Background

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, a disturbing series of abductions, assaults, rapes, and murders plagued the city of Toledo, Ohio, and the surrounding areas. The perpetrators would turn out to be a pair of brothers, one of whom had a long and troubled criminal history, while the other one had nothing more than traffic violations on his record. Before it was all said and done, Anthony and Nathaniel Cook would claim nine innocent lives and terrorize many more. This is the violent and bloody tale of the Cook brothers.

A Troubled Start

Born in Mobile, Alabama, in March 1949, Anthony Cook was the third child of Hayes and Marjorie Cook. When Anthony was very young, his family relocated to Ohio. The Cooks would go on to have six more children, including a younger brother named Nathaniel, born nine years after Anthony, before divorcing in 1959. Their mother did her best to make ends meet, but with so many children to care for, the older siblings had to take on part-time jobs to help support the family.

The family took another blow in 1965 when one of the eldest children, Hayes III, was arrested and convicted on charges of rape and sentenced to 7 to 25 years in prison. Anthony, a teenager at the time, was already following a similar path as his older brother.

By his teenage years, Anthony had already earned a less-than-savory reputation for purse-snatching, inappropriately touching a neighborhood girl, and performing poorly in school. A few years after Hayes was arrested, Anthony was arrested for robbing an innocent passerby.

Likely in part due to his age, Anthony was sent to a mental facility rather than incarcerated. While there, Anthony was diagnosed with early-onset schizophrenia. Around a week after his release, Anthony was in custody again after he assaulted and robbed a 61-year-old woman. The judge was much less forgiving this time around, and Anthony was sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison.

Escelating Violence

In 1973, Anthony was paroled just a few years into his sentence. He was able to stay out of trouble for a few months, but there was something much darker brewing. On December 20th, the city of Toledo, Ohio, was being blitzed by a snowstorm. Anthony went out for a late-night drive, and he had one mission: to seek an even bigger thrill.

Just before 2 a.m., Anthony came across 21-year-old Vicki Lynn Small, caught out in the snow and trying to make her way home. Anthony offered her a ride to her apartment, and Vicki accepted. Instead, Anthony drove her to a park in central Toledo. Once there, he physically and sexually assaulted Vicki. When he was finished, he shot her six times and dumped her body behind a nearby golf club.

Her body was found only four hours later, but with no physical evidence aside from bullets recovered at the scene and mismanagement of the case by police, the trail quickly turned as cold as the weather.

The following year, Anthony was arrested once more for robbing two people at gunpoint. He was sentenced to five years in prison and was released on parole in 1979. Surprisingly, he did not immediately return to his old ways. Instead, he got a job, and he even got married to a local teacher. It seemed like things were turning around for him, but in reality, Anthony was about to turn things around for someone else in the worst way possible.

Corrupting Influence

Being nearly 10 years apart, Nathaniel and Anthony didn’t have much in common growing up. After their parents separated and the older siblings were forced to take on part-time jobs, Anthony and Nathaniel saw even less of each other.

The distance widened further when the younger children temporarily relocated to California for a few years in the early 1970s, a time during which Anthony was in and out of jail. Without the influence of his troublemaking older brothers, Nathaniel grew into a quiet but well-behaved kid.

He had no disciplinary issues, but he did struggle to make friends. Nathaniel dropped out of high school, and though he planned to join the military, he never actually enlisted. Despite his social struggles, Nathaniel had maintained a clean record and kept himself out of trouble. As an adult, he’d only ever been cited for traffic violations, and he had no history of violent behavior whatsoever.

After Anthony was paroled in 1979, he decided to reach out and reconnect with Nathaniel. Having struggled to make friends, Nathaniel accepted his brother’s bid for a connection, and the two began spending time together often. Nathaniel may have thought of this as an opportunity to escape his loneliness; however, for Anthony, this was an opportunity to turn his kid brother into his partner-in-crime.

Partners in Crime

In May of 1980, the Cook brothers would perpetrate their first shared attack on a couple in North Toledo. Thomas Gordon, 24, and his 18-year-old girlfriend were carjacked at gunpoint. They drove the couple to the outskirts of the county and into a wooded area.

There, they shot and killed Thomas before taking turns raping his girlfriend. The brothers then stabbed her before fleeing. Remarkably, she survived the ordeal- one of the first victims of the Cook brothers, and one of the few survivors. Gordon’s body was found in the trunk of a car in Western Lucas County.

The thrill of their first attack kept the brothers satiated for a while, but when the new year rolled around, they were ready to strike again. On January 3rd, 1981, 19-year-old Connie Sue Thompson was hitchhiking near Toledo and accepted a ride from the Cook brothers.

Once again, they drove their victim to the outskirts of the county and raped her. This time, they took it a step further- they murdered Connie and threw her body off a bridge, discarding the young woman like trash.

Crime Spree

On January 27th, the Cook brothers struck again. As 18-year-old Cheryl Bartlett Fann and her 22-year-old fiancé, Bud Coates, were walking home, Anthony approached them on the street and produced a gun. Bud tried to keep Cheryl calm, but she knew they were in grave danger.

They offered Anthony their valuables, but he wanted more. He forced the couple to cover their faces with ski masks and led them down an alley to a garage. Nathaniel emerged from the shadows, and after restraining Bud, they raped Cheryl repeatedly while her fiancé looked on in terror. When they were finished, they forced Bud to hold Cheryl still and then shot her in the back.

After the gun ran out of bullets, Anthony and Nathaniel fled, leaving Cheryl severely injured and both she and Bud traumatized, but alive. The spree continued into February, when Anthony coerced Dawn Rene Backes, only 12 years old, into his car. Nathaniel arrived after the abduction, and they drove Dawn to an abandoned theater nearby.

They spent hours torturing and sexually assaulting Dawn, then they brutally crushed her skull with a brick and left her body abandoned. This was an escalation in violence, even with the already horrifically violent crimes behind them. Perhaps the murder of Dawn Rene Backes took a toll on Nathaniel, who, prior to his crime spree with Anthony, had no history of violence. The next two crimes, both attacks on couples, were perpetuated by Anthony alone.

On March 27th, he abducted a 21-year-old couple, Scott Moulton and Denise Siotkowski. After raping Denise, he shot and killed both of them. A few months passed, and in the early morning hours of August 2nd, Anthony ambushed another 21-year-old couple. Stacy Lynn Balonek and Daryl Cole were coming back from a night out with family.

True to his M.O., Anthony raped Stacy, but rather than shooting them, Anthony used a baseball bat from Stacy’s car to bludgeon both to death. He then tossed both their bodies in the trunk of Stacy’s car.

In September of 1981, Anthony attacked a couple sitting in a parked van. 20-year-old Leslie Sawicki and 21-year-old Todd Sabo were ambushed, and while Anthony attempted to rape Leslie, she managed to escape and call the police. She also called her father, Peter Sawicki, who arrived before the police. Immediately upon arriving, Peter was shot and killed by Anthony, who then fled the scene.

Arrests and Convictions

The murder of Peter Sawicki was high-profile as he was a successful and well-known businessman in the area. This time, Anthony had been sloppy- he left fingerprints at the scene, which police were able to recover. About a month later, on October 14th, police located and arrested Anthony. With a lack of physical evidence in the other cases, authorities were only able to try Anthony for the murder of Peter Sawicki. For this, Anthony was sentenced to life in prison in 1982.

After 1981, Nathaniel had turned away from any sort of violent crime altogether and had been attempting to get his life back on track. He was arrested for some minor, non-violent offenses, and because of one of these arrests in the 1990s, a DNA sample was obtained from Nathaniel.

The late 90s brought substantial advancements in DNA technology, and in 1998, Nathaniel’s DNA returned a match to biological samples collected from previous crime scenes. On February 13th, 1998, Nathaniel was arrested for the brothers’ first attack in May of 1980.

In 2000, both brothers agreed to a plea deal. This arrangement required that they admit to the murder of Thomas Gordon and confess to their other murders, and in exchange, they would not be charged for the other murders they confessed to.

Nathaniel admitted to murdering Thomas Gordon, and he also admitted that he was an accomplice in the murders of Connie Thompson and Dawn Backes. Anthony, on the other hand, pled guilty to eight additional murders, including the 1973 murder of Vicki Lynn Small, which had never been connected to him until his confession.

Anthony was given an additional life sentence, and Nathaniel was sentenced to 75 years in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years.

Attempted Appeals

Anthony attempted to file a motion for parole in 2015 at the age of 65, which was promptly denied by Ohio’s parole board. He was forbidden from attempting to file another motion for another 10 years. In 2025, Anthony again filed for parole. Families of victims spoke out, and once again, Anthony’s parole request was denied.

Toledo Police Department Detective Frank Stiles strongly supported keeping Anthony behind bars, citing his belief that Anthony would immediately kill again. Stiles, who helped hunt Anthony and who interviewed him immediately following his arrest, said, “He is the worst human being I’ve ever seen, talked to, known, or investigated. He’s the worst.” With his second failed attempt at parole, Anthony will not be able to apply again until 2034.

Release of Nathaniel Cook

On the other hand, Nathaniel applied for parole in 2018. Though Judge Linda Jennings was personally against releasing Nathaniel, he had fulfilled his end of the plea deal, and there was no legal basis to keep him imprisoned.

On August 10th, 2018, at the age of 59, Nathaniel Cook was released on parole. The judge was very strict with the provisions of his parole, requiring that Nathaniel remain permanently on the sex offender registry, wear a monitor with GPS tracking, and register his address every 90 days to prevent him from living too close to areas where children frequent.

His release sparked outrage, and he was the first serial killer in Ohio’s history to ever be granted parole.

Closing Thoughts

Anthony Cook is a deeply disturbed and evil man with a violent heart who drew his younger brother into his depraved and sadistic actions. Were the seeds of violence already within Nathaniel, or was Anthony’s coercion strong enough to convince him to do things he would otherwise never consider?

We may never have the answers, but the story of Anthony and Nathaniel Cook remains as one of the most harrowing serial killer cases in Ohio’s history. For now, Nathaniel is “free” but severely restricted, while Anthony remains behind bars.

Though he’ll be eligible to reapply for parole at the age of 85, as time passes, it grows increasingly more likely that Anthony Cook will never be released- a small comfort to the families of his victims, who continue to suffer from such tragic, cruel, and senseless losses of their loved ones.

