all over dissecting this city, and developing halfassed opinions about places, people, and situations that most or none of you have anything in common with, or no common knowledge of. dont speak of erin crabill as if you or your kid were in 10th grade government with her, you didnt know taylor, and im quite sure that all of you are licensed psychologists too. let it go, move on with your lives, it makes me wonder who the true sociopath is, ben fawley, or the people who play pretend c.s.i on some online site with a girl's tragedy. fucking vultures. oh, one slight detail i forgot during the previous rant, when speaking of mental illness, or disorders? try HAVING one, k? reminds me of those retarded ass 70's movies about kids who tried flying while taking acid.

[Midwest anon]

Slysmoothie,

Busted!! You wouldn't know a schizophrenic from an obsessive/compulsive from a borderline. Hang it up. An unmedicated "schizophrenic" (a term that has been retired and replaced, by the way) cannot function on this level. Fawley is not incompetent. He is not plagued by hours or days long psychotic breaks with reality. He is lucid.

I am really kind of ticked that you said this. Schizophrenia is so misunderstood. It is a terribly heart-breaking disease rendering what were often very young, brillant minds nearly completely incapacitated. It is so God awful a thing to live with that if a schizophrenic commits a violent crime, 9 times out of 10 it will be suicide.

Far, far, far more murders, rapes and other acts of violence are commited by us "normal" people than by schizophrenics.

Posted by: anon 2 | Oct 7, 2005 10:22:58 PM

Well said, anon 2. Unmedicated schizophrenics can't function too well (network computers, post art, arrange goth gatherings. I'll be interested to see if his defense attorney tries to get an insanity charge to avoid the death penalty. I think the judge will see right through that.

Oldline-If we were "fucking vultures" we'd be swarming around, trying to "solve the crime" to get a piece of the reward. I'm just interested in this process, which came out of sadness and concern.
And as far as "not knowing" these people? Who posted their entire personal lives on the web? Sorry-not buying it.

[oldline]

hahaha, entire personal lives? what a crock of shit. im NOT buying it, encyclopedia brown. so...what youre trying to say is...that you can tell exactly who a person is...by reading a friggin livejournal? get real. lj's are fantasylands for most people. i mean...if you "knew" these people, "know" this city...then why all the dissection of character? i mean...wouldnt you...already KNOW? the vulture thing certainly fits, for what do most vultures do? they prey on the dead, and wounded. which is precisely what sites like this allow the pseudo sleuth csi fanatic to do. your reward is you making a sad attempt to prove to pretty much noone that you possess some sort of superior intellect about such matters, which if this were true, you might actually be working in forensics, and not babbling about AGAIN, things you DONT know, online. this will be my last post. enjoy the mystery, and trading your which way you choose mystery collections, gang.

[Liz]

Oldline,
What you're suggesting is CENSORSHIP, we don't do that here in the US.
Proximity to the tragedy has nothing to do with how we feel, getting together to discuss current events has been done thoughout history. It's human nature.
Richmond is not the center for sophistication. Not everyone here is from Arkansas, and there is intellegent life everywhere.
I think you are really stereo-typing yet pointing the finger at everyone else. That's not too good.

[oldline]

maybe you should try reading what is written, instead of interpreting it your way, which seems to be the norm. this is not discussion. this is sensationalism. how many of you have bi polar disorder? ocd? yet, you openly "discuss" these issues as if you are experts. and the entire richmond thing is exactly that. i DONT care where youre from. it just seems a little odd that someone who doesnt even have any particular ties to the tragedy would act as if they were best pals with the victim. or intense rivals with the suspect. or even their own personal shrinks. dont worry, ill leave the c.s.i. gang alone. have fun dissecting other people through their livejournals, while avoiding criticism of your OWN character.

