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Boston Strangler
mugshot of Albert DeSalvo who confessed to being the Boston Strangler although doubts remain
Number of victims:	13
Country where killings occurred:	USA
States where killings occurred:	Boston, Massachusetts
Span of killings:	June 14, 1962 through January 4, 1964
Date apprehended:	?

The Boston Strangler is a name attributed to the murderer of several women in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in the early 1960s. Though the crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo, investigators of the case have since suggested the murders (sometimes known as the silk stocking murders) were not the handiwork of one person. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Settled 1630 Incorporated (city) 1822 Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Albert Henry DeSalvo (September 3, 1931 – November 25, 1973) was a criminal in Boston, Massachusetts, United States who confessed to being the Boston Strangler, the murderer of 13 women in the Boston area. ...

Victims

First Stage (1962)

• Anna E. Slesers, 55, sexually molested with unknown object and strangled with the cord on her bathrobe; found on June 14, 1962
• Mary Mullen, 85, died from a heart attack but in the confession was said to have collapsed as the strangler grabbed her; found on June 28, 1962
• Nina Nicols, 68, sexually molested and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on June 30, 1962
• Helen Blake, 65, sexually molested and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on June 30, 1962
• Ida Irga, 75, sexually molested and strangled; found on August 21, 1962
• Jane Sullivan, 67, sexually assaulted and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on August 30, 1962

June 14 is the 165th day of the year (166th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 242nd day of the year (243rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Second Stage (1962-1964)

• Sophie Clark, 19, sexually assaulted and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on December 5, 1962
• Patricia Bissette, 23, sexually assaulted and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on December 31, 1962
• Mary Brown, 69, stabbed and beaten found on March 9, 1963
• Beverly Samans, 23, stabbed to death on May 8, 1963
• Evelyn Corbin, 58, sexually assaulted and strangled with her nylon stockings; found on September 6, 1963
• Joann Graff, 23, sexually assaulted and strangled on November 25, 1963
• Mary Sullivan, 19, sexually assaulted and strangled with dark stockings; found on January 4, 1964

December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 68th day of the year (69th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 128th day of the year (129th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

Events

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 had been sexually assaulted in their apartments and were murdered in the manner indicated above. Without any sign of forced entry into their dwellings, the women were assumed to either know their assailant or have voluntarily allowed him into their homes. While the police were not convinced that all of these murders were the work of a single individual, much of the public believed so.

Gainsborough Street, site of the first murder attributed to the Boston strangler

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (989x2048, 1388 KB) own Photograph Gainsborough street boston july 2004 Doctorpete 17:26, 25 November 2006 (UTC)== Licensing == I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (989x2048, 1388 KB) own Photograph Gainsborough street boston july 2004 Doctorpete 17:26, 25 November 2006 (UTC)== Licensing == I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

Confession

On October 27, 1964, a stranger entered a young woman's home posing as a detective. He tied his victim to her bed, proceeded to sexually assault her, and suddenly left, saying "I'm sorry" as he went. The woman's description led police to identify the assailant as Albert DeSalvo and when his photo was published, many women identified him as the man who had assaulted them. Earlier on October 27, DeSalvo had posed as a motorist with car trouble and attempted to enter a home in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The homeowner, future Brockton police chief Richard Sproles, became suspicious and eventually fired a shotgun at DeSalvo. is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Albert Henry DeSalvo (September 3, 1931 – November 25, 1973) was a criminal in Boston, Massachusetts, United States who confessed to being the Boston Strangler, the murderer of 13 women in the Boston area. ... Driving is the controlled operation of a vehicle, usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, motorcycle, or car (for bicycles and mounted animals and—at least in the U.K. and U.S.—motorcycles, the corresponding activity is called riding). ...   Settled: 1650 â€“ Incorporated: 1656 Zip Code(s): 02324 â€“ Area Code(s): 508 / 774 Official website: http://www. ...