Sources:

Baker, KC. “How a Woman Escaped Near-Certain Death After Encounter With Cook Brothers Serial Killers.” People.com, 9 June 2024, https://people.com/cook-brothers-serial-killers-how-woman-escaped-near-certain-death-8657781

Baker, KC. “Surviving the Cook Brothers: Woman Details Violent Encounter With Pair of Serial Killer Siblings.” People.com, 8 June 2024, https://people.com/cook-brothers-people-magazine-investigates-surviving-serial-killer-woman-recounts-horror-8658343

Dugger, Brian. “Toledo Serial Killer Denied Parole, Won’t Be Eligible Again Until 2034.” wtol.com, 17 Mar. 2025, https://www.wtol.com/article/news/crime/toledo-serial-killer-anthony-cook-denied-parole/512-31a4cf1d-711f-479e-a9db-650298f1650a

Seewer, John. “Judge Allows Release of Man Who Confessed to 3 Killings | AP News.” AP News, 9 Aug. 2018, https://apnews.com/general-newef38d7007bb8416ebb43c1e143c36f5b

Dugger, Brian. “Toledo’s Most Prolific Serial Killer Faces Parole: Families of Victims, Prosecutor Speak Out.” wtol.com, https://www.wtol.com/article/news/investigations/11-investigates/most-prolific-serial-killer-in-toledo-history-makes-a-bid-for-freedom-cook-brothers-toledo-serial-killer-parole-hearing-2024/512-8887dce9-b91c-4bd6-8b60-ba64061f0902

*Warning: This Article Contains Sensitive Subject Matter*

Background

On a quiet terraced street in Gloucester sat an unassuming three-story house occupied by Fred West, his wife, Rose, and their children. Few could have imagined the horrors that went on inside the red brick walls of this ordinary-looking home. The case of Fred and Rose West would become one of the most notorious crime cases in modern British history. It was a case that stunned even the most hardened police officers and left a permanent scar on British history.

Fred West

Fred West was the second of six children born to a working-class family on September 29th, 1941, in rural Herefordshire. His childhood was incredibly turbulent, filled with physical and sexual abuse, violence, and a twisted exposure to sex from a very early age, which many believed played a hand in his developing pattern of violent sexual behavior.

His teenage years were troubled and often violent. He left school around age fifteen and worked various labor jobs. By 1957, Fred and his brother, John, had begun frequenting a youth club in nearby Ledbury, where his distinct Herefordshire accent earned him the nickname of “Country Bumpkin.”

Fred was known to aggressively pester women and girls, and on one such occasion, he groped a girl on a fire escape outside the Youth Club, who punched him in the face, causing him to fall two floors and sustain a serious head injury.

However, this was not his only serious accident; when he was seventeen, Fred was in a motorcycle accident and suffered a fractured skull, a broken arm, and a broken leg; the accident left him unconscious for a week, and when he was discharged from the hospital, he had to walk with braces for several months. The motorcycle accident caused him to develop a phobia of hospitals, and he also began to burst into fits of rage.

Disturbing Origins of a Predator

In June 1961, one of Fred’s younger sisters, 13-year-old Kitty, told her mother shocking news: she was pregnant, and her brother, Fred, who had been continually raping her, was the father. Fred was arrested and is said to have freely admitted to police that he molested young girls since his early teens; he even commented, “Doesn’t everybody do it?”

Fred was tried on November 9th at Herefordshire Assizes - his mother was willing to testify in his defense; however, his sister Kitty changed her mind and refused to testify, and the case against Fred ultimately fell apart. Meanwhile, Kitty was expelled from school and forced to have an abortion. She passed away in 2006. Due to his abhorrent behavior, Fred was estranged from and effectively dissowned by much of his family.

By his early twenties, Fred, in addition to his penchant for rape and incest, had developed many other troubling patterns, such as reckless behavior, petty theft, and early sexual aggression.

In 1962, when he was 21, Fred married Catherine Costello (AKA Rena), a young Scottish woman whom he had met in Glasgow. Rena was pregnant at the time by a Pakistani bus driver. Despite this, when Charmaine was born on March 22, 1963, Fred claimed her as his own. However, their marriage was marked by violence and Fred’s frequent extramarital affairs, but in July 1964, Rena and Fred welcomed another daughter, Anna Marie.

In 1965, West is alleged to have accidentally run over and killed a young boy with his van in Glasgow. However, the boy’s parents did not believe that it was accidental, and West, fearing possible retaliation by the locals, returned to Gloucestershire with his two daughters.

His wife, Rena, joined them in early 1966. At the time, Fred was carrying on affairs with several women and girls, including a teenager named Anne McFall. In July 1967, 18-year-old McFall, who was eight months pregnant with West’s child, disappeared.

In 1971, Rena and Charmaine West also disappeared.

By his late twenties, after drifting between Gloucestershire and the West Midlands, Fred met Rose Letts.

Rose Letts

Rosemary Letts was born in Devon on November 29th, 1953, the fifth of seven children. Like Fred, her early life was also marked with volatility, sexual abuse, and exploitation. Her father, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was prone to extreme violence; their childhood was harsh; she and her siblings were never allowed to go out much, with their father sometimes making them clean the carpets with their toothbrushes.

Rose and her older sister, Patricia, were also subjected to sexual abuse by their father. Their mother, Daisy, was known to suffer from deep depression and was treated with electroconvulsive therapy when she was pregnant with Rose, and some suspect that this may have caused a prenatal injury.

At school, her performance was below average, and she was bullied for her weight and was given the nickname “Dozy Rosie” by the other children. During puberty, she would parade naked around the house, enamored by her developing body. It is also said that on numerous occasions she molested her younger brothers.

A Match Made in Hell

Rose first met Fred West when she was only 15, and he was 27. At the time, she worked in a bread shop in Cheltenham. Upon Rose’s first encounter with Fred, she was said to be repulsed by his scruffy demeanor, but she quickly became flattered by the constant attention he would give her.

Eventually, the two began a romantic relationship, much to the horror of Rose’s parents, who threatened to call social services if it continued. Rose’s parents tried repeatedly to stop her relationship with Fred, even alerting Gloucestershire social services in 1969 that their 15-year-old daughter was involved with an older man - they even claimed she might be engaging in prostitution at his caravan.

Rose was placed in a Cheltenham home for troubled teenagers, allowed out only under strict conditions, yet she continued to visit Fred whenever possible.

On her 16th birthday, while Fred was serving a short sentence for theft, Rose briefly returned to her parents, but as soon as he was released, she moved into his Cheltenham flat. Her father made one last attempt to intervene, leading to a police examination that confirmed Rose was pregnant.

She was again placed in care, with the expectation she would end the pregnancy and return home, but she chose instead to live with Fred, prompting her father to ban her from the family home. Three months later, the couple moved to 25 Midland Road in Gloucester, where Rose gave birth to their first child, Heather Ann, in October 1970.

The two were married in January 1972 at Gloucester Register Office. With Rose carrying another child, the couple moved from Midland Road to 25 Cromwell Street, a nearby address.

Shortly after giving birth to her second child on June 1st, 1972, Rose began to work as a prostitute, using one of the upstairs rooms at 25 Cromwell Street. The room was known as “Rose’s Room” and was fitted with a red light, numerous peep holes, and a baby monitor, primarily for Fred’s benefit.

25 Cromwell Street

In addition to her prostitution, Rose engaged in casual sex with both male and female lodgers at their Cromwell property, including individuals Fred encountered from his work. The Wests openly admitted to taking pleasure from any form of sex involving strong dominance, pain, and violence.

Read more

In April 2024, Tales From the Underworld covered the gruesome story of Mikhail Popkov. Known as “The Werewolf,” Popkov is Russia’s most infamous serial killer.

Update

In April 2025, Russia’s most notorious serial killer, 61-year-old Mikhail Popkov, known as “The Werewolf,” confessed to a previously unsolved 2011 murder in a park in Angarsk.

This followed his confession in 2023 to three additional previously unsolved murders. This new admission now brings his confirmed victim count to 90, though officials believe the actual number is closer to 200.

Murder of Tatyana S

According to Popkov, he met the victim, identified as Tatyana S, in 2011 by chance while riding his bicycle in a park near an abandoned water pump station. The two began a conversation, which then turned into an argument.

Popkov struck the woman with a small axe that he was carrying, and after pushing her to the ground, doused her with a solvent before throwing a lit match onto her. As the woman’s body went up in flames, Popkov tossed the axe in the nearby grass and took off on his bike.

The case had remained unsolved since the victim’s remains were discovered in 2011. Popkov had no connection to the victim and was never a suspect in the murder. However, he admitted his guilt and testified to his involvement. He was transferred from his high-security prison to assist officials in the investigation process.

It has been said that the motive for his confessions is to get better conditions while in prison, and for him to be allowed out of his cell while assisting investigators.

Because Popkov is already serving two life sentences, he has nothing to lose by implicating himself in additional murders. In 2023, he confessed to three murders in the Irkutsk region of Siberia. The three women were aged 25, 27, and 31. One of the victims had, like Tatyana, been set on fire.

“The Werewolf”

Following his 2015 arrest and conviction, Mikhail Popkov became known as “The Werewolf” for the brutal ways he killed and mutilated his victims. All of his victims were female, and many were sexually assaulted before being killed with hammers, axes, knives, screwdrivers, and other tools.

Popkov worked as a police officer, which enabled him to gain the trust of many of his victims. He would frequently lure them by offering rides in his police car. In 2015, he was convicted of 22 murders, and then an additional 56 in 2018. However, he has confessed to several other murders for which he was not convicted.

The timeline for his crimes was believed to have been between 1992 and 2010. However, his latest admission to the murder of Tatyana in 2011 has now expanded it.

Criminal Pathology

Popkov told investigators that his motive for the killings was to “cleanse Angarsk of prostitutes.” During a psychiatric evaluation, Popkov was diagnosed as having “Homicidal Mania,” an irrational desire to kill someone. Despite this, Popkov was declared sane before being tried and convicted for his crimes.

In court, he told the judge that he could not remember how many victims he killed, “I can’t say exactly, I didn’t keep a record.” He admitted his guilt in full.

In 2023, Popkov, also known as the “Angarsk Maniac,” was interviewed by Russian state television. During the interview, Popkov stated his desire to fight on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“Taking into consideration my military specialization, I think it’s in quite high demand now.” It is unclear what he meant by this since he has not previously served in the military and has only worked as a police officer and a security guard.

So far, his request has been denied, though it has been reported that some prisoners have received pardons in exchange for their service with the controversial Wagner Group.

Sources:

Stewart, Will & Hanlon, Tim. “Moment Russia’s worst serial killer confesses to axing 90th female victim.” Mirror UK, 12 April 2025, https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/moment-russias-worst-serial-killer-35044244

Cole, Brendan. “Russian Serial Killer Who Murdered 80 Women Volunteers for Ukraine Front.” Newsweek, 20 January 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-serial-killer-murder-volunteer-popkov-1774546

Roth, Andrew. “Russian serial killer convicted of 56 more murders.” The Guardian, 10 December 2018, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/10/russias-worst-serial-killer-jailed-for-life-mikhail-popkov

“Bind, Torture, Kill.” Those three words spread fear throughout the city of Wichita, Kansas, during the 1970s, when serial killer Dennis Rader terrorized the community with a grisly trail of victims over a 20-year period.

Since his arrest and conviction in 2005, the BTK Killer has been incarcerated in a maximum security facility in Butler County, Kansas. However, the spotlight now shines on his crimes once again, as new information suggests he might be the key to solving a 50-year-old cold case in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

Backstory

Previously, Tales From the Underworld covered the twisted saga of notorious serial killer Dennis Rader, known as the “BTK Killer.” Rader became known for both his sadistic crimes and the taunting messages that he sent to the police and media.

