When police searched his home, they found multiple horror movies, true crime books, and weapons. However, Branch allegedly had a love for gory movies. The reason behind Branch committing such a dark crime remains unknown. It’s likely she would’ve respected his wishes had he expressed them to her. Why wouldn’t Branch just find a way to take it or convince Gregory to get rid of it? Gregory most likely would have been learning about ethically gathering information in her psychology class. Yet, this doesn’t explain the brutality to which Gregory was subjected. Interestingly, Gregory’s evaluation paper went missing, never to be found again. This led Police Chief David McCarthy to wonder if this was the true cause of such a dark crime. Gregory had unknowingly created a psychological profile on a would-be killer. However, Branch allegedly disliked the paper. In fact, Gregory had been writing an evaluation of Branch for her psychology class. Prior to her untimely death, eighteen-year-old Gregory was attending Greenfield Community College. Was Branch thinking of Jason Voorhees when he committed this dark crime? Branch similarly brutalized Gregory and left her for dead. In Friday the 13th, Jason Voorhees sliced his way through Camp Crystal Lake. Branch was allegedly obsessed with graphically violent & gory horror movies. In 1988, residents of Greenfield, Massachusetts found out the hard way when grocery clerk Mark Branch brutally murdered college student Sharon Gregory. What happens, though, when it’s the movies inspiring people instead?
Leatherface, for example, was inspired by serial killer Ed Gein – known for wearing masks made of human skin. Horror movies often find inspiration in real-life dark crime.
By: Kiona Jones Was this dark crime inspired by the ‘Friday the 13th’ movies?