After deliberating for just one-half hour, they found him sane and guilty. [2], In March 1988, Shawcross began murdering again, primarily targeting sex workers in the Rochester area, before his capture less than two years later. Naval Hospital in Kittery, Maine 1 month premature - weighed 5 pounds - spent 20 days in the hospital Mother Bessie was 18, father Arthur Roy was 21 Born with XYY Was first of four children He served a tour of duty in the .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Vietnam War in October 1967, and he later claimed that he murdered and cannibalized two young Vietnamese girls and several children while there. Shawcross, however, was a very troubled child and would often bully other children and act violently at school, even developing a habit of bringing an iron bar with him to classes. In this week's episode Ellen talks about Arthur Shawcross; a serial killer from upstate New York, which happens to be Ellen's favorite place in the world. Arthur Shawcross was a 300-pound serial killer who ruthlessly murdered 14 people. A portrait of the late Princess Diana was among 10 sketches and paintings by him that sold for as much as $540 a piece. Authorities didnt find Jacks body for five months, but analysis showed the boy suffered from a sexual assault before his death. The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History. Shawcross was declared sane and guilty of 10 instances of second-degree murder. During the trial, Shawcross defense attorneys tried to say he was insane but the court didnt agree. His records were sealed so he could settle in a new town without causing a panic. The body was not Felicia Stephens but that of missing prostitute June Cicero. He even admitted to the killing of two undiscovered bodies, those of prostitutes Maria Welsh and Darlene Trippi, leading investigators to their bodies. The three women were prostitutes who worked on Lyell . Call Her Christine: The Story Of The Original American Transgender Celebrity, Christine Jorgensen, The Shocking Crimes Of Velma Barfield, The "Death Row Granny", What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. In a disturbing interview, Shawcross details some of his crimes while vehemently refusing to discuss others. In September, six months after Blackburn's body was found, the bones from another missing Lyell Avenue prostitute, Anna Marie Steffen, was found by a man who was collecting bottles to sell for cash. Released and invisible. 6. She died of asphyxia, and her body had been dumped in a similar manner to Blackburn's corpse. It did not take long for himto become bored with his new menial life. Patrol teams on the ground were alerted to the vehicle, which had sped away. While in Vietnam, along with killing 39 menduring combat (which was a proven lie) Shawcross also used the venue to describe in grotesque detailshow he murdered, then cooked and ate, two Vietnam women. Apparently, Stott was a friend and had been a guest in his home. She had been strangled to death, and there were bite marks covering what was left of her vagina which had been cut out. Arthur Shawcross, convicted of killing 10 Rochester-area women from 1988 to 1990, was sentenced today to a minimum of 250 years in prison. Blackburn's lifestyle opened up a broad range of possible suspects for case detectives to investigate, but with too few clues the case eventually went cold. Arthur Shawcross was sentenced to 25 years in prison but served less than 15 years. Arthur Shawcross Photo: Getty Images Serial killer Arthur Shawcross murdered 11 women in upstate New York in less than a two-year . The body, which was surrounded by fresh footprints in the snow, was that of June Cicero. Her body was found in the Genesee River, dumped there following a vicious attack, which included bite marks in the groin area and strangulation. He had to be relocated to four different citiesbecause of community protests. He served two years in prison, was paroled to his respectable parents - and murdered a boy and a girl. He preyed primarily upon prostitutes from Lyell Ave, raping and mutilating his victims before and after dumping their bodies in out of the way locations throughout the city.He had a penchant for securing their bodies by way of a . Then the body of 26-year-old June Stott, who was neither a prostitute nor drug user, was found on Thanksgiving Day. Both had been asphyxiated and the press started to show an interest as the cases were linked. All other charges were dropped and he was sentenced to a 25-years in prison. Shawcross's medical records show that he had a cyst and scarring on his temporal lobe, which can dramatically alter . He then confessed to murdering the others. He was born Arthur John Shawcross in Kittery, Maine on June 6, 1945, and grew up an unhappy kid. "Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross Dead". He wouldnt kill again for several months, but after being laid off from his job went into a rage and picked up Anna Steffen. Shawcross and his girlfriend Clara Neal were brought to the police station for questioning. Partly told through the letters of Arthur Shawcross, The Shawcross Letters is the tale of one of America's most notorious serial killers and his relationship with his would-be biographer, John Paul Fay. Updated on July 03, 2019. Shawcross' defense team tried to build a case based on an insanity plea, citing various mitigating factors, such as his upbringing, post-traumatic stress as a result of military