Killer Comparisons: Benjamin ("Tony") Atkins and Mark Goudeau
Two decades ago, a string of unsolved murders was terrorizing the residents of Phoenix. But it was not the work of a single serial killer -- it was three killers, actually. It was a lone gunman, and it was also a pair of gunmen working together, dubbed the Serial Shooters. How odd that was. Added up, though, it was a time of great fear in Arizona. A perfect storm of not only the serial shootings, but also elevated gang violence, street shoot-outs and even excessive heat for this southwestern state. The single serial in this mess was Mark Goudeau, aka the Baseline Killer, so-named because he assaulted women around the city's Baseline Road. But who was Mark Goudeau? As I look more closely at the details of his case, I can't help but think of another convicted serial I am very familiar with, Benjamin ("Tony") Atkins. Both of these men operated in a large city. Both had monikers for the thoroughfare where they hunted. Both were men of color born in the 1960s. But perhaps ...
