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As I write this I am watching a documentary on MSNBC .. its a story about Rod Ferril..A self proclamed Vampire who did do blood letting but also claimed to be a Sire in his Coven of 11 members all young teens as he himself is only 16 at the time. he claims to be the son of Satan and who as killed werewolves , and even rival Coven members. Well I agree that he was a charasmatic individual who influenced the young minded group he involved in a selfless act of murder by going to Florida and killing his girlfriend's ( Heather ) parents .. by using a crow bar and bashing there heads in.. She was being charged as a princible to murder , but was unaware ( she says) of how her parents were killed until told by the other members involved ..Anyway what realy gets under my skin is how the media is portaying the vampiric lifestye in general.. Like we are all some type of disease to the public without even understanding our nature....
This case also was the root cause of some changes in the Black Veil..

He was captured in 1996 .. the trail started in 1998..

Anyway I was wondering what others think the impact the media can and will have for our lifestyle ... And even our home away from home VR..

To read more on this try Aphrodite Jones author of Dark Embrace .. the true story of this case ..

I myself am sickend that they concider this as a Vampiric matter .. in reality he was a murderer , and I hope none of our own young members fall under this type of influences ..

The media always tries to find some excuse to label a murderer as something other than what he/she truly is. I agree that it is sickening that just because the kid lived a Vampyric lifestyle, it doesn't mean it influenced the killings. I mean, there's different angles to look at this situation.

For example, do they know how long the teen and his gf were together? What if they were together before his coven was even formed, and he had a vendetta against her parents for one reason or another? I bet authorities didn't even think of that. OR - what if the members of the coven that were involved forced the teen to commit the murder?

There are so many things that could've influenced this tragedy that the media and authorities don't even seem to be looking at(from what you wrote at least). People these days are so closed-minded and they like to find scapegoats to make themselves look better and to use what some consider to be a negative lifestyle as a reason to validate someone's behavior.

This world is in such crisis these days. I truly hope that our children don't have to suffer the same discrimination that we do...

wow well i think that VR could be placed under the "BAD INFLUENCE" catagory b/c of the vampires/the sex/the BDMS/the minds (to parents) being influenced by this site! Like my parents for instance mine are worried that i will meet someone give them info/or they ill stalk me/ or they will meet and rape me that sorta thing and well i personally think that this is BS the whole thing the media will expand the minds of the ADULTS WHO R CHRISTAIN/OR WHO ARE TRYING TO BE GOOD PARENTS that sorta thing, and will make them think that this site is bad all the way around and that it can't be trusted ultimatly leading to many bands! but IDK i just hope that doesnt happen

You know, it's idiots like that guy that gives us a bad name and reputation.

16 years old at the time...... what the hell did he know about anything? I'm betting not much.

I think we, as a society, are looking for reasons why such a horrific crime could happen. What would be more logical than to latch onto the vampire lifestyle the young man led.

Hollywood has portrayed vampires as blood sucking demons for years. Even Blade is killing them...

So, it seems natural that the blood sucking press would latch onto the one area of his life that leads to the most mystery...and the most sale of papers and articles...not to mention book rights.

It is wrong...but, it will continue. Only by being heard are we moving forward.

I know I would never kill my own kind or other kind, especially werewolves.
I agree that's sickening.

I think the medias always tends to shape things, and to provoc changes that we dont really realise at first but with time we eventually find out and realise that the media influenced us and are the source fo several changes we do.
So in this case they provoc changes they probably did not expect but still did.

I mean what really concearns me is next thing you know we could have them coming down on us ( as the site) and you never know about our younger members who come to us every day .. There the ones I worry about the most ast there just coming into there own an even possibly concidering a vampiric lifestyle of there own .. Which I have nothing against and embrace with the upmost passion.. Just hope they can be aware of the dangers of trusting someone who claims to be what they are not ..

well with this at the time being a U.S national headline it brought tremendous critisism to our lifesyle.. and made us feel we had to hide what we are even more then we do now .. The only reason many of us have come out in a more public sceen is this site ..

