Fallacy of a perfect crime

By Alex P. Vidal

“What do you expect me to do about it?”— John Dillinger

THERE is no such thing as perfect crime, according to a conventional wisdom.

Even the most macabre crimes in human history that slumbered for decades for lack of immediate solid pieces of evidence and credible witnesses have been solved eventually even after the passing of time.

Forensic science played a major role in the belated solution of many of these almost forgotten but sensational crimes.

Although the case of the three murdered young Iloilo businessmen: Paul “JP” Bosque, Chrysler Floyd Fernandes, and Mark Clarence Libao is now on the brink of melting down after the Iloilo provincial prosecutor’s office dismissed the murder charges filed against the accused “for lack of probable cause”, it didn’t mean the bridge will now tremble over a troubled water.

For sure, the investigators will immediately buckle down to work, reevaluate their case, reload and mount a Plan B to pursue and nail down the perpetrators.

If the principle of law that says no one can be subjected to a double jeopardy applies in this case, then the police will have a big problem here if they persist in running after the same set of suspects.

But who was it who said that crime doesn’t pay?

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True crime writer Robert A. Waters said one of the most obvious fallacies ever foisted on long-suffering true crime readers is the notion that “there is no such thing as a perfect crime.”

While we can debate the meaning of a “perfect crime,” he said, “to me, it is one in which the identity of the perpetrator(s) is never learned and they are never brought to justice.”

He cited a few of the hundreds of thousands of perfect murders that were never solved: Then there are the un-caught serial killers:  The so-called Cincinnati Ripper, the Mad Butcher of Kingsbury Run, the Toledo Clubber, the Axeman of New Orleans, the Zodiac Killer, etc.

The unfortunate victims in these and thousands of other unsolved murders deserved justice, according to Waters.

But utopia does not exist, and while it is comforting to think that there are no “perfect crimes,” the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming.

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Those who haven’t seen the “live” telecast of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final match between Argentina and France on December 18 should look for sports channels that show the replay. Or purchase the complete episode of that game on Netflix (if it’s available now) and other cable channels that continued to chronicle that great final showdown between to FIFA heavyweights.

It’s a must see even for those who are not soccer fans or sports buffs. As what I told some friends who were sleeping when the match happened, it was the best and most thrilling ever FIFA World Cup final tussle in history; and they missed one third of their life if they missed the championship match that ended in another heart-rending penalty shootout.

NEW HPV THREAT. Human papillomavirus, or HPV, has long been linked to cervical cancer in women. New research in the journal Head & Neck reveals that in the United States, HPV may also be the most common cause of cancer of the tonsil and base of the tongue. The cancer is starting to appear more in younger men and in nonsmokers; the shift may be associated with high-risk behaviors.

TWILIGHT INSIGHT AND OUR YOUNGSTERS. Why are teens fascinated by these fanged creatures? “Vampires are alluring. They’re neither completely human nor dead; they don’t belong in either world. Teenagers identify with them because they often feel like outsiders, too, as they transition from childhood into adulthood,” says Dr. Kathy Ramsland, author of The Science of Vampires.

(PG 13) Consider aiming compliment below the belt. Women who have a positive attitude about their genitals reach orgasm more easily during oral sex than women who don’t feel so hot about them, says a new study in the International Journal of Sexual Health.

CRUNCH TIME. Holiday shopping may flatten our wallet but it could also trim our belly. As we comb the racks, let’s stand tall and squeeze our stomach muscles for five seconds (pretend we’re bracing ourselves to lift a heavy box). We’ve just done the equivalent of one sit-up, says physiologist Pete McCall, of the American Council on Exercise.

OUR ABILITY TO BUILD MUSCLES. Thirty grams of protein are needed to maximize our body’s ability to build muscles. University of Texas Medical Branch scientists found that eating 30 grams of protein at one meal helps muscle growth as much as taking in 90 grams does. Let’s try smaller meals (3 to 4 hours apart) for a more efficient approach to repairing our muscles.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)