Despite his religious upbringing and stable family unit with no history of abuse, Rader’s teenage years awakened within him an insatiable lust and violent obsession with subjugating and killing women.

His sadistic sexual fantasies of kidnapping and torturing women, as well as finding pleasure in acting out bondage techniques and wearing women’s clothing, followed him throughout his adolescence. When he didn’t harm humans, he engaged in the torture of animals, particularly cats in his neighborhood.

As an adult, Rader wore a daily costume: that of a dutiful husband and father of two, making an honest living as an ADT installer. Acquaintances described him as a rigid follower of the rules, and he was personable enough to be known in the community as an average suburban family man with a few quirks here and there, but not enough to warrant suspicion.

However, in 1974, Rader made the decision to act on his violent impulses, leading to tragic consequences.

Reign of Terror

Rader’s first victims were the Otero family. After stalking the family for two months, he suffocated husband and father Joseph Otero, followed by his son Joseph and wife Julia. 11-year-old Josephine, who had just witnessed the murders of her family, was taken into the basement where Rader hung her from a pipe.

Three hours later, the gruesome scene was discovered by the three remaining Otero children, who were in school at the time.

His modus operandi of “bind, torture, and kill” earned him the nickname of BTK. Rader continued his murder spree in the following months and years. Kathryn Bright, Shirley Ruth Relford, Nancy Jo Fox, Vicki Wergerle, Dolores Davis, Marine Hedge, and others were all stalked for a brief time before Rader entered their homes, bound and strangled them with either a rope or pantyhose.

In addition to his bloodlust, Rader also had an insatiable need for notoriety. In Dennis’s self-aggrandizement and overwhelming desire for attention, he risked getting caught to showcase his supposed brilliance.

He teased media outlets and police stations throughout the state with grim word puzzles, dolls with ropes around their necks, mementoes from his victims, and written descriptions of his crimes. One letter to the police summed up all his feelings: “How many do I have to kill before I get a name in the paper or some national recognition?”

Capture and Conviction

Soon enough, his wish came true. After asking the police if he could send them a floppy disk without being traced, they placed an ad in the newspaper in confirmation. Without a second thought, he sent them the disk, unaware that the police could trace his personal information.

As a result, they discovered the name of the sender: Dennis Rader. In February 2005, Rader was arrested at his home while on his lunch break. In June 2005, Rader pleaded guilty to 10 murders, and in August, he was sentenced to 10 consecutive life sentences with a minimum of 175 years.

That should have been the end of his story. Yet, it wasn’t.

Disappearance of Cynthia Dawn Kinney

Two hours away from Wichita at 9:30 a.m. on June 23, 1976, 16-year-old Cynthia Dawn Kinney of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, got into the backseat of a beige 1965 Plymouth Belvedere, leaving her aunt and uncle’s laundromat with two unknown individuals. The soon-to-be cheerleader and model student was never seen or heard from again.

Last seen wearing a peach-colored shirt and jeans, police found no other clues to go on apart from her purse, a drink, some loose change, and a half-eaten doughnut left behind in the laundromat where she worked part-time.

As for the individuals with her in the car, the police ran into consistent dead ends throughout their investigation. Law enforcement had little choice but to leave the case be until new evidence emerged. That was, until 2023.

This cold case that rocked the small community of Pawhuska reemerged with a new development–and a possible suspect. A local sheriff named Eddie Virden believes that Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer, might have been responsible.

But how are these two connected?

BTK Responsible?

Several decades after Cynthia Kinney vanished, the police received anonymous calls and tips claiming that her body was buried in a barn somewhere on the border between Kansas and Oklahoma.

The information, being too vague, was not enough for them to act on. However, Rader’s daughter, who has been proactive and resourceful in assisting police in dealing with the aftermath of her father’s crimes, informed them of his affinity for barns, as further detailed in his drawings depicting women tied and gagged in the setting.

Sheriff Virden took a closer look at one of Rader’s word puzzles and found the words “Cindy”, “Kinney”, “laundromat”, and “Pawhuska” among others. When interviewed about the case, Rader denied having been involved despite his admission to fantasizing about kidnapping a girl from a laundromat, since they were considered perfect places for stalking and snatching.

His journals and manuscripts speak of his victims as “projects.” One such project called “Bad Wash Day” in 1976 required him to leave town until “things cool off.” He also spoke of his intended victim, who was a woman with brown hair.

While Rader is a master manipulator and a liar, the one thing he does not lie about is his horrible deeds. Rather, he is proud of them and recounted them in a matter-of-fact, detailed, and bragging way during his 2005 legal proceedings.

Seeing as Cynthia’s disappearance is not exactly Rader’s MO, some have dismissed his involvement. However, it is possible that Rader may wish to be in the spotlight once again…

As of now, Cynthia Kinney remains missing. Anyone with information or leads can call the Osage County Sheriff's Office at (918) 287-3131.

Sources:

Phillips, Sharon. “Oklahoma Cold Case Files: Cynthia Dawn Kinney.” 2 News Oklahoma, 22 September 2023, https://www.kjrh.com/news/local-news/oklahoma-cold-case-files-cynthia-dawn-kinney

Olivias, Kaylee. “‘Can’t be overlooked’: BTK word puzzle spells missing Pawhuska teen’s name, laundromat she was last seen at.” Oklahoma’s News 4, 14 May 2024, https://kfor.com/news/cant-be-overlooked-btk-word-puzzle-spells-missing-pawhuska-teens-name-laundromat-she-was-last-seen-at/

Cynthia Dawn Kinney, The Charlie Project, https://charleyproject.org/case/cynthia-dawn-kinney

Hawkinson, Katie. “BTK serial killer tied to cold case murder after cryptic puzzle decoded 20 years on.” The Independent, 15 May 2024, https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/btk-killer-cynthia-dawn-kinney-disappearance-b2545860.html

Background

In 1992, two bodies were discovered in a remote area of Australia’s Belanglo State Forest. Initially believed to be an isolated incident, these bodies were the first of five such discoveries in the same area over the next year.

The earliest victims dated back to 1989, and most had been visiting Australia for tourism. All of the victims had suffered unimaginable abuse and torture, and the similarities pointed to a single individual being responsible.

The victims had all gone missing while backpacking or hitchhiking. Following a lengthy investigation, police finally located the monster they’d been looking for, thanks to the help of the lone survivor. This is the haunting tale of Ivan Milat and Australia’s Backpacker Murders.

Ivan Milat

Ivan Robert Marko Milat was born on December 27th, 1944, in Guildford, just outside of Sydney, Australia. Ivan was the fifth of fourteen children born to Croatian immigrant Stjepan “Steven” Milat and native Australian Margaret Piddleston.

The family lived a rural farm life, and Steven reportedly had a problem with alcohol and a short temper. With an often angry and intoxicated father and 13 siblings, Ivan’s early life was nothing short of chaotic.

Living in such a rural area, Ivan quickly learned to be adept with a knife and was said to be an avid hunter. Though their parents tried to provide discipline — even sending their children to Catholic schools— the Milat boys earned themselves a reputation as troublemakers.

Trouble with the Law

By his late teens, Ivan had already amassed a notable juvenile record for breaking and entering, home invasions, armed robbery, car theft, and a variety of petty crimes. Yet, none of these more minor offenses could predict the evil that lurked within.

Ivan was described by many as an attractive young man who put effort into his appearance; he was well-groomed and generally well-kempt. Later, his brother Boris would confess that Ivan displayed psychopathic tendencies from an early age, including brutally attacking animals with machetes or similar large knives.

Milat had spent some time in juvenile detention for his petty crimes, and in his early twenties, he was convicted of breaking and entering and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. A month after being released, Ivan was arrested again for car theft and sentenced to two years of hard labor. After his release, he was arrested again for theft and was sentenced to three years.

Escalation of Crimes

In 1971, his crimes took a dark turn. Ivan was arrested for the alleged abduction and rape of two female hitchhikers. The victims claimed that Milat had abducted them at knifepoint with a large hunting knife, raped one of them, then stopped at a café, at which point both young women managed to escape.

Leading up to his trial, Milat continued engaging in petty crimes before faking his death and fleeing the country. It is believed that Milat fled to New Zealand and remained there for at least two years. Somehow, Milat was able to return to Australia without being arrested, perhaps by using false identification.

Then, in 1974, Ivan’s mother, Margaret, suffered a heart attack. When Milat came out of hiding after his mother was hospitalized, he was quickly taken into custody.

Milat was tried for theft, kidnapping, and the rape of the two hitchhikers. However, with only circumstantial evidence, he was acquitted. Milat then began working briefly as a truck driver before beginning a career with New South Wales’ Roads & Traffic Authority (RTA); Milat continued working for the RTA intermittently over the next two decades.

A Gruesome Discovery

On September 19th, 1992, two runners orienteering in Belanglo State Forest had uncovered a gruesome scene. The runners were in an area of the forest that is now known as Executioner’s Drop.

There, they found a badly decaying corpse, which had been left partially concealed. They immediately contacted local police, and a search of the area began.

The following day, a second decomposing corpse was found nearly 100 feet away from the first. Authorities quickly identified the two female victims as Caroline Clarke and Joanne Walters, aged 21 and 22, respectively. The pair were both English tourists who were in Australia on independent backpacking trips.

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Background

In late 1972, police in Boston, Massachusetts, and the surrounding area were on high alert. They were on the hunt for a possible serial killer who seemed to be targeting female college students.

Dubbed by the press as “The Hitchhike Murders,” due to the fact that several of the victims were last seen hitchhiking, by late December, there were at least six victims whom some authorities believed may be connected.

The victims were all between 18 and 23 years old and resided in the Boston-Cambridge area. Most were college students who were known to hitchhike to and from classes or work. Many of the victims had been strangled and sexually assaulted.

Timeline of Events (July - October)

On July 3, 1972, 19-year-old Kathleen O’Gorman left her home in Brockton, Mass, to take the bus to work. She never returned home. Six days later, on July 9, her nude and battered body was found in the Blue Hills Reservation state park in Milton, a suburb just south of Boston.

The bus driver who regularly drove Kathleen did not remember her getting on the bus on the morning she disappeared.

Described as a quiet girl who kept to herself and did not socialize much, Kathleen did not fit the profile of some of the other victims who were described by the media as being involved in the “youth culture” of early 70s Boston and Cambridge. Kathleen was said to be someone who stayed to herself and, according to an aunt, “she would never hitchhike. She never did. She was a timid girl.”

Nevertheless, her case is often included in the so-called “Hitchhike Murders.”

On September 13, 1972, 18-year-old Kathleen Ann Randall disappeared from the campus of Boston University just nine days into her first semester. Weeks later, on October 1, her body was found in Nashua, New Hampshire, nearly 50 miles away. She had been strangled.

Kathleen’s friends described her as having an active social life, someone who enjoyed meeting new friends and was self-confident and enthusiastic about life. Kathleen, who was studying to be a doctor, was serious about her education and was someone who rarely drank and did not use drugs.

According to one of her good friends, Kathleen sometimes hitchhiked from her dormitory to the university’s main campus and had previously had no bad experiences. The same friend said, “She was trusting of people she met.”

