Alaina Urquhart

Yeah.

Although it seems highly unlikely that nothing happened in Dennis' apartment, David Painter's parents were reluctant to press charges.

And the police were satisfied that if nothing else, Painter hadn't been sexually assaulted.

So the whole thing ended that afternoon with Dennis being let off with a warning.

You have to wonder if he was sexually assaulted.

And I wonder if his parents didn't want to press charges because they just didn't want him involved in what they assumed was something untoward.

Yeah.

You know?

Now, obviously most people don't end up going home with someone who ends up being a prolific serial killer.

No.

Luckily.

Thankfully.

And in the context of Dennis Nilsen's life and later murderous activities, that incident, even though it wasn't viewed as bad enough, quote unquote, to press charges at the time, it can be viewed as a like pre-contemplative phase.

Yeah, for sure.

Where he's beginning to explore these darker fantasies and considering whether or not to act on them.

Yeah, definitely.

This was clearly an escalation, a slight one.

Now, while there's evidence to indicate Nilsen was at least considering his predatory impulses at the time, the period between 1975 and 1977 was a lot of, like, personal growth and contentment for him.

Which is interesting.

Yeah.