Boston Strangler
| Albert DeSalvo | |
|---|---|
DeSalvo in 1967
|
|
| Born | September 3, 1931 Chelsea, Massachusetts |
| Died | November 26, 1973 (aged 42) Walpole, Massachusetts |
| Cause of death | Stabbing |
| Other names | Boston Strangler Mad Strangler of Boston Phantom Strangler Phantom Fiend The Green Man The Measuring Man |
| Criminal penalty | Life in prison |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 13 |
|
Span of killings
|
June 14, 1962–January 4, 1964 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Boston, Massachusetts |
The Boston Strangler is a name given to the murderer (or murderers) of 13 women in the Boston area, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in the early 1960s. The crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo based on his confession, details revealed in court during a separate case, and DNA evidence linking him to the last murder victim. Since then, parties investigating the crimes have suggested that the murders (sometimes referred to as "the silk stocking murders") were committed by more than one person.
Initially, the crimes were assumed to be the work of one unknown person dubbed "The Mad Strangler of Boston." The July 8, 1962 edition of the Sunday Herald, declared "A mad strangler is loose in Boston," in an article titled "Mad Strangler Kills Four Women in Boston." The killer was also known as the "Phantom Fiend" or "Phantom Strangler" due to the uncanny ability of the perpetrator to get women to allow him into their apartments. In 1963, two investigative reporters for the Record American, Jean Cole and Loretta McLaughlin, wrote a four-part series about the killer, dubbing him "The Boston Strangler." By the time that DeSalvo's confession was aired in open court, the name "Boston Strangler" had become part of crime lore.
The murders of Margaret Davis, 60, of Roxbury and Cheryl Laird, 14, of Lawrence were originally attributed to the Boston Strangler, but were later found to be unrelated.
Between June 14, 1962 and January 4, 1964, 13 single women between the ages of 19 and 85 were murdered in the Boston area. Most were sexually assaulted and strangled in their apartments by what was assumed to be one man. With no sign of forced entry into their homes, the women were assumed to have let their assailant in, either because they knew him or because they believed him to be an apartment maintenance man, delivery man, or other service man. The attacks continued despite the enormous media publicity after the first few murders that presumably discouraged women from admitting strangers into their homes. Many residents purchased tear gas and new locks and deadbolts for their doors. Some women left the area altogether.
The murders occurred in several cities, making it unclear who held overall jurisdiction over the crimes. Massachusetts Attorney General Edward W. Brooke helped to coordinate the various police forces. He controversially permitted psychometrist Peter Hurkos to use his alleged extrasensory perception to analyze the cases, for which Hurkos claimed that a single person was responsible. Hurkos provided a "minutely detailed description of the wrong person," and the press ridiculed Brooke. The police were not convinced that all the murders were the actions of one person, although much of the public believed so; the connection was widely discussed between a majority of the victims and hospitals.
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Wikipedia