In the early morning hours of September 15, less than two days after Kathleen Randall vanished from the campus of Boston University, another BU student was found murdered under mysterious circumstances.

Around 6 a.m., a man walking his dog found the body of 19-year-old Debra Rae Stevens. She was found sprawled on the sidewalk just 75 yards from her home in Lynn, Mass. An autopsy revealed that she had been strangled, and though she had been found nude from the waist down, there did not appear to be signs of sexual assault.

Police also found a car belonging to Debra’s sister, Andrea, parked in front of a driveway two blocks away. Upon closer inspection, they found what appeared to be two bullet holes in the interior of the car. However, no blood was found in the vehicle or on Debra’s body, leading investigators to believe that she had been killed elsewhere.

Debra Stevens was a full-time student at BU who also took night classes at Northeastern University in Boston. She was studying to be a physical therapist and also worked at a nursing home.

Described as a “happy girl who was extremely well-liked,” Debra preferred getting together with close friends as opposed to partying with a group. Debra’s former roommate recalled that both she and Debra frequently hitchhiked from their dormitory to classes without any apprehension.

However, on the night she was murdered, Debra borrowed her sister’s car to attend a night class at Northeastern. After checking with the university, it appeared that Debra did not attend that evening’s class, and it is speculated that she may have given someone a ride who ended up taking her life.

Timeline of Events (November - December)

On November 9, 1972, 19-year-old Emerson College sophomore Ellen Reich left her apartment on Massachusetts Avenue in Boston to hitch a ride to her afternoon class.

Four days later, on November 13, her body was discovered nailed inside a closet in a vacant apartment in Roxbury. Her cause of death was originally ruled to have resulted from strangulation and stabbing.

However, her body was later exhumed, and it was determined that what had originally been thought to be stab wounds were actually gunshot wounds. This would later prove to be an important detail in the case.

Originally from Hackensack, New Jersey, Ellen had come to Boston to study law with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Though she was described by her roommate as “a little afraid of people” and meek, she also liked meeting new people and had no fears about hitchhiking alone or going out to bars and clubs by herself.

On November 27, 1972, 19-year-old Sandra Ehramjian left her apartment on Putnam Avenue in Cambridge to hitch a ride to visit her family in New York. The following day, a body, which was later identified as Sandra’s, was found dumped in D.W. Field in Brockton. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted.

Sandra Ehramjian had left Long Island in June 1971 and moved to Northampton, Mass. The following year, she arrived in Boston looking to find her way. At the time of her death, she was living with friends in Cambridge and working as a taxi driver.

She had many friends and was described as someone who loved and trusted people. According to a friend, “She would see the best she could in people, she wouldn’t suspect the evil…”

On November 29, 1972, the day after the body of Sandra Ehramjian was found in a Brockton park, 21-year-old Synge Gillispie disappeared after leaving her apartment on Peters Street in Cambridge. It is believed that she attempted to hitch a ride to her job as a waitress at the Jazz Workshop in Boston—something she did regularly.

Immediately following her disappearance, Gillispie’s family members, along with police, launched extensive efforts to find her, including setting up a hotline and distributing leaflets with her picture and description throughout colleges and universities in Boston and Cambridge.

On December 6th and 7th, the hotline received several calls from a man who police believed was in his late 20s or early 30s. The man described certain clothing that Synge was wearing when she disappeared, leading police to believe he had knowledge of her abduction. However, the man never called back.

Synge Gillispie was just three days shy of her 22nd birthday when she disappeared on November 29 and was only a month away from graduation at Boston University. She was an art major and an honor student who intended to pursue a career in art therapy. Originally from Bedford, New York, she was known to be shy and unassuming and enjoyed music and spending time with friends.

On December 24, 1972, the body of art teacher Ruth Hamilton was found hidden under her roommate’s bed in their Cambridge apartment. Concerned family members had contacted police after they had not been able to reach her for the previous three days. At the time, Ruth’s roommate was away on vacation in Puerto Rico.

Ruth was found in her underwear, and the cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia,” which investigators believe was a result of being suffocated with a pillow. Since there was no evidence of a struggle or break-in, police theorized that Ruth either knew her killer or let him in.

Those who knew Ruth Hamilton described her as shy and hardworking. She did not have many friends and kept to herself. Much like Kathleen O’Gorman, Ruth did not seem to fit the profile of the other victims except for her age and location.

Arrest of Anthony Jackson

Two days later, on December 26, 1972, around 8 p.m., two Cambridge police officers spotted a dark-colored Cadillac slowing down to approach a woman on the street. The driver appeared to be trying to lure the woman into the car. The officers decided to follow the car, which then sped away, initiating a high-speed pursuit.

Another officer joined the chase, and eventually, the driver of the Cadillac left his car and fled on foot. As officers caught up with the man, he pulled out a gun and fired shots at them.

The officers returned fire, and the man dropped to the ground but got back to his feet and continued running. He was located several blocks away, lying in the street with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He was wearing a holster, but officers did not recover a gun at the scene.

At the hospital, police learned that the man was Anthony J. Jackson, who also went by the alias Wayne Eubank, among others. Jackson was a 33-year-old criminal and pimp who lived with several underage prostitutes at 154 Washington Street in Dorchester.

As Jackson was being held on charges related to the shootout with Cambridge police, investigators dug into his past and discovered he had some disturbing prior charges, including numerous assaults and an attempted rape.

Connection to the “Hitchhike Murders”

Immediately following his arrest, Jackson began to try to cover his tracks. He called the girls he lived with at the Washington Street apartment and told them to leave and to take all of his belongings with them.

When police arrived at the apartment three weeks later, they found it nearly bare. However, they found a milk carton containing several nails. These would later be matched to the same nails that were used to seal Ellen Reich’s body in the closet of a vacant apartment.

In early January 1973, Cambridge police recovered Jackson’s gun from a snowbank near the scene of his shootout with officers. This gun was later matched to bullets taken from Ellen Reich’s body.

Jackson also contacted a man named Donald McDonald and told him to contact his ex-wife and tell her to get rid of a green metal box, which he told McDonald could convict him of murder.

She did as instructed and threw the box into the Charles River. However, police were able to recover it, and when they checked its contents, they discovered hundreds of photos of nude women, including Synge Gillispie, who was still missing at the time.

After interviewing Patricia Archer, one of the girls who worked as a prostitute for Jackson, on the day that Gillispie went missing, Jackson told her that he had murdered a woman and had been driving around with her body in the trunk of his gold 1967 Cadillac. He told her to help him clean the blood from the car.

Jackson then gave her two rings, a fur-lined coat, and a pair of bloody shoes, all of which were later identified as belonging to Synge Gillispie.

Then, on February 3, 1973, two children discovered the nude remains of Synge Gillispie lying in the snow in the Pine Woods section of Billerica, Mass., about 20 miles northwest of Boston.

Legal Proceedings

In addition to the charges stemming from the shootout with Cambridge police, Jackson would ultimately be indicted for first-degree murder in the deaths of Ruth Hamilton, Ellen Reich, Sandra Ehramjain, and Synge Gillispie.

His histrionic and antisocial behavior caused several delays and postponements in his trials. He fought with and fired several attorneys before deciding to represent himself. He tried to harm himself numerous times, including swallowing a razor blade and attempting to jump out a window during his trial.

He was eventually convicted of the murders of Ruth Hamilton, Ellen Reich, and Synge Gillispie. Despite damning evidence, he was somehow acquitted of the murder of Sandra Ehramjain.

When it was all said and done, Jackson was given a 15-to-20-year sentence for armed assault with intent to murder for the shootout in Cambridge, three consecutive life sentences for first-degree murder, and two 20-to-30-year sentences for rape and unarmed robbery.

Closing Thoughts

The arrest and convictions of Anthony Jackson brought some degree of closure to the victim’s families and the community. However, according to a statement by Donald McDonald, when discussing the murders with him, Jackson allegedly told McDonald, “The one in New Hampshire isn’t mine.” Referring to the murder of Kathleen Randall.

It is a sobering reminder that there are other predators out there, and vigilance remains a necessity.

Sources:

“COMMONWEALTH vs. ANTHONY J. JACKSON.” JUSTIA U.S. Law, https://law.justia.com/cases/massachusetts/supreme-court/volumes/391/391mass749.html

Lowe, Kylie. “The Victims of the Hitch-Hike Murderer (Massachusetts)” Dark Downeast, https://darkdowneast.com/hitchhikemurderer/

“Anthony J. Jackson” Murderpedia, https://murderpedia.org/male.J/j/jackson-anthony.htm

Brine, Dexter. “Jackson convicted of Gillispie murder.” The Boston Globe, 23 November 1978, https://www.newspapers.com/image/436674448/?match=1&terms=demaris%20gillispie

Smith, Lucinda & Wermiel, Stephen. “7 shy women-they trusted alike, died alike.” The Boston Globe, 18 March 1973, https://www.newspapers.com/image/435873689/

Pearson, Anthony. “BU coed found dead near Lynn home.” The Boston Globe, 16 September 1972, https://www.newspapers.com/image/435208004/?match=1&terms=debra%20stevens

Hammond, James H. “Jackson jury told of picture.” The Boston Globe, 17 April 1977, https://www.newspapers.com/image/436593051/?match=1&terms=ehramjian

*Warning: This Article Contains Sensitive Subject Matter*

Background

In 2007, The Gray Man brought moviegoers face to face with a monster so evil, it seems unbelievable that one person could ever be capable of such heinous acts, and yet the film is not a work of fiction.

Albert Fish, also known as “The Boogeyman,” “The Brooklyn Vampire,” “The Werewolf of Wysteria,” and “The Gray Man,” among other names, was a real-life walking nightmare. The true horror of who Albert Fish was and what he did cannot be fully captured on screen.

This is the story of the movie that tried, and the man whose abhorrent actions made even the darkest fiction look tame in comparison.

Film Overview

The Gray Man, directed by Scott Flynn, hit cinemas in late August 2007. The film follows the twisted life of Albert Fish as he devolves into the horrific monster he is known for today.

Rather than capitalize on shock value, gore, or any number of other horror movie tropes, The Gray Man leans heavily into suspense and uses a heavy, oppressive tone. The movie is best categorized as a psychological thriller, giving audiences a window into the deeply disturbed psyche of Albert Fish.

The film is set in New York during the 1920s. Audiences watch in horror as Fish, relying on his unassuming appearance and grandfatherly façade, stalks and abducts children. The primary plot of the movie centers around Fish’s abduction of 10-year-old Grace Budd, as well as detective William King’s relentless pursuit of the perpetrator.

The Gray Man avoids delving into graphic depictions of what happened to Fish’s victims, though it does not shy away from deeply disturbing content.

After convincing Grace’s family to allow her to leave with him under the pretense of attending the birthday party of Fish’s niece, Fish takes Grace away, never to be seen again. Though years have passed since Grace vanished, Detective King has not abandoned hope; in fact, King has fallen into an all-consuming obsession with finding Grace and her kidnapper.