The girlfriend or what she now claims as his fledgling ( instead of girlfriend ) I beleive got off free . and yes they were together while he portrayed this lifestyle .. this is the reason she was attracted to him first off.. cause he was different from others at there school.. once he moved to Kentucky he gained followers and remained in contact .. Its on again 11 mountain time if anyone wishes to add some insite I missed as it hard to watch a doc and retain all the so called facts there giving .. I also plan on getting the book to have more insight on this

I saw the documentary as well. He said that there was another vampire clan that was getting ready to attack them as well. The media will ride whatever they can as long is it brings in the viewers. Though these things happen few and far between; the way they run these shows would make one think that this is somewhat of a common thing. Rod was a child...he will pay dearly for his crimes.

Hello, our insatiable media have to blow
every little thing into a huge obsession
for the weak minded public to consume and spread the ignorance they just
spewed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i agree. the news nowadays isnt reporting hardly anything of value. and if it does its spinned one way or another.

plus ppl love to put a simple explanation for something as complex as murder. esp when what they can blame is far away from the 'normal' everyday life.

but seriously, ill try to speak for the younger ppl of this site. most are pretty smart and can take care of themselves, for the most part. some just get sucked into stuff like that cause they dont feel like they belong anywhere else. we get dismissed so easily for our oddities and our youth. then get in major trouble for fucking up. i know many dont see the point of acting in a responable manor when we get tossed aside so quickly.

Keep in mind also that MSNBC has been sporadically playing this video for over a year. Its swapped out for To Catch A Predetor and Locked Up. The whole weekend is considered a slow news period so they have to find other means of new/shock tv.

I don't believe this guy to be vampiric in any way. I think he was a nut on a rampage cause he didn't get his way.
The media always tries to portray things to be worse than they really are, because that is what our society wants. Our society wants to see the blood and gore of the situation. We are enthralled by it. That is why the media makes it out to be worse than it actually is so we buy into and buy their magazines and newspapers. I think it is a bunch of crap.

Yeah Cross he tried stating another clan was after him and that they set him up ..lol.. loser got caught and didnt want to face his maker.. Sad thing is is own mother supported his actions

Rod Ferell has mental problems what he did was wrong but instead of people treating him like a killer even know he did kill people, they need to give him help, and the media blows everything out of proportion when it comes to people who are diffrent than normal people...

There is a movie that was made from that story a few years back, its called "Vampire Clan" and its really close to the real story,

the media loves to punch the story up...never mind that he wasnt a vampire in the first place...they never gave the other side a chance to respond as say hey this isnt what we are about..

when i was a teenager, nobody knew about real vampires - it was just cheesy movies and old superstitions to everyone.

but these sort of prejudices fueled by the media were commonly applied to bikers, hippies, and witches. anyone who leads an alternative lifestyle is going to come in for some stick. in the eyes of the ignorant, all hippies were drug crazed killers like the Manson family. a hundred years ago it was jews or gypsies. next century it will be cyborgs .

This reminds of what happened up here in Alberta Canada a while back. Both people involved where from VampireFreaks. The boyfriend was in his early 20's and his girlfriend was about 13 or 14. They killed her parents. And the media was all over it as well because both people where into the "Vampire Lifestyle"

Yes this is the kinda thing that mkaes it worse for us.. They ( media and public ) judge before they understand the whole ideal behind our community. " oh my he was a vampire" Instead of truely seeing him as he truely was , a very charasmatic individual you preyed on others to spead his idea.. They didnt even mention the facthe was more into the mascarade then a real society.. Another doc however did "Vampire Secrets" seen on the history channel.. which I felt was more indept on societies in New York.. and was less sceptecle of our lifestyle in general..

the media will always betray the vampiric lifstyle no matter what but we always do what has to be done if they destroy vr we will find a way to bring it back

I have to say that in my mind, being a vampire is not about killing, it's about survival. You do not need to kill a donor to survive.

