Small world

It's sweet when a serial rapist can bring you and your best friend closer together. All the way from New York to Memphis, and it ends with 13 self-inflicted stab wounds in the neck. Well, I guess it's not over, since he'll be coming right back up to New York.

Anyway, something (okay, everything) about this case has me thinking this guy has pure evil coarsing through his veins.

'My dad jumped out of the car and shouted, 'Stop!' and the guy pulled a knife out of his pocket and waved it at him,' said Mr Jimmy Johnson, 25.

'My dad shouted, 'Don't do it or I'll shoot,' pulled his gun and shielded himself behind his car door.'

That was when Braunstein turned the knife on himself, jabbing it into his neck.

'My dad shouted again, 'Stop! You don't have to do this!' But instead of stopping, he started pushing the blade in,' said Mr Johnson.

'He pushed it an inch and a half into his neck. My dad emptied half a can of pepper spray onto his face, but he said this guy didn't even flinch.'

Instead, Braunstein continued to stab himself in different places on his neck at least 13 times.

'There was blood everywhere,' said Mr Johnson.

'Finally, he just stopped, said, 'I give up,' and dropped the knife.'

First pepper spray, then 13 stab wounds in the neck, and this bastard barely flinches? There's something seriously sinister driving his actions. I mean, you could say that based on the knowledge that he held a woman captive for 13 hours (13 hours — 13 stab wounds?!?!) and raped her. But the rest of the story just makes it weirder and weirder.

[Braunstein] was later brought to a Tennessee hospital, where he reportedly told medical staff who were treating him 'Don't try too hard.'

Speaking to The New York Times, Braunstein's father, art gallery owner Alberto Braunstein, said he was relieved that the ordeal is finally over for his son.

'Limelight is important to him, and he had more than his 15 minutes of fame,' he said.

'I said all along he was writing a play. He was the protagonist, and that's the way it had to end.'