“A serial killer may have murdered 12 men, hidden their bodies then assumed their identities, police feared last night.

Detectives believe he struck in the style of The Talented Mr Ripley, the fictional character who murdered a friend and took on his wealth and life.

A major search has been launched for 11 missing men following the discovery of a bloodbath at the home of a 12th, a retired librarian.

The body of the 63-year-old man is believed to have been dismembered there and dumped at a secret location. Then, it is alleged, his killer assumed his identity to steal more than £30,000 from his investments.

Yesterday, it was revealed that the librarian’s name and 11 others were on a list found at the suspect’s home. All the others have disappeared and senior police sources said there were ‘grave fears’ for them.” — femail.co.uk

Certainly, this item fits in my ‘Annals of Depravity’ department, but I was grabbed by the emulation of Patricia Highsmith’s chillingly sociopathic and (dare I say it?) curiously charming character. I have been a longtime fan of the four Ripley novels, which have enjoyed renewed attention given recent film adaptations. While there are endless debates about whether media and cultural violence make for a violent society, we are not talking here about a statistical increase but the ability to galvanize one twisted soul. How much must a serial killer’s story be in the zeitgeist to become an inspiration for real life gruesome acts? and to be familiar enough to the police investigators that they will recognize it as the inspiration? With the society’s infatuation with monsters, are life-imitates-art repellent crimes becoming more common?