I agree with the majority here. This VERY YOUNG BOY knew nothing about vampires and was quite blatently swayed by things he MUST have seen on the TV and FILMS.

M

Sex and brutality sells....of course the media ran with it.

No government can legislate against insanity.

i have seen that documentry and it jsut goes to show you that in any society there will always be one bad seed or someone who draws negative atention to our culture..being in a sub-culture we are watched more and have to choose our words wisely

I despise the media for twisting things to portray what they feel will increase their ratings. It's happened for such a long time....especially with Iraq. Thats a horse of a different color though :)
Of course vampires are going to be "spanked" on MSNBC. Its something that people dont understand, so it's going to be met with negativity.
Damn people.
This is why I take paxil.
Damn people.

A young mind can see and do a lot more than a mature mind in my experience. As in being more open minded I guess. As you get older its been said that your mind grows more and more closed because of society and the "system". This kid was either a true encarnation or just a true believer that what he was doing was vampiric. I have no idea, but its always the few that mess it up for the masses.

As said above: Society wants to put a name with a face. Blindly and malicioiusly they point they point their finger at those they do not understand; or fear.
That is what I believe.

for those who would drive a pice of wood threw my heart, I say this...
COME GET SOME

once agian the media doing another one of thier hunts

it just shows that everyone is the same
they see whats one the outside but not the inside
and thats what gets many of us misunderstood.

Society does not believe that vampires exist in real life. They think that the people who act like vampires or claim to be vampires, are just crazy. The media makes it all out to be worse than it really is. They are just trying to sell it to the public.
It is sad that the younger generation has to murder someone else to get people to notice them or get what they want.

The medias can also be compare at times to the game of the telephone, I mean it starts with a squierel on a tree, and ends up after the 30th person being a cow in a car, I mean no disrespect but the media has more then once show us this kind of thing.

The "Attention Bug"

Maybe that was all it was anyways, a way to gain the attention from people that wouldn't take him seriously. A lot of people -need- attention and will act out in any way they think is necessary.

But then again maybe he just really felt he was doing the right thing? who knows...

Society likes to evil things up they dont understand and whats not of the norm. What this young man was not at all a vampire murder he just took on his fantsies and became wild with them. I hope the other young vampires dont follow that influance. Just like anytime a murderer is found to listen to metal music and watch horror movies its all becasue of that influance. I think some poeple are good some are evil and some walk a very thin line between teh two the person makes there own chose .

In all honesty I'd rather the media stay as far away from this as possible. Its almost impossible to get only knowledge out to the public without them adding something gruesome or totally off the wall.

"Tonight at 11 we visit the gothic feeding the homeless, but then we visit the vampiric underground where they feed on newborn babies!"

It is truely sick that the media talks of vampirism, and tries to bring us all down. That boy was a cold blooded murder, i do agree there, and before anyone talks of vampiric living, they should learn about it before they slander it.

I recall reading about it back in 96 and feeling cold to the core, it still makes me shudder just thinking about it nad how the media had a field day with it.

Well thtis has become more of a media bashing thread.. I was wondering if those that have seen or heard of this story, would share some insight on this..This is the second sory I have seen on this and both vary on the facts.. So which one should we find more creditable

The guy may well have been a vampire - a modern one or someone trying to live a vampiric lifestyle - who knows ?

The big news is that he killed some people with a crowbar - nothing really occult about that method.

If he had been a paperboy or a boy scout, the media wouldn't have bothered to mention that, or at least not try and connect the two

The fact is that he did have a vampire 'label' attached to him.

