Oakland County Child Killer
| Oakland County Child Killer | |
|---|---|
| Other names | The Babysitter Killer The Babysitter |
| Criminal penalty | Never sentenced |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 4+ |
|
Span of killings
|
February 15, 1976–March 16, 1977 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Michigan |
|
Date apprehended
|
Unapprehended |
The Oakland County Child Killer (OCCK) is an unidentified serial killer responsible for the murders of four or more children, two girls and two boys, in Oakland County, Michigan, United States in 1976 and 1977.
During a 13-month period, four children were abducted and murdered with their bodies left in various locations within the county. The children were each held from 4 to 19 days before being killed. Their deaths triggered a murder investigation which at the time was the largest in US history. The murders are still unsolved.
Fear and near mass hysteria swept southeastern Michigan as young people were inundated with information on "stranger danger", and parents clogged streets around schools dropping off and picking up their children. The few who did walk walked in groups and under the watchful eyes of parents in "safe houses", where children could go if they felt uncomfortable. Children even avoided using a playground directly behind the Birmingham police station. One incident in Livonia involved a tow-truck driver who assaulted a man he had seen asking two boys on the street for directions. He turned out to be a tire salesman on a business trip from Akron, Ohio, who had gotten lost with no knowledge of the slayings. The Detroit News offered a $100,000 reward for the killer's apprehension.
Detroit's two daily newspapers, as well as the area's numerous radio and television stations, aggressively covered the case. A presentation on WXYT, entitled Winter's Fear: The Children, the Killer, the Search, won a 1977 Peabody Award.
There were other abductions and murders around the Oakland County area within the same period. These are not specifically tied to the four victims above due to variations in the cases.
After the discovery of Kristine Mihelich's body, authorities realized they were dealing with three related cases and evidence that was similar. Reports were released publicly of the possibility of a serial killer operating in the Oakland County area. The Michigan State Police led a group of law-enforcement officials from 13 communities in the formation of a task force, devoted solely to the investigation.
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Wikipedia