Alias(s): the Boston Strangler, the Mad Strangler, the Phantom Strangler, the Measuring Man, the Green Man
Birthdate/Birthplace: 1931 (Chelsea,Massachusetts)
Died: November 26,1973-was found dead in his cell,stabbed in the heart
Spotlighted : June 2004
Capture:
On October 27,1964-a woman came forward stating that she had been sexually assaulted by an unknown man.She gave police a description of him,and it was placed in the newspapers.Women came forward afterwards stating that they too had been raped by that man and identified the man as being Albert DeSalvo.DeSalvo was brought in and he confessed to the rape aligations but suddenly,two years later,DeSalvo confessed to being the Boston Strangler.
Aftershock:
There was no evidence that linked DeSalvo with the Boston Strangler murders but he did stand trial for the rape charges,and was sentenced to life without parole in 1967.On November 26,1973,DeSalvo was found murdered in his cell.
Deaths: 13 Attempts: 1
1) Anna Slesers / 55 / June 14,1962 / strangled with own belt
2) Mary Mullen / 85 / June 28,1962 / heart failure
3) Nina Nichols / 68 / June 30,1962 / strangled with stocking
4) Helen Blake / 65 / June 30,1962 / strangled with stocking & bra
5) Ida Irga / 75 / August 19,1962 / strangled
6) Jane Sullivan / 67 / August 20,1962 / strangled with stocking
7) Sophie Clark / 20 / December 31,1962 / ?
8) Patricia Bissette / 23 / December 31,1962 / strangled
9) Mary Brown / 69 / March 9,1963 / stabbed numerous times in various places
10) Beverly Smans / 58 / September 8,1963 / strangled with stocking
11) Evelyn Corbin / 58 / September 8,1963 / strangled
12) Joann Graff / 23 / November 23,1963 / ?
13) Mary Sullivan / 19 / January 4,1964 / strangled with scarf
a) suffered from delusions of persecution mixed with a hatred for his mother
b) paranoid schizophrenic
(DeSalvo,when asked why he chose older women over younger women for the majority of his victims)
" Attractiveness had nothing to do with it...when this certain time comes on me,it's a very immediate thing.When I get this feeling,instead of going to work I make an excuse to my boss.I start driving and I start building this image up,and that's why I find myself not knowing where I'm going. "
(an excerpt from DeSalvo's confession)
" I would go home and watch what I had done on TV.Then I would cry like a baby. "