Whatever your own definition of a vampire is, it is surrounded with sinisterness (?) and this is what the media will feed on

We had a local TV presenter sadly kill herself here with an overdose, it was broadcast as a tragedy : the next day a college girl took her life with an overdose, that was broadcast as a viscous cycle of stress facing all teenagers who turn to drugs to escape.

He shouldn't been known as a vampire, that was simply his lifestyle - he should be known as a murderer, that is what he did

Yes I agree Art .. this is what makes it hard to sites like this to be.. I am sure Cancer gets unwanted atention all the time .. I mean I do remeber the one that happend on VF

well i agree with GrieviousDemon on the media all vampireish lifestyle is not about killing sure some do but they r just hungry

well I have never heard of someone killing to feed .. so yeah.. Its just the media over doing what they do best .. Its only ratings there after not the real story .. yes some truth has to be involved, but really how much research dothey really do before releasing a god story .. I am wonder what others ideas on how this could effect the site .. If it happens again ..

the media drags this story out ever halloween. it's sad to think a whole group of people are lumped into one catagory because of one person who ruins it for everybody. ferrell is just a murder, maybe a vampire wannabe.

I remember the VF killer, that's why I came here !!!

its all media hype.

Well this kid was a murder none of the less . This kid is a terrorist . Like Osama he got a group of bored and oppressed kids and got them to commit murder accept this person happened to believe he was a Vampire King or something like that . I do believe there are Vampires that are extremists and feel b/c they are different from others they can run around wild and that so called "Human" Laws don't apply with them . Same thing with all the Islamic extremism going one . Its a small but very powerful group . They feel that verison of the Islamic faith is right . This kid believed that true Vampirism is bloody and violent and that killing is the way of the Vampire . Everything you see and read about the Vampire is either sexual or violent mainly both . Just like with Muslims . We have to get involved and show that Vampirism isn't about killing people and Satanic sacifaces .

One more thing . Both are something the media loves to jump on . I love this country . But truthfully America policy wise is a game of tag . Someone that isn't White or that doesn't choose to follow so-called American values and lifestyles is going to be a target of hate . Be it gays and lesbians , Muslims , Vampires whatever .

They way the media portrays vampirisim in general sickens me. In the case it had nothing to do with him leading a coven of teen vampires. The main factor is that he killed his girlfreinds parents with a crowbar. Why the media has to involve the vampiric lifestyle i dont know.

As for my thoughts on the media, nowadays i watch the news to see whats going on in the world, still some of the stuff i see disgusts me.

I have alot of thougths on this particular case, and the media in general as realtes to vampyres and the Black Veil.

I am from Kentucky, and was living there when this case broke. I was at the time quite active with the Kindred in my local area. And we collectively decided to "go underground" and for all intents and purposes dispurse and not call ourselves vampyres anymore because of all the trouble this one case brought to us.

First, it's the big shiny buckle of the Bible Belt (tm). *heh* There are alot of narrow minded, judgemental people who will try to rid the world of anything they don't like, let alone don't understand. Things went so far as there being a rule against wearing monochromatic black in the mall. Yeah, that crazy. All outward appearances of anythign gothic or vampyric was shunned, and those of us who needed to hold down jobs and live in the Dayside world had to adapt. Most of us ended up running with witches, pagans, or magi of some sort. Some others just faded into the shadows.

Personally this incident has caused me to go through a period of denial, trying to make myself fit into the mode of mage instead of vampyre. But the Wiccans were on to me, I was just a little too "dark" and could manipulate energy just a bit too adeptly for me to be "one of them." Still I tried to play nice with others. Earlier this year I was introduced by a friend to the teachings of the Strigoi Vii. It all just FIT! But there was a decade of masquerading (pun intended) as something other than a vampyre, brought about by this one case of some crazy murderers and the media's love of scandal.

