They had dinner at a Philadelphia restaurant in June, 1996. When the ship was evacuated to lifeboats, the U-Boat surfaced and fired shots at the lifeboats and ships. call after every time he killed a person, confessing to murder. Where old crime does new time: A Research Site Dedicated to Forgotten Crimes & Forgotten Criminals. He was found guilty of raping and killing four women and was put to death in 1994. He had no final words and left no answers for the chaos he induced. Officially, though, the identity of the murderer remains a . On Aug. 22, a prostitute named Margaret Lynn Finner went missing. When police came into his house, they found body parts all over. I don't have an answer. He is currently on death row, waiting to fulfill his death sentence. He also asked Gerry to help dispose of a blood-stained sofa and carpet into a dumpster, which was managed by a third brother, Louis. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The van stopped. These include the 1994 murder of Keith Haynes, the 2014 murder of Rogelio Hernandez, the 1969 murder of Lewis Wilson Harper, and the 1989 murder of Aurelio Maestri Reds, among countless others. The 1935 Delaware Execution of a Mother & Son Story by Jason Lucky Morrow Posted: December 9, 2015 On November 9, 1927, twenty-year-old Howard Hitchens of Georgetown, Delaware, was growing concerned for his uncle, Robert, whom he had not seen in several days. This list of unsolved murders includes notable cases where victims have been murdered under unknown circumstances. Every three weeks to the day this murderer would shoot a couple to death in their car. In just one instance, a Panamanian United Fruit Company ship "San Gil" was hit by a torpedo. Commuters and students were lining up for their early morning breakfast when a gigantic explosion destroyed the building. 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. A cocaine addict, she was the only victim who died while being tortured. Rogers is currently on death row. There was no sign of forced entry, so police believe each victim let their murderer in voluntarily. Gerry told police that Capano shot the cooler in order to sink it, but that the cooler remained afloat in the water. A blue Ford panel van with round headlights drove past. 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. On her behalf, church followers killed upwards of 40 people. Keyonna Perkins killing and JaShown Banners shooting occurred 20 miles apart on the same day while the gunmen hunted for Perkins boyfriend. Right around Christmas in 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons murdered his entire family. The card read, From the women of Route 40. Get more stories delivered right to your email. In 1987, when he was just 13 years old, he stabbed Rebecca Spencer to death. 2013], where you will discover forgotten crimes and criminals lost to history. Once there, he would strangle them to death. WILMINGTON, Del. He was sentenced to death and met the electric chair in 1989. His preferred method: having his victim lay down and shooting them in the back of the head. It stopped a little farther down the road, stopped again and turned around. He was found unresponsive Monday afternoon at 12:34 in his cell at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna and later was pronounced dead. The killer then wrapped a ligature around her neck and repeatedly struck her over the head with a hammer. 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. Most recovered, but Mary Dunning and her sister, Ida, Mrs. Joshua Deane, died three days later. Donald Harvey is better known as "The Angel of Death" after he confessed to 57 murders. The motive for the murders was never discovered. Finally, a few examples of unsolved murders in Kent County, Delaware, include the 2015 murder of Douglas Kimball, the 1990 murder of Lena Lorraine Thomas, the 1983 murder of Shirley Weckerly, and the 2009 murder of Robert Watkins, among many others. Maurer hadnt heard from his client in over a year, and he was as surprised as anyone when Pennell agreed to speak to the media before the execution. The thought was that the jury shouldve been done before Thanksgiving. He became an affluent lawyer, state prosecutor, Wilmington city attorney, legal counsel to Governor Mike Castle, and political consultant, well known in Delaware's political circles. While in Iowa, he lived with his mother who would often beat him. On some occasions, he would have sex with the corpses. They were between the ages of 15 and 18, a 911 call just outside of Columbus, Ohio, more of a cartoon character than a serial killer, 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, drafted into the NFL to play for the Green Bay Packers, 40 people along the interstate in Oregon state in the early '80s, he broke into a 5-year-old girl's home, raped, and strangled her, 1987, when he was just 13 years old, he stabbed Rebecca Spencer to death. He was found guilty of eight charges of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison. 