Characters A Flicker in the Dark Stacy Willingham

Aaron Jansen / Tyler Price: The Fake Journalist Turned Copycat Killer

Overview

Aaron Jansen appears to be a New York Times reporter investigating the twenty-year anniversary of the serial killings committed by Chloe Davis’s father, Richard Davis. By the novel’s climax, Chloe discovers that “Aaron Jansen” is an alias—his real name is Tyler Price, a local from Breaux Bridge with a minor criminal record and a deep, obsessive fascination with the Davis family murders. He is not a journalist but a copycat killer who abducts and attempts to murder young women in an echo of the original crimes. The epigraph of the novel—Nietzsche’s warning about gazing into the abyss—foreshadows how Tyler, in his obsession, becomes the very monster he sought to emulate. This analysis distinguishes explicit facts from interpretive observations, grounded in the provided chapter evidence.

Plot Role

Tyler Price inserts himself into Chloe’s life under the false identity of Aaron Jansen shortly after the disappearances of Aubrey Gravino and Lacey Deckler. He first contacts Chloe by phone, claiming he wants to discuss her father’s case for an anniversary article. When Chloe refuses, he visits her mother’s assisted-living home to force a meeting. During their subsequent coffee-shop encounter, he shifts his “angle” to a copycat theory, positioning himself as an ally. He later provides Chloe with a fake press badge, offers support, and even sleeps with her. Unbeknownst to Chloe, Tyler is the one committing the copycat murders; he uses his proximity to her to study the investigation and manipulate her suspicions toward her fiancé, Daniel. His role culminates in him attempting to kill Riley Tack, the latest victim, and being shot by Chloe. [Evidence chapter-0045-chunk-0001]

Motivations and Traits

Explicit Facts: Tyler Price was a loner from Breaux Bridge. He had a juvenile criminal record for minor offenses and dropped out before ninth grade. He was present at Cypress Cemetery during the search party, photographed in the background. In Chapter Forty-Three, Detective Thomas tells Chloe that murderers often revisit crime scenes, and Tyler “took it a step further” by inserting himself into the case. Tyler’s own sister went missing twenty years prior, and his mother suspected his involvement. When Chloe confronts him, he answers “I’m nobody” when asked who he is, echoing the answer Chloe heard from a peeping teenager twenty years earlier.

Interpretive Analysis: His motivation appears to be a pathological need for recognition and control. By copying Richard Davis’s crimes, Tyler seeks to become part of a legacy he admires. His obsession with Chloe—studying her, dressing to match his online photo, and timing his approaches—suggests a desire not just to kill but to insert himself into the narrative of the Davis family. His emotional flatness, noted by Chloe (he seems “hollow”), aligns with the monster-behind-a-facade trope. The Nietzsche epigraph frames him as a cautionary figure: a hunter who becomes the monster.

Chronological Arc

  • Twenty years prior: Tyler Price (then a teenager) is seen peeping through the Davis family windows. Chloe catches him and yells “Who are you?” He replies “I’m nobody” before running away. [Evidence chapter-0045-chunk-0002]
  • Weeks before the present (Chapter Forty-One): Tyler, now calling himself Aaron Jansen, first contacts Chloe to interview her about her father. He manipulates his way into her life.
  • Present timeline: He meets Chloe at BrewHouse café, presents the copycat theory, and builds trust. He seduces her and sleeps with her, then drugs her wine to render her unconscious while he abducts Riley Tack from her home. [Evidence chapter-0044-chunk-0002]
  • Climax: Chloe wires her home with a hidden camera, drugs Cooper’s wine, but before that, she discovers the truth about Tyler. In Chapter Forty-Three, detective reveals Tyler’s real identity. In Chapter Forty-Seven, Chloe realizes Cooper was the mastermind, but Tyler was his willing copycat follower. Tyler’s final act is killing (or attempting to kill) Riley, for which Chloe shoots him dead.