I don't think the media is all bad in this. There have actually been some documentaries on recently, and loads of good books put out there, that portray vamps as anything but the psychotic killers that legend and a few bad apples would portray us as. I saw the same thing happen with paganism in the past. Now it's just another sort of interesting thing that people do..."Oh, she's Wiccan? That's cool, don't know much about it but it seems okay." Once it was learned that these were not people who would sacrifice your baby to Satin, all was smoothed over. I think there is a bit of that starting now with the media and vampyres.

The problem that will now face leaders in the vampyre community is just how much is okay to put out there. Part of the power of the vampyre is the "glamour", the allure of the Otherness, the thing that intrigues and frightens all at once. We all have to be careful to get just the right balance...

Yea I see what you mean about that . I live here in the deep south we are also known as the Bible Belt . We too are called the buckle too . It isn't as bad as it is in other places though . we have a small Gothic/Industrial scene and Pagan/Vampire community . I'm currently trying to do a documentary on these communties here . Idk if I should sometimes .

Oh btw I live in Memphis/Arlington Tn

I wouldnt see anything wrong with doing a true documentary.. As in you may understand a lil more than the mainstream media, and open to portraying the real side of the lifesyles and the passion that goes into it .. I say go for it

what year did this take place

I believe it happend in 1996.. and the trials began in 1998

This kid was playing "vampire". It is the movies and games like VTM that give them all of these ideas not to mention all the books coming out. People use the old superstition types of things for definitions of what vampires are. What can anyone expect. The kid was a lunatic and so are his friends. No one Sires anyone...what are they thinking. That word comes from a roleplaying game. They used it in their own word but it means a male sovereign or an male animal used for breeding...Vampires are NOT made...they are born the way they are. If someone assists with an awakening that is an entirely different things and that person should not be called a Sire but a mentor or teacher...nothing more. Using these roleplaying terms is what gives false impressions to kids not to mention many other things people are doing when they dress up like Dracula types of vampires...It's not what the culture is about. It's about the music genre and clubbing and nothing more.

Sorry for all the typos in the last post but this is a soapbox issue. For anyone to say that kid lived a vampiric lifestyle just promotes the erroneously thinking about things people do. Yes, in the scene people dress up but that is all it is...a social, clubbing, music oriented thing. You think people go to work like that? Only if they own their own business. Selling clothes, making fangs and the list goes on is a money making scheme for many people and trust me they are raking in the money. Being a vampyre has nothing to do with dress, makeup or living any sort of lifestyle...you either are one or you are not. Most assuredly these people are not.

I think anyone wanting the facts of the case would be wise to look up a 'reputable' news agency.

Carvell you saying a credable (sarcasticly)
or saying that no one got any facts here..?

my main thought is i feel bad for the victims and their families in this murder.

i also feel bad for all the people that will shut out people like us because of the acts of this guy and all the media spin.

some people will label use as potiencial killers, i have been even though i'm only 13

people will take the media and then label others, which is sad because the kid might have had some bad experiences and that led to his beliefs. People need to undertsand that all of us aren't like that (plz back me up here..)

Thanx Car.. Wasnt sure .. yeah that would make it a more creditable , and pobably a more intence story that really grabs the audience

Any 'cult' of any kind has a negative impact brought on it if it breaks societies rules. Fundamentalist religion is at the forefront of many of our minds at the moment after the horrors of 9/11 and 7/7. The media stirs people up into a frenzy of blame, because we can't find the real culprits. A 16 year old boy had a belief and convinced others to his way of thinking...that's fine. That same boy committed murder, that is never ok. Regardless of what the media say about his culture, he did commit those crimes and does deserve to be persecuted for it.

LadyShado: Per your previous post... There were vampire killings again in 2005? I must have really been back in the hollers because I missed hearing about that one. What happened??

this is where i think that when such negative activity occurs that it is important for such leaders of the subculture socities to stand up and correct the media from what is right and wrong or we will be portrayed in a negative way.saying nothing at all when such ocurences happen can be worse than anything else.

The media has a way of making things bad. that was a murder for other reason than feeding.It was not vampiric