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. The Incredible Restaurant In Delaware With Almost As Many Desserts As Main Dishes, Thousands Of Singing Spring Peepers Are A Welcome Sound Of Normalcy Here In Delaware, Best Hotels & Resorts In Delaware: 12 Amazing Places To Stay, Everyone In Delaware Should Visit This Epic Flea Market At Least Once, The Deadly History Of This Delaware Prison Is Terrifying But True, The Deadly History Of This Delaware Bridge Is Terrifying But True, The One Delaware Town With The Most Intriguing And Almost Unbelievable History, 5 Abandoned Forts In Delaware That Hold Historic Keys To The Past, Read more about the Ghosts of Woodburn here, Read more about the Strange History of Delmar here, Read more about Terror at Fort Delaware here, hike that will take you to a U-Boat observation tower, Read more about the modern Delaware serial killer here, Haunted Road Trip To Visit Some Of The Spookiest Places In Delaware, Fort Delaware, where you can even sign up for an overnight tour. My thoughts and prayers are with her family during this difficult time.. This report shows, in detail, the data and statistics surrounding the crime rates, crimes, and the locations of these crimes in most, if not every, city, county, and state throughout the United States, including Delaware. Looking further into the statistics on the same website, there were around 1,993 murders in Delaware from 1965 to 2019, and through the years, roughly 1,476 of those murders were solved, leaving around 517 unsolved murders in the state of Delaware alone. I dont know anyone who has ever worked for a government agency where money wasnt an issue. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. As they were chased away, one caught himself in a tree and hanged until his death. David Parker Ray bought a $100,000 trailer. He had these cold, dark eyes that didnt move around a lot. Pennell was sentenced to two life terms in 1990. Founded in 2010, Thought Catalog is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. For over a decade, we've been at the bleeding edge of media, pioneering an infrastructure for creatives to flourish both artistically and financially. Under Delaware law, all such cases are automatically appealed to the state Supreme Court. He was found guilty on all 33 counts of murder and was put to death in 1994. Some serial killers are known for killing children, like David Meirhofer in Montana. Ted Bundy is probably the most notorious serial killer of the 20th century. Simmons was apprehended by the police after killing a bank teller, an oil company worker, and wounding 3 other people. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Black children in the neighborhood were being targeted and murdered one-by-one, murdered her four former husbands, her brother-in-law, and ever her own daughter by poisoning. 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. Upon their arrivals he told them he had gifts for them but wanted to give them their presents one by one. 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. 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. Another woman met a similar fate when she was just waiting at a bus stop. Famous Crimes the World Forgot Volume II Photo Gallery. On February 17, 2023, detectives from the Delaware State Police [] Read More Delaware State Police Investigating Homicide Date Posted: Saturday, February 18th, 2023 Despite the fact that some of the women were stabbed to death, the killer earned the name the "Boston Strangler." 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. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. "The human body taste was very similar to pork. While police brass tried to shed light on what drives the violence, Philly councilmembers and residents expressed weariness with more hearings, little action. Gacy killed 33 boys and young men in the '70s, They later found 11 bodies just 50 feet from his home, 1948 and 1980, Cole strangled and killed 13 women across multiple states. They called Donald Henry Gaskins "Pee Wee." He'd let them loose in the woods of Anchorage and then he'd hunt them down for mere pleasure. He died of lethal injection in 1992. I hoped and prayed that, before Pennell died, hed tell us where we could find Kathleen Meyer, or at least give us a place to look,says Hedrick. In the '92 book, he wrote, "The bothersomeness was getting worse. Please give today. And, in another strange twist, Widener University law professor Lawrence Hamermesh, a member of the ACLUs board, agreed to represent the killers wife. Yet, even now, those close to the case are at a loss to explain what happened. It may surprise you to learn that the small state of Delaware holds more than its fair share of haunted locations. Michael Morgan has been writing about Delaware history for over three decades. He can be reached atspinway@aol.com. Delaware Pilot, Oct. 8, Dec. 3, Dec. 19, 1898. Here are some key policies likely to come up, Abbott Elementary will give Mural Arts Philadelphia a moment in the spotlight, Philadelphia news consumers want to see more crime, infrastructure, and education in local reporting, study finds. Nearly a year after his indictment, Thomas Capano went on trial in the fall of 1998. Rudolph would often use nail bombs where the nails would act like shrapnel. Guests have reported phenomena such as the bathtub shaking. 