DeSalvo was not initially suspected of being involved with the stranglings. It was only after he was charged with rape that he gave a detailed confession of his activities as the Boston Strangler. He initially confessed to a fellow inmate George Nassar who reported to his attorney F. Lee Bailey who took on DeSalvo's case. The police were impressed at the accuracy of DeSalvo's descriptions of the crime scenes. Though there were some inconsistencies, DeSalvo was able to cite details which had not been made public. However, there was no physical evidence to substantiate his confession. As such, he stood trial for earlier, unrelated crimes of robbery and sexual offenses in which he was known as "The Green Man and The Measuring Man" respectively. Bailey brought up the confession to the stranglings as part of his client's history at the trial in order to assist in gaining a 'not guilty by reason of insanity' verdict to the sexual offenses but it was ruled as inadmissible by the judge. George Nassar (born June 1932) is an American murderer; Albert DeSalvo allegedly confessed to being the Boston Strangler to Nassar in late 1965. ... Bailey made the cover of Time in the late 70s for defending Patty Hearst Francis Lee Bailey, often referred to as F. Lee Bailey (born 1933), is a U.S. lawyer. ...

DeSalvo was sentenced to life in prison in 1967. In February of that year, he escaped with two fellow inmates from Bridgewater State Hospital triggering a full scale manhunt. A note was found on his bunk addressed to the superintendent. In it DeSalvo stated that he had escaped to focus attention on the conditions in the hospital and his own situation. The next day he gave himself up. Following the escape he was transferred to the maximum security Walpole State Prison where he was found murdered six years later in the infirmary. The killer or killers were never identified. Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday and the summer of 1967 was known as The Summer of Peace and Love (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ...   Settled: 1650 â€“ Incorporated: 1656 Zip Code(s): 02324 â€“ Area Code(s): 508 / 774 Official website: http://www. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Norfolk County Settled 1659 Incorporated 1724 Government  - Type Representative town meeting Area  - Town  21. ...

Doubts

Lingering doubts remain as to whether DeSalvo was indeed the Boston Strangler. At the time he confessed, people who knew him personally did not believe him capable of the vicious crimes. It was also noted that the women killed by "The Strangler" came from different age and ethnic groups, and that there were different modi operandi. Modus operandi (often used in the abbreviated form MO) is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as mode of operation. ...

In 1971, Texas legislator Tom Moore, Jr. introduced a measure to demonstrate the lack of legislative scrutiny. The measure's passage effectively meant that DeSalvo was commended by the Texas House of Representatives as being "officially recognized by the state of Massachusetts for his noted activities and unconventional techniques involving population control and applied psychology." Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Tom Moore, Jr. ... The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. ... Population control is the practice of limiting population increase, usually by reducing the birth rate. ... The basic premise of applied psychology is the use of psychological principles and theories to overcome practical problems in other fields, such as business management, product design, ergonomics, nutrition, law and clinical medicine. ...

Susan Kelly, author of the 1996 book The Boston Stranglers, who has had access to the files of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' "Strangler Bureau", argues that the stranglings were the work of several killers rather than a single individual. Another author, former FBI profiler Robert Ressler, said that "You're putting together so many different patterns [regarding the Boston Strangler murders] that it's inconceivable behaviorally that all these could fit one individual."^[1] Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... Profiler has multiple meanings. ... Colonel Robert K. Ressler Robert Ressler is a former FBI agent and author. ...

In 2000, Elaine Whitfield Sharp, an attorney specializing in forensic cases who is based in Marblehead, Massachusetts [1], took up the cause of the DeSalvo family and that of the family of Mary A. Sullivan. Sullivan was publicized as being the final victim in 1964, although other stranglings occurred after that date. A former print journalist, Whitfield Sharp assisted the families in their media campaign to clear DeSalvo's name, to assist in organizing and arranging the exhumations of Mary A. Sullivan and Albert H. DeSalvo, in filing various lawsuits in attempts to obtain information and trace evidence (e.g. DNA) from the government, and to work with various producers to create documentaries to explain the facts to the public. Whitfield Sharp pointed out various inconsistencies between DeSalvo's confessions and the crime scene information (which she obtained). For example, Whitfield Sharp observed that, contrary to DeSalvo's confession to Sullivan's murder, there was no semen in her vagina and that she was not strangled manually, but by ligature. Famed forensic pathologist Michael Baden observed that DeSalvo also got the time of death wrong — a common inconsistency with several of the murders pointed out by Susan Kelly. Whitfield Sharp continues to work on the case for the DeSalvo family. She established an informational website: bostonstrangler.org. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ...

