The women who fall in love with jailed killers

[Lanie]

These are the women who fall in love with men behind bars and just like Gittany’s model girlfriend, Rachelle Louise, many of them are attractive – even drop-dead gorgeous.
When Scott Peterson was sent to Death Row in California’s San Quentin prison for murdering his wife and their unborn child, dozens of women phoned asking for his address, with one teenager wasting no time in offering to marry him.
Killers Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are doing life in jail for the shotgun execution of their parents, are married to women they met while in jail, who have never shared any more intimacy with them than communal jail room visits.
Lyle’s first prison wife was a Playboy model; his second is an editor turned attorney.
In Australia, Lucy Dudko, a one-time librarian with a young child, showed her love for jailed armed robber John Killick by committing the most daring prison break in Australian history.
Then she served time herself in prison, and now waits for her lover – a white-haired paunchy man of 71 – to gain parole.
What is it about the women who love men behind bars?
Some psychologists say women attracted to imprisoned men want control over a “helpless” prisoner and a relationship which provides them with the chance to “mother” or at least spoil the man.
They also might be chronically lonely, love-starved or in need of excitement, lured by the bad boy glamour of a real life criminal.
Psychologist and criminal profiler, Dr Tony Clarke, told news.com.au prison relationships were often a testament to the manipulative ability of the incarcerated inmate.
“There are two groups of women who get involved with prisoners,” he said.
“The self-selected group who write to men in jail and then there’s the women who work in jails. They think [the inmate] is a nice person who has changed and who loves them. [The women who work in jails] then become accomplices who help smuggle things into jail or help them escape.”
“Psychopaths in jail are expert at manipulating people and they specialise with people who have low self esteem. Psychopaths test [these people's] vulnerability extremely quickly and then exploit them to get what they want … for sex, money or boredom. It’s boring in jail. Once they are out and they no longer need [the woman's] services, they will frequently beat them.”

What is wrong with some people?

[Gingersnap]

These people don't want a regular relationship. If you are married to a lifer you have some perks: erratic media attention, the sympathy of the growing killer fan Internet community, a paragraph or two (or more) in crime history if the spouse is well known. The obligations aren't too bad. You have to visit and take calls, organize lawyer stuff and outside stuff, maybe handle some media contacts.

But you don't have to have sex or raise his kids (by you) or raise bail or whatever. Your life isn't disrupted. Your finances are safe.

Now, the ones who get involved as guards are different.