The film presents the chilling duality of Fish’s true nature and the façade he presents to others. Throughout the movie, the horrific elements of Fish’s depravity are gradually revealed, as the audience grows increasingly disturbed.

Finally, Detective King’s perseverance pays off in part when Fish is at last apprehended. The trial is brief, and Fish is sentenced to death by electric chair. One of the most memorable quotes from the movie comes from Fish’s statement pending his execution: “It will be the biggest thrill of my life.”

The film makes use of suspenseful elements- a dark hallway, an oppressive silence that lingers just a bit longer than what is comfortable, and Fish’s own eerily calm demeanor. The movie is much like Fish himself: quiet, methodical, and deeply disturbing.

Albert Fish

Albert Fish was born as Hamilton Howard Fish in Washington, D.C. in 1870. His early years were marked by immense hardship. After his father’s death in 1875, his mother was unable to financially provide for him, and so young Albert Fish was sent to an orphanage. At Saint John’s orphanage, Fish was frequently punished with physical abuse and often beaten.

Five years later, when Fish was ten, his mother had found work and was able to bring him home; unfortunately, those five years had left a scar on Albert that would never heal. At age 12, Fish was introduced to strange and disturbing habits by another adolescent, which included visiting public baths to watch young boys undress.

The culmination of these traumatic events, coupled with the deep history of mental illness that ran in Fish’s family, had created a broken psyche that was only beginning to devolve into unthinkable darkness.

In 1890, 20-year-old Fish relocated to New York City. Here, his depravity became immediately evident. Fish escalated rapidly from his prior voyeuristic tendencies, now engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with boys six and under.

Double Life

Eight years later, Fish’s mother arranged for him to marry Anna Mary Hoffman, and the couple would go on to have six children together. Although Fish was a married man, father, and later a grandfather, he was leading an unimaginably depraved double life.

In January 1917, Anna left Fish and their children to run away with a man who had been boarding with the family. During this time, Fish began to self-harm. The things Fish did to himself were beyond graphic, including hitting himself with a nail-studded paddle, inserting needles into his stomach and groin, and inserting things into his body and lighting them on fire.

Fish also reportedly suffered from severe hallucinations, both auditory and visual. He began to involve his children and their friends in his self-mutilation, asking them to paddle him with his torture implements on multiple occasions.

Beginning in 1919 and continuing for over ten years, Albert Fish increasingly escalated his atrocities and violence. During this period, Fish remarried, more than once, always keeping his secret life hidden from his wives and stepchildren.

“The Boogeyman”

Fish selectively targeted black and disabled children as his primary victims; he felt that these children were safer options, as authorities would not investigate as thoroughly. Unfortunately, this was a correct assumption.

During his criminal career, Fish was frequently observed by members of the local community, often while leading a child away from a group. Despite this, Fish managed to evade detection and capture for decades; most witnesses presumed Fish to be a relative, as his appearance and demeanor did not raise alarm.

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Background

In 2023, American actress Anna Kendrick made her directorial debut with the film Woman of the Hour. It is based on American serial killer Rodney Alcala, who was known as “The Dating Game Killer” for his infamous 1978 appearance on the television game show The Dating Game.

The film highlights how a failed legal system can allow a dangerous criminal to prey on women and children for decades.

Although it is based on real events, the film has been described as "fictionalized enough to qualify as a straightforward drama.”

Woman of the Hour made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, 2023. On October 8, 2024, it was released on Netflix.

Produced by AGC Studios, Vertigo Entertainment, and BoulderLight Productions, the project won Kendrick several film awards and nominations. She donated her pay for the film to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network and the National Center for Victims of Crime.

Film Overview

The film alternates between the violent crimes of sexual predator and serial killer Rodney Alcala and the ambitions of struggling Hollywood actress Sheryl Bradshaw. The film opens with Alcala taking photographs of a young pregnant woman in Wyoming before strangling her to death.

It jumps back and forth between Bradshaw’s Hollywood dreams and Alcala’s heinous crimes. Alcala gains access to many of his victims by claiming to be a photographer.

Alcala and Bradshaw are brought together when they both appeared on the television show The Dating Game. In 1978, Alcala appeared as a contestant on the popular television show, which allowed a bachelorette to present questions to three bachelors concealed behind a partition.

Based on their answers, the bachelorette would choose one man to go out on a date with, the show paying the expenses. The episode in which Alcala appeared aired on September 13, 1978. In the film, Sheryl is reluctant to appear on the show, believing it to be shallow and sexist. However, her agent convinces her to do it, claiming it will be good for her career.

During the question-and-answer segment, Alcala delighted in putting an erotic spin on his answers. At one point, the bachelorette – Sheryl Bradshaw – asked him what food he would be if she were serving him for dinner. His answer was a banana. He then told her, “Peel me.”

Bradshaw ended up selecting Alcala as the man she wanted to go on a date with. Before the date, they met up for drinks. That’s when Alcala’s personality changed so abruptly that Bradshaw wanted to leave.

After walking her to her car, he asked her for her phone number. He immediately realized the number she gave him was fake, and she admitted that she wasn’t interested in seeing him again.

As he becomes visibly angered, Sheryl worries that he is going to attack her. Luckily, just then, some people exited the studio, and she managed to get into her car and drive away.

Later, Alcala convinces a teenage runaway that he can help her become a model. However, he abducts her, beats and sexually assaults her. The girl manages to convince him that she won’t tell anyone what happened, and when the two go to a gas station, she escapes and alerts the police.

Alcala is arrested, but released on bail during which time he murders a woman and a young girl. He is then rearrested and convicted of several murders.

Rodney Alcala

Rodney Alcala was the third child born to a Mexican-American couple in San Antonio, Texas. When he was 11 years old, his father abandoned the family, and his mother relocated him and his siblings to California. There, he attended private schools, proved to be academically gifted and popular, and participated in the track and cross-country teams, as well as the yearbook planning committee.

After graduation, he joined the US Army with the intention of becoming a paratrooper. Three years into his military service, he suffered a mental breakdown and went AWOL, leaving Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and returning to his family home in California.

After doctors diagnosed him as having an antisocial personality disorder, he was discharged from the Army. Alcala then enrolled at the UCLA School of Arts and Literature.

In September of 1968, the 25-year-old pulled up alongside 8-year-old Tali Shapiro as she walked to school. He convinced her to let him give her a ride and then told her he wanted to show her something first.

Alcala took the child to his Hollywood apartment, where he assaulted and beat her before leaving her there to expire. When police found the girl, she was still alive but remained in a coma for 32 days. A hunt for Alcala began.

Fleeing to the East Coast, Alcala changed his name to John Berger and enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. Despite being on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, Alcala was able to secure a job as a counselor for children at a New Hampshire art camp.

Before long, police tracked him down, and he was held for the assault on Shapiro. However, the child’s family had relocated to Mexico, and her parents refused to allow her to testify at trial. Therefore, Alcala served only 34 months in prison before being paroled.

Less than two months later, Alacla was arrested again for assaulting a 13-year-old girl. He served two more years in prison and was released as a registered sex offender. In 1977, he obtained a job as a typesetter at The Los Angeles Times. He soon became interested in photography and began introducing himself as a professional photographer who could help build modeling careers.

In 1978, Alcala made his now-infamous appearance on The Dating Game. One of the other contestants on the show remembered him as being a “very strange guy.” Though she selected him on the show, real-life bachelorette contestant Cheryl Bradshaw (who was a former foot masseuse and drama teacher, not an actress) never did go on a date with Alcala, whom she found to be “creepy.”

A Long List of Victims

In 1971, Alcala assaulted and beat 23-year-old flight attendant Cornelia Crilley after helping her move furniture into her New York apartment and then strangled her with her own stockings.

It’s believed that, in 1977, he murdered 28-year-old Christine Thornton in Wyoming, 23-year-old Ellen Hover in New York, 18-year-old Jill Barcomb, and 27-year-old Georgia Wixted in California.

The following year, he assaulted and beat a 32-year-old secretary, Charlotte Lamb, before strangling her with a shoelace. In 1979, he assaulted, beat, and strangled 21-year-old Jill Parenteau.

That same year, he assaulted, beat, and stabbed 12-year-old Robin Samsoe and attacked 15-year-old Monique Hoyt, who escaped.

Several other women disappeared. Most were later found sexually assaulted, beaten, strangled, and placed in posthumous poses.

Having convinced hundreds of women and teenage boys and girls that he was a professional photographer who could launch lucrative modeling careers, Alcala amassed a collection of hundreds of photographs, many of them explicit in nature. Police were able to confiscate over 1,000 of Alcala’s photographs from his storage locker.

Arrest and Convictions

Alcala was finally arrested in 1979. What followed was a long series of legal proceedings and trials. He was twice convicted of murder in California and sentenced to death. However, both convictions were overturned on appeal.

After decades of legal wrangling, in 2010, Alcala was finally convicted of five murders in California and given a third death sentence. He was convicted of an additional two murders in New York State and given a sentence of 25 years to life.

On July 24, 2021, Rodney Alcala died of a heart attack while on death row. Though he was convicted of seven murders, most believe the actual number to be significantly higher, with some estimating the total upwards of 100 victims.

Closing Thoughts

If there’s one thing that Woman of the Hour makes blatantly clear, it’s the historic normalization of violence against females. Despite knowledge by law enforcement and the court system of Alcala’s penchant for violent assault, he still managed to obtain a job working with children and became a contestant on a national television game show.

Each time he was arrested, he was let out on bail, let out on parole, slapped on the hand, and told not to do it again. The consequences for acting on his brutal impulses and torturous desires were so insignificant that, to Alcala, they were worth it.

We may never know exactly how many victims he took each time he was given another chance to live his life free of steel bars.

Unfortunately, the judicial system still does not treat sexual violence with the seriousness that it deserves. And when there is little deterrent for sexual predators, far too often, they escalate the level of violence, and only after they have taken a life are they (hopefully) handed a significant punishment.

Sources:

Zuckerman, E. (2024, October 18). The True Story of the Dating Game Serial Killer in Woman of the Hour. TIME. https://time.com/6312191/woman-of-the-hour-true-story/

Montaldo, C. (2019, July 1). Profile of serial killer Rodney Alcala. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-rodney-alcala-973104

DiLillo, J. (2025, May 15). Woman of the Hour ending explained, What happened to Rodney Alcala? Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/woman-of-the-hour-ending-explained

Van Sant, P. (2024, November 10). Serial killer Rodney Alcala’s trail of murder. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/serial-killer-rodney-alcala-the-killing-game/

Goad, J. (2018, June 28). Rodney Alcala: the ‘Dating Game’ killer who seduced women with his camera and a smile. Thought.is. https://thought.is/rodney-alcala/

“The Dating Game” Episode dated 13 September 1978 (TV Episode 1978) ⭐ 6.9 | Game-Show, Romance. (1978, September 13). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631219/

Anna Kendrick on her directorial debut with “Woman of the Hour.” (2024b, October 21). [Video]. TODAY.com. https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/rodney-alcala-dating-game-episode-video-rcna176406

*Warning: This Article Contains Sensitive Subject Matter*

Background

The chilling 2010 film Freeway Killer recounts the brutal crimes of William Bonin, infamously dubbed the “Freeway Killer,” who was convicted of assaulting, torturing, and murdering over a dozen boys and young men in southern California between 1979 and 1980.

