famous delaware murders

The Phantom Killer was never identified, but the terror he left in the small town was never lost, ultimately inspiring the classic horror film "The Town that Dreaded Sundown.". (AP Photo/Matthew S. Gunby), Assistant U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly, right, answers questions from the media as Delaware State Prosecutor Ferris Wharton, center, and Deleware Attorney General Jane Brady, left, listen after a jury convicted Thomas J. Capano for first-degree murder in the death of Anne Marie Fahey. Although he only killed two women, authorities call him a serial killer that would have killed again if he had not been stopped. Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer and Ariel Castro are just a few of the criminals who've called Ohio home. Then she sent a box of chocolates with the note, "With love to yourself and baby." They nicknamed him "The Green River Killer.". Last but not least on our list of tales so scary they seem like Delaware ghost stories is that of the Route 40 Killer. I tried to work with him, but people are who they are., The state prosecutor agrees. Police believed the murders were the act of a serial killer, but could never find the culprit. In 1958, for two short months, Starkweather shocked the nation with his crimes. A 39-year-old man linked to multiple killings in Delaware and Philadelphia has been indicted on 41 felony charges in connection with multiple slayings, assaults and robberies,. In Numbers, chapter 35, verse 30, Whoever kills a person, the person shall be put to death.Also, in Genesis, chapter 9, verse 6, Whoever sheds mans blood by man, his blood shall be shed., This court has found me guilty on the testimony of witnesses. Between 1962 and 1964, Boston was plagued with a serial killer. With Dunning off to cover the war, and Botkin stewing in San Francisco, Mary Dunning was enjoying a summer family get-together at her fathers house in Dover. They called him the "Chameleon" because he went by so many names and aliases. Ross was executed in 2005, making him the first and last execution in the state of Connecticut. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. Many of the most famous Delaware serial killers can easily be found on any top ten or other form of serial killer list, including list of serial killers in Delaware as well as Delaware serial killer list. "The human body taste was very similar to pork. The famous rhyme makes it seem as if there has never been any doubt as to whether Lizzie Borden killed her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892. An arrest warrant was issued, and on Nov. 29, 1988, a year after hed claimed his first victim, Pennell was in handcuffs. The case was also portrayed in the Season 1, Third Episode of the NBC series Boomtown (October 13, 2002). Three days later, Kathleen Meyer, another Brookmont Farms resident, was last seen alive hitchhiking along Route 40 around 9:30 p.m. An off-duty police officer spotted the 26-year-old accepting a ride from a stranger in a blue Ford van. Michelle Gordon, a 22-year-old New Castle resident, disappeared on Sept. 16, 1988. He was found guilty of raping and killing four women and was put to death in 1994. A second victim was decomposing in the basement. He was your typical, all-American person,the task forces Hedrick says of his interview with Pennell. He never once used the first person. Everything else was the same. Boston nurse Jane Toppan admitted to first eleven murders, then later to 31. She also noticed the drivers coldness. Simmons covered the bodies with coats and his best table cloth, wrapped the babies in plastic and left them in the abandoned cars, before going to his local bar for a drink. Only 12 of the 17 bodies were ever found. Foul play is not suspected. At the time, only two other criminal cases in the country had permitted its introduction. Some believe Williams has nothing to do with these crimes and think that police pinned them on him because they wanted an answer. In 1994, Capano was a partner at the Wilmington office of Saul Ewing LLP when he became involved with 28-year-old Anne Marie Fahey, the appointments secretary to then-Governor Tom Carper. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. He told authorities he started his killing spree because his parents did not approve of his girlfriend, according to Wyoming History's website. According to court documents, Catherine DiMauro was walking along Route 40 around 11:30 p.m. on June 28, 1988. But, it's what he did with their bodies that really shocked the nation. He cared very much what people thought of him.. In 1891, Mary Pennington of Dover, daughter of former Delaware Congressman John Pennington, married John P. Dunning, a newspaper reporter. No evidence of sexual assault was uncovered, but the autopsy did reveal that Ellis was tortured with work tools before she died. Pennells next move shocked the world. He talked about her like she was some piece of garbage he could just throw away. She immediately identified the vehicle. That night, most of those who had attended the gathering became violently ill, with retching stomach pains and vomiting. Black duct tape, likely used to prevent her from screaming, was still attached to strands of her hair. Mark Goudeau became known as the "Baseline Killer" when he terrorized the Phoenix, Arizona, community in the summer of 2006. There, he grew to hate his mother and women as a whole. The spectacular trial resulted in a television movie and several books. As they were chased away, one caught himself in a tree and hanged until his death. Eventually, he escalated to killing them and cutting their heads off. That didnt happen.. Wilmington Daily Republican, Dec. 17, 1898. After Lorraine attempted to escape, he sexually assaulted her and strangled her to death. One night, a group of slave raiders came to the mansion. Known as a prostitute to local authorities, Gordon was last seen on Route 40, hopping into the passenger side of a blue Ford panel van. Despite killing 11 of her own family members, Nannie Doss never broke a smile and was nicknamed "The Giggly Granny." In 2003, he roamed the streets of Connecticut in his van that he dubbed his "murder mobile." He was called "The Lonely Hearts Murderer.". No one would ever look at his background and see signs that this could happen. They called him a "mindless monster," according to the Argus-Press. The man then beat 7-year-old Melissa Bennett to death, before attempting to kill 3-year-old Vanessa, who survived the attack but still has weakness on the left side of her body. The Lizzie Borden Axe Murders. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Shortly after that, now-retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee sentenced Capano to death. In the 1980s, Harvey was a nurse's aid working at hospitals in Kentucky and Ohio, and he killed dozens of patients using cyanide, rat poison, and arsenic, according to WXIX. B Billy Bailey C Thomas Capano James B. Clark Jr. Cheney Clow D William Devonshire J Shannon Johnson (murderer) P Steven Brian Pennell R James Allen Red Dog S Nelson Shelton It was the first state execution in 45 years. Charlene would kidnap the girls and lure them in with the false promise of safety. She became notorious for her illegal activity, including murder, crime, and theft, and striking fear into the hearts of Americans. The condemned murderers wife, Vera Katherine Pennell, did have standing, however. In just one instance, a Panamanian United Fruit Company ship "San Gil" was hit by a torpedo. He remains the only person to represent himself before the state Supreme Court, and the only one to ask for death. She petitioned the American Civil Liberties Unions Delaware chapter to argue for a stay of execution. Eric Robert Rudolph was an American domestic terrorist convicted of several anti-abortion and anti-gay bombings across the Southern United States between 1996 and 1998. The case of the Boston Strangler serial killer is still left unsolved. After picking up an undercover policewoman, fibres from the back of Pennell's van linked him to the crimes. John Joubert once said that when he was young he fantasized about killing his babysitter and eating her. But one of his accomplices, Wayne Henley, turned on Corll and shot him to death. DNA testing confirmed years later that Timothy Wilson Spencer was "The Southside Strangler." Police found a strangled woman's body hiding under a pile of clothes. On Nov. 23, 1989, Thanksgiving Day, the jury reached a verdict. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. Dean Corll is the reason your parents probably told you to never take candy from strangers. But these horrific murders are not unfamiliar to Americans. The autopsy told a macabre story of torture and mutilation. "it would be unbearable to stay" here any longer. The state of Delaware only has one documented serial killer: Steven Brian Pennell or more commonly known as the "Route 40 Killer." Delaware Attorney General Charles Oberly approved a search warrant for Pennells van. Inside the trailer, he made a personal torture chamber, fitted with sex toys, handcuffs, whips, and chains. Contact: kmagaraci@onlyinyourstate.com. Price is currently in jail after confessing to the brutal murders. He and the other accomplice are now serving their life sentence in prison. [10], Several books were written about the case, including And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer by Ann Rule, The Summer Wind: Thomas Capano and the Murder of Anne Marie Fahey by George Anastasia, and Fatal Embrace: The Inside Story of the Thomas Capano/Anne Marie Fahey Murder Case by Cris Barrish and Peter Meyer. Fan Man-yee, a 23-year-old club server, was kidnapped in 1999 by three men. There was just too much evidence that he had to explain., Shortly after the verdict, a bouquet of flowers arrived on Jenningsdesk. Gerry owned a boat and, when it was sold, its two anchors were missing. By 1973, Corll had killed 28 boys in Texas just outside of Houston. DNA tests found Gary Ridgway was the murderer, and he confirmed that fact by confessing to over 75 murders. Each state has a connection to an infamous serial killer. In the recent past, advancements in DNA technology have resulted in hundreds, if not thousands, of decades-old cold cases being solved, and of course, the state of Delaware is not the exception. On Aug. 22, a prostitute named Margaret Lynn Finner went missing. There was no reason for Shirley Ellis to be killed,recalls Kathleen Jennings, the state prosecutor who eventually stared the accused down in a tough cross-examination. He killed his last victim just hours after celebrating his daughters birthday. Thomas Carper. Wayne is in jail for two other murders and has never been tried for the Atlanta Child Murders, but there is evidence that points to him, including the fact that fibers from his home and dog were found on the victims. They were between the ages of 15 and 18. Despite the fact that the victims died near Dover, Delaware, the residents of Lewes would have to follow the trial from afar. Two of his kills took place in Nebraska when he worked with the Air Force and the third happened in Maine when he abducted an 11-year-old boy who went out for a jog. Eventually, police started showing up at the Baumeister home asking questions about missing boys. He is currently serving a 70-year sentence. Pennell asked if he could proceed without an attorney. He was only found guilty of one murder and was sent to a mental institution. I do not know myself," he said at the time. When you think of Hawaii, you think of sunny beaches and peaceful islands. In the '90s, Paul Dennis Reid moved to Nashville to become a country music star. In the early 1900s, Lady Southard murdered her four former husbands, her brother-in-law, and ever her own daughter by poisoning. They discovered carpet fibers matching those on the victims, along with hair, blood and the same brand of duct tape used on DiMauro. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Lyda Southard makes the list because she's often credited with being Idaho's (and sometimes the country's) first woman serial killer. That couldve been devastating.. By 1932, he killed and robbed five people, according to the New York Daily News. He has published nine books on coastal history and his latest is "Deadly Storms of the Delmarva Coast." In fact, Gaskins claimed he killed 200 hitchhikers. Manson himself is currently incarcerated at the Corcoran State Prison, and has been denied parole 16 times. These horrifying Delaware stories prove that even the smallest of states can hold big, dark secrets. It was registered to Pennell. The most famous of Delaware serial killers include Steven Brian Pennell, also known as The Corridor Killer and Route 40 Killer, who killed 5 people from 1987 to 1988, and James Allen Red Dog, who killed 5 people between 1990 and 1991, among others. Delaware has dealt with its fair share of Delaware killers throughout its history, ranging from mass murderers to even serial killers. In 2017, he was beaten to death in prison. When Mary joined them, she had a box of candies that had arrived unexpectedly with a pretty handkerchief and a note, With love to yourself and baby. Do you remember when this story hit the news? Bundy graduated from the University of Washington in 1972. Even the FBI tried to talk to him and get at the heart of what caused him to do this. She survived the attack. The way he described DiMauro was so cold,says Jennings. During his "60 Minutes" interview, he apologized for his crimes but said, "I don't know if I would have stopped.". He broke their bones, bit them, and sometimes acted on his cannibalistic instincts. The program also delves into pop culture, sports, and humor. You'd pay an annual fee and receive a list of eligible lovers in your area. I don't have an answer. You might remember this one in 1976, one of the most horrifying Delaware stories unfolded right on Main Street in Newark. No one would ever suspect him of anything.. The Delaware State Police have arrested 53-year-old Robert Franks of Bridgeville, Delaware for the murder of his wife, Cynthia Moss-Franks. This list of unsolved murders includes notable cases where victims have been murdered under unknown circumstances. After being brought into custody Hansen confessed to raping over 30 women, and murdering 17. When police came into his house, they found body parts all over. The lone witness to the abduction knew both Gordon and Pennell. Check out thisHaunted Road Trip To Visit Some Of The Spookiest Places In Delaware. A cocaine addict, she was the only victim who died while being tortured. He pled no contest to the two murders and asked the Superior Court to sentence him to death. Not every murder gets solved. It was making me ache. When he went to the mans home in nearby Frankford, he found him beaten to death in a blood splattered room, [], Posted: December 9th, 2015 under Short Feature Story. Charged with the murder of DiMauro, Gordon and Ellis, he exercised his right to remain silent. It was a chilly, rainy night on Nov. 29, 1987. He scared everyone because he was killing with reckless abandon at random. As he struggled to make his way into the country music scene, he took a job as a dishwasher at a local fast-food restaurant. But Jennings planned to introduce more than blue fibers at Pennells September 1989 criminal trial. On Friday, December 7, 1934, fifty-six-year-old May Carey and her son, Howard, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. While Taschner was engaged in small talk, Hedrick ran the vans plates. It was discovered that over four years, the Long Islander killed 17 women most of them sex workers. He was executed at age 34 in 1992 by the State of Delaware by lethal injection. He also recruited two teenage boys as accomplices to help him. Daniel Wayne Cook, John Matzke, Carlos Froyan Cruz-Ramos, and Kevin Swaney all worked together at a restaurant in Lake Havasu City, Arizona during the summer of 1987. Ted Bundy is perhaps one of the most recognizable serial killers on this list. Asking for death was his way of admitting it,the task forces Taschner suggests. When Mary Dunning discovered her husbands indiscretions, she returned home to her fathers house in Dover. By the time she stopped her brutal reign over her family in the late '50s, she had murdered four of her husbands, one of her mother-in-laws, her two sisters, her grandson, her nephew, two of her own children, and even her own mother. On some occasions, he would have sex with the corpses. If that was ruled inadmissible, everything else wouldve been kept out under the fruit of the poisonous treelegal doctrine. Robert Hansen, known as the Butcher Baker due to owning a bakery, was a serial rapist and killer in the Anchorage Alaska area between 1971 and 1983. Get theDelaware TodayBest Restaurants Guide for FREE! The story goes that Bartlett ran an inn with her family where she is said to have poisoned the guests with arsenic and would then ditch the bodies in a local corral. Bartlett is described as Wyoming's first and worst serial killer. She pled guilty and said she killed the children she babysat for because she had to satisfy a sudden urge to choke them, according to The New York Times. In a weird twist, she was buried outside and eventually exhumed when the land was undergoing renovation. Rasmussen was finally identified,but he had already died in prison, where he was serving time for different charges in 2010. In the '90s, Metheny would lure sex workers to his trailer to stab and strangle them. Capano, 61, apparently died of natural causes. 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