Palmetto Predators by Mark R. Jones

Palmetto Predators by Mark R. Jones

Author:Mark R. Jones [Jones, Mark R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, General, History, United States, State & Local, South (AL; AR; FL; GA; KY; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; VA; WV), True Crime
ISBN: 9781596293960
Google: sopEvgAACAAJ
Publisher: History Press
Published: 2007-01-15T16:20:51+00:00


Chapter Six

Danny Starrett

Delusional Denial

Victims: murdered 1; raped 5

According to his mother, Starrett grew up in a “perfect” all-American family. Just ask her, and she will tell you. Like Pee Wee, this is a textbook study of a psychopath, and it proves again that outside forces—family environment, or lack thereof—can be a factor; but some people are just born with a predilection for malevolence.

1959. When Danny was one week old, his mother Gerry Starrett had to start leaving him with a twelve-year-old babysitter, Andrea Herter. Danny’s father, Richard, was a student at Georgia Tech at the time, and Gerry had to work to support the family. Someone in the apartment complex complained to Gerry one day. “Your baby was crying all day yesterday. What are you doing to it?”

Danny always seemed to have a case of diarrhea and diaper rash. Gerry wanted to take him to the emergency room, but Richard said no; they couldn’t afford it. Gerry just assumed that the sitter wasn’t changing Danny’s diapers. She didn’t like to think about other, darker reasons. People in “perfect” families don’t have those kinds of problems.

The people who took care of Danny were not those kinds of people—certainly not Andrea and her brother Fred. Not the nice maid Agnes, and certainly not the neighbors who came over often, the Palmers, who were such good religious people. But if they had done anything to harm Danny, he wouldn’t have grown up to be the perfect child that he was, would he?

1962. Danny developed a slight stutter when he was three years old, and a doctor discovered he was dyslexic: when he read, his letters and numbers were sometimes reversed. He suggested that Danny wear a patch over one eye to correct the problem. Gerry refused to put the patch over her son’s eyes, and that was the last time Danny Starrett saw a psychologist until he was an adult.

1963. When Danny was four, Richard took Danny with him to the store. Danny was sitting on the front seat, bouncing up and down. When Richard took a sharp turn, the passenger door flew open and Danny fell out, head first, onto the street. Richard picked Danny up and rushed home. Danny had a huge knot on his head. Gerry wanted to take him to the hospital, but Richard told her no. It was almost nap time and anyway, Danny was already falling asleep.

Gerry watched him all night, and Danny slept soundly. However, in the morning, she couldn’t wake him up. When she did wake him, he stumbled around the room, and then curled up on the floor and went back to sleep. The next day, Danny seemed to be fine, except for the bruise that covered most of his face.

Gerry’s three other children all had typical bedrooms, full of clutter. Not Danny. His room was beyond neat and clean; it was organized. Everything had a place. Underwear, socks, shirts and pants were all folded and lined perfectly in their drawers. Even his pencils were all pointed in the same direction.



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