I’ll admit it. The majority of what I write about Daniel does have a tendency to show his “decent side.” I don’t do that to sway anyone’s opinions about him. I’m just writing about my own personal interactions.
That doesn’t mean that I’m blind to his possible dark side. It’s not a side I personally see, but I’m cautiously aware that it may exist. I probably even unconsciously look for it. Normally I don’t go searching for faults in my friends. Most of us let the negative things slide when we like someone.
Unfortunately, I can’t just see Daniel as a regular guy. There are aspects of his personality that I’d likely ignore in one of my “free friends,” but Daniel doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt for anything, does he?
Here is what I can’t forget or ignore:
He’s cocky: Orange County theatre is rife with cocky actors, but it bothers me when Daniel lets the world see this side of him—especially in court! The man cheerfully bounces into the courtroom. He even sometimes smirks or scoffs at some of the proceedings. Keep in mind that there are plenty of laughable comments being made, but he’s not allowed to react to them. I’m guessing he believes that people will hate him no matter how he behaves. I still think it makes a difference.
He’s vague: OK, I can’t actually hold that one against him. There is no blogger/blogee privilege. Still, it’s nerve-wracking to converse with someone who has to be so careful about everything he says. It limits a person’s abilities to trust and connect.
He can appear to be insensitive: Whether he’s guilty or not, he should respect the pain felt by the victims’ families. He doesn’t come off as empathetic, even though I think he is very much so. This case has been going on for over five years now, and Daniel is being scrutinized… constantly… by everyone. Maybe he’s just become numb to it all, but I don’t think the victims’ families would accept that as a reason for not showing sympathy.
His favorite band is The Dan Band: Yeah… his taste in music is limited to say the least. Also, he does like that his name is in the band’s name. ‘Nuff said.
He sometimes has that “smartest guy in the room” attitude: I will acknowledge that he is very smart. Of course, it wouldn’t be difficult to feel like a Mensa member where he’s living. He has learned a tremendous amount about the law during his incarceration and in another life, he might have made a great lawyer. But I worry that he might underestimate people sometimes. He has a lot of confidence in himself, but I’m not sure how he’s going to fare when dealing with the Orange County DA’s office.
He may have killed two people: I am not taking this lightly. The Daniel I know is a good guy. He’s kind and generous. He’s smart, funny, and an interesting conversationalist. I like that guy. But I don’t ever forget that he might be an actual murderer. I’m not talking about an accident… this isn’t just a bar fight gone horribly wrong. Daniel is accused of some sickening and inhuman acts. Did he kill a war veteran? Did he decapitate and dismember his body? Did he murder a completely unsuspecting and innocent young woman in order to frame the other victim? Did he do all these things just to steal money for a fancy wedding? I sure hope not. The questions are never far from my mind and sometimes I even feel a little guilty about that.
I’m sure there will be some readers who ask me why I even bother. No one is forcing me to have this relationship OR to write about it. But he’s interesting and obviously I like a lot about him too. It wasn’t in my original plan to have genuine friendship with Daniel, but I do now. And blog or no blog – that won’t change.
I have read all of your blogs and I can’t figure out whether you are male or female. What difference does it make? If you are a female, then perhaps your being a “friend” of Daniel has something to do with being attracted to him , either romantically or physically. If that’s the case, then I can understand your perspective vis a vis Daniel.
In any case, if Daniel is not the murderer, then why in heaven’s name is his lawyer trying to get the death penalty removed from the table? If he is really innocent, why should he care if the possibility of a death penalty is on or off the table?
If I was his (Daniels) lawyer my number one goal would be to get the death penalty off the table. I’m not saying he’s innocent but there are a lot of people in prison who are. And so the last thing you’d want is your client executed.
And now let’s say that you know your clients guilty, the very best you can hope for is life without the possibility of parole.
Hi! I found your blog, and it’s fascinating. To introduce myself, I am a long time psychiatric RN, and I have worked with adolescents in Juvenile Hall & adults in acute locked facilities. I think your friend Daniel appears to be a textbook example of a classic sociopath, and that is always so interesting to observe how perfectly the psychiatric description fits him.
You are a caring and loyal friend, but please know that he is likely beyond help. He will most likely die behind bars; but you are doing good showing him that he is not unworthy of care and concern. God bless.
