No Filter Candice Fox Sat In A Cage With A Serial Killer — And Asked Him Why
Apr 5, 2026
Candice Fox, Australian crime novelist and bestselling author of Red Belly Crossing, draws on real-world research and a chaotic upbringing. She recounts meeting a serial killer face-to-face in a death row cage. She discusses why women are drawn to true crime, how research changed her fears as a mother, and the cold case that inspired her latest novel.
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Sitting In A Cage With A Serial Killer
- Candice Fox visited Lawrence Bittaker (one half of the Toolbox Killers) on death row and unexpectedly sat inside a locked wire-mesh cage with him.
- Guards padlocked the cage, uncuffed him inside, and left them alone while she felt her body flood with fight instincts and searched for moments the killer's mask slipped.
Politeness Can Mask Emotional Emptiness
- Candice found that violent offenders can present as polite and normal, with empathy masks that hide emotional absence.
- She observed Bittaker failed to retain victims' names and flicked them away, revealing a lack of personhood rather than theatrical monstrosity.
Why True Crime Obsession Is Often Self-Protection
- True crime's focus on perpetrators often reflects a protective instinct: listeners study predators to spot red flags in everyday people.
- Candice argues we empathise with victims because they seem relatable, then seek patterns to avoid being the next target.
