Mind of a Monster: Ep. 7
Episode 7 of Mind of a Monster: The Butcher Baker, introduces us — finally introduces us — to Cindy Paulson. In 1983, at the age of seventeen, she was kidnapped, raped and hours away from certain death at the hands of Alaska serial killer Robert C. Hansen. Her escape was a turning point: Hansen was arrested, confessed and sentenced to 461 years plus life without parole for the murder of 17 women. As Cindy notes, of all the girls who encountered him, she was the only one who could stop him.
I was made to do what I did. God put me here for a reason. To catch him. I did what I was supposed to do. I did God’s will.
Cindy Paulson, June 24, 2023
That said, Cindy is humble as she makes that declaration. Hers is the unenviable role of speaking for those who can no longer speak for themselves. There is no bombast. She carries it like a gigantic weight.
Everyone Else
Rather than walk through every detail of this episode, I want to focus your attention on one particular highlight.
There is a point in the podcast, starting at 22:28, when the multiple terrors of Hansen’s world collide. One involves Cindy Paulson and her escape from Robert Hansen. The other involves Christy Hayes and her escape from the same man, four years previous.
Full disclosure: I know both women. I recently interviewed each of them. I can unconditionally state that they DO NOT KNOW EACH OTHER.
Leland E. Hale
Both women describe an experience that, chillingly, references everyone else who’d fallen victim to Robert C. Hansen. It is uncanny.
Here’s Cindy Paulson, talking about her escape: “[At Merrill Field] I took off running… And I’m hearing in my head every one of those voices screaming, ‘Run. Run, bitch, run.’ It’s like every one of them women were in my head, telling me, ‘run, run.'”
And here’s Christy Hayes: “I ran out of the passenger side. I escaped, running buck naked through rocks and sticks and trees and barbed wire. I kept hearing these girls saying, ‘Who’s he got now? Oh my God, it’s Chrissie. It’s Chrissie.'”
No Frickin’ Way
There is no rational way to explain this. It is beyond coincidence. Except… There is an informal alliance of sex workers and dancers. They don’t exactly stick together, but there is what Cindy calls “the ho vine.” It’s like the grapevine, but dedicated to folks in “the life.” It’s survival. They let others know about the men they should avoid. Let it be known there’s a dangerous guy out there and he’s messing with them.
The Anchorage street knew all about this Robert Hansen guy. Not by name — he always used aliases. But they’d been warning each other. Called him out as a vaguely familiar man who considered them prey.
In fact, one time one of the hookers [that Hansen] kidnapped and let go – they spotted his car on the street – and all of the hookers and pimps went down there and trashed it – just trashed it. Broke the windows out and everything.
Sgt. Glenn Flothe to Leland E. Hale, 1985
Keep Listening, Everyone
I urge you to listen to this episode in particular. You may not like true crime. May not like podcasts. You may be of the mind that true crime reporting should be the sole province of men (You know who you are. Whatever, dude). This episode, told by someone who was there, cuts to the core. Unless you’re an asshole. Well, actually, even if you are an asshole.
All I can say is, the words on the street, they mean a lot. Regardless if they’re drug addicts, if they are prostitutes, if they are pimps, they bleed just like everybody else.
Christy Hayes’ daughter, Neesha
Tune In Now
I won’t add more because, really, you should check out the podcast for yourself. This is great story telling that adds a lot to the base story Walter Gilmour and I first told more than thirty years ago.
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Dr. Michelle Ward has a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience/Psychology from USC. She has served as an expert trial consultant in criminal cases involving a multitude of violent murderers. Her podcast series features her own personal and professional insights, as well as comments from family and friends of both the killer and the victim.