What's In The Mind Of A Child Killer?

By Sheila Anne Feeney

What's in the mind of a child killer?

Photo credit: amNY

What on earth could compel a man to kill and chop up a little boy, keeping the child's dismembered feet in his refrigerator?
It’s possible that Levi Aron, 35, the Kensington man accused of killing 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky, might be severely mentally ill or have a personality disorder. But “most of us gravitate to thinking that this fellow was a pedophile,” who allegedly killed the child for sexual excitement or to prevent him from telling anyone about a sexual assault, said N.G. Berrill, director of New York Forensic, a behavioral science consultant group.
Aron reportedly told cops he killed the boy in a panic, but that explanation didn’t wash with experts.
“That’s an after-the-fact statement offenders make,” to obscure actual motives, said Stanton Samenow, author of “Inside the Criminal Mind.” “There may have been sexual interest and there are very high odds there was sexual contact,” Samenow said.
Sometimes “there is sexual gratification in the dismemberment itself,” added Louis Schlesinger, a professor of forensic psychology at John Jay College and author of “Sexual Murder: Catathymic and Compulsive Homicide.”
The boy’s feet may have been kept as some sort of “trophy” or “prize,” possibly to be used for sexual gratification at a later time, Berrill added.
Rarely do such crimes occur out of the blue, nor are they out of character, said Samenow. While little is known at this point about the suspect, Samenow said that forensic investigations usually reveal a history of atypical, antisocial behaviors which may include deviant sexual interests, an extensive fantasy life, the need to control others, an inability to get along with peers or to respond in a constructive way to life’s challenges, and a track record of intimidating, deceptive, and even violent behavior.
Aron may have been abused himself, added Berrill, explaining that for some victims, committing violent acts is a way for them to “relive the experience” of their own childhoods but in the role of the aggressor.
But no history of abuse can justify the murder of an innocent child.
“People who commit terrible crimes come from all walks of life. It’s not the environment that makes them violent, but the way they respond and the way they think,” Samenow said.  “Typically, these people who have a brother or sister who grew up in the same environment, but who do not rush out and kill eight-year-olds,” he added.
The Kletzky murder rivets the attention of all New York in part because stranger abductions of children are “enormously, enormously rare,” in the words of Schlesinger. And they are almost inconceivable in the Orthodox community, which is believed by researchers to have lower rates of substance abuse and violence than society at large.
Parents need not put their children on lock-down out of fear for their safety, Schlesinger stressed, noting the Casey Anthony case is more representative of most child murders.
“The typical person who kills a child is the child’s mother, father, step father or another member of the family,” Schlesinger said.
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The Accused Killer in His Own Words

Read a partial transcript of the confession that police say Levi Aron gave during questioning

By Jonathan Dienst

This transcript has been edited to remove parts of an extremely graphic nature. It has not been edited for clarity. These are the suspect's words as written on a legal pad during questioning, according to law enforcement sources.

My name is Levi Aron... On Monday evening around 5:30 I went to my dentist, Dr. Sorcher, to make a payment for visit for exam routine. 

A boy approached me on where the Judaica book store was.  He was still there when went out from the dentist’s office. He asked me for a ride to the Judaica book store.  While on the way he changed his mind and wasn’t sure where he wanted to go.

So I asked if he wanted to go for the ride -- wedding in Monsey -- since I didn’t think I was going to stay for the whole thing since my back was hurting.  He said ok.

Due to traffic, I got back around 11:30 p.m. … so I brought him to my house thinking I’d bring him to his house the next day. He watched TV then fell asleep in the front room. I went to the middle room to sleep. That next morning, he was still sleeping when I was ready to leave.

So I woke him and told him I’ll bring him to his house… when I saw the flyers I panicked and was afraid.  When I got home he was still there so I made him a tuna sandwich....

Afterwards -- I panicked because I didn’t know what to do with the body.… carried parts to the back room placing parts between the freezer and the refrigerator …

… went to clean up a little then took a second shower.  I panicked and .. Then putting the parts in a suitcase.  Then carrying suitcase to the car …placing in backseat on floor behind passenger side.

 … drove around approximately around 20 minutes before placing it in the dumpster on 20th street just before 4th Avenue.   Then went home to clean and organize.

I understand this may be wrong and I’m sorry for the hurt that I have caused.

Belzer Child Molester Mendel (Menachem) Deutsch Case

Coalition Against Legal Abuse in New York reports:

Last week Wednesday, two boys were molested within an hour of each other, inside the Belzer Synagogue in Boro Park on 15^th Avenue. On Erev Shabbos, the NY Post published the news about the sexual attack on two young boys. Detailing how the pedophile lured the boys, aged 11 and 12 into the basement of the shul. Soon after, CALA learned that the surveillance footage was subpoenaed to assist the investigation.
Mi KeAmcha Yisroel! Only three weeks ago, CALA wrote about the Belz Chassidim, how they made the news on their heroic stance on sexual abuse and the steps they have taken for prevention, including surveillance and bathroom monitors. Additionally, their one-strike-and you’re-out policy has helped this investigation come to a swift end.
At around 4:30 pm, the suspect turned himself in to the 66^th precinct, accompanied by one of the Belzer Dayanim, and a criminal defense attorney. Again, Belz has taken a strong stance on reporting abuse and putting an end to these types of crimes. It is admirable that a dayan, upon learning the identity of the pedophile from the surveillance footage, actually turned him in, despite the rebbish lineage of the suspect. Kol Hakavod!
The 19 year old suspect, named Menachem Deutsch, is called Mendel amongst his fellow Belzers, and lives near the 15^th Avenue Shul where the attack took place. Married for less than a year, he is one of the first grandchildren from the prominent Deutsch family to marry. Originally from Monsey, New York, he married in to a choshiva Belzer Family. His wife is a Schiff from home, a granddaughter of the “Shotz” Moskowitz family, the first grandchild to be married in that family.
Hashem should continue to protect our children and send continued strength and wisdom to the leaders of our community. May they continue to do the right thing.
The question remains: Will he now admit who molested him? Apparently, the family of the first victim already withdrew the charges.
NY Post Update: Brooklyn Teen Surrenders in Abuse Case