Brent J. Brents: “That’s Just Who I Am”

Convicted serial rapist Brent J. Brents, who terrorized Denver in 2005, is the subject of a seven-minute report on National Public Radio. In a chilling interview, Brents says he was physically and sexually abused by his parents, and at a young age, he began looking for payback. “I got tired of what was happening to me, so I decided to be like the people that were doing these things to me.” He began setting fires and torturing animals. By 19, he was convicted of raping two children at knife-point. Brents claims that by telling his story, he hopes to prevent others from repeating his mistakes. That’s admirable, of course. But Brents seems to place much of the responsibility for his long history of violence not on himself, but on others. In addition to his parents, he also blames neighbors and friends who didn’t step in to rescue him as a youth. “Maybe the teacher who saw the bruises on me…there’s just so many people who could have done something.” NPR is suitably skeptical of Brents’ motives. But lest anyone forget what he is capable of, we offer “Undefeated,” our 2005 profile of Tiffany Engle, Brents’ final victim.