Like most movies that claim to be based on real events, Freeway Killer straddles the line between fact and fiction. To separate fiction from reality, we must explore the film and the terrifying real-life case that inspired it.

Film Overview

Directed by John Murlowski, Freeway Killer premiered on February 16th, 2010. The movie follows the life of Vietnam veteran and truck driver turned sadistic murderer, William Bonin. The film highlights Bonin’s descent into darkness, as well as his relationships with various accomplices who assisted in his brutal crimes. The narrative is portrayed through flashbacks as William recounts his life to the mother of one of his victims.

The story begins with Bonin and his accomplice, Vernon Butts, murdering a hitchhiker. Soon thereafter, Bonin begins plotting the murder of a local shop employee, Kyle Peterson. However, after some tension with Vernon, Bonin decides instead to take Kyle under his wing as a secondary accomplice. The film continues with graphic depictions of more torture and murder, not shying away from the brutality of the crimes.

Bonin later picks up a teenage hitchhiker, but his anxious demeanor scares the teen, who tries to exit the vehicle. Bonin then strangles him with a shirt and tire iron. The police, who had been tailing Bonin, move in to make the arrest.

Bonin is taken into custody, and the police manage to track down and arrest Kyle as well. Bonin admits to his crimes and identifies Vernon Butts as his other accomplice. Butts is arrested and hangs himself while in prison. The film concludes by returning to Bonin’s conversation with the mother of one of his victims, who vows to attend his execution, and does so while holding a photo of her murdered son.

Unlike many narrative style films, Freeway Killer does not lend Bonin’s character much depth or complexity. He is portrayed as a violent and evil man, driven by dark urges that he refuses to confront.

There are no shocking or suspenseful twists. The movie also does not romanticize or justify Bonin’s actions- a common issue with many serial killer portrayals in media. The tone of the film is dark and serious, showing Bonin as the remorseless, cold-blooded killer he was.

William Bonin

The real-life William Bonin was born in 1947 in southern Connecticut to Robert Leonard Bonin Sr. and Alice Dorothy Cote. Both of his parents were alcoholics, and his father, a World War II veteran, was frequently physically abusive to his family.

Though his parents had the financial means to care for William and his two brothers, they drank and gambled all their money away, leaving the boys without the most basic needs.

Having lost their home, the family moved in with William’s maternal grandmother. Likely as a result of the internal turmoil brought on by severe abuse at home, William began acting out at school, showing aggression toward other students and once intentionally veering his bike into a group of young girls walking on the street, landing him a stay in juvenile detention.

At the age of 6, William and his older brother were sent to the Franco-American School in Massachusetts. The school, run by a convent of nuns, was a living hell. The staff assaulted and abused the children on a regular basis. Bonin himself recounted being forced to punch a fence repeatedly as punishment for misbehavior.

To make matters worse, by age 8, Bonin had been sexually assaulted by an older male student. His parents, too preoccupied with their vices, never visited either of their sons at the school. Eventually, Bonin became worried that his parents had died. He stayed at the convent until mid-1955, at which point he returned to live with his parents and grandmother back in Mansfield, Connecticut.

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Background

In the 1970s, a new genre of horror films became popularized with the introduction of slasher flicks, two of the most notable being The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween.

In 1976, The Town That Dreaded Sundown made its cinema debut. Claiming to be based on a true story, the film quickly earned a reputation among horror fans for its grainy realism and chilling narration. The film depicts a mysterious masked killer who stalks and murders couples in rural Texas.

Behind the dramatized production lies a chilling real-life case - the still-unsolved Texarkana Moonlight Murders. The film’s legacy left a lasting impact on the horror and slasher genre, but is it an accurate depiction of true events as it claims to be?

To answer this question, we must pull back the curtain and explore the real case that inspired the movie: the story of The Phantom of Texarkana.

Texarkana Moonlight Murders

In early 1946, Texarkana was terrorized by a mysterious killer. The first attack occurred on February 22nd. Jimmy Hollis, 25, and his girlfriend, 19-year-old Mary Jeanne Lary, were attacked while parked on a secluded road around midnight.

They were ambushed by a man wearing a mask made of white cloth, with cut-out holes over the eyes. The man ordered the couple out of the car and beat them both brutally. Jimmy’s skull was fractured, and Mary was ordered to run. When the man caught up to her, he beat her again before sexually assaulting her using the barrel of his gun.

Incredibly, after enduring such cruel torture, Mary managed to run half a mile to the nearest house and call the police. Both victims survived and shared their accounts with police. The brutal attack was initially presumed to be an isolated incident, a presumption that would quickly reveal itself to be incorrect.

In the next attack, the killer left no survivors. Richard Griffin and Polly Ann Moore were found dead in Richard’s car on March 24th. A passing driver noticed the car parked on a lovers’ lane and reported the gruesome scene.

Richard had been shot multiple times, and blood found pooled outside indicated they’d been killed outside the car and then placed back inside. Both victims had a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, execution-style.

On April 14th, the killer struck again in a similar fashion. His fifth and sixth victims, Paul Martin and Betty Jo Booker, were only 16 and 15, respectively. They were both shot multiple times, including through the nose, neck, and face.

The level of overkill spoke to the savagery and rage exhibited by the killer. The media dubbed the killer “The Phantom of Texarkana” as public fear now reached a fever pitch.

The last known attack occurred on May 3rd and marked a sharp deviation in both the Phantom’s methodology and victimology. With the 10-week reign of terror placing locals on high alert, young couples were no longer parking on lovers’ lanes late at night, which may explain the deviation.

Virgil Starks, 37, and Katie Starks, age 36, were attacked in their home just northeast of Texarkana. The attack occurred earlier than the previous ones, just before 9 p.m., and both victims were awake in the home.

Virgil was sitting in a chair in the living room, reading the paper, when he was shot through a closed window at close range. Katie came running, just in time to see her husband stand and collapse back into his chair, dead.

She acted quickly, running to the phone to call the police. But before she could dial out, Katie was shot from the same window. She suffered two gunshot wounds to the face.

Despite being shot twice in the face, she managed to maintain her wits, attempting to grab a pistol, but was unable to see due to the blood pouring into her eyes. She heard the killer entering through the back of the home and fled out the front door.

She then ran to her sister’s house, and after finding it empty, raced to the nearest neighbor’s home. Katie managed to tell neighbor A. V. Prater, “Virgil’s dead” before collapsing on the floor.

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Close Call

On November 8th, 1974, Carol DaRonch was approached by serial killer Ted Bundy outside a mall in Murray, Utah. Bundy was dressed as a police officer, and he claimed to have witnessed someone attempting to break into Carol’s car.

He urged Carol to come with him to the Murray Police Department to file a complaint, and 18-year-old Carol complied, climbing into Bundy’s Volkswagen Beetle. After driving away from the mall, Bundy pulled over and attempted to handcuff Carol at gunpoint.

Thinking quickly, Carol jumped from the vehicle and was able to flag down a passing car. The couple took Carol to the police station, where she provided the real police with a description of Bundy and his vehicle.

Carol was very lucky to escape, considering that at the time of her abduction, Bundy’s victim count was already believed to have been in double digits.

Arrest

Almost a year later, on August 16th, 1975, a Utah Highway Patrol officer spotted a Beetle matching the description outside the residence of two young women. The officer pursued Bundy and eventually made a successful stop.

Noticing the handcuffs and ski mask visible in the car, the officer arrested Bundy for evading police and possession of burglary tools. Bundy was put in a police lineup, and Carol was able to positively identify him from the pool of suspects.

His trial in 1976 found him guilty of aggravated kidnapping, and he was sentenced to one to fifteen years in a state prison.

Following his arrest in Utah, Bundy’s vehicle was thoroughly searched. Authorities recovered hair from his car and had it tested. The results were shocking. The hair samples linked Bundy to Caryn Campbell, a 23-year-old woman who had gone missing from a ski resort in early 1975 only to be found murdered near Snowmass, Colorado, a month later.

The Library Escape

This escalated the charges against Bundy from kidnapping to first-degree murder. He was transferred to a prison in Aspen, Colorado, to face charges for the murder of Caryn Campbell.

Bundy decided to represent himself at his trial. As such, he was granted access to the law library in the courthouse building.

Per the judge’s ruling, Bundy was not required to wear any shackles or handcuffs while moving around inside the building; this would be a costly mistake on the part of the judge.

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Background

The legacy of Liberian warlord Prince Johnson is mixed, depending on who you ask. He inflicted untold cruelty on military personnel and civilians alike. He later claimed to have had a spiritual awakening and converted to Christianity.

Returning to Liberia after years in exile, he became involved in politics, winning a Senate seat and even running for President of Liberia.

However, many felt that this was all a ploy to avoid the consequences of his violent past. Those who were victims of his cruelty were not quick to forget.

Rise of a Rebel

Prince Yormie Johnson was born on July 6th, 1952, in Tapeta, Liberia. He was raised by his uncle in the capital of Monrovia. In his late teens, Johnson enlisted in the Liberian National Guard. He rose through the ranks, earning the title of Lieutenant.

Eventually, the Liberian National Guard became the official Armed Forces of Liberia. Johnson served as the Commanding General.

Despite his success and promise, Johnson changed alliances to become the Chief Training Officer of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). This rebel group, led by Charles Taylor, fought in Liberia’s First Civil War in 1989.

Despite supporting the rebel cause, Johnson clashed with Taylor over ideological differences. This led to Johnson creating his own rebel group, the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL).

In the summer of 1990, the INPFL succeeded in taking control of Monrovia. The war had been bloody, and Johnson himself had proven to be beyond ruthless, even outside of battle. Anyone who dared to criticize Johnson or stand against him was swiftly and mercilessly killed.

During the war, humanitarians providing food to starving citizens sent a letter to Johnson begging him to stop the senseless killings. In response, Johnson arranged for the murder of a Hare Krishna temple leader and several of her students, a graphic display of the INPFL’s brutality.

Murder of President Doe

With the capital city now under the INPFL’s control, Johnson and his rebels set their sights on Liberia’s President, Samuel Doe. INPFL forces, under Johnson’s command, captured Doe on September 9th, 1990.

The President was brutally tortured and executed by Johnson’s regime. The entire incident was recorded and shared with the world. In the video, Johnson was seen relaxing and enjoying a beer while Doe was being horrifically tortured.

With the President dead, Johnson claimed himself to be the new leader of Liberia. However, this unofficial title was short-lived. Charles Taylor had managed to consolidate other rebel forces under his command, and Johnson was forced into exile.

The disgraced warlord fled to Nigeria, where he lived for twelve years. Meanwhile, the Second Liberian Civil War ensued at home.

Political Rebirth

During his exile in Nigeria, Johnson converted to Christianity. Later, personal statements from Johnson claim that after his conversion, he reconciled with Samuel Doe’s family.

