Ghoulish Fascinations

[Nexus]

So, here's a question. I regged MURDERCASE.COM a while back and I've been giving some thought towards developing something on it. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas or insights they might want to share?

My initial idea is to have it be a sight that has a rudimentary case file of popular murder cases that have made its way through the news. Like O.J., Charles Stewart, JonBenet Ramsey, etc. Maybe list some of the highlights of the case, the "twists", historical context, and links to non-expiring news articles on the case in question. I'd even like to do a basic glossary of terms used in the field of crime scene investigating, detective work, etc.

I came up with a quick design,
mind the typos and rough edges...
http://www.cleverboy.com/files/murdercase.jpg

Feedback appreciated. If there's anything positive to be gained, it would be that the website is on ongoing cautionary tale about one of the darker aspects of mankind.

When all said and done, I'm figuring it could be an on-going project, relatively easy to update, and all the references to things that have been such touchstones in the media may generate some decent traffic to have it create some revenue. I'm thinking long-term with this.

Thanks.
~ Nexus

[Gail]

Being somewhat of ghoul myself, I love the name. I don't find much fascination with known murder cases as much as I do with unsolved murders and cold cases.

Now I would probably visit a well designed and written cold case site when I can't get my fix of Law and Order, Justice Files, Investigative Reports, and Cold Case Files...

[Customb]

I would take it into something like the game of clue. I think this would go over really well. Using a ring of sites to gain clues for the "Murder Case" on. I am pretty certain you could get people to pay a little $$ and hide a clue within their site if you tried because someone would have to go all the way through the site searching for the clue and are obviously going to find out something about their site. Much more than a banner ad. I would love to help you develop the projects. Open a PM to discuss more. Sorry if you don't like my ideas but it's the first thing that came to mind.

[Nexus]

Originally posted by Customb
I would take it into something like the game of clue.

It's a good idea, but it sounds more appropriate for a site named "MurderMystery.com". An effort involving interaction between sponsor sites might be good for temporary promotions though, thanks! On a regular basis however, I guess I'm someone more into the "trivia" and "information" of it all. When something like this happens near to home, its always a shock, and the reaction by those effected is often to try to find out more about the topic rather than continue feeling helpless. For police investigating, each case is certainly unique, but from what I understand, there are many often alarming common threads and methodologies that come into play (as well as patterns of escalation).

I'd like to dedicate the site more towards the anatomy and history of "murder cases" and not so much about a "mystery" or any "romanticized" notions regarding the topic. Maybe provide some statistics on unsolved murders/"cold cases" or statics on murder in general, diagram exactly who "usual suspects" might be in a handful of circumstances (sometimes an alarming and ironic thing to note), and maybe even show people how they can protect themselves from becoming a statistic. I know for myself that I am alarmed to find out certain things about how the actions you take can get you killed when you're facing certain situations. I've had a close friend who got shot in Georgia when he was car-jacked just off campus. The killer then car-jacked someone else later, and left her tied to a tree. Obviously the fact that he was a man probably sealed his fate, but I hear sometimes your demeanor and actions in a situation can get you killed as well.

There are some interesting dynamics when you begin to look at shows like "America's Most Wanted", and how many times *finding* alleged perpetrators is a trying ordeal that often has cases "expiring" from a statute of limitations. Multiple homocides, crime scene investigators, trials and sentencing... there's a lot there I'm betting people might want to read about.

A "murder case" to me is a way of cataloging one of the oldest crimes known to man. My biggest wonder is how a site like this might find sponsorships and/or otherwise monetize its traffic (as it builds).

~ Nexus