service, a cyst on the brain and a rare genetic defect. On the first episode of this two-part series, we explore the grim origins of brutal serial killer Arthur Shawcross, from his incestuous childhood to his time in 'Nam to his inexplicably numerous marriages. This was not the first time that he killed. Arthur John Shawcross was also known as "The Genesee River Killer" and "The Rochester Strangler" all due to how he . Arthur J. Shawcross, a notorious serial killer, claimed to have had a very troubled childhood. There were also human bite marks found all around her vagina. Good Guy Arthur and his daughter and granddaughter . All Rights Reserved. His first known murders were in 1972 when he killed a young boy and a girl in his hometown of Watertown, New York. During the aerial search for Felicia Stephens body, the helicopter made out the shape of a corpse under the ice as well as a car cruising the area. Just three weeks later, Shawcross married his third wife who was pregnant with his child. After his involvement in protecting a guard during a prison riot, he was granted an early release in October of 1971. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Shawcross' family members strongly denied that he was abused and described his childhood as normal. Known as the "Genesee River Killer," Arthur Shawcross of upstate Watertown first raped and killed two children in 1972. Officials disputed it and attributed him with a combat kill of zero. But death did not end the killer's cruelty. Could it be that Rochester was being stalked by two serial killers? Jack was never heard from again. Arthur Shawcross's work has been offered at auction multiple times. They had the bodies of four women, all who went missing and were murdered within seven months of each other; three had been murdered within a few weeks of each other; three of the victims were prostitutes from Lyell Avenue, and all the victims had bite marks and had been strangled to death. After serving less than 15 years of this sentence, he was released on parole in April 1987. [6], Jefferson County District Attorney William McClusky explained the plea bargain by stating that other than Shawcross's confession to police, there was no direct evidence linking him to the Blake killing. He lived in Watertown, New York (NY) in his youth, and was relocated to Rochester, NY later on in his life. His withdrawn behavior earned him the nickname "oddie" from his peers. Shawcross started his life of crime at a very young age and ended up being a big fat liar about many things he claimed to have done. The detectives gave Shawcross a list of 16 women missing or murdered, and he immediately denied having anything to do with five of them. Dr. Michael H. Stone, professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and an authority on violent behavior, identified Shawcross as "one of the most egregious examples of the unwarranted release of a prisoner" in his book The Anatomy of Evil. He admitted to 11 murders (he was not officially charged with a 12th), and his confession was an astounding 80 pages long. Life for Shawcross and Rose became routine. This, along with the fact that she was not a prostitute or drug user, kept her disappearance separated from the serial killer investigation. In November 1990, Shawcross went on trial for the 10 murders that had occurred in Monroe County. Shawcross was brought in for questioning a second time. 4. Her body was found under a bridge. It was at this point that the Rochester police decided to contact the F.B.I. Sheriff's officials say six people including a 17-year-old mother and her 6-month-old baby were killed in a shooting early Monday at a home in central California, and authorities are searching for . . 14. In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. Then learn the horrifying story of Rodney Alcala, the serial killer who won The Dating Game during his murder spree. At the beginning of November, Jo Ann Van Nostrand told police about a client named Mitch who paid her to play dead and then he would try to strangle her, which she did not allow. With little evidence, and no public impetus to solve the murder of a prostitute, her case languished for over a year. [8] Lewis also claimed that Shawcross moved into a separate internal personality named "Bessie" when he killed, arguing for him to be institutionalized rather than being returned to the prisons system. The judicial system then thought it was wise to seal Shawcross records to prevent panic wherever he lived. In 1967 he was drafted by the US Army at age 21. ", Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Arthur Shawcross, Birth Year: 1945, Birth date: June 6, 1945, Birth State: Maine, Birth City: Kittery, Birth Country: United States, Best Known For: Serial killer Arthur Shawcross murdered 11 women from 1988 to 1990 in upstate New York, earning the nickname "Genesee River Killer. Arthur John Shawcross. His daughter was apparently instrumental in Shawcross's conversion to Catholicism while in . In April 1967, at age 21, Shawcross was drafted into United States Army. Arthur Shawcross leaves court in 1990 in Rochester, New York. 9. AP. Serial killer Arthur John Shawcross, also called the Rochester Strangler or the Genesee River Killer, was prolific in the short time that he was an active killer. He appeared to be urinating, but when he spotted the aircrew, he immediately fled the scene in his van.The ground team was alerted and went in pursuit of the man in the van. Shawcross was sentenced to five years in prison for arson in 1969. Personal Life. Montaldo, Charles. 