After the Second Liberian Civil War ended, Johnson returned home in 2004. This time, he did not position himself as a warlord but as a man dedicated to change and reform. In 2005, Johnson was elected by his birthplace, Nimba County, to serve on Liberia’s Senate.

Though his methods were certainly different, Johnson remained a fiery and passionate fighter. He positioned himself as a voice for those in his region who had been marginalized and cast aside.

Unsurprisingly, Johnson’s political adversaries criticized his bloody and brutal past, claiming that he’d seized political power to avoid being held accountable for his previous abuses of human rights.

In 2009, many urged that he be brought to justice, but he was never tried for any crimes. In 2011, Johnson ran for President as part of the National Union for Democratic Progress party, but he was unsuccessful.

He attempted to run again unsuccessfully in 2017 under his own party, the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction party.

Many people posited that Johnson’s influence was too controversial, and it was a dark reminder of the violent history of the nation. In many elections, Johnson brokered the vote, and in 2021, the United States imposed sanctions on Johnson for impeding the democratic process by selling votes.

A Divisive Legacy

On November 28th, 2024, Prince Johnson died in a hospital in Montserrado County. He was 72 years old. His funeral was a state-sanctioned five-day event, with crowds attending to pay their respects.

Liberians were divided by the news of his passing. Many mourned the opportunity to see Johnson brought to justice for the horrific atrocities he’d committed. On the other hand, many people viewed Johnson as a hero and greatly mourned the loss of such a strong leader.

The mixed reactions to Johnson’s death serve as a testament to his divisive legacy. Since his return to Liberia, many believed him to be a sadistic and evil man, incapable of change. These people were eager to see a war criminal face the consequences of his actions.

To others, Johnson was a fierce fighter on and off the battlefield. He was someone who they looked up to as a freedom fighter and a voice to the voiceless. It seems likely that the legacy Prince Johnson left behind will always be one of great division, a hero in the eyes of some and a villain in the eyes of many.

Sources:

Gabriel, Trip. “Prince Johnson, 72, Warlord Who Executed Liberia’s President, Dies.” The New York Times, 5 Dec. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/12/05/world/africa/prince-johnson-dead.html.

Garzeawu, Moses Kollie. “Prince Johnson: Liberia’s Notorious Rebel-Turned-Senator Dies at 72.” BBC, 28 Nov. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1kn9v97e3vo.

“Prince Johnson.” Wikipedia, 29 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Johnson.

Weah, Aaron. “Prince Y. Johnson: The Great Escape.” JusticeInfo.net, 16 Dec. 2024, www.justiceinfo.net/en/139492-prince-y-johnson-great-escape.html. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

Background

Samuel “Champ” Ferguson was a notorious Confederate guerilla during the American Civil War with a fierce hatred for Union soldiers and sympathizers. He was known to kill unarmed civilians and brutally murder old men in their beds. The viciousness of his attacks surpassed even the most violent serial killers of today.

Often, he targeted men he merely suspected might do wrong against him. Although he was later charged with 53 murders, Ferguson admitted to killing at least 100 men.

He never denied the charges; instead, he claimed the killings were justified. He became one of only three Confederates executed for their crimes during the Civil War.

Early Years

Champ Ferguson was born on November 29, 1821, in Albany, Clinton County, Kentucky, near the Tennesse border. The area, known as the Kentucky Highlands, is a peaceful rural setting for farmers and their families. Most residents were farmers, with only a few owning slaves.

He earned the nickname “Champ” because his grandfather often called him “Champion” as a baby. As the oldest of ten siblings, he grew up on the family farm, doing chores and attending school.

Move to Tennesse

During the 1850s, Ferguson and his wife and children moved to Calfkiller River Valley in White County, Tennessee. He became a farmer and slave owner, intent on living a peaceful life.

Folklore suggests Ferguson moved to Tennessee after Unionists drove him out of Kentucky by publicly humiliating his wife and daughter—a story he would later deny.

Yet, it’s this incident that’s often used to condone the violence that would overshadow the remainder of Ferguson’s life.

Prior to the start of the Civil War, Ferguson was known throughout the upper Cumberland Mountains as a “gambling, rowdyish, drinking, fighting, quarrelsome man.” (Herald, 2022). He spent his life working as a hunter, horse trader, and farmer and soon knew every nook and cranny of the region.

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Background

As the saying goes, “War will change people.” Whether the American Civil War changed William T. Anderson into a ruthless, cold-blooded killer or simply drew out what was already inside him is difficult to say.

What we can say is that William T. “Bloody Bill” Anderson and his band of Confederate guerillas were responsible for some of the cruelest and most savage atrocities committed by anyone during the war.

Early Years

For someone whose life would come to be defined by violence, Bill Anderson began life as an innocent baby, like everyone else. His parents, William and Martha Anderson, came from either Kentucky or Missouri.

Details about his birth and early years are sketchy. Existing records indicate that he grew up mainly in Missouri and attended school in Huntsville.

The Andersons later migrated to Kansas and became residents of Council Grove in 1861, just before the start of the Civil War. Although the family did not own slaves, they considered themselves Southerners and were pro-slavery.

When they moved to Kansas, they became caught up in the fierce fight between pro-slavery advocates and abolitionists for control of Kansas, known as “Bleeding Kansas.” This hotbed of violence would eventually shape William Anderson into a fierce outlaw.

Becoming “Bloody Bill”

Bill Anderson earned the nickname “Bloody Bill” with his first act of brutality.

As the Civil War progressed, the armies on both sides had a high demand for horses. Bill, along with his father and brother, soon earned a reputation for supplying a steady stream of reliable mounts. The only problem with this business was that the horses were stolen from other ranchers.

During an altercation over a stolen horse, William Anderson, Sr. was killed. This filled Bill with rage and set him on a path of exacting revenge against the men responsible for his father’s death, one of whom was a judge.

In avenging his father’s murder, Bill brutally killed, then scalped the judge, earning the nickname Bloody Bill.

From that moment on, Bill’s path in life was set. He would now seek his revenge by killing anyone who sympathized with the Union or any anti-slavery cause.

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Background

As a soldier in the United States Army stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Ronald Gray lived a double life, committing horrific crimes that shocked the military and the general public.

Prior to that, Gray was viewed as an average serviceman. However, beneath his seemingly normal facade lay a calculating and dangerous predator.

Gray’s crimes—a spree of rapes, murders, and attempted murders between 1986 and 1987—exposed the darkness lurking within his seemingly disciplined life.

Early Life and Military Career

Ronald Adrin Gray was born on August 14, 1965, in Cochran, Georgia, but was raised in the Liberty Square housing projects in Miami, Florida. To escape the bleak living conditions, Gray enlisted in the U.S. Army, seeking discipline and a stable career path.

He was posted at Fort Bragg, where he worked alongside fellow soldiers. He was known to be a hardworking yet unremarkable soldier.

Despite this outward normalcy, early warning signs of Gray’s predatory behavior began to emerge. Reports from acquaintances suggest a pattern of manipulation and a lack of empathy.

However, these traits were largely overlooked or dismissed, allowing Gray to operate undetected for an extended period.

Double Life

Between 1986 and 1987, Ronald Gray committed a series of escalating violent crimes, targeting vulnerable women near Fort Bragg. His modus operandi involved luring women into isolated areas, often under the guise of friendliness or authority, before attacking them.

On April 27, 1986, Private Mary Ann Lang Nameth was raped and murdered, and her body was found burned beyond recognition. Nameth, who had been exercising near her barracks at Fort Bragg, was found in a wooded area.

Later, DNA and fingerprints left at the scene of the crime linked Gray to the murder. Nameth’s murder sent shockwaves through the military community, raising concerns about safety on and around Fort Bragg.

On April 28, 1986, just one day after murdering Private Mary Ann Lang Nameth, Gray attacked another woman. This victim survived the assault and provided key testimony that would later aid investigators.

Her description of Gray’s appearance and the details of the attack would become critical in piecing together the timeline of his crimes.

Another chilling incident involved Kimberly Ann Ruggles, a 23-year-old cab driver. On December 15, 1986, Ruggles was dispatched for a routine pickup but never returned. Her body was discovered later that evening in a secluded area, showing signs of sexual assault and strangulation.

The brutality of her murder and its occurrence so close to Fort Bragg heightened public fear and scrutiny of the military’s ability to police its own personnel.

Gray’s violence continued unabated, with multiple cases of rape, attempted murder, and murder occurring over the next year. He displayed calculated cruelty, leaving little evidence beyond forensic traces.

However, advances in DNA testing and the accounts of surviving victims began to build a damning case against him.

Arrest

Ronald Gray’s eventual capture resulted from tireless efforts by military and civilian law enforcement agencies. Investigators conclusively linked him to the crimes through DNA evidence, survivor testimonies, and circumstantial connections. The coordinated efforts culminated in his arrest at Fort Bragg on January 6, 1987.

His arrest marked a turning point in the case, as investigators uncovered evidence tying him to multiple crimes. The public reaction was one of disbelief and outrage. The idea that a trusted soldier could commit such heinous acts tainted the image of the military as a sanctuary of honor and discipline.

Trial and Sentence

In 1988, Ronald Gray faced court-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The evidence against him was overwhelming. He was convicted of four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and eight counts of rape.

The military tribunal sentenced him to death, a rare outcome in military justice.

Gray’s appeals over the decades have failed to overturn his sentence. He remains on death row at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, one of the few individuals in the U.S. military still facing capital punishment.

Closing Thoughts

The case of Ronald Gray is a chilling reminder of the capacity for violence hidden beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. His crimes not only devastated the lives of his victims and their families but also eroded trust within the military community.

Gray’s dual existence as a soldier and a serial predator reveals the disturbing reality of how a predator can operate unnoticed within a trusted institution.

Sources:

Department of Defense. (1988). Court-martial records of Ronald Adrin Gray. Washington, D.C.: United States Army.

CNN. (2008). Army death row inmate loses appeal. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com

Brown, J. R. (2001). Military justice and capital punishment: The case of Ronald Gray. Military Law Review, 169(2), 15-48.

North Carolina Department of Public Safety. (2001). Profiles of convicted serial offenders in North Carolina. Raleigh, NC: NCDPS.

United States v. Gray, 51 M.J. 1 (C.A.A.F. 1999). Retrieved from https://www.army.mil

Background

Charlie Brandt was the kind of unassuming person you would walk past and not give a second thought. He was a married man with a home and a stable job. Yet a closer look into Brandt’s history reveals a man with a dark history of violence who was seemingly living a double life.

However, in 2004, things came to a head when the darkness within finally exploded, with devastating consequences.

Join us as we uncover the chilling details of one of Florida’s most shocking criminal cases.

Childhood

Carl Eric “Charlie” Brandt’s life began on February 23, 1957, as the second oldest child of German immigrant parents. Due to his father Herbert’s job, the family moved frequently during Charlie’s youth, finally settling in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1968.

The Brandts also spent time in Florida, frequently vacationing there when Charlie was a boy.

Though Charlie was described as a good student, he was shy and withdrawn, taking time to adjust to new environments and often spending time alone.

