High-Speed Spin Through the Mind of Madness

New York Post ^ | 2/16/02 | Steve Dunleavy

[hellinahandcart]

Tragic victim.

February 16, 2002 -- THE broken bones, the shattered moments and the cold body lying in a morgue were all triggered by unrequited love - the worst of its kind.

It started in Elmwood Park, N.J., where Ronald Popadich met Lisa Gotkin.

[hellinahandcart]

Lisa Glotkin is currently on life support. Neal Spicelander, one of the 19 victims of Tuesday's hit-and-runs, died yesterday at St. Vincent's after complications from surgery. The cab driver Popadich shot on Wednesday night is recovering well from brain surgery.

[MsLady]

I can't believe his mother was a good woman. Monster aren't generally born, they are created by their environments.

[hellinahandcart]

All week long the media have referred to Lisa Glotkin as Popadich's "married girlfriend". This is the first time I've heard they were "just friends", which has to be some comfort to her husband and daughter. She can't speak for herself right now.

I'm no psychologist but I don't believe people simply "snap" and do these things. I think what happens is that they "snap" and decide to stop trying to pass themselves off as normal. They stop being careful to hide the activities in which they are already indulging. Dollars to donuts, Tuesday wasn't his first deliberate hit-and-run. It was just the most brazen.

[hellinahandcart]

I don't know quite what to think of the mother, but at least she ratted out her son to the police. Otherwise I don't think they would have caught him, and the spree would have continued.

[scholar]

This Post article doesn't give a lot of detail. Do you have a link to other articles?

Thanks

[hellinahandcart]

Suspect In Midtown Hit-And-Run Spree Appears In Court

Murder Rap Due

Rampage Suspect Held on Slay Try Rap (this one has a timeline)

Mom Who Gave Him Up Believes He 'Snapped'

Most of the man's neighbors have been giving the usual"quiet guy, kept to himself" spiel to reporters. All but one, who told a local NBC reporter last night that Popadich used to do very strange things. Like watering the lawn with a garden hose while it was raining.

[hellinahandcart]

Link to interview with Popadich's mom above.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Who the heck wrote the article? Have they ever heard of the concepts of complete sentences and some semblance of continuity?

[scholar]

Thanks for the links.

Yeah, these articles look like they were written by first-graders.

[Billy_bob_bob]

No, they were written by people who went to public school.

[scholar]

No, they were written by people who went to public school.

No kidding. I read the most appalling English in the newspapers that I have to wonder if these people ever went to school. Once was reading an article about health care--the idiot who wrote the article used the word 'patience' instead of 'patients.'

[MsLady]

Thanks for the heads up!!

[MsLady]

Poor woman. I still can't believe someone can get that crazy all of a sudden. The nieghbors said he'd always been strange and to some, down right scary. Something sure wasn't right for a long time.

[hellinahandcart]

My pet peeve about our local papers--if it's a crime article, 4 out of 5 paragraphs will begin with the words "Police said". Doesn't make for a riveting read.

Police said blah.
Police said blahblah.
Police said blahblahblah.
"Hidyhidyhidyhi" remarked Officer Hodyho of the NYPD, when asked about the suspect's escape.
Police said blahblahblahblah.