I am also a longtime nurse and have worked with both adult and adolescent psych patients the last 6 years in acute and longterm settings. He is exactly that, text book sociopath. One such expierence had me in a situation with local PD interviewing a patient after a choking of another patient that I witnessed and broke up. The pure indifference and cold blooded description he gave to the detective on how he becomes sexually excited and gratified grasping the necks of little girls, feeling them wiggle and then stop breathing was probably the closest I have been to hell that I ever want to expierence. Another patient, similar expression lacking empathy, describing pouring scalding hot water on a staff at a group home was but one of many examples of those diagnosed as such Ive crossed paths with.
Truth be said he, the murderer here, most likely wouldn’t care about the writer any more than a cardboard box full of nothing. Do not misunderstand what is on the cover of “his” book, Daniel presents as a kind, caring, misunderstood person with a range of human qualities and feelings etc, and those are true feelings persay. Just the same as the feelings portrayed by say Bryan Cranston in the series Breaking Bad are real while filming and in character. The sociopath is the same, lights camera and action. However when you are in a clinical setting or perhaps jails and institutions you see what the public doesn’t see. When the director yells, “cut” the tears on Walters face are very real, you can even touch them. But it is really Bryan putting on a mask to be Walter White. Daniel, a sociopath wears his mask of feelings to all but a select few in settings that know the true aspect of the diagnosis. He isn’t capable of being a friend. One doesn’t murder, dismember a body, go to the theater and act but then have “normal” friendships nor change overnight. Additionally doesn’t change in five years, with medications or therapy. He lacks the feeling of one simple thing, love. He can’t be tought that, shown it or learn it. To him human life is as important as that empty box. Nothing.
I’m reading these posts, and with none of the background you have, am almost without words that this blogger sincerely thinks that she is friends with this psychopath. I’m just as disgusted that she at any point in time thought it was remotely quirky or cute to say she wanted to send him a picture that she looked cute. Lastly, entire “quest for information” makes me question her and her own need for attention and sanity; especially given her response below where she essentially dismisses everyone’s comments because she “knows him” and hasn’t only read/seen what’s in the media.
Author -(Aka cardboard) — YOU DO NOT KNOW HIM, there is nothing genuine about him.
I watched Dateline last night and while researching this case came across your blog. I completely agree with the two previous posters. I have been in a similar career for 25 years. With respect, you seem like a nice and caring person but one who is naive when it comes to criminal behavior. You may feel you have a “genuine” friendship with Wozniak but it is infinitely more likely that you have fallen for a psychopath that views most individuals as a means to an end. Look at his actions – not just his words. He “doesn’t come off as being empathetic” because he is a man who is incapable of feeling empathy. He can “seem insensitive” because he is insensitive. You refer to him as a “kind and generous…good guy.” His words may have convinced you that he is just that. Psychopaths are particularly adept at creating such a persona. A kind and generous good guy does not shoot a woman twice in the back of her head, and decapitate and dismember a friend after luring him into a theatre attic and shooting him twice in the back of his head. A good man does not smile and laugh at himself as he decapitates his victim. A good man does not involve and use an unsuspecting teenager in a capital crime. A good man doesn’t try to frame a victim he has just murdered. I could go on and on.
Wozniak’s actions don’t only speak louder than words, they scream.
Thank you for using the correct terminology to describe the calm, cool, masked person this guy is putting forward as Daniel; he’s a stone cold psychopath. The two previous psychiatric nurses have used the incorrect term “sociopath” which are hotheaded, rage-filled, individuals who are prone to addictions and aggressive outbursts due to their lack of impulse control.
Psychopaths are far more calculated, calm, fearless, and they are much more capable of being charming, polite and (seemingly) likeable.
I get so tired of people saying they’re in the psychiatric profession for 20+ years and then calling this guy a sociopath only because I feel it is misinforming people.
Society really needs to learn to distinguish between how sociopaths and psychopaths behave in the world, so they can learn who is most treacherous. Obviously, they can both be killers and neither has a conscience, but the psychopath is about as emotionally shallow, cold and lizard-like in their thinking, whereas even the sociopath…as miserably sadistic as they can be…is capable of feeling fear and a more full range of emotions.