Out of Nowhere

It was January 3, 1971, a Sunday evening. The Brandt family had just settled in for the night after watching their favorite show, The F.B.I., on their new color television.

The house was peaceful as Charlie's pregnant mother, Ilse, prepared a bath while his father, Herbert, shaved in the bathroom. Charlie’s older sister Angela lay in bed upstairs, engrossed in a book. No one could have anticipated the chaos that was about to unfold.

Suddenly, Angela heard several loud pops. Then came the screams, her father yelling, “Charlie, don’t!” and her mother’s desperate cries, “Angela, call the police!” The noise grew louder and more frantic as Angela realized something was terribly wrong.

Unknown to her, Charlie had taken a loaded handgun from his father’s drawer and entered his parents’ bathroom. Without hesitation, Charlie shot both of his parents.

His father was struck in the back, but he survived. Ilse, however, was not as fortunate. Charlie shot her repeatedly, killing her. Ilse had been eight months pregnant at the time, which only added to the tragic outcome.

In a Trance

As Angela scrambled to understand what was happening, Charlie suddenly appeared at her bedroom door with the gun in his hand. He aimed the weapon at his sister and pulled the trigger- Click- The gun did not fire.

What followed was a terrifying struggle as Angela fought off her younger brother’s attempts to strangle her. During the chaos, Angela saw something frightening in Charlie’s eyes. He had a glazed, vacant look as if he were in a trance. Then, just as suddenly as it began, Charlie seemed to snap out of it.

He stopped what he was doing and muttered, “What am I doing?” before retreating from Angela’s room.

With her brother seemingly calmed down, Angela ran from the house, screaming in her bloody, torn nightgown. She ran through the snow to her neighbor's home and pounded on the front door, startling then-16-year-old Sandi Radcliffe.

But by the time Sandi came to the door, Angela had already headed to another house; instead, a bewildered Charlie was standing outside.

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Though not widely known, Mary Cowan was one of the most cold-blooded and deadly female serial killers of the 19th century. Her willingness to murder her husbands and children without a seeming shred of remorse makes her a fascinating case study.

Mary Knight was born in Plymouth, Maine, in 1863. Her father, Johnathan Knight, was a Civil War veteran. The Knight family lived in a rural, quiet area of Maine. Mary grew up in the family home, where she remained until she married Willis Bean, a farmer who lived in the neighboring town of Dixmont.

Marriage to Willis Bean

Mary and Willis had three children during their marriage, all daughters whom they named Grace, Alice, and Mabel. Though he worked as a farmer, Willis had bigger dreams.

He wanted to become a doctor, and his wife supported him in his pursuit. Unfortunately, Willis could not pursue this dream immediately, as he needed to earn a living to support himself and his family. They could not afford to put Willis through medical school, so his dream of becoming a doctor was put on hold.

In 1884, things took a dark turn. Grace, then only three years old, was found dead in the family home. The neighbor who found Grace immediately ran to tell Mary, who seemed unbothered by the death of her child, responding that she already knew and that Grace had died about half an hour earlier.

Due to the mysterious nature of Grace’s death, it was seemingly chalked up to a freak occurrence.

The very same year, the couple’s middle child, Alice, fell ill with a mysterious stomachache; she died shortly after her symptoms first appeared. The family had lost two of their three children, with only their youngest, Mabel, remaining.

Tragically, Mabel passed away the following year, in 1885, after battling the same strange stomachache that had killed her sister. There is no historical record of these tragic deaths ever being investigated as suspicious.

During this time, Willis Bean was attending a school and trying to earn a medical diploma, but unfortunately, the institution he was attending turned out to be a scam. A new law shut down the fraudulent institution for selling fake diplomas, and Willis never received his.

After this setback, Willis convinced his parents to purchase a farm for him and Mary to live on, and the couple agreed to pay his parents back for their expenses. Shortly after, Willis decided to again pursue his medical degree, and the couple moved to Ohio for Willis to enroll in a medical program.

In early 1888, Willis’s parents received a letter informing them that he had died. According to reports, shortly before his death, Willis had suffered unexplained stomach pains.

Mary returned home, temporarily living with her in-laws. The widow claimed she was unaware of any agreement to repay Bean’s parents for the farm. With nothing more than a verbal agreement binding them, Mary was awarded full ownership of the farm.

She sold the farm for $2,000, leaving the Bean family behind without their farm and mourning the deaths of their son and three grandchildren.

Black Widow

Not long after Willis Bean’s death, Mary married a man named George Taylor, who worked in the nearby Lewiston mills. Mary moved to live with her new husband. In 1891, George suffered from four days of intense stomach pain, ultimately resulting in his death.

George was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which entitled him to a life insurance policy. Unfortunately for Mary, George was not up to date with his dues, so his life insurance plan was not paid out.

Out of the kindness of their hearts, fellow members took up a collection and raised several hundred dollars to support the newly widowed Mary.

Despite her outward grief, Mary moved on quickly. A few months later, she married Elias Cowan. His former wife had passed away, leaving Elias to care for their now 8-year-old son, Willis.

Elias was a farmer with an impressive homestead. Shortly after their marriage, several of his buildings were burned down under mysterious circumstances. Aside from this, Mary was rumored to be less than kind to her new stepson, who allegedly suffered beatings for the slightest misstep.

In September 1894, Willis grew ill after snacking on some apples. He was suffering from extreme stomach pain, and his father summoned the local doctor to assess his condition.

The doctor prescribed medication to help alleviate the symptoms and was confident that Willis would make a full recovery. Yet, after two more days of intense suffering and immense pain, Willis died.

Suspicion and Arrest

Strangely, Elias had also recently suffered from debilitating stomach pain, but he made a recovery. Given the prevailing history of unexplained stomach issues resulting in death that pervaded Mary’s past, Willis’s body was exhumed from its final resting place, and Bowdoin College performed a toxicological analysis of his internal organs.

Upon receiving the results of this analysis, the scientists determined that Willis had an alarming amount of arsenic in his body. Allegedly, the child had a high enough concentration of arsenic to kill an adult ox.

Immediately after the test results came back, police arrested Mary for the murder of Willis Cowan.

Trial and Sentencing

Mary Cowan’s trial began in February of 1895. Maine had never dealt with a serial killer, and as such, the newspapers printed Mary’s story far and wide. She was given the title of “The Borgia of Maine,” a reference to Lucrezia Borgia, a famous Italian noblewoman known for poisoning men who had outlived their usefulness to her.

Mary never admitted to poisoning Willis, but the evidence, as well as her prior history, was damning. In early March, the jurors delivered their final verdict: Mary Cowan was found guilty of murdering her stepson.

Mary was sentenced to life in prison and was sent to Maine State Prison to serve out her sentence. Mary was pregnant at the time of her conviction, and shortly into her sentence, she gave birth to a daughter. Unfortunately, the infant did not survive.

By 1898, Mary’s own health was failing. Her doctor petitioned the governor of Maine to allow her to be pardoned in her final days, as she wanted to pass away in her home in Dixmont.

However, in September of 1898, Mary died in prison. Her body is buried in Sawyer Cemetery in her hometown of Plymouth, interred in the same plot as her late husbands and children, the innocent victims of her murderous ways.

Closing Thoughts

There were numerous female serial killers in the United States during the 19th century. These included Sarah Jane Robinson, also known as “The Boston Borgia,” and nurse Jane Toppan, who became a very prolific killer, with 31 murders that she confessed to and likely many more.

Though many likely haven’t heard of Mary Cowan, she is infamous for being Maine’s first and most deadly serial killer. The fact that Mary poisoned and murdered her own children is a testament to her sick depravity, setting her apart from other killers of the “Black Widow” variety.

Sources:

Contributors to Serial Killer Database Wiki. “Cowan Mary A.” Serial Killer Database Wiki, Fandom, Inc., skdb.fandom.com/wiki/COWAN_Mary_A. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Emilyburnhambdn. “Maine’s Deadliest Serial Killer Was Known as the ‘Borgia of Maine.’” Bangor Daily News, 20 Mar. 2024, www.bangordailynews.com/2024/03/20/penobscot/penobscot-culture/maine-deadliest-serial-killer-borgia-of-maine-joam40zk0w/.

“Mary Cowan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Cowan.

By the late 1800s, the Midwestern United States had blossomed with many thriving farming communities. The railroad system, by then completed, helped transport goods from the Midwest heartland to the rest of the nation.

The Midwest had become a crucial part of the American economy. But by the turn of the 20th century, cities began to grow and expand, and these small farm towns began to dwindle. Even still, many families remained in these small communities, surrounded by land and nature.

Massacre

On the night of June 9th, 1911, tragedy struck in the small town of Ardenwald, Oregon. William and Ruth Hill, along with Ruth’s two children, Philip and Dorothy, were brutally murdered in their family home in the middle of the night.

All four victims had been murdered in their beds, and the murder weapon, a bloodied axe, was left behind. Following the murders, the perpetrator had moved the victims’ bodies and covered them with sheets or blankets.

The mother and daughter showed signs of sexual assault postmortem. The windows of the family home had been covered by the murderer, who hung cloth to conceal the horrors within.

The following morning, William did not report to work, which prompted an investigation that led to the discovery of their bodies. The family’s neighbor, Nathan Harvey, was initially charged with committing the murders, but he was absolved and acquitted the following year.

Exactly one month later, in Ranier, Washington, Archie and Nettie Coble were attacked in the middle of the night. Again, the couple had been murdered in their beds with the blunt side of an axe, and Nettie was assaulted postmortem.

The bodies were also moved after death, and Archie’s face was covered. Given the timing and similarity in M.O. from the Hill family and the Cobles’ murders, the authorities and the press speculated that the cases were connected.

The Killer Returns

The killer or killers appeared to go quiet for some time, but the deadly spree was far from over. On the night of September 17th, 1911, the Burnham and Wayne families were attacked in Colorado Springs, Colorado. May Burnham, along with her children Nellie and John, were murdered.

The Burnham family was visiting Colorado Springs to attend the sanatorium there as the tuberculosis outbreak had become widespread. The Wayne family, including Henry, Blanche, and their eighteen-month-old daughter, Lula, were also in town for the same reason.

Being from out of town, it took two days for the bodies of these families to be discovered. Both families had been attacked with the blunt end of an axe; their bodies moved after death, and sheets covered their faces.

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Who Was Gilles de Rais?

Born around 1405 in Champtocé-sur-Loire, France, Gilles de Rais came from a prominent family with links to the House of Craon through his mother’s family and the powerful Laval family through his father.

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Early Life and Troubles

On April 7th, 1947, Dr. Herbert Eugene Baumeister and his wife Elizabeth welcomed the birth of their first child, a son whom they named Herb. The Baumeister’s resided in Indianapolis, Indiana. The couple would go on to have three additional children.

Herb’s early life was quite normal, and not much is known about his childhood days. However, the problems for Herb Baumeister began before he’d reached his teenage years.

Herb began demonstrating traits of an antisocial personality disorder prior to his teens. According to the few friends he had, Herb developed a strange infatuation with urine, even quoting him as saying he “pondered what it would be like to taste human urine.”

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