The discovery of the corpses led to another newsflash: The area had a serial killer. She became notorious for her illegal activity, including murder, crime, and theft, and striking fear into the hearts of Americans. He was hunting women like wild animals. Though he admitted to killing 36 women, it's speculated that the actual number of victims is much higher. He is currently serving four life sentences at the ADX Florence Supermax in Colorado. Contact me here. It was a strange, strange thing., Pennell argued as if he were a prosecutor demanding death for a vicious criminal. Eventually, they moved in together. When you think of Hawaii, you think of sunny beaches and peaceful islands. Kent County, Delaware, had a population of over 180,700 people as of 2019. It was as fine a piece of testifying as Ive ever seen,Maurer contends. He remains the only person to represent himself before the state Supreme Court, and the only one to ask for death. They had dinner at a Philadelphia restaurant in June, 1996. Gordon's body washed up on the rocky banks of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on Sept. 20. In the mid-'80s the tropical utopia was gripped with fear when five bodies were found near water. Why did he refuse to admit guilt but demand to be executed for the crimes? Also among the same list are the many unsolved murders Dover, Delaware, which include the 2014 murder of Christopher Gillis, the 2007 murder of Jerome Hill, the 2016 murder of Tyler Parton, and the 1986 murder of Lonnie Hill, among many others. He was found guilty on eight counts of first-degree murder. That's how he earned his name "The Cannibal." They tortured her for a month before she passed on, however, it's indistinct whether the men were at fault for her demise or on the other hand on the off chance that it was because of a medication glut. He was sentenced to death and hanged in 1932. After dinner, the family gathered on the veranda. A task force was formed, complete with its own headquarters near the New CastleCounty airport. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. Additionally, some of the currently unsolved central Delaware murders include the 2006 murder of Jay Stratton, the 2003 murder of Gregory Philip Love, the 1989 murder of Russell LeGates, the 2013 murder of Gregory Keiser Sr., and the 2012 murder of Jonathan Grioli, among others. Whisenhant declined having any final words when he was eventually put to death. In the '92 book, he wrote, "The bothersomeness was getting worse. Although she confessed, she was not put to death because she was so young instead, she was sentenced to life in prison. All rights reserved. Although Carroll Edward Cole's crimes weren't committed in Iowa, he grew up in the state that seemingly shaped his life into a serial killer. No evidence of sexual assault was uncovered, but the autopsy did reveal that Ellis was tortured with work tools before she died. In 1829, she was arrested on charges of murder. I think that hurt him in front of the jury., Pennell may have come across as unlikable, but the jury still struggled with the three murder charges. The mere sight of a woman enraged these feelings made them pulsate and grate in the pit of my stomach.". She also noticed the drivers coldness. After she was caught, she was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. On March 14, 1992, Steven Brian Pennell was the first man executed in Delaware in 46 years. Another woman met a similar fate when she was just waiting at a bus stop. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Connecticut Department of Correction/ AP Images. On March 14, 1992, the state of Delaware killed Steven Brian Pennell. Harvey Robinson is known for being one of the youngest serial killers reported in the United States. Sept. 28, 2016. He was different than any other person who stopped for me,she recalls. Another piece of important information listed in the Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report is the listing of crime rates in most, if not all, cities and counties in Delaware, as well as throughout the entire state itself. The lone witness to the abduction knew both Gordon and Pennell. Once Matzke was awake they both strangled Swaney with a bed sheet. They called him a "mindless monster," according to the Argus-Press. Crime rates in our small state hover around the national median, and its not common to ever fear for your life while exploring our beautiful state. Thomas Carper. They nicknamed him "The Green River Killer.". He talked about her like she was some piece of garbage he could just throw away. He was executed by lethal injection, the first person to be executed in Delaware after the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1975. As each day passed, I thought maybe we got something going.. 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.". He was found guilty on three murder charges and was facing the death penalty, but in 2000 it was overturned to a life sentence. Patty Cannon lived in the Seaford area in the early 1800s. While Taschner was engaged in small talk, Hedrick ran the vans plates. Capano then retrieved the cooler, removed the body, and wrapped the anchor chains around it. 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 The official cause of death was from "softening of the brain, due to melancholy,"but some say she died of the lingering effects of sweet revenge. He drove her to a secluded area and sexually assaulted her in the front seat of his pick-up truck. He is still in prison, 10 young people, earning him the title "The Co-ed Killer, convinced the FBI to let him out as an informant. This terrifying, troubling event unfolded in the late 1980s. If true, Williams could be guilty of killing close to 30 people. Woodfield didn't become well known as a football player. Lewes was never an isolated town. 