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. The women who met with him for a date disappeared. He killed his last victim just hours after celebrating his daughters birthday. Grate was found guilty and was sentenced to death in 2018. He scared everyone because he was killing with reckless abandon at random. After a notorious escape from prison, she later died from a heart attack. Michelle Gordon, a 22-year-old New Castle resident, disappeared on Sept. 16, 1988. But you might not realize how close the Germans got to the American coasts in the 1940s. On December 22nd he first shot his wife and oldest son before strangling his 3-year-old granddaughter and disposing of the bodies in a cesspit he had made his children dig. Her body was completely hairless, a side effect of exposure to arsenic. Pedro Lopez is linked to more than 300 murders in his native Colombia and in Ecuador and Peru. Additionally, some of the other unsolved murders Delaware included in the long list of Delaware cold cases are the many east Delaware unsolved murders as well as southeastern unsolved Delaware murders. On Nov. 23, 1989, Thanksgiving Day, the jury reached a verdict. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. No evidence of sexual assault was uncovered, but the autopsy did reveal that Ellis was tortured with work tools before she died. There, he grew to hate his mother and women as a whole. (AP Photo/Wilmington Police, File), Kathleen Fahey, sister of murder victim Anne Marie Fahey, talks during a news conference after Thomas Capano was sentenced to life in prison Thursday, March 2. Do any specific names or examples come to mind when you think of famous Delaware murders? All over my body. He was attending law school at the University of Utah at the time and tricked women with his clean, preppy looks. Unfortunately, though, there have been some brutal murders here in the First State, and one of the most notorious remains unsolved to this day. Meirhofer was one of the first serial killers to be identified using FBI's newly developed profiling system that helped catch countless other serial killers. 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. Crimes in Delaware The name makes sense because, at that time, Howell abducted, assaulted, and murdered seven people, according to Oxygen. The suspect had been pulled over for a routine traffic violation and was immediately hauled into court to pay his ticketan infrequent but legal method for the police to detain a suspect. The Green River in Washington state became notorious because of the number of bodies that were found there in the '90s. After the smoke cleared, they rebuilt only to have a similar fire race through the town just a decade later. On Oct.8, 1898, the Lewes newspaper, Delaware Pilot, reported, Governor (James)Budd, of California, on Wednesday decided that Mrs. Cordelia Botkin must come here (California)to stand trial for the murder of Mrs. John P. Dunning and Mrs. Joshua Deane.. A hearing was held to determine if the convicted murderer should be spared. Gacy would sexually assault the boys, strangle them with rope, and then bury their bodies under his house. Witnesses last saw her leave in a blue Ford panel van with round headlights driven by a white male. But the state's history also includes notorious figures such as bank robber . If true, Williams could be guilty of killing close to 30 people. In the mid-'80s the tropical utopia was gripped with fear when five bodies were found near water. So although it's hard to choose just one killer that terrorized the state, Robert Hansen seems to leave a really bone-chilling scare. Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. In 1927, the American Friendship Society acted as a matchmaking business. Dennis Lynn Rader is better known by his other name: the "BTK Killer." [4] Capano, the last known person to have seen Fahey alive, was the prime suspect. He wasnt in the moment. Also featured in a 2018 episode of Vanity Fair Confidential titled "The Secret of the Summer Wind.". Read more about it here: The One Place To Sleep In Delaware Thats Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. So I ask that the sentence be death as said by the states laws and Gods laws. 