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Search - List of Books by Jason Moss

For the guitarist of the same name, see Jason Moss

Jason Moss (February 3, 1975 - June 6, 2006) was an American writer on serial killers. He was born in Bethpage, New York and at the time of his death he was married to Charlotte Moss.

Moss graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Following the experiences he recounted in his book The Last Victim, he served internships with the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.

While studying at UNLV for his honors thesis, he established relationships with John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez, Henry Lee Lucas, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Charles Manson. He obtained samples of correspondence from and interviews with these men. Moss researched what would interest his subject the most and then cast himself in the role of disciple, admirer, surrogate, or potential victim.

Moss later said that, of all the serial killers he corresponded with, he formed the strongest relationship with John Wayne Gacy. Letters led to regular Sunday morning phone calls, during which Gacy trumpeted his innocence. In his book The Last Victim, Moss tells the story of his correspondence and eventual meeting with Gacy shortly before Gacy was executed. According to the viewpoint informing the title of this book, Moss became Gacy's "last victim" after a face to face meeting in prison, in essence being overpowered by the mind of the serial killer. Moss felt that this misadventure allowed him to understand how a killer's mind works in not only controlling the vulnerable but also in terms of how to break them.

A film adaptation of the book, titled Dear Mr. Gacy, was released in 2010.

Some fellow correspondents of serial killers have questioned Moss' ethics in pretending to be controlled and nearly seduced by Gacy to gain access to him, while others have questioned the veracity of many of his claims, largely based on their perception of the habits of the killers they claim to correspond with.

Jason Moss committed suicide in his Henderson, Nevada home on the morning of June 6, 2006. He was a 2002 graduate of University of Michigan Law School. At the time of his death, he was a practicing criminal defense attorney.
This author page uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jason Moss", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
Total Books: 4
Last Victim A TrueLife Journey into the Mind of a Serial Killer
2000 - Last VIctim a Truelife Journey Into the Mind of a Serial Killer (Paperback)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780753503980
ISBN-10: 0753503980
Genre: Nonfiction
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The Last Victim A TrueLife Journey into the Mind of a Serial Killer
2000 - The Last VIctim a Truelife Journey Into the Mind of a Serial Killer (Paperback)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780732264451
ISBN-10: 0732264456
Genre: Nonfiction
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The Last Victim A TrueLife Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer
2000 - The Last VIctim a Truelife Journey Into the Mind of the Serial Killer (Paperback)Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780446608275
ISBN-10: 0446608270
Genre: Nonfiction
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 59

The Last Victim A TrueLife Journey into the Mind of the Serial Killer
1999 - The Last VIctim a Truelife Journey Into the Mind of the Serial Killer (Hardcover)Paperback
ISBN-13: 9780446523400
ISBN-10: 0446523402
Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Nonfiction, Science & Math
  • Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
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