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. In 2016, his nine death sentences were upheld in Phoenix. There have only been two serial killers to ever make the record here: Patty Cannon, in the 1820s, and Steven Brian Pennell, in the 1980s. Even the FBI tried to talk to him and get at the heart of what caused him to do this. Fahey's family reported her missing on June 30. A police officer took her skull as a souvenir, and you were once able to visit it at the Dover Public Library. Police believed the murders were the act of a serial killer, but could never find the culprit. Also, some examples of unsolved murders in Dover, Delaware, include the 2014 murder of Christopher Gillis, the 2007 murder of Jerome Hill, the 2016 murder of Tyler Parton, and the 1986 murder of Lonnie Hill, among many others. He wasnt in the moment. After a brutal car chase, Kimball was arrested and plead guilty to four charges of second-degree murder. Thomas Capano, a prominent Democrat, was one of four brothers. She died at San Quentin in 1910. He died in prison. Some serial killers are known for killing children, like David Meirhofer in Montana. Patty Cannon, who lived on the Delaware-Maryland line near Seaford, confessed to killing more than two dozen people - including her husband and one of her children. As can be expected, until all of these murders are solved, Dover murders discussion will resume on social media outlets such as Facebook, Reddit, and Websleuths, where users consider the details of cases by speculating and sharing information regarding Dover murders pictures, Dover murders crime scene photos, and Dover, Delaware, murders autopsy photos, which are almost never released to the general public, although some are released once the criminal trial is completed. A date was set for March 14, 1992. Also featured in a 2018 episode of Vanity Fair Confidential titled "The Secret of the Summer Wind.". Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. Terry Blair first killed his pregnant girlfriend and mother of his two children in 1982. The Delaware State Police have arrested 53-year-old Robert Franks of Bridgeville, Delaware for the murder of his wife, Cynthia Moss-Franks. Barnabet killed entire families as they slept in what became known as the "Voodoo Murders" in the 1910s. She was an illegal slave trader, involved in the kidnapping of both free and enslaved African Americans. When patients would look for him to care during their darkest times and he would respond by killing them, usually with prescription drugs. He refused appeal because "it would be unbearable to stay" here any longer. Doss was sentenced to life in prison and died in 1965. Whisenhant would abduct women, rape them in his pickup before shooting them with a 32 pistol. When police arrived at the home, the place was filled with garbage to the ceiling. Despite the fact that the victims died near Dover, Delaware, the residents of Lewes would have to follow the trial from afar. Thomas Capano, a prominent Democrat, was one of four brothers. Capano was convicted of killing Anne Marie Fahey, scheduling secretary to then-Governor Tom Carper, and dumping her body at sea on June 28, 1996. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. He was found guilty of killing 17 women and was sentenced to 203 years in prison, which he is still serving. But the jury deadlocked on the Gordon case. He can be reached atspinway@aol.com. Shortly before 6 p.m., she left the warmth of her familys home in Newarks Brookmont Farms development and began the 14-mile trek. An article in The Boston Globe said it best: "He stabbed four of his neighbors to death in their own homes before he was old enough to drive.". Her gang of 50 to 60 people operated for 30 years, committing as many as 30 murders and more than 3,000 . Maurer initiated the lengthy appeals process, alleging that the fiber seizure was unconstitutional, among other things. The bureau concluded the unthinkable: A serial killer had come to Delaware. In 2012, the story was featured on Behind Mansion Walls. What his wife didn't know was that Herb also cruised gay bars at night, picking up young men. 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. When Cruz-Ramos was caught trying to find some money Cook stole from him in Cooks apartment, Cook and Matzke tied him up and began to torture him for hours. The killer then wrapped a ligature around her neck and repeatedly struck her over the head with a hammer. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets, Thomas Capano heads for the courthouse in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Oct. 9, 1998. In total, Goudeau was found guilty of killing nine people, most of them women. As early as the 1800s, the United States has seen killers who murdered on a massive scale. Gun violence hearings leave Philly councilmembers, residents disheartened and tired. For the most part, Delaware is a peaceful state. The day after Christmas when his extended family arrived at the house, Simmons shot his children and their spouses before strangling their two infant children and his 7-year-old granddaughter. Eventually, he pled no contest to the September 1988 murders of Michele A. Gordon and Kathleen Anne Meyer. 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. It also described him as a pleasant, attractive, friendly 33-year-old man who related well to the examiner., His acts were unspeakable,says Pennells attorney, Eugene Maurer. 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. Wilmington Daily Republican, Dec. 17, 1898. On Aug. 22, a prostitute named Margaret Lynn Finner went missing. In fact, he was called "The Candy Man." He also confessed to bombing an abortion clinic in Georgia, a lesbian bar in Georgia, and an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama resulting in the death of an Alabaman security guard and a police officer. In the book, he calls his need to kill his "bothersomeness." Steven Brian Pennell (1957 or 1958 March 14, 1992), aka The Corridor Killer, was convicted of the murders of two New Castle County, Delaware women and suspected of three more.He also plead no contest to the murder of Kathleen Meyer once DNA evidence linked him to the case. Until then, though, this mystery will stay on the minds of many Delawareans who remember. After Lopez's arrest in 1980, police found the graves of more than 50 of his preteen victims. Thank you! The survivors of the attack were brought to Lewes for treatment. Get theDelaware TodayBest Restaurants Guide for FREE! The woman calling said she had been kidnapped. The state responded by indicting Pennell for the