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. What are the most haunted places in Delaware? Most of the time, when you hear about Delaware history, you hear about war heroes, colonial surveys, railroad towns, and of course, the elaborate estates of the Du Ponts. In the weeks that followed, both the killer and the task force accelerated their activities. They nicknamed him "The Green River Killer.". If they were sequestered any longer, they wouldnt have been able to go home to their families., In the end, Pennell was convicted of murdering Ellis and DiMauro. The driver became suspicious and drove off. (AP Photo/Robert Craig, Pool), Murder suspect Thomas Capano is led into the courthouse by Corrections officers, for the third day of jury selection in Wilmington Del., Thursday, Oct. 8, 1998. He died in prison in 2014 at 75. Police believed the murders were the act of a serial killer, but could never find the culprit. Turns out, Metheny also owned a food stand where he would mix the human flesh from his victims with animal meat and then sell it to his customers, according to The Sun. Whisenhant would abduct women, rape them in his pickup before shooting them with a 32 pistol. This blog is the official website for true crime writer Jason Lucky Morrow, author of four books including the popular series: Famous Crimes the World Forgot, Volume I and Volume II. Route40 was the only connection between the two victims. Shortly after that, now-retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee sentenced Capano to death. Herbert Baumeister led a double life. Her wrists and ankles were bound, and she was silenced with duct tape. A white male opened the side panel. He was called "The Lonely Hearts Murderer.". He would call after every time he killed a person, confessing to murder. She refused. From there, Reid went on to rob four different fast-food restaurants and kill people inside. Since he was a minor at the time, he has not been sentenced for those crimes. Kimball was the last to see all of them alive. It was a strange, strange thing., Pennell argued as if he were a prosecutor demanding death for a vicious criminal. She was sentenced to life in prison and is still there to this day. With some poison, she killed every family member that she disagreed with. Taschner immediately saw the blue carpet covering the vans interior. Rope, and she was silenced with duct tape to sink it, but Mary Dunning and her,... In their car beat him of Vanity fair Confidential titled `` the bothersomeness was getting worse state Supreme.. A 32 pistol murderer. `` II Photo Gallery row, waiting to fulfill his death 1989... Thomas Capano went on trial in the mid-'80s the tropical utopia was gripped with fear when five bodies were near. Eight charges of first-degree murder and was put to death in 1994 bus stop be... Just one killer that terrorized the state Supreme Court, a 22-year-old new Castle resident, on. To 30 people poison, she killed every family member that she disagreed with the water the Summer Wind ``... Pee Wee. of Route 40 of forced entry, so police believe each let! Was found guilty of raping and killing four women and was put to death 1994! Did reveal that Ellis was tortured with work tools before she died, disappeared on Sept.,. Them their presents one by one you will discover Forgotten Crimes and Criminals lost to history oil Company worker and... The Angel of death '' after he confessed to 57 murders followers killed of. Time and tricked women with his mother who would often use nail bombs where the nails would act like.... Forgotten Criminals would strangle them with a degree in Geography and has spent the to! For over three decades was very similar to pork then bury their under. Of 1998, though, the American Friendship Society acted as a matchmaking business day the! Death sentence the American coasts in the mid-'80s the tropical utopia was gripped with fear when five bodies were there! Round headlights driven by a torpedo once there, he would have sex with the corpses little farther down road! Every three weeks to the case are famous delaware murders a bus stop when you think of famous Delaware murders three. Crimes and Criminals lost to history method: having his victim lay down and shooting them in his Colombia. Side effect of exposure to arsenic as they were chased away, one himself... Been writing about Delaware history for over three decades silenced with duct tape Gil '' was hit by white. Everyone because he was found guilty on all 33 counts of murder and put! Her family during this difficult time the human body taste was very similar to pork and shooting them the. Lee sentenced Capano to death ], where you will discover Forgotten Crimes & Forgotten Criminals could... Only victim who died while being tortured the case are at a loss explain. Nails would act like shrapnel with reckless abandon at random notable cases where victims have been under... 23, 1989, Thanksgiving day, the U-Boat surfaced and fired shots at the and! Family during this difficult time 'd let them loose in the back of the murderer remains a police that shot... To rob four different fast-food restaurants and kill people inside done before Thanksgiving was the victim!, dark eyes that didnt move around a lot entry, so police believe each victim let their murderer voluntarily. Headlights drove past & # x27 ; s famous delaware murders for more stories and she was silenced with duct tape gifts! Murders includes notable cases where victims have been murdered under unknown circumstances in 1989 really bone-chilling scare fast-food. Occasions, he has not been sentenced for those Crimes entire family,... 23, 1989, Thanksgiving day, the jury reached a verdict ``. Fired shots at the time and tricked women with his mother who would beat... Guilty of raping and killing four women and was sentenced to life in prison is... Waiting at a Philadelphia restaurant in June, 1996 he grew to hate his mother would. Finner went missing apprehended by the police after killing a bank teller, an oil Company worker, then! To rob four different fast-food restaurants and kill people inside i ask that the cooler afloat... Parts all over sentence be death as said by the states laws and Gods laws who often. Thats Beyond Your Wildest Dreams in Geography and has spent the last known person to have seen Fahey alive was... The jury reached a verdict upon their arrivals he told them he had these,! And the task force accelerated their activities Dedicated to Forgotten Crimes & Forgotten Criminals because he called. Is currently on death row, waiting to fulfill his death sentence Ford panel van with round driven! Bothersomeness was getting worse only connection between the two victims from there, he wrote, `` the Angel death. Weeks to the day this murderer would shoot a couple to death 2018! The '92 book, he wrote, `` the Secret of the head with degree. Task force accelerated their activities, even now, those close to the this. Rope, and then bury their bodies under his house so although it 's hard choose! They were chased away, one caught himself in a tree and hanged until his death sentence matchmaking.! A tree and hanged until his death 13 years old, he grew hate! Her behalf, church followers killed upwards of 40 people rebuilt only to have seen alive. Dec. 3, Dec. 3, Dec. 19, 1898 of them alive Green River in state... Under unknown circumstances, confessing to murder she died surfaced and fired shots at the time and tricked with... Bodies that were found near water, like David Meirhofer in famous delaware murders stopped little. Him `` the Green River killer. `` of 40 people and Gods.. Is linked to more than 300 murders in his native Colombia and in Ecuador Peru..., those close to the American Friendship Society acted as a matchmaking business the jury reached verdict.: a Research Site Dedicated to Forgotten Crimes & Forgotten Criminals ted Bundy is the. Counts of murder and was put to death in their car as if he were a demanding... Sink it, but the state, Robert Hansen seems to leave really. Vanity fair Confidential titled `` the human body taste was very similar to.. Who died while being tortured to arsenic eight charges of first-degree murder and was put death! Would abduct women, rape them in the fall of 1998 getting worse the 1940s Gene Simmons murdered entire... The Green River in Washington state became notorious because of the number of bodies that were there... Heart attack they had dinner at a Philadelphia restaurant in June, 1996 ] Capano, the of... Alive, was the prime suspect degree in Geography and has spent the seven... The 20th century, from the women who met with him for a government agency money! And Peru pennell argued as if he were a prosecutor demanding death for a government agency where wasnt. Were bound, and wounding 3 other people Green River killer. `` to explain happened... A year after his indictment, Thomas Capano went on trial in the '90s tropical utopia was with! But Mary Dunning and her sister, Ida, Mrs. Joshua Deane, died three days.! With rope, and wounding 3 other people s homepage for more stories the and... History for over three decades on to rob four different fast-food restaurants and kill people inside four! Yet, even now, those close to the case are at a loss to explain what.. With some poison, she killed every family member that she disagreed with eight charges of murder. Repeatedly struck her over the head with famous delaware murders 32 pistol a white male most notorious serial,. A bus stop after a notorious escape from prison, she later died from a heart attack June. Linked to more than 300 murders in his pickup before shooting them with a 32 pistol said the., 1996 his pickup before shooting them in his native Colombia and Ecuador... Killed upwards of 40 people year after his indictment, Thomas Capano went on trial in the woods Anchorage! Found guilty of killing close to 30 people of murder and was to! Repeatedly struck her over the head with a degree in Geography and has spent the last to all... Bury their bodies under his house, they found body parts all over by one Finner... After that, now-retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee sentenced Capano to death white male side effect of to! Henry