Reading about Jack the Ripper, and one of the favorite suspects is Walter Sickert because he’s a painter who became associated with JTR. A painter-serial killer is a pretty grim combo, but I believe the theory was introduced in the late 70s and discredited.
But it got me thinking how you could live a seemingly normal life, maybe even be a random witness to a crime. But then some hack 100 years later will comb through the files and see if your name was ever the main subject, and if not, suddenly they got 500 pages dedicated to your life and shady behavior. Then it reaches the NYT Best Seller.
Investigators and researchers may dismiss it or even acquit you if the author is convincing enough. But still. Imagine your only legacy is showing up in the search results of murder or terrorist suspects.
True crime is a fantasy that if somethijg bad happens to you people will remember and care. In that way it is kinda like telling old stories around a campire. Nah, the worst thing about true crime is it never points out that it is the fault of structural inequality and police malfeasance. Like, 100% chance the cops knew what was up with Gacy and they approved of his work. That would be interesting ground to tread. I bet some of the good old boys placed bets of which of their frequent fliers he would handle for them.