murders of Meyer and Gordon, based on new evidence. When she arrived to be held in jail in Georgetown, she took poison and killed herself in the cell. Keep up with Kendra on Instagram, Twitter and kendrasyrdal.com, The essays in this book are short and sweet, and incredible. Lastly, Leslie Van Houten, Steve Clem Grogan, and the four members from the Tate murders murdered Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary in their Los Feliz home. Michelle Gordon, a 22-year-old New Castle resident, disappeared on Sept. 16, 1988. When Mary Dunning discovered her husbands indiscretions, she returned home to her fathers house in Dover. On February 17, 2023, detectives from the Delaware State Police [] Read More Delaware State Police Investigating Homicide Date Posted: Saturday, February 18th, 2023 There was a learning curve,admits Gebelein. Years later, Capano was removed from death row based on questions about whether a jury or a judge should have the final say on a death sentence. If you mix it together no one can tell the difference," he told The Sun in 2015. When Israel Keyes killed himself in prison in 2012, he took a lot of answers with him. WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyones stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. He also had "atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and that obesity was a contributing factor in his death". Between 1948 and 1980, Cole strangled and killed 13 women across multiple states because he said it felt like he was killing his mother, according to the Sioux City Journal. He was put to death in 2010. Bundy graduated from the University of Washington in 1972. We've collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996. . His killing sparked a full panic in the small city. Nearly everything burned to the ground in 1892, leaving 300 people homeless and burning one body so badly that it could not be identified. Right before he was caught, he killed his mother by smashing her head with a hammer and decapitating her. He was sentenced to death and met the electric chair in 1989. Later, Rogers would be connected to two other murders of women with red hair and found slain in their bathtubs. No one would ever look at his background and see signs that this could happen. One of the world's most prolific serial killers might still be out there. Oddly enough, this sort of thing was a fairly regular occurrence until the end of the war. 2013], where you will discover forgotten crimes and criminals lost to history. By this point, the task force was monitoring Pennells every move. If you travel the swamp trail alone, you might hear the screams of the young runaway who was raped and killed here in the 1870s she still haunts these woods. The day before Halloween, Price, a redhead, was found dead in the bathtub, and Rogers fled the scene. We had an unlimited budget.. Christine Falling became known as the "Babysitter from Hell" when she choked and killed five children in the early '80s, including an 8-month-old baby. In an interview with the Daily News in 2010, Rifkin said, "I was surprised I didn't get caught sooner.". 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. It was hard to get into a conversation. In the years to come, the "Weepy-voiced killer" would be identified as Paul Michael Stephani. Just as on previous stakeouts, men routinely approached Taschner. All of us involved want to understand it better. The police were suddenly struck by a smell escaping from the trunk of his car. He killed his last victim just hours after celebrating his daughters birthday. On Friday, December 7, 1934, fifty-six-year-old May Carey and her son, Howard, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder. When the Spanish-American War began, Dunning decided to follow the troops to Cuba, broke off the affair with Cordelia, and declared that he was going to reconcile with his wife. Dont let the eerie history keep you away from Blackbird State Forest though. Since then, he raped and killed at least seven other women during his time in Kansas City, Missouri, the Daily Mail reports. 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. The empty cooler was found on July 4, 1996, by a local fisherman. It was making me ache. According to this same Uniform Crime Report from 2019, the homicide rate in Delaware was around 4.9 per 100,000 residents, meaning that roughly 5 people per 100,000 residents of Delaware were murdered. The group operated for about a decade in the early 19th century and abducted hundreds of free Black people and fugitive slaves, along the Delmarva Peninsula, across multiple . Kimball was the last to see all of them alive. Fifty years earlier during the Gold Rush, Sussex County native, Harbeson Hickman, took nearly seven months to sail from Lewes to San Francisco, but with the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the same trip could be completed in a matter of days. According to their crime report from 2019, the violent crime rate in Delaware was roughly 422.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. Four days after the photo was taken, Anderson took his life in prison. As they were chased away, one caught himself in a tree and hanged until his death. Kimball killed his uncle, his cellmate's girlfriend, and a 19-year-old girl. First, he would abduct them and then he would torture them. [5], Investigators did not have a murder weapon or a body, nor any evidence that Capano had purchased a gun. In each of the murders, he broke into their homes, raped and sodomized them, and then strangled them with a belt or rope. Pennell delivered a terse argument for his own death, filled with biblical quotes. As the cops circled in on him, he panicked and died by suicide without ever facing trial. He was called "The Lonely Hearts Murderer.". Although he killed women all over the country, Bundy made his way to Utah in 1974. The smell of decay was overwhelming. A Delaware Superior Court judge sentenced the once wealthy and well-connected attorney to life in prison without parole for the 1996 murder of Fahey, who was scheduling secretary to then-Gov. They only knew the suspect as "The Southside Strangler." 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