20. He appeared to be either masturbating or urinating. Tidlige r. They divided the 11 unsolved prostitute murders into sub-groups according to method and position. Eventually, he found his way to bestiality. Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, was in prison after . After throwing Junes body off a bridge by the Salmon River, Shawcross returned two days later and sawed of her genitals and ate them. 25. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 - November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer active in Rochester, New York. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 - November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer. They began to advise prostitutes working in the area to exercise caution, and sought as much information as possible about strangers operating in the area. Arthur Shawcross, 44, is expected to be charged with three additional killings, raising to 11 the number of murders he allegedly committed since March 1988 in and around Rochester. Three women disappeared, one right after the other: In an effort to find the missing women, police organizedan air search of the Genesee River Gorge. 15. The Genesee River Serial Killer was a man who had previously spent more than 14 years in prison for the murder of two children - and then was released to kill again. Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross. When asked for his driver's license, he told the police that he did not have one because he had been convicted of manslaughter. He was arrested in 1972 for the rape and murder of two children. Hunters discovered his next victim, 27-year-old prostitute Dorothy Blackburn, on March 24, 1988. Investigators went from looking for individual killersto looking for a serial killer and the window of time between his kills was getting shorter. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, and died on November 10, 2008, while serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 women. [12], In 2003, Shawcross was interviewed by British reporter Katherine English for a documentary on cannibalism. Dorothy "Dotsie" Blackburn, 27, was a cocaine addict and prostitute who often worked on Lyell Avenue, a section in Rochester that was known for prostitution. When discussing the murders of the two children in 1972, he told the detectives that Jack Blake had been bothering him, so he hit him, killing him by mistake. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Arthur Shawcross murdered a boy and girl in Watertown, N.Y., in 1972, but he was only convicted of manslaughter and released from prison after 12 years. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Shawcrosss third victim of the 20-month spree was 59-year-old former waitress, Dorothy Keeler, with whom Shawcross had struck up a friendship. Renowned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz, who consulted for both the FBI and CIA, claimed under oath during Shawcross' trial he felt Lewis coaxed Shawcross to play various roles. 0 references. In this study, five serial murderers were identified as having engaged in childhood animal cruelty. He murdered Darlene after she made fun of him for failing to get an erection and hid her body in the woods. He was arrested the next day. He also claimed that an aunt sexually molested him when he was 9 years old and that he acted out by sexually molesting his younger sister. With the discovery of Patty Ives, investigators realized that it was a strong possibility that a serial killer was loose in Rochester. The post-mortem injury inflicted on June Stott, and not on any other victim, indicated that the killer was becoming more comfortable around corpses, probably returning to the crime scene again later to relive the attack. The mass murderer took up painting bright visages of butterflies, wildlife and water features. Male interviewers often had to listen to his conquests in Vietnam. The serial killer, also known as the Monster of the Rivers, the Genesee River Strangler, and the Genesee River Killer, was not a small man. Five months later, his victim's body was finally located. He had been sexually assaulted and suffocated, but police had no leads to the identity of the killer. Shawcrossdropped out of schoolafter failing to pass the ninth grade. It was also hindered by poor presentation on the part of the expert witnesses called to testify. He was cremated. After several hours of interrogation, he still denied having anything to do with the murdered women. Before being drafted to serve in Vietnam in October of 1967, Shawcross married and divorced twice. He served two years in prison, was paroled to his respectable parents - and murdered a boy and a girl. The discovery of the body of Elizabeth Gibson, on November 27, brought a breakthrough: suspect "Mitch" had been seen with her shortly before her disappearance, but they seemed no closer to establishing his identity. After a photo of Shawcross was confirmed to be Mitch and police threatened to implicate Clara in the murders (Shawcross had gifted her a piece of jewelry from one of the victims), he confessed to killing the women detailing the reasons why he was forced to do it. As prostitutes continued to disappear, it became apparent that the killer must be someone familiar to the women who worked in the area. A judge sentenced the murderer to 250 years in