Relationships

  • Chloe Davis: Tyler’s primary relationship is an engineered intimacy. He presents himself as a trustworthy reporter, then a lover, while secretly feeding Chloe suspicion toward Daniel. Chloe later recalls his hands on her and his kiss the night Riley was taken—a violation of trust that turns to disgust.
  • Cooper Davis: Tyler knew Cooper as a teenager. Cooper reached out to Tyler and manipulated him into becoming a copycat killer. Tyler idolized Cooper and followed his instructions, seeing himself as Cooper’s “friend.” [Evidence chapter-0048-chunk-0001]
  • Richard Davis (Chloe’s father): Tyler visited Richard in prison, using the name Aaron Jansen. He likely studied Richard’s mannerisms and confession to perfect his copycat technique.
  • Riley Tack: Tyler’s final intended victim. He abducts her and nearly kills her before Chloe intervenes.

Key Decisions and Consequences

  1. Choice to impersonate a journalist: Tyler’s decision to assume Aaron Jansen’s identity allows him to gain access to Chloe and the investigation. Consequence: He successfully misdirects suspicion onto Daniel, but his fake press badge later unravels.
  2. Choice to kill Riley Tack while Chloe sleeps: By drugging Chloe and taking Riley, Tyler believes he can continue his pattern undetected. Consequence: Riley survives, Chloe discovers the truth, and Tyler is killed.
  3. Choice to reveal “I’m nobody”: When Chloe confronts him, he repeats the same phrase from their childhood encounter. Consequence: This confirms to Chloe that he is the same peeping teen, closing the loop of twenty years of obsession.
  4. Choice to work with Cooper: Tyler’s willingness to be a subordinate copycat shows his lack of autonomy. Consequence: He becomes a tool in Cooper’s plan, ultimately dying for a crime he was manipulated into.

Theme and Symbol Connections

  • Monsters in Plain Sight: Tyler embodies the theme that monsters hide in the open. He appears as a helpful journalist, a lover, an ally—yet he is the one killing girls. This links to Chloe’s prologue realization that monsters move in plain sight. See themes
  • Copycat Crime and Legacy: Tyler’s entire identity as a killer is derivative; he copies Richard Davis’s murders. He is obsessed with the legacy of the original killer and wants to continue it. See themes
  • Family Secrets and Complicity: Tyler’s relationship with Cooper shows how family secrets enable murder. Cooper manipulates Tyler, and their shared past in Breaux Bridge ties into the Davis family’s hidden truths. See themes
  • Trauma and Memory: Chloe’s memory of the teenage peeper resurfaces only at the climax, highlighting how suppressed trauma can hide threatening figures in plain sight. See themes
  • Control versus Vulnerability: Tyler’s need to control his victims and his narrative contrasts with his own vulnerability as a manipulated follower. See themes
  • Symbology: The fake press badge—cracking and peeling—symbolizes Tyler’s fragile false identity. The password “nobody” he uses with Chloe evokes anonymity and emptiness.

Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Tyler Price use the alias Aaron Jansen? He adopts the identity of a real New York Times reporter to gain credibility and access Chloe. He studies the reporter’s headshot and copies his outfit to make himself recognizable, ensuring Chloe trusts him as a professional.

  2. How does Tyler manipulate Chloe into suspecting Daniel? He feeds her the copycat theory, directing her attention toward a close acquaintance. When Chloe finds a necklace in her closet, she initially believes Daniel planted it. Tyler encourages her suspicions, knowing that Chloe’s history of distrust toward men will lead her away from the truth.

  3. What is Tyler’s connection to Cooper Davis? They grew up in the same town. Cooper sought out Tyler, who was a lonely outsider, and turned him into a copycat killer. Tyler regarded Cooper as a friend and did his bidding, including committing murders that mirrored Richard Davis’s pattern.

  4. Why does Tyler tell Chloe “I’m nobody”? He says this when confronted both as a teenager (peeping through her window) and as an adult. The phrase defines his self-perception: he is a hollow person with no true identity, only the roles he borrows. It also serves as a clue for Chloe, linking the two encounters.

  5. Does Tyler experience any remorse or change before his death? The evidence shows no remorse. When Chloe confronts him, he is described as “hollow” and cold, calculating his responses. He views the murders as a game and shows no empathy for his victims. His death comes as a consequence of Chloe’s resistance, not a character transformation.