Visits to places historically associated with death and tragedy is a trending pastime among the middle-class . . . Wiki tells us that the main attraction to dark locations is their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering . . . Then again, it's also entirely possible that Halloween inspires a great many ghouls in Kansas City.
Take a look at this questionable exhibit:
Take a look at this questionable exhibit:
The Basement: What it's Like to be Held Captive in Kansas City's First Live Escape Room of a Serial Killer
Photo Courtesy of The Basement "October is here. Let the fright-fest begin," were my thoughts as my cousin and I pulled the metal doors of The Basement and entered. The Basement is a live escape room experience that has recently joined Kansas City's well known West Bottoms Halloween attractions this year.
Too soon? If you knew about Bob Berdella torturing gay men in the basement of his home on Charlotte, you might not find this healthy or respectful.
ReplyDeleteTo me, there is a difference between the world's best haunted houses, The Edge of Hell and The Beast, and this.
People like to be scared. It's entertainment. But Bob Berdella, my former jeweller from the Westport Flea Market, was mentally ill. He superglued men's eyes shut and fed them rat poison. Finally, one of his victims escaped from the basement, naked and freezing, and found the police.
Berdella had been abused as a pre-verbal child, and clearly, he was beyond counselling. Not "evil", he was abused. He died in prison from a heart attack (the guards withheld his meds to hasten his end, secretly.) Rev. Roger Coleman, my friend from Pilgrim Chapel, was the only one who visited Bedella for the five or so years he was in prison.
Del Dunmire bought Berdella's home on Charlotte, south of 39th St, tore it down and it is a vacant lot. Good for Del.
To each his own. If The Basement succeeds here in KCMO, that's their right. I just won't be going there.
^^Wow. A long ass, boring read to tell us all that you won't go. So? Who cares? Different strokes for different folks. Next time, don't bore us with your run-on story. Less is more.
ReplyDelete^^^^^ you would make a great executioner. I enjoyed the read..just scroll past next time and just the f up. Jerk.
DeleteOf all the things in this world to get worked up about, whether a haunted house is in poor taste is the least of them. Don't you have some rain barrel ordinance issues to complain about? Some street curb height complaints? Anything other than a haunted house. JFC, Tracy. Slow news day for you? Go rat out a permitless lemonade stand or something.
ReplyDeleteTracy---Did you know Bob personally? Were you a neighbor of Bobs? Were you a customer of Bobs at his store in Westport? Did Bob ever come over to the 6-plex you and your then wife and two friends @ 41st and Charlotte were rehabbing while living there and renting a third apt to friends of ours and sit in the back yard on a Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon and drink beer and grill out and listen to rock and roll and jazz and smoke pot some of which he supplied? I doubt it. I say that because I sure as hell don't ever remember him mentioning your name.I say that because I am one of those six people. From '74 until '78 those things did happen with us. when he was our neighbor albeit 2 blocks away. I can prove that because after bob got caught everybody that lived in that area was interviewed by detectives some more extensively than others. Our interviews are a matter of police records and I assure you they were very thorough. I know shit about Bob neither you nor your rev. friend can ever profess to know so in this instance be careful where you tread.
ReplyDeleteYes, 10:39--I knew Bob personally. I was an every Saturday customer of his for six years--at the Westport Flea Market. I would design a necklace using some of his great selections of beads and dangles from all over the world. I would enjoy talking with him for at least half an hour per week.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a contest, 10:39. There is no prize for "I knew Bob Berdella, or thought I did, better than you."
I can share that I always thought his cackling laugh was creepy. He did know alot about history and artifacts. We never discussed politics, but he would have been someone the Secret Service flagged at events.
As for you, it is sad that there you were, smoking Bob Berdella's dope, and never realized he had gay young men tied up in his basement. What DID you talk about, 10:39?
I can also assure you, Rev. Roger Coleman who drove to Jeff City and back every three weeks or so, just to counsel with and pray with Bob, DID know him.
Tracy---It's 10:39---Please don't misunderstand me I'm not trying to turn this into a pissing contest. It's just that through the years I've heard and read people say things about Bob that was just a bunch of bullshit and lies. Since you knew bob the you know he was extremely intelligent and his sense of humor was somewhat shall we say just a little left of center. We used to discuss a wide myriad of things from Westport, KCMO politics, Hyde Park restoration and it's history. food, music, new items he'd found for his store, my wife's and my excursions to White Cloud, ks. for their twice a year flea markets. I thought he'd really flip out when we first met and we were discussing backgrounds and I told him I used to live in and work at a funeral home and had gone to embalming school fop a year . He was just a complex person. Never, ever in our wildest dreams did we ever have a clue as to what was going on.
ReplyDelete^^Well it's become a pissing contest and it's boring us all to death! WHO CARES! I don't give a shit who you two losers know! Go away the both of you. We're DONE!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete