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Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #3 Dr Harold Shipman

29/5/2017

Market Street in Hyde, location of Dr Harold "Fred" Shipman's surgery

Welcome to part-three of Murder Mile Blog's investigation into the profile of some of the world's most infamous serial killers, previously we've had Dennis Nilsen and John Wayne Gacy Jnr, and now "Doctor Death" himself - Dr Harold Shipman. As before, the purpose of these profiles is not to glorify or demonise their crimes, but to try and understand who these serial killers were as human beings; what were their likes, dislikes, loves and hates, in the hope of understanding why they did what they did. The following is based on a series of set-questions, with the answers taken from reputable sources such as court transcripts, biographies and witness testimony.

Profile #3: Dr Harold Shipman. During his 24 year career as a family doctor in Hyde (Cheshire) and Todmorden (West Yorkshire), Dr Harold Shipman "euthanized" by lethal injection 218 elderly patients (possibly as many as 358+), making him one of the most prolific serial killers in history.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Birth Name: Dr Harold Frederick Shipman
Date of Birth: 14th January 1946
Place of Birth: Bestwood council estate, Nottingham (England)
Weight: 15 stone (95 kilos)
Height: 5 foot 9 inches (1.75m)
Hair Colour: Originally dark brown, but later grey/white
Eye Colour: Blue/Green
Nickname: Dubbed by the media as “The Angel of Death” (the same nickname as Beverly Allitt) and “Dr Death”, but was affectionately known by his beloved mother Vera as either “Fred” or “Freddy”, Frederick being his middle name.
Star Sign: Capricorn
Disabilities: None.
Health Issues: During his medical training, Shipman became addicted to Pethidine (a synthetic pain relieving opioid, also known as Demerol), even though he didn’t have any pain issues, the euphoria was his way of coping with the death of his mother. Regrettably this often caused unexpected blackouts and heart palpitations. Shipman illegally prescribed the Pethidine to his patients but took it himself. In 1975, Shipman was sent to The Retreat (a drug rehab centre in York) for his addiction, but the treatment was not a success.
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual.
Personality: At school, Shipman was frequently bullied for being a “loner”, anti-social, aloof, unemotional and a “control freak”. Raised by his doting mother, Shipman believed that he was superior to others and that he could do no wrong (all of which was instilled in him by his mother). Although Shipman raised funds in the community for his doctor’s surgery, Shipman rarely went out, and spent most of his time at home, which was always messy and dirty. That said, many of his loyal patients refused to believe that “Doctor Fred” was a murderer at all, as he was “such a lovely man”.

FAMILY HISTORY

Parents: Harold Frederick Shipman, hence why Shipman was known as “Freddy” (12th May 1914 – 5th January 1985) and Vera Brittan (23rd December 1919 – 21st June 1963).
Siblings: Three; 1st Pauline, 2nd Harold and 3rd Clive
Sibling Order: Second of three children
Traumatic Event as a Child: On 24th June 1963, when Shipman was 17 years old, his beloved mother Vera died of lung cancer, having been diagnosed just 18 months earlier. Shipman became her carer and oversaw daily needs, but during the latter stages of the disease, a local GP administered morphine (a strong painkiller) and Shipman witnessed her insufferable pain subside. This need to “alleviate the pain” and “put elderly women out of their misery” would mirror the way that Shipman killed.
Divorced or Deceased Parent: As above, following the death of his beloved mother Vera, Shipman spiralled out of control and became addicted to Pethidine. That said, when his father Harold died in January 1985, Shipman was unaffected by his death, and didn’t take any timer off work to attend the funeral.
Head Injury or Accident as Child: None known.
Bed-Wetter (as child): Not beyond the usual stage of childhood bedwetting
Fire-Starter (as child): No
Animal Abuser (as child): No
Pets: None as children. When Shipman was married to Primrose and had kids, they had a black poodle and a few rabbits. Unlike many serial killers, Shipman was not an animal abuser or torturer, in fact when he was a medical student at Leeds School of Medicine, he resented that on the roof of the facility were the caged dogs who were used for vivisection.
Abandoned / Fostered: No.
Marital Status: Married once to Primrose May Oxtoby on 5th November 1966, she was 17 years old and already 5 months pregnant with their first-born, Sarah. They remained married until Harold Shipman’s death on 14th January 2004, one day before his 57th birthday.
Children: Four children; Sam, David, Sarah and Christopher.

WORK

Jobs: Following his graduation from Leeds School of Medicine, over the course of his 24 years as a doctor, Shipman undertook the following roles; Junior Doctor at Pontefract General Hospital (Yorkshire), General Practitioner at Todmorden Group Practice, Clinical Medical Officer in South West Durham, General Practitioner at Donneybrook House Group Practice in Hyde (Cheshire), and finally owing his own practice as a GP at The Surgery in Hyde (Cheshire). His medical career took a hiatus of 1 year and 264 days after he was fined for counterfeiting prescriptions to feed his drug-habit and undertake rehabilitation.
Training: As a GP, Harold Shipman had regular access to Pethidine, Morphine and other painkillers; he was a trusted family GP for two tight-knit communities, kept the computerised records of his patients (which he would falsify to cover his crimes) and he was regularly required to sign the death certificates for recently deceased patients, many of which he’d attribute the cause of death as simply “old age”, rather than an overdose of morphine, which would have required an autopsy.
Military Service: None.
IQ / Education: IQ - supposedly 140, but I am unable to find evidence for this. Although his A-level grades weren’t exception (he received a B in Physics, C in Biology and a D in Chemistry) they were of a high enough standard for Shipman to be accepted into Leeds School of Medicine where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Medicine degree (MBchB) and later a diploma in Child Health in 1972.

SOCIAL

Favourite Food: Although not a particularly fussy eater, Shipman ate a very normal diet consisting of Weetabix for breakfast, sandwiches and fruit for lunch, and with his evening meal, he often had four slices of brown bread (as he strongly believed that “food should be very carbohydrate oriented”) and as Primrose was a good cook, he enjoyed her Beef Wellington and was a fan of curries, all of which would be consumed with the vegetables he grew in his backgarden.
Favourite Music: Even from an early age, Shipman had no interest in music.
Favourite Film: Again, from an early age, Shipman had no interest in movies.
Favourite Book: Unknown, but upon Shipman’s death an inventory was taken of his cell, and on his bedside table was a half-read copy of Henry IV by William Shakespeare, the story of a scheming king who was riddled with guilt having killed his cousin.
Favourite Drink: Shipman considered himself a wine connoisseur, his favourite being a Saumur, a sparkling white wine from the Loire Valley in the South of France.
Smoker: Non-smoker
Hobbies: As a youth, he was an accomplished rugby and cricket player and was vice-captain of the athletics team at college, but in later life as much as he’d try out new hobbies he’d rarely kept them, so his main source of relaxation was gardening, especially growing vegetables in his back garden.
Religion: Methodist (both Harold and Primrose were Methodists)
Drugs/Alcohol Abuse: Although never confirmed, it is believed that Shipman became addicted to Pethidine in 1974 at the Abraham Ormerod Medical Centre in Todmorden (West Yorkshire). Having already risked the lives of two patients who he’d experimented with doses of Pethidine on, he started using himself as a “guinea-pig”. At the height of his addiction, Dr Harold Shipman was injecting himself with 600-700mg of Pethidine a day (which is roughly 14 injections of 50mg every day). Withdrawal symptoms of Pethidine are similar to most opiates such as heroine and are difficult to kick.
Political Leanings: Shipman was heavily involved in local politics; he was a member of the Family Practitioner Committee and secretary of the Local Medical Committee.

MURDER CAREER

Reason for Murder: Shipman never gave a reason for his killings, even to his own wife who pleaded with him to "tell me everything". Some psychiatrists believe that being a doctor gave him a God-complex, that he had an intolerable hatred of the elderly (which seems unlikely), but most believe that he was deeply affected by the painful death of his beloved mother Vera during his teenage years. Was Shipman’s killing spree a mission to save so many elderly ladies from a painful death… even if many of them weren’t even ill? We shall never.
Method of Killing: Convincing his victim that they needed an injection to alleviate their symptoms (whether for headaches, angina, arthritis or heart palpations), Shipman would inject them with a lethal dose of Diamorphine, and as they slowly drifted off into a peaceful death, he would leave the scene (all of his victims were killed in their own homes, except Ivy Lomas who died in Shipman’s own surgery) and he would return later, once informed of the death to sign their death certificate.
Number of Victims: Although on 31st January 2000, Dr Harold Shipman was charged with the murder of fifteen victims, a subsequent investigation led by Dame Janet Smith identified 218 known victims, with possibly as many as 358+ victims, although the true tally will never be known. Across his 23 working years as a GP, Dr Harold Shipman was killing at least one patient every month. An early confirm list of his victims can be seen here.
Length of Career: 23 years and 3 months. His first murder was of 70 year old Eva Lyons on the 17th March 1975 and ended with 81 year old Kathleen Grundy on 24th June 1998.
Criminal Record: In February 1976, Shipman pleaded guilty to eight charges; three for obtaining a controlled drug (Pethidine) by deception, three for the unlawful possession of a controlled drug and two for forging declarations of prescription drugs. He was fined £600 at Halifax Magistrates Court for all eight charges, and stopped practicing for 1 year and 264 days whilst he entered rehabilitation for his drug addiction.
Preferred Victims: Usually elderly patients (75 years old+), mostly white and mostly women, although a handful were in their 50’s with two being aged 43 and 41 years old.
Preferred Murder Location: As a family GP, "Dr Fred" would often make a “home visit” to his patient, given how “kind and thoughtful” he was. His victims were often single or widowers, hence there usually wouldn’t be any witnesses in the building at the time of their death.
Perversions: None, known.
Disposal: Not applicable. As each victim died by “natural causes” or “old age”, and none of them had died in a manner which aroused suspicion to their GP (Dr Harold Shipman), each victim was either buried or cremated according to their wishes. As many were cremated, all of the DNA evidence was destroyed with the victims, hence the true number of patients killed by Shipman will never be known.

ARREST/SENTENCE

Detection: In March 1998, prompted by Deborah Massey of Frank Massey & Son's funeral parlour, Dr Linda Reynolds of the Brooke Surgery (Hyde) flagged up to the South Manchester coroner about the high death-rate amongst Shipman’s patients – it was higher than all five GPs in his surgery combined – but unable to find any evidence against him the charges were dropped, during which time Shipman murdered another three victims. On 24th June 1998, Shipman murdered Kathleen Grundy during a home-visit, even though she wasn’t unwell. After her death, Grundy’s daughter became suspicious when Kathleen’s will was read, leaving her entire estate (£386,000) to Shipman. Unlike many of the other victims who had been cremated, Kathleen Grundy’s body was exhumed, traces of diamorphine was detected and Shipman’s own typewriter was found to have been used for forge the will.
Arrested: Shipman was arrested by Stan Egerton at Ashton-under-Lyne police station on 7th September 1998 at 9:18am, as Shipman arrived at the police station with his solicitor Ann Ball. He was calm, composed and knew what was about to happen.
Trial: On 5th October 1999 at Preston Crown Court, the trial of Dr Harold Shipman began and lasted for almost four months. He was charged with the murders of Marie West, Irene Turner, Lizzie Adams, Jean Lilley, Ivy Lomas, Muriel Grimshaw, Marie Quinn, Kathleen Wagstaff, Bianka Pomfret, Norah Nuttall, Pamela Hillier, Maureen Ward, Winifred Mellor, Joan Melia and Kathleen Grundy, by lethal injections of diamorphine. After six days of deliberation, on 31st January 2000, the jury found Shipman guilty of 15 counts of murder and one count of forgery. Mr Justice Forbes sentenced him to 15 life sentences to be served concurrently with a recommendation that he never be released.
Prison: Shipman served the first three years at HMP Frankland (Durham), but was later transferred to HMP Wakefield, a much tougher prison.
Sentence Length: Of the 15 concurrent life sentences that Shipman was charged with, he only 5 years and 4 months in prison. On the 13th January 2004 at 6:20am, in his cell at Wakefield prison, prisoner CJ8199 Harold Shipman (no longer a doctor as he’d been struck off the medical register on 10th February 2000) hung himself on the eve of his 58th birthday. Wearing just a t-shirt, boxer short and a pair of socks, Shipman made a makeshift ligature using the green & orange curtains, and – because prison cells are specifically designed so there’s nothing high you can hang yourself off – he tied the ligature around his neck/legs and suffocated himself in a kneeling position. The timing of his suicide was deliberate as it guaranteed his wife Primrose a lump-sum of £100,000 and an annual pension of £10,000.
Type of Prisoner: Oddly, even though he was a convicted murder, during his time at HMP Frankland, Shipman dispensed invaluable medical advice to fellow prisoners, but eventually was placed into solitary confinement as a few of the more dangerous lifers were pressuring him to diagnose them with severe ailments so they could get lighter duties. For the bulk of his time, Shipman spent his time using the prison library to watch videos and read books, and enjoyed watching the TV, especially cricket, rugby and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
Parole: Not applicable.

If you "enjoyed" this blog post try; Odds of a US Presidential Assassination, Killer Couples Part 1 & Part 2, Famous British Serial Killers - Where Are They Now? Serial Killers & Murderers Who Were Never Caught, London's Deadliest & Often Forgotten Disasters, Killers Born During a Full Moon, Killer's Star Signs, Serial Killers Who Were On TV, Celebrities Who Have Killed, London's Railway of Death, Serial Killers as Kids and the World's Weirdest Death Rituals

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Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, podcaster, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten quirky & unusual things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.

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Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #2 John Wayne Gacy

22/5/2017

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John Wayne Gacy Jnr with First Lady Rosalynn Carter (licence-free image)

Welcome to part-two of my profile of some of the world's most infamous serial killers; last week we focused on Dennis "The Kindly Killer" Nilsen, this week it's the turn of John "The Killer Clown" Wayne Gacy Junior. As before, the idea behind these profiles is not to glorify or demonise these people or to justify their killings, but to try to understand who these people were and what drove a seemingly normal baby/child to become a sadistic killer.

Every profile will consist of the same set of questions, and the answers will be compiled from a series of different sources (biographies, court records and personal testimony, where possible), but where information is not known or information is incorrect, this will be amended over time.

Profile #2: John Wayne Gacy Junior. Between 1972 and 1978, John Wayne Gacy (a self-employed construction worker, charity-fundraiser and children's entertainer; raped, tortured and murdered at least 33 young men and boys, burying their bodies under his home in Chicago.

PERSONAL DETAILS:
Birth Name: John Wayne Gacy Jnr
Date of Birth: 17th March 1942 (St Patrick’s Day)
Place of Birth: Edgewater Hospital in Chicago (Illinois)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Height: 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Hair Colour: Light brown
Eye Colour: Blue
Nickname: Often dubbed by the media as The Killer Clown as Gacy would perform at charity fundraisers and children’s parties as Pogo the Clown. He was also known locally (at his own request) as the Colonel as he’d give away free Kentucky Fried Chicken strips to friends when he managed three KFC franchises in Waterloo (Iowa), but at home, during his turbulent childhood, Gacy was affectionately nicknamed “Johnny” by his mother and sisters.
Star Sign: Pisces
Disabilities: None.
Health Issues: Numerous. Aged 17, Gacy was diagnosed with a “heart arrhythmia” (an irregular heartbeat that caused fainting spells) and was believed to have been brought on by anxiety, although this diagnosis was never medically confirmed and his father often accused him of “faking it”. Because of this ailment, Gacy avoided sports hence he was overweight and was ineligible for military service, which his WW1 veteran father saw as another failing of his unmanly son in a family of three children (two daughters and one son). Throughout his childhood and teens, Gacy was also hospitalised on many occasions with seizures, caused by blunt force trauma to his head, caused by his abusive father and a childhood accident.
Sexual Orientation: Gacy's homosexual feelings stirred in his teenage years, but he was unable to "come out" openly as he knew his violent father would disapprove, so he hid his true feelings until his thirties. Aged six, when Gacy’s mother tried to protect him from his father’s beatings, Gacy Snr ridiculed his son for being a “sissy” and a “momma’s boy” who would “probably grow up queer”. Gacy always sought his father’s approval but was regarded by him as “dumb, stupid and never good enough”. Although homosexual, John Wayne Gacy Jnr was married twice with two children (Michael & Christine and two step children to his second wife). It’s worth noting that although John Gacy Snr never sexually abused his son, Gacy first sexual experience was when he was molested by a male family friend aged 7, which he never told his father about for fear of being beaten. It wasn’t until 1975 that Gacy admitted to his second wife that he was a bisexual, although it is often debated whether Gacy was actually a homosexual masquerading as a heterosexual.
Personality: John Wayne Gacy Jnr was seen as diligent, hard-working and contentious by those he sought the approval of - Junior Chamber, Democrat Party and Loyal Order of the Mooses fraternity, of which he was a member of all three – he even met with President Carter’s wife owing to his charity work. But after years of abuse by his father, Gacy was unemotional, uncaring and apathetic for other people’s feelings and needs.

FAMILY HISTORY:

Parents: John Stanley Gacy (1900–1969), an auto repair machinist and his wife Marion Elaine Robinson (1908–1989), a housewife. The family were of Polish / Danish ancestry, hence the family name was previously spelled Gatza and Gaca.
Siblings: Karen (youngest sister) and Joanne (older sister)
Sibling Order: Gacy was the second of three children, and the only son
Injury/Traumatic Event as a Child: John Gacy Snr was a violent alcoholic who regularly beat and abused his wife and children, often using a leather strap, a belt, a razor strop (which is a tough leather strap used for sharpening shaving blades) and - aged just four years old - Gacy was beaten across the head with a broomstick so hard that he was rendered unconscious. These beatings became so frequent, that Gacy became apathetic and emotionally hardened to both the beatings and other people.
Deceased Parent: Just before his death of cirrhosis of the liver on Christmas Day 1965, John Wayne Gacy visited his father. Now aged 23 years old, Gacy was married to Marlynn, had two children and was running three successful KFC franchises – a period of his life which he described as “perfect”. John Stanley Gacy Sr apologized to Gacy for the physical and mental abuse he had inflicted upon his son before proudly stating "Son, I was wrong about you”. Unfortunately, when Gacy Snr died, his son was already in prison for a sexual offence against a teenager. When Gacy heard that his abusive father had died, he collapsed and sobbed uncontrollably, and when he requested supervised compassionate leave from prison to attend his father's funeral, his request was denied.
Head Injury or Accident as Child: As above, aged six, John Wayne Gacy Jnr was rendered unconscious by being beaten about the head by his father with a broomstick. Also, aged 11 years old, Gacy was accidentally struck on the forehead by a swing and caused a blood clot on the brain (but this wasn’t diagnosed until he was 16) and resulted in him blacking-out on numerous occasions, possibly exacerbated by his congenital heart arrhythmia.
Bed-Wetter (as child): Yes, until late childhood, for which he was punished
Fire-Starter (as child): No, although in later life he used red-hot fire-pokers for torture
Animal Abuser (as child): No, Gacy owned and loved two pet dogs
Pets: Unlike many serial killers, Gacy was not known to abuse animals. In his pre-teen years he had two dogs, the second of these was a Spaniel called Prince.
Abandoned / Fostered: No.
Marital Status: Married and divorced twice; first to Marlynn Myers in 1964 and divorced in 1969, and Carole Hoff in 1972 and divorced in 1976. Marlynn petitioned for divorce on the same day that Gacy was sentenced to 10 years for the “oral sodomy” of a 15 year old boy.
Children: Michael & Christine (born to Marlynn).

WORK:

Jobs: Aged 18 years old, Gacy ran away from home, drove to Las Vegas (Nevada) and became a mortuary attendant. Here he slept in a fold-out bed behind the embalming room, and on one evening he climbed into the coffin of a deceased teenage male, embracing and caressing the corpse. In 1963, Gacy was a trainee manager at Nunn-Bush Shoe Company, in 1964 he managed three Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets in Waterloo (Iowa) owned by his father-in-law; in 1970, having been released from prison, Gacy got a job as a short-order cook in Waterloo, and finally in 1972, Gacy set up his own construction company - PDM Contractors (which stands for “Painting, Decorating and Maintenance”).
Training: As a mortician’s assistant, Gacy learned about embalming, dissection and the liquefaction of bodies. All skills whihc would come in handy later in life.
Military Service: None. Ineligible owing to heart arrhythmia and blackouts.
IQ / Education – IQ of 118. Although a high-school drop-out, owing to repeated hospitalisation for seizures and heart arrhythmia between the ages of 14 to 18, Gacy applied and graduated from Northwestern Business College in 1963, and during his first incarceration at Anamose State Penitentiary, Gacy completed 16 high school courses and obtained a diploma in November 1969.

SOCIAL:

Favourite Food: Although never stated, John Wayne Gacy’s final meal on Death Row consisted of “a dozen deep-fried shrimp, a family bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken, French fries, a pound of fresh strawberries and a large Diet Coke”.
Favourite Music: He was a big fan of REO Speedwagon.
Favourite Film: Unknown.
Favourite Book: Unspecified, but he claimed to enjoy reading the work of William S. Burroughs whose books include Naked Lunch, Junkie and Queer.
Favourite Drink: J&B (Justerini & Brooks) Scotch Whiskey, which he would often drink in his favourite drinking establishment The Good Luck Lounge, located at 4403 N. Elston Avenue, Mayfair, Chicago.
Smoker: Non-smoker, although he would partake socially of cannabis.
Hobbies: Gacy loved painting portraits of himself as Pogo the Clown. Once incarcerated, Gacy displayed his work at exhibitions and others were sold at auctions, with prices ranging between $200 and $20,000 each. Gacy benefited from these sales up until 1985, when the law changed. In the months following Gacy's execution, some of these painting were destroyed on a bonfire held in Naperville, attended by 300 people, including the family members of nine of Gacy's victims.
Religion: Irish Catholic / Roman Catholic
Drugs/Alcohol Abuse: Gacy smoked cannabis, often to lure his young victims in with the promise of drugs, drink and excitement. Although his father was a violent alcoholic, this didn’t stop Gacy from turning to alcohol himself and plying his young victims with alcohol.
Political Leanings: Staunchly a Democrat; aged 18 years old he was assistant precinct captain for a Democratic Party candidate in his hometown in Chicago.

MURDER CAREER:

Reason for Murder: Unknown; although it is obvious that John Wayne Gacy Jnr was physically and mentally abused by his father and sexually abused by a family friend during his childhood, John Wayne Gacy lead two separate lives; one as a respectable business man, husband and heterosexual family man, who worked tirelessly as a children’s entertainer (for the United States Junior Chamber aka the Jaycees) and as a political supporter and campaign fundraiser for the Democrat Party, and yet was also a rapist, child abuser and closet homosexual who took by force... and in secret.
Method of Killing: All but one of his victims was asphyxiated or strangled using a makeshift tourniquet. He often lured his young victims with the promise of a lift, alcohol or paid work; plied them with alcohol, pinned them to the ground, sometimes cuffing hands behind their backs or sitting on their chests and strangling them with a tourniquet (once he stabbed his victim with a kitchen knife). Later, Gacy progressed to torturing his victims and using them as “sex slaves”, during which they were raped, whipped and burned with candles.
Number of Victims: 33 known victims; 25 were conclusively identified by DNA and dental records, 7 remain unidentified and 1 victim’s identity remains disputed (as of May 2017).
Length of Career: 3rd January 1972 to 11th December 1978, from first to last known murder.
Criminal Record: In March 1968, Gacy forced 15 year old Donald Voorhees to perform oral sex on him. On 3rd December 1968, Gacy was sentenced to 10 years in Anamose State Penitentiary for “oral sodomy”, the attempted assault on 16 year old Edward Lynch and – in relation to the Voorhees case – intimidating a witness, when he paid 18 year old Russell Schroeder to beat-up and spray Voorhees in the face with Mace. Gacy served just 18 months of his 10 year sentence. A few months after his release whilst on supervised parole, Gacy was charged with sexually assaulting a teenager on 12th February 1971, but this charge was dismissed when the victim failed to turn up to the court case. On 22nd June 1972, one week before his wedding to Carole Hoff, Gacy was arrested with aggravated battery when he impersonated a policeman in order to lure a youth named Jackie Dee to his car and force him to perform oral sex. Again, the charges were dropped. Interesting fact: In 1975, having been appointed the director of Chicago's annual Polish Constitution Day Parade, Gacy met First Lady Rosalynn Carter (wife of the US President). Although, a convicted sex offender and child rapist, the United States Secret Service vetted and approved John Wayne Gacy to talk to and be photographed with Lady Carter. If you look at the photo, you will see he is wearing an "S" pin, which indicated a person who has been given special clearance by the Secret Service
Preferred Victims: All victims were teenage boys or young men, aged between 14 and 21 years old and all were white. Some he picked-up at bus stations, on streets, at bars and some of his victims were even employees at his business – PDM Contractors.
Preferred Murder Location: At Gacy’s own home at 8213 West Summerdale Ave, Chicago. Although the building has been demolished, a family home still resides at that location.
Perversions: Although, whilst he was working as a mortician’s assistant, Gacy fondled the corpse of a teenage boy, it was never proven that he engaged in any form of necrophilia (sex with a dead body) with any of his victims, or that he cannibalised or ate any body parts. Once his victims were dead, they were buried and forgotten about.
Disposal: Early in his murderous career, Gacy noticed that when he stored a corpse in a closet, that fluid would often leak out of his victim’s mouth or other orifices, and although he would stuff the corpse’s cavities with their own underwear to prevent “leakage” (a skill he learned as a mortician's assistant), the majority of the corpses were buried under the crawl space of his home. This is also the reason why – when he started to run out of space – he initially considered storing the bodies in his attic, but was worried about “excessive leaking”. The last five of Gacy’s victims were thrown off the I-55 bridge into the Des Plaines River, one of which landed on a passing barge boat. Only four of these corpses were ever found.

ARREST/SENTENCE:

Detection: On 11th December 1978, Gacy visited a Des Plaines pharmacy and offered 15 year old employee Robert Jerome Piest a job at $5 per hour. When Piest failed to return, Gacy’s house was searched and a two-man surveillance team were assigned to follow Gacy. Feeling cocky, on 19th December 1978, Gacy invited the detectives inside his house and one of them noticed a smell of rotting corpses emanating from a heating duct.
Arrested: On the 22nd December 1978, Gacy admitted he had "been the judge, jury and executioner of many, many people". He confessed to 25 to 30 murders, all of whom he falsely claimed were of teenage runaways or male prostitutes.
Trial: The trial began on 8th February 1980, where Gacy was charged with 33 counts of murders before Judge Louis Garippo. Although the case was heard in Cook County, the jury composed of residents of Rockford because of the saturation of local press coverage. The trial lasted five weeks, but the jury only needed to deliberate for less than two hours and on the 13th March 1980, John Wayne Gacy was found guilty of twelve counts of murder which warranted a death sentence.
Prison: John Wayne Gacy Jnr spent 14 years on Death Row at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois.
Type of Prisoner: Although Gacy never showed any remorse for his victims, he occupied his time in prison by painting self-portraits. Throughout his incarceration, Gacy maintained his innocence and even claimed that some of his victims were murdered by his employees, who had keys and access to his home/business whilst he was away. Gacy was attacked twice during his incarceration on Death Row by fellow inmates; first by Henry Brisbon (the I-57 killer) who stabbed him in the upper arm with a sharpened wire, and second by William Jones who stabbed him in the head. Both injuries were superficial.
Parole: having been sentenced to death, Gacy was not eligible for parole. Therefore on the 9th May 1994, Gacy was transferred to Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill for execution; he had a picnic with his family and that evening was executed by lethal injection. The procedure took 18 minutes. His final words were simply "Kiss my ass. Gacy's death was confirmed at 12:58am on 10th May 1994. At his post-mortum, his brain was removed and is now held in trust by Dr Helen Morrison in an attempt to isolate common personality traits of violent sociopaths. The brain of John Wayne Gacy showed no signs of abnormality.

The next profile will be on: Dr Harold Shipman

If you "enjoyed" this blog post, why not take a peek at my other articles: such as serial killers and their diets, favourite drinks, height, IQ, star signs, lunar cycles, dates of birth, reasons for killing, music, nicknames, last meals and whether they're alive or dead... to name but a few.

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Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, podcaster, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten curious, quirky, unusual and different things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.

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Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #1 Dennis Nilsen

15/5/2017

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Profile #1: Dennis Nilsen, the north London serial killer and necrophiliac who between December 1978 and January 1983 lured numerous vulnerable young men to their deaths in his flat, some of whom escaped, many of whom died and others who remain unidentified to this day.

Outside of 1-3 Denmark Street where Dennis Nilsen worked

As part of a weekly series, Murder Mile blog will be investigating the profiles of some of the world's most infamous serial killers and murderers, by unearthing some interesting facts and titbits about their lives, loves, likes and dislikes, where they worked, where they lived and who they dated or married, all of which I hope will will give you more of an insight into them as a person, and even leading to an understanding of why they did what they did, instead of lazily defining this person by the horrific nature of their crimes and (more often than not) their kill-count.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Birth Name: Dennis Andrew Nilsen
Date of Birth: 23rd November 1945
Place of Birth: Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (a coastal town in north-east Scotland)
Places Lived: Fraserburgh (1945-55), Strichen (1955-61), Aldershot (1961), Onsabruck (West Germany, 1964-67), Aden (South Yemen, 1967-68), Plymouth (1969-69), Cyrus (1969-70), Berlin (1970), Inverness (1971), Shetland Island (1971-72) and Wilsden and Muswell Hill in North London (1972-83). Currently HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire.
Weight: 210lbs (15 stone)
Height: 6 foot 1 inches (1.85 metres)
Hair Colour: Dark brown
Eye Colour: Dark brown
Star Sign: Sagittarius
Nicknames: Known as “Den” by his friends, but was later dubbed by the British tabloid press as "The Muswell Hill Killer" and "The Kindly Killer" as with many of his victims being homeless young men, Nilsen would lure them in with a warm homecooked meal, alcoholic drinks, companionship and a place to sleep... before murdering them
Disabilities: Slightly myopic, wore glasses to see and read
Health Issues: None
Sexual Orientation: Homosexual since his early teenage years, he later had sex with a prostitute whilst serving in Berlin, and stated that having sex with a female was "over-rated" and "depressing". Nilsen had a lust for young, slim, passive and vulnerable young men.
Personality: As a child he was described as shy, quiet and unadventurous; later as a diligent, intelligent and conscientious worker (who as a union rep’ vehemently stood up for his colleagues rights), but was prone to anger and violent outbursts when confronted

FAMILY HISTORY

Parents: Elizabeth Duthie Whyte (a native of Fraserburgh) and Olav Magnus Moksheim (a soldier of the Norwegian Free Army, who served in Scotland during World War Two from 1940, when he married Elizabeth and adopted the surname Nilsen to blend in.
Siblings: Three to Elizabeth & Olav - Olav Junior, Dennis and Sylvia - and four half-siblings
Sibling Order: Second of three children (middle child)
Traumatic Event: On 31st October 1951, Nilsen experienced the death of his beloved grandfather (a fisherman who would often be at sea for weeks-on-end and who Nilsen regarded as "great hero" and stated "life would be empty until he returned"). Unfortunately his mother didn't prepare her five year old son for this great shock, instead she informed him that his grandfather was "home" and that Dennis should "come in and see him". As the young Nilsen excitedly entered the bedroom, he saw that his grandfather - the only person he "ever truly loved" - was dead. Nilsen often states that this was the most traumatic moment of his life and that - at this moment - his idea of love and death fused together.
Divorced/Deceased Parents: Abandoned by his career-focused father and effectively raised by a single-parent (his mother), Nilsen's parents divorced in 1948 when he was 3 years old, she later remarried a local builder called Andrew Scott who was a strict disciplinarian and Nilsen's mother would go on to have a further four children with Nilsen's step-father, which left no time for Dennis in what was already an un-affectionate family.
Accident as a Child: Aged nine years old, Nilsen almost drowned whilst swimming at the beach in Inverallochy. This is a key moment in his young life as he'd often recall the feeling of drowning, feeling dead, and the joy of being touched by another boy (his rescuer).
Bed-Wetter (as child): Yes, but only briefly as with most children
Fire-Starter (as child): No, Nilsen only made fire later in life for the disposal of bodies.
Animal Abuser (as child): No, Nilsen was very fond of animals. Once he found an injured sparrow on the street and - having grown up in a coastal town and having a real affinity for wildlife - Nilsen constructed a makeshift nest in his office drawer and over the next few days, proceeded to feed the bird using Fish Fingers which he'd masticated in his mouth first, before feeding it to the bird, like he was it's own mother.
Pets: In 1978, when Nilsen and "Twinkle" lived together, the adopted a stray tabby cat called Dee-Dee as well as a mongrel Collie cross called "Bleep" which he purchased as a puppy from a local pet-shop. They named the dog "Bleep" as - being a timid little dog - she couldn't bark, instead she made high-pitched squeaks. Along with his grandfather, Nilsen adored "Bleep" and often stated he was terrified of being arrested for fear of what would happen to his dog. Unfortunately his instincts proved correct, as when Nilsen was arrested, "Bleep" was put to sleep, as the Police didn't believe anyone would want a serial killer's dog.
Marital Status: Unmarried (as matrimony was illegal for homosexuals in the 1970/80's), but during his killing spree, Nilsen didn't have a boyfriend for longer than a few months
Partners: David “Twinkle” Gallichan (1977-78) who he met at The Champion in Bayswater (West London) when Nilsen witnessed Gallichan being accosted by two men, Nilsen intervened and the two of them bonded over a few drinks. Being homeless, Nilsen invited Gallichan to move in with him, but where-as Nilsen was a homebody who wanted to stay home, Gallichan was young and promiscuous, so when he left Nilsen owing to Nilsen's angry and possessive manner, this abandonment caused Dennis Nilsen to slide into drinking binge and killing spree which left 15 young men dead. Gallichan is seen here in this video.
Children: None

OCCUPATION/EDUCATION

IQ: Unknown, his IQ was never tested
Education: Left school aged 16, was an above average student but not exemplary
Jobs: First job after school was in a canning factory (1961), he then signed up for 9 years as an Army chef (rank: private), he was trained at St Omer Barracks in Aldershot, and then served as a cook in the 1st Battalion the Royal Fusiliers in Osnabrück (West Germany), Al Mansoura prison (Aden, South Yemen), Seaton Barracks (Plymouth), Cyprus, Inverness and the Shetland Islands (all for the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders). In December 1972 he joined the London Metropolitan Police and - having passed his exams - was posted to Wilsden Green Police Station until December 1973 when he resigned, having felt the Police Force lacked the camaraderie he found in the Army. After this he was a security guard (December 1973 to April 1974), he worked in Angie's Cafe (Covent Garden) and finally he successfully applied for a job as Acting Executive Officer at the employment office on Denmark Street, Soho (May 1974 to March 1983).
Training: Trained chef; skilled with knives and meat, trainee Police Officer and a union representative for the civil service.

SOCIAL LIFE

Favourite Food: Unspecified, but Nilsen trained as an Army chef who served in South yemen so (according to colleagues at the Job Centre) he could make a “mean curry”
Favourite Music: Tommy by The Who, Fanfare For The Common Man by Dvorak, Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Rick Wakeman, Royal Philharmonic’s Hooked on Classics and – his personal favourite - Frankenstein by The Edgar Winter Group
Favourite Film: Tommy (The Rock Opera) by The Who
Favourite Book: Unknown (currently researching)
Favourite Drink: Dark rum with Coca Cola, occasionally he would drink beer with whiskey chasers, and was known to make mulled wine at Christmas for work colleagues
Smoker: Yes, brand unknown
Hobbies: Nilsen was not into sports, he liked poetry (both reading and writing, a hobby he continues to this day, although he's not allowed to publish any), music (he still plays the keyboard) and amateur film-making (examples if which are seen here). Nilsen has also written his two-volume autobiography - The History of a Drowning Boy - which the European Court of Human Rights has banned the publication of).
Religion: Raised as strict catholic, but he is currently agnostic
Drugs/Alcohol: Nilsen disliked hard drugs, as even with his drug of choice being whiskey and rum, he was prone to blackouts through alcoholic binges, hence why he is unable to remember many of the names/details of his victims. But during his prison life, Nilsen has boasted that he enjoys illegally smugged in cannabis.
Political Leanings: Left-wing, a staunch Labour supporter and union representative

MURDER CAREER

Reason for Murder: Nilsen never intended to kill any of his victims. Dubbed "The Kindly Killer", Nilsen would meet a young, slim and (often) homeless male and invite him back to his flat for food, drink, sex and companionship, but cursed with a violent temper and an innate fear of being abandoned, once they were asleep, he would be overcome with the feeling that his "lover" would leave him, and so he'd murder them so they'd "stay forever"
Method of Murder: Strangulation using a ligature usually whilst his victim was asleep or heavily intoxicated on alcohol or heroin, he would then drown his victim in the bath, bucket or the kitchen sink. One victim - Carl Stotter - was strangled and drowned by Nilsen, but as "Bleep" (Nilsen's dog) started licking Stotter's face, it became clear that Stotter wasn't dead. Overcome with guilt - having probably sobered up a little - Nilsen spent the next few days helping Stotter to recover, having convinced him that he had become trapped by the cord of his sleeping bag and that Nilsen was trying to save him, not strangle him
Length of Career: 30th December 1978 to 26th January 1983
Number of Victims: This is impossible to determine as Nilsen was usually drunk, destroyed most of their remains (by fire, boiling, flushing or disposal by bin) and Nilsen's memory of the events are sketchy-at-best but there were 8 victims identified - Stephen Holmes, Kenneth Ockenden, Martyn Duffey, William Sutherland, Malcom Barlow, John Howlett, Graham Allen and Stephen Sinclair - 6 or 7 unidentified victims, and numerous "attempted" victims including Carl Stotter, Douglas Stewart and Paul Nobbs. Nilsen later commented that the only reason Paul Nobbs survived is because - with so many dead bodies hidden under his floorboards - Nilsen simply didn't have any space left for Nobb's corpse.
Criminal Record: None, prior to the murders
Preferred Victims: Aged 14-27 years old; young, gay, slim and vulnerable, who saw Nilsen as a father figure and (often) resembled his ex-partner David "Twinkle" Gallachan
Preferred Murder Location: In his own flat; 23D Cranley Gardens (Muswell Hill, London) and 195 Melrose Avenue (Wilsden, London), both locations still exist as family homes
Preferred Pick-Up Locations: Usually he's meet his dates/victims in local pubs, such as The Golden Lion in Soho, The Champion in Bayswater, The Coleherne in Earls Court, The Princess Louise in Holborn, The King William in Hampstead, The Salisbury near Leicester Square, The Black Cap in Camden and The Cricklewood Arms in Cricklewood.
Perversions: Owing to his fear of abandonment, Nilsen - having strangled his "date" - would bathe, shave and dress their corpses, then engage in a full loving relationship with (what he described as) “a new kind of flatmate”, by propping the cadaver on a chair in front of the TV; chatting to them, bathing, kissing, sleeping and even engaging in necrophilia with the corpses whilst watching them "make love" in a mirror (he denied having penetrative sex instead opting for Intercrural sex - non-penetrative sex by thrusting his penis between the corpses thighs). In his teens, Nilsen often wore make-up so he'd look like a corpse, then using a mirror, he would masturbate himself whilst staring at his "dead" reflection.
Disposal: Most of the corpses were stored in cupboards, trunks, under the sink/floorboards so he could "enjoy" the corpse for months on end, but as soon as liquefaction took place (with many of the cadavers becoming riddled with maggots), Nilsen would dismember them; boiling the flesh of their faces in a large cooking pot; skin, intestines and internal organs were flushed down the toilet and larger limbs chopped up and left out for the rubbish. But when Nilsen's landlord decided to renovate 195 Melrose Avenue he asked Nilsen to leave. Nilsen promptly built a large bonfire in the back garden and placed a tyre on top to disguise the smell of burning flesh, hence why many of his victims remain unidentified to this day.

ARREST/SENTENCE

Detection: On the 4th February 1983, Nilsen sent a letter to his estate-agent complaining that his drain was blocked. Four days later Michael Cattran of Dyno-Rod examined the drain and found a "flesh-like substance and many small bones", Nilsen feigned surprise and even suggested it was Kentucky Fried Chicken, but the flesh was examined by a patholigist, proved to be human remains and Nilsen was arrested. Upon entering Nilsen's flat, Detective Inspect Jay was overwhelmed by the smell of rotting flesh, stated "don't mess me around son, where's the rest of this body?", Nilsen pointed towards a cupboard which was full of black sacks full of body parts.
Arrested: On the evening of Wednesday 9th February 1983
Trial: Began on 24th October 1983 at the Old Bailey (London), before Judge Sir David Croom-Johnson and concluded on 4th November 1983, Nilsen was charged with six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and pleaded "not guilty" to all charges. The jury returned the next day with a majority verdict of "guilty".
Sentence Length: Initially condemned to a "life sentence" - which in the 1980's meant he would serve at least 25 years before parole is considered - in December 1998, the Home Secretary Jack Straw increased Nilsen's term to a "whole life tariff" which means he will never leave prison. He is one of 71 prisoners currently serving a "whole life tariff".
Prison: Nilsen is currently serving his "whole life sentence" at HMP Full Sutton (East Riding of Yorkshire) England, which is a Category A Prison. he previously served at HMP Parkhurst Prison but was moved having been attacked with a razor to the face and chest by fellow prisoner Albert Moffatt, his injuries required 89 stitches.
Type of Prisoner: Difficult. As a former Union Rep', Nilsen often petitions the Home Office with complaints about unfair rules. In October 2001, he filed a law suit when the prison removed a few "unsavoury" images from his hardcore homosexual magazines - Vulcan and Him - and prone to outbursts of anger, he once threw a bucket of faeces and urine at a prison officer, but - more often than not - he keeps to himself and replies to letters.
Parole: Not eligible.

Of course, if you'd like to learn more about serial-killer Dennis Nilsen, BOOK NOW onto Murder Mile Walk, a guided walk of Soho's most notorious murderers.

Next week's profile: John Wayne Gacy - "The Killer Clown"

If you "enjoyed" this blog post, why not take a peek at; Serial Killers & Murderers Who Were Never Caught, London's Deadliest & Often Forgotten Disasters, Are More Serial KIllers Born During a Full Moon, Killer's Birthdays / Star Signs, Serial Killers Who Were On TV, Celebrities Who Have Killed, London's Railway of Death, Serial Killers as Kids and the World's Weirdest Death Rituals

Michael J Buchanan-Dunne is a writer, crime historian and tour-guide who runs Murder Mile Walks, a guided tour of Soho’s most notorious murder cases, hailed as “one of the top ten quirky & unusual things to do in London” and featuring 12 murderers, including 3 serial killers, across 15 locations, totalling 75 deaths, over just a one mile walk.

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Where is the Most Dangerous Place to Live in Great Britain?

7/5/2017

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Where is the most dangerous place to live in Great Britain? Obviously, that's a hard question to answer as it depends what we're basing it on; most murders per capita (#1 being Boston in Lincolnshire), places with the highest burglary rate (#1 is Ilford, East London) or the most crimes in general per square mile (#1 being Oxford Street in London... obviously).

For this blog post I've decided to focus on a little known fact that I've accidentally stumbled across whilst researching the lives of 25 of the UK's most notorious serial killers. And that is the fact that at least 8 of them were either born, raised or committed murders in West Riding (Yorkshire).

Although it is a term rarely used, West Riding was a historic council boundary which comprises cities such as Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, Halifax, Sheffield and the surrounding villages and districts. It currently has a population of 3.2 million people, a relatively small number compared to London's 8.67 million people, out of the UK's 64.1 million. But this area has a disproportionately high number of the UK's most notorious and infamous serial killers - a place they called home.

Peter William Sutcliffe "The Yorkshire Ripper" was born on the 2nd June 1946 in Bingley (West Riding of Yorkshire), educated locally and worked in a series of menial jobs as a production line worker at Baird Television factory, Britannia Works of Anderton International and upon gaining his HGV licence started driving for T & W H Clark Ltd (all in Bradford). Being a regular user of prostitutes in Leeds and Bradford, over a five year period Sutcliffe murdered 13 women (many of whom were sex-workers), attempted to kill 7 others and was arrested in January 1981. Although he spent 26 years in Broadmoor Psychiatric Prison, Sutcliffe was declared "sane" and was transferred to HMP Frankland (Durham) where he is serving a whole life sentence.

Ian Brady & Myra Hindley "The Moors Murderers" - Born in Crumpsall on 23rd July 1942 and raised in Gorton (both in West Riding), Myra Hindley would later meet her soul-mate Ian Brady and between July 1963 and October 1965, they lured, sexually assaulted and murdered five young children on Saddleworth Moor (also in West Riding); aged between 10 and 17, they were Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans. Although the body of Keith Bennett has never been found.

Myra Hindley died on 15th November 2002 aged 60 of bronchial pneumonia. So vehement was the anger at Hindley that even 35 years after the murders, twenty undertakers refused to handle her corpse for cremation. In February 2003, Patricia Cairns – Hindley’s ex-partner – scattered her ashes in Stalybridge County Park, less than ten miles from Saddleworth Moor.

Gordon Frederick Cummins "The Black Out Ripper" - Although very little is known about the background of The Blackout Ripper - with much of his history either unknown or a complete lie crafted by himself to disguise his murderous actions - we do know that he was born in 1914, in York (West Riding). By 1942, he was in training as a leading aircraftman in the RAF, stationed in Regent's Park, when during his the darkness of London's blitz he went on a six-day killing spree, in Soho, murdering four women and attempting to kill two others. So graphic and horrifying were the details, that the British Press kept the story under wraps for fear of unsettling an already terrified London public. Want to know more? Book onto Murder Mile Walks.

Donald Neilson "The Black Panther" - Born on 1st August 1936 in Bradford, Donald Neilson (who changed his name from Donald Nappey, for which he was bullied and some believe drove him to kill) served in the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and as a jobbing builder in Bradford, before turning to a life of crime, during which time he burgled over 400 houses, making him so notorious he was dubbed The Black Panther, The Phantom and even Handy Andy. In 1974, theft turned to murder when he shot and battered to death three sub-postmasters. In 1976, Neilson was sentenced to a whole life tariff, totalling five life sentences with an extra 61 years for kidnapping and blackmail.

Stephen Shaun Griffiths - "The Crossbow Cannibal" - Born on 24th December 1969 in Dewsbury (West Riding), Stephen Griffiths dubbed “The Crossbow Cannibal” by himself, as when asked by the judge at his own trial for his name, this was what he gave (although there’s no evidence he ever ate any parts of his victims or owned a crossbow). Between June 2009 and April 2010, Stephen Griffiths murdered three local prostitutes – Susan Rushworth, Shelley Armitage and Suzanne Blamires - in Bradford, with the body parts of the final two victims found floating in the River Aire. No remains of Susan Rushworth have been found.

Harold Shipman "Dr Death" - Although born in Nottingham, Harold Shipman studied medicine at Leeds School of Medicine, began his medical career in Pontefract general Infirmary, became a local GP in the Abraham Ormerod Medical Centre in Todmorden as well as the Donneybrook Medical Centre in Hyde (all of which are in West Riding). His twenty-five year career as a family doctor ended on 31st January 2000 when Dr Shipman was convicted of the murders of 15 pensioners (mostly elderly female patients who he “euthanized”), although a later inquiry concluded he killed at least 215, possibly as many as 457, making him one of the most prolific serial killers in history.

And of course there is also Trevor Hardy, dubbed "The Beast of Manchester".

Of course, I'm only working from a small list of Britain's most notorious serial killers, I haven't even begun to include regular murderers, but )as big names go) that's a pretty impressive list.

No plans this weekend? Why not book onto Murder Mile Walks, a "truly curious thing to do in London", rated FIVE STARS by Time Out Magazine

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Executed & Convicted Murderers Who Were Innocent - USA

1/5/2017

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Following on from my blog - Executed & Convicted Murderers Who Were Innocent (UK) - which looked into the most high-profile miscarriages of justice in the UK which helped change the British legal system for good - here's the US version. Obviously many of us know about the Steve Avery case as documented in the series Making of a Murderer, where he was wrongfully tried for murder (twice)... but he wasn't the first, and he won't be the last. Unfortunately, so vast and corrupt is the US legal system that it's almost impossible to list everyone who has been wrongfully convicted - and even executed - for murder in the USA, so what follows is a list of some of the more infamous ones... broken down into a two-parter.

Anthony Charles Graves – INNOCENT & CONVICTED - In 1992, Anthony Charles was charged with the murder of Bobbie Davis and five members of his family in Somerville (Texas), even though there was no physical evidence that he was at the crime-scene, he had no motive to kill, no history of violence, three independent witnesses had placed him somewhere entirely different at the time of the murder and the only testimony which implicated him in the crimes was by Robert Earl Carter, the murderer himself. Carter was executed in 2000.

Graves was twice scheduled to die by lethal injection, but his case was overturned when Carter’s lawyer - District Attorney Charles Sebesta – finally decided to share a key piece of evidence; Carter’s confession that he had acted alone. Found entirely innocent, the charges were dropped against Graves, and after 18 years on Death Row he was released and awarded $1.4 million in compensation. District Attorney Charles Sebesta was found guilty of concealing evidence and false testimony… and was disbarred.

Cameron Todd Willingham – INNOCENT & EXECUTED - On 23rd December 1991, the Willingham family home was destroyed by fire, although Cameron Willingham managed to escape with minor burns, his three daughters - Amber Louise Kuykendall (aged 2) and twins Karmon Diane Willingham & Kameron Marie Willingham (aged 1) – all died, whilst their mother was out shopping for Christmas presents. Investigators concluded that the fire had been started deliberately to cover-up any evidence of child abuse or to dispose of his unwanted children. Although his wife Stacey protested that "our kids were spoiled rotten", he was not an abusive man and had not motive to kill their kids, Willingham was convicted of murder and executed.

So flimsy was the evidence that the prosecutor brought in a psychologist - James Grigson – to interpret Willingham’s mental state based on his tattoo (a skull & serpent) and the Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin posters in his room. After his death, the Texas Forensic Science Commission concluded that evidence against him was badly misinterpreted, that no combustible material was used to start the fire, and that the fire itself… was an accident.

Carlos DeLuna – INNOCENT & EXECUTED – On the 4th February 1983, 24 year old gas-station attendant Wanda Lopez was stabbed to death as the store was robbed by a “Hispanic” assailant in Corpus Christi (Texas). Identified at the scene by two eye-witnesses - Kevan Baker and George Aguirre – who at the same time was seen jogging a block away by John & Julie Arsuaga, Police put out an alert for her killer and arrested Carlos DeLuna who “fitted the description”.

Although he protested his innocence, DeLuna was found guilty and sentenced to death. In May 2012, an investigation by the Columbia Human Rights Law Review concluded that there were too many discrepancies in the evidence; what the “killer” and the “jogger” (DeLuna) were wearing, that the killer had a beard and De Luna didn’t, that the crime-scene was bloody even though no blood was found on DeLuna’s clothes at all, and – worse still – a local man had confessed to the crime many times; his name was Carlos Hernandez, and he looked just like DeLuna.

Darryl Hunt - INNOCENT & CONVICTED - In 1984, 19 year old Darryl Hunt was convicted of the rape and murder of local copy-editor Deborah Sykes in Winston-Salem (North Carolina). Although there was no physical evidence that that linked Hunt to the crime, the scene or the victim, Hunt (an African-American) was found guilty by an all-white jury and sentenced to life in prison, based almost entirely on the witness testimony of a hotel employee who “swore under oath” that he had seen Hunt enter a bathroom and leave behind some bloody hand-towels.

In 1994, thanks to advances in DNA testing, Hunt was found not guilty, but it wasn’t until 2003 (19 ½ years into his sentence) that he was exonerated and freed when DNA found the true culprit, Willard E. Brown who confessed to killing Sykes. Darryl Hunt went on to become a champion and advocate for the Innocence Project – which assists those who have been wrongly incarcerated – but died on 13th March 2016 of a self-inflicted gunshot, after a long battle with stage 5 cancer.

David McCallum & Willie Stuckey – INNOCENT & CONVICTED - In 1985, 20 year old Nathan Blenner from Queens (New York) was kidnapped during a botched car-jacking outside of his home by two black youths, one of whom shot Blenner in the head, killing him instantly. Although just 16 years old at the time, David McCallum & Willie Stuckley were arrested, confessed to the crimes (statements they would later retract and claim they’d been coerced into making by the Police) and were sentenced to 25 years to life imprisonment. In 2014, following advances in DNA testing and fingerprint analysis which proved they were innocent, McCallum & Stuckey were exonerated. Sadly Stuckley died of a heart-attack in prison in 2001. McCallum was released having served 29 years in prison.

David Wayne Spence - INNOCENT & EXECUTED - On the 13th July 1982, Jill Montgomery (17); Raylene Rice (17) and Kenneth Franks (18) were found raped, tortured and murdered by Lake Waco, as part of what is believed to be a botched life-insurance scam, when the three Texas teenagers were mistaken for someone else. Believing that known criminal and drug-abuser David Spence had been hired as a hit-man, the prosecution’s circumstantial evidence consisted of mostly of his criminal past, bite marks (which "appeared" to be similar to Spence’s dental records) and accusations from six fellow inmates, two of whom later retracted their statements admitting they’d been bribed with cigarettes, alcohol and conjugal visits in exchange for the accusations.

Ramon Salinas, the investigation’s original homicide detective gave a sworn deposition to the court stating “Nothing from the investigation ever led us to any evidence that he was involved” as well as a former Waco Police lieutenant stating "I do not think David Spence committed this offense". Spence was executed on 3rd April 1997. His final statement was to his (alleged) victim’s parents – “I want you to understand I speak the truth when I say I didn’t kill your kids. Honestly I have not killed anyone. I wish you could get the rage from your hearts and you could see the truth and get rid of the hatred” and lastly to his own children; in which he said “I love you all – (names of children) – Corey, Steve (garbled) – This is very important. I love ya’ll and I miss ya’ll. O.K., now I’m finished”.

Freddie Pitts & Wilbert Lee - INNOCENT & CONVICTED - On 1st August 1963, two black men Freddie Pitts & Wilbert Lee (as above, I am stating their skin-colour solely because it’s pertinent to the case) wanted to use the toilet at a Mo-Jo gas station in Port St Joe (Florida), but as it was for “whites only”, an argument ensued with two white men named Grover Floyd Jr & Jesse Burkett, and Pitts & Lee were arrested. Three days later, those two white gas station attendants were found shot to death. After a violent arrest, threats, beatings and a lengthy interrogation by the Police, Pitts & Lee pleaded guilty to the murder (a confession they’d later recant), and even though Curtis Adams Jnr confessed to the murders (a statement he refused to repeat on the witness stand), the all-white jury found them guilty and they were sentenced to death just three weeks later. Pitts & Lee were imprisoned for 12 years before Reubin Askew (Florida’s Governor) pardoned them on 20th September 1975. Read more.

Gary Gauger - INNOCENT & CONVICTED - On 9th April 1993, Gary Gauger awoke to discover that his parents – Morris & Ruth Gauger – had been murdered at their farm-house in Richmond (Illinois), whilst he was asleep. Police suspected Gary of his parent’s murder, and although there was no evidence to prove this, Police interrogated him for 21 hours during which they lied that "they had found bloody clothes in my bedroom; they found a bloody knife in my pocket", and having shown him horrific photos of his butchered parents, Gary confessed to their murders, believing the Police’s theory that (as he had no memory of the crime) "I must have done it in a blackout".

And even though his weak confession was the only evidence against him, Gary Gauger was found guilty and sentenced to death. After two years and nine months on Death Row, Gary Gauger was found innocent when during Police surveillance a motorcycle gang admitted to the murders, and released in March 1996. Read more.

Part two of Executed & Convicted Murderers Who Were Innocent - USA will be released soon.

No plans for the weekend? Looking for a curious & quirky treat for that certain special? Book onto Murder Mile Walks.

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Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #3 Dr Harold Shipman

Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #2 John Wayne Gacy

Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #1 Dennis Nilsen

Where is the Most Dangerous Place to Live in Great Britain?

Executed & Convicted Murderers Who Were Innocent - USA

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Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #3 Dr Harold Shipman

Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #2 John Wayne Gacy

Infamous Murderer & Serial Killer Profiles - #1 Dennis Nilsen

Where is the Most Dangerous Place to Live in Great Britain?

﻿Executed & Convicted Murderers Who Were Innocent - USA

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