Spring Break
Local film makers bring Berdella back to life
Hilary Saskin
Issue date: 9/14/09 Section: Culture
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Robert Andrew Berdella was both.
So when two local college graduates decided to make a movie, Berdella's story was the ideal subject.
Directed and produced by Paul South (UMKC graduate) and Bill Taft (Rockhurst University graduate), "Berdella" is a narrative adaptation of the offender's rise and fall in the Kansas City community.
"He was a well-known and respected individual in Kansas City," Taft said. "You ask anybody who's over the age of 30 and they'll tell you stories of Bob Berdella."
The most popular stories all refer to Bob's Bizarre Bazaar, his novelty shop inside the Westport Flea Market. With items ranging from witchcraft books and jewelry to knives and daggers, Berdella's shop tended to appeal to those with darker tastes.
He helped organize local community crime watch programs, ran the Hyde Park neighborhood coalition and worked with numerous charities.
His reputation prevailed until April 2, 1988, when a man claimed to have escaped from Berdella's home (4315 Charlotte St.) by jumping from a second story window.
Wearing nothing but a dog collar around his neck, he explained how he had been sexually tortured and abused by Berdella. He also informed authorities of others who had been tortured, abused and murdered.
After searching Berdella's home, police found a variety of torture devices. They also recovered hundreds of Polaroids of victims in compromising positions. In the yard were several human bones - skulls included.
During the next couple days, authorities continued to gather evidence, including a notebook, in which he documented every torture session and murder he committed.
On December 19, 1988, Berdella pled guilty to several counts of murder. He was sent to the Missouri State Penitentiary.
The news of his conviction came as a shock to most of Kansas City.
"When he got arrested, everyone was like 'What the hell?'" Taft said. "Because everybody around town knew who he was. He was a very active person in the city."
Berdella remained in prison until Oct. 8, 1992 when he died of a heart attack.
Having known about this disturbing piece of Kansas City history since a young age, South and Taft decided to take it to the big screen.
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