prison. Eventually, Shawcrosss parole officer settled them in Rochester without properly notifying authorities. Shawcross stood trail in 1990 for 10 murders across Monroe County, New York. The body of Elizabeth "Liz" Gibson, 29, was found strangled to death on November 27, in another county. A year later, on April 7, 1972, he claimed his first victim: 10-year-old neighbor Jack Blake. Following his release, he killed 12 women . His next three victims, 25-year-old Patricia Ives, 32-year-old Frances Brown, and 22-year-old Maria Welch, were all prostitutes Shawcross picked up and murdered while having sex with them. [2] Shawcross returned to his hometown of Watertown, New York, eventually getting a job with the Watertown Public Works Department and marrying for the third time. With Augustine Capone, Maggie Deming, Paul Dierdorf, Lynde Johnston. He died in prison. natural causes. On January 2, 1990, there was finally a breakthrough in the case. Arthur Shawcross: Vile cannibal who loved to eat women. 2011719. He received a 25-year jail sentence, and third wife Penny divorced him shortly thereafter. At this time he divorced his first wife and gave up his rights to their 18-month-old son, whom he never saw again. Shawcross also talked about his childhood, as if using the experience as a way to justify his horrific acts. Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, was in prison after . We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! 201311 2008118 "Upstate New York Serial Killer Dies". People like Arthur Shawcross, the Rochester, NY based killer who killed 12 women . Shawcross was 27 years old, divorced for the third time and would be locked away until the age of 52, but after serving just 14 1/2 years,he was released from prison. She had also been mutilated post-mortem, as well as sawn practically in half. The interrogation tactics Shawcross employed with his Vietnamese captive are very similar to those used in the Phoenix Program, which was a . Arthur John Shawcross, handwritten account, 1990. Arthur John Shawcross was an American serial killer who killed between 1972 and 1990 around Rochester, New York. You may unsubscribe at any time. ", Astrological Sign: Gemini, Death Year: 2008, Death date: November 10, 2008, Death State: New York, Death City: Albany, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Arthur Shawcross Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/arthur-shawcross, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: October 27, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Shawcross was known to fish from the area under the same bridge. His apartment, 241 Alexander Street, is still there today. languages spoken, written or signed. Linda would soon divorce him, after which he began committing crimes such as arson and burglary. . Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer active in Rochester, New York from 1972 through 1989. He was caught after neighbors witnessed the murderer with the girl near a bridge shortly before her death. 10. They got married, and Shawcross worked various low-skilled jobs. Later, when Shawcross served in Vietnam, he claimed, although he had never served in combat, that he had . One victim tried to steal his wallet, another wouldn't be quiet, another made fun of him, and yet another had nearly bitten off his penis. Post-traumatic stress disorder from his year in Vietnam was also anted up as a reason why he went insane and murdered women. "Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross." He was arrested on October 3, 1972, and finally confessed to both killings, although he was only charged with Karen Hill's killing, given the lack of evidence tying him to Jack Blake's death. Hunting Down Shawcross' Car. She had been raped and murdered. He also admitted that he anally raped Karen Ann Hill before strangling her to death. Arthur Shawcross was an American Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1945. Shawcrosss story for all three was that he saw them trying to steal from him, became angry, and killed them. When Jacks body was eventually found (after Shawcrosss arrest months later) he had been suffocated, mutilated, and molested. He was probably a local man familiar with the area, and he probably had a criminal record. "Serial killer Arthur Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, and died on November 10, 2008 while serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 women" (Arthur Shawcross 2015). Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. A background check on the vans plates led to the killers arrest on January 4. Arthur Shawcross. Without facts to support, he alleges that he was sexually abused by his mother until he decided to run away in the ninth grade. Mr. Shawcross confessed in 1972 to strangling an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy in his hometown, Watertown, N.Y., and served 15 years of a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, officials said. Shawcross also made extreme reports about his early sexuality. 18. June 16, 2012. It was not until the detectives threatened to bring his wife and his girlfriend Clara in together for questioningand that they couldbe implicated in the murders, did he begin to waver. His sister was equally vehement about never having had a sexual relationship with her brother. With the body count mounting, the police sought assistance from FBI profilers.
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