And what are your professional credentials to properly self diagnose a clearly severely disordered individual Dr. Freud?
This waste of oxygen exhibits classic traits of NPD, and ASPD. And this is based off the actual clinical DSM-5 traits criteria. Narcissistic Personality Disorder with Anti Social Personality Disorder comorbidity.
Grandiose narcissistic traits are haughtiness, and arrogance with lack of empathy, and the sociopathic main traits would be criminal behavior (robbing a *friend for money) impulsiveness, using charm to manipulate others. Rachel Buffet is more than likely a covert narcissist, possibly with some Borderline flavoring. Your welcome.
Also having a nursing background, and my husband is a psychologist, the following seems to fit him quite well :
Narcissistic Personality Disorder involves arrogant behavior, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration-all of which must be consistently evident at work and in relationships. People who are narcissistic are frequently described as cocky, self-centered, manipulative, and demanding. Narcissists may concentrate on unlikely personal outcomes (e.g., fame) and may be convinced that they deserve special treatment.
I’ve read all of your posts and like you, I’m fascinanted too with human behaviour. At first I was upset cause you seemed to forget Daniel could be a killer, but I noticed a few months later, you say you know he might be a killer and I can see you don’t condone anything of what happened.
I agree with what people say in the other comments, he is obviously a sociopath; I didn’t need to read a lot about him to realized this. They come as smart, witty, nice people who couldn’t do no wrong. They play with your emotions, making you feel important, they are great at manipulating others and only letting them see what they want.
You’re doing a great job with the blog, it’s easy to read and it keeps you wanting more, hope you continue writting more after all of this it’s done.
Thank you so much. I appreciate the comment a great deal. I know that many people believe Daniel is a sociopath, and it’s easy to presume something like that from all that has been written about him in the press. Also, the parts of his confession video that have been made public, do nothing to make Daniel seem “normal.” But I’m not convinced. I could be wrong. I’m also not a psychiatrist. No matter what, he’s an interesting guy.
Honestly, I can’t see anything interesting about D. Wozniak. All I know about him as at year 2021 is, that he is a cold, calculating and cowardly psychopath. The way in which he has killed these two precious beautiful human beings, in the back of their heads, by luring them in and sneaking up on them, is cowardly. That fact alone shows you that he is a low life monster. He purely did it so he could rob Sam and then frame him for the killing of the second victim.
It’s absolutely beyond me how you can glorify this monster. I can not even call him a “man” because he is not. If I didn’t know any better, you actually are D. Wozniak. You started this blog just to have something to do, because you must have just an empty life without any real friends
A lot of people in prison are innocent? Lol
From my time involved in community theatre, I knew dozens of guys with Daniel Wozniak’s uh… personality type.
Anyone who has participated in local theatre or even high school plays can tell you right away that there is a huge gender disparity. My 9th-grade drama class had something like 25 girls and 5 boys.
Especially at the amateur level, there is a *lot* less competition out there for men, so even a mediocre actor won’t have too much difficulty landing roles. And these men get such an inflated ego about it, thinking they’re some big shot, the next Daniel Day-Lewis just because he beat out the three other guys that showed up to audition for the role of John Proctor in the small town community production of the Crucible. Hell, I’ve been given traditionally male roles before because they didn’t even have enough men auditioning.
Combine this with the fact that, with the large amount of women involved in theatre, these guys always seem to have a gaggle of female friends surrounding them. They become insufferable and cocky, thinking they’re such a ladies’ man. An average-looking, mediocre guy in community theatre can pull a gorgeous woman just because they spend several hours a week in rehearsal together. Just look at Daniel and Rachel — clearly she wasn’t after his broke ass for the money!
Daniel Wozniak obviously thinks very highly of himself and overestimates his intelligence and his acting ability. It’s ironic that you mentioned he learned about the Dunning-Kruger effect in another post, as Dan himself clearly suffers from this. Just watch how cocky he was in the police interview, how confident he was that he could act his way out of it. Remember when he briefly tried to claim insanity and did that stupid joker laugh? Maybe he would’ve been better off claiming that the murders were just part of his “method acting” to prepare to play the role of a murderer!