[rue]

What this situation should make people realize is how much it could have been prevented. If ben is the killer, it would only prove that his therapists should have been doing more. He obviously gets disability checks from the government, which would mean rather he took them or not he was prescribed medications. Bi-polar disorder is one of the most overdiagnosed illnesses out there, which means ben could have been misdiagnosed. Very few bi-polars are violent... & also like most have been talking about -- ben had a history of violent behavior with his girlfriends. You cannot change society from what it is -- ben being a psycho but you can prevent it from happening in the future. Also, I think the basic media is weighing in his "dark, gothic photography" or image a little too much. Maybe he was not pure evil and as bad as this may sound, maybe a picture of some bones was just that, a picture of some bones.
I pray for taylor's family but if ben fawley had been as sick as everyone wants to believe he is -- I'm sure the body would have been photogenically set into a true shallow grave.

Either way, he should have been seeing better psychologists & he could have been prevented. I'm not feeling sorry for him nor making him out to be the victim but to me it just seems like his image & the public's pscyho-analysis are just the scapegoat in most discussions on poor taylor behl.

[Z]

Mike Cinos Myspace http://www.myspace.com/mjcino

Is this guy trying to hide something? he changed his state to Alabama. . Mike Cino=Hcjordan same picture is on his LJ.

[cosmicmojo]

"What you're suggesting is CENSORSHIP, we don't do that here in the US."
Posted by: Liz | Oct 9, 2005 12:15:44 PM

Actually, it's only censorship if the government uses it on citizesn. Any private organization or individual may print, or not print, allow, disallow whatever they see fit.

I agree with oldline some: the self-appointed CSI wannabes are a bit much. But instead of making me angry, they make me laugh. The 'psychics' makes me angry.

[teresa]

I am going to say it since nobody has. I am so SICK of this black/white issue being brought up in this case. The black girl that is missing in the fan, may be with someone she met over the internet. I had never even heard of her until Taylor went missing. If it had not been for TAYLOR'S family we may not have heard of her. I have not seen this black girls family on TV once! Where are they? If they carde so much, they would be on there everyday. I would. If you want your child found, that is what you do. The FAMILY gets the media involved not the police in most cases. Stop the black/white issue and if your child is missing, SPEAK UP!

[Midwest anon]

Oldline-
Please. If all you put of yourslef on the internet is incendiary, fantasy crap that's full of shock value, and then a murder is committed within the community of these LJ users, what do you expect? This group has left little clues for all of us to chew on. I'd bet no one has dissected an abduction like this before.
Don't think you're not vulnerable to judgement if you expose yourself online. If you don't want people looking into your life or your friends' lives, tell them to use a different medium. Otherwise you've got no leg to stand on.

[cosmicmojo]

"If it had not been for TAYLOR'S family we may not have heard of her. I have not seen this black girls family on TV once! Where are they? If they carde so much, they would be on there everyday."

that is just horrible teresa!!!

The Sharps are neighbors and friends of friends. They care very much. They have adopted many special needs children over the years and you'll never give as much caring for kids as they have over the years!!!!!!

The police are handling Monica's case very differently because they are pretty sure they know who she is with and that they are headed back to his home north (NY, Ohio?). There's no need to look around Richmond 'cause they're sure she got in the car with him back up to his house. They need to search I-95, rest stops, etc.

[cosmicmojo]

Teresa,
have you thought about that fact that the Sharps do not have nearly as much money as the Behls?

I can not believe you'd say They do not care about their missing daughter!@!!! What a horrible horrible borrrible thing to say, you shoudl be ashamed@@@@@!!!!!!

All the time and money and energy they've put in over the years adopting special needs children no one else wanted and you say that???

you, teresa area a horrible person.

[cosmicmojo]

Has anyone made a web page for Monica? no
Did you ever think of that Teresa?
You are horrible and if karma worked out, some day YOU"D suffer the pain you feel so free to judge.

[cosmicmojo]

Teresa, I think your position on the black/white issue as you call it(no one here had an issue, only you do), is pretty clear.

[mmy]

I'm sure from what the family and the police know about this disappearance makes it a whole different situation. Hence not the need for exposure in the media. From what I read, I got the impression that this was a bit more innocent that the Taylor Behl case. Maybe two people who really were interested in each other, albeit the age difference, so fear for her well-being was not such a concern.

[cosmicmojo]

right mmy.

No matter how much one may or may not know about the case, I can't believe Teresa would say the parents must not care. That is a horrible thing to say. I think she said it becasue she IS a racist.