In the case of Mary Sullivan, murdered January 4, 1964 at age 19, DNA and other forensic evidence — and leads from Kelly's book — were used by the victim's nephew Casey Sherman to try to track down her real killer. Sherman wrote about this in his book A Rose for Mary (2003) and stated that DeSalvo was not responsible for her death. For example, DeSalvo confessed to sexually penetrating Sullivan, yet the forensic investigation revealed no evidence of sexual activity. There are also suggestions from DeSalvo himself that he was covering up for another man, the real killer. In his criminal encyclopedia, "Bloodletters and Badmen" Author Jay Robert Nash refused to list DeSalvo, due to these doubts. is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a nucleic acid molecule that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. ... Agents of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division investigate a crime scene Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system. ... A Rose for Mary is a book about 19-year-old Mary Sullivan, the last victim of confessed Boston Strangler Albert DeSalvo. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Popular culture

• The song "Dirty Water" by The Standells is about the Boston Strangler.^{[citation needed]} The song is written in the first person perspective of the Boston Strangler. In an aside toward the end of the song the words, "Have you heard about the Strangler?" are heard.
• The song "Midnight Rambler" by the Rolling Stones (from the album Let It Bleed) was inspired by and almost mentions the Boston Strangler. After a series of lines ending in "rambler" and "gambler", the words 'Well you heard about the Boston...' are sung, yet what follows is obscured by music. It also features the refrain "Oh don't do that!" over and over which were the last known words of The Stranglers last victim- Mary Sullivan.
• British power electronics group Whitehouse have a track called "Dedicated to Albert De Salvo" (album: Buchenwald, 1981)
• Japanese doom metal band Church of Misery has a song titled "Boston Strangler (Albert DeSalvo)" on the album of the same name. Its lyrics are from the Strangler's point of view.
• The song "Boston Strangler" appears on the Macabre album Sinister Slaughter (1993).
• Former Philadelphia 76er Andrew Toney was given the nickname Boston Strangler because of his big game performances against the Boston Celtics
• Jack Valenti compared the VCR to the Boston Strangler, only to have home rentals become a major source of revenue.
• The song "Reality Check" by rapper Binary Star raps a brief statement about the Boston Strangler saying " Who's ever on the microphone let it be known, your in danger, I got necks like the Boston Strangler."
• The song "Night Stalker" by the band Impact Unit makes a reference of the Boston Strangler.

The Standells were a 1960s rock and roll band from Los Angeles, California who, like the The Seeds, exemplified the garage rock style. ... Midnight Rambler is a song by British rock and roll band the Rolling Stones that was released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Let It Bleed is an album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1969. ... Whitehouse is an English industrial noise band formed in 1980. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Church of Misery is a doom metal band from Tokyo, Japan. ... Macabre are a death metal band from the USA. They were formed in 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, and ever since have never had a line-up change. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Andrew Toney (born November 23, 1957 in Birmingham, Alabama) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the NBAs Philadelphia 76ers from 1980-1988. ... The Boston Celtics are a professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Jack Joseph Valenti (September 5, 1921 – April 26, 2007) was an influential corpse and a long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America. ...

References

• A Rose for Mary ISBN 1-55553-578-X
• A Death in Belmont Sebastian Junger ISBN 0-393-05980-4
• New England Remembers The Boston Strangler Alan Rogers ISBN 1-889833-52-5
• American Gothic episode "The Strangler"

Notes

is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• FBI files (still partly classified)
• Albert DeSalvo - The Boston Strangler?
• The Boston Strangler (Court TV's Crime Library)
• The Boston Strangler
• The Ayes of Texas. Snopes.com.
• Article about Sebastian Junger's Book A Death in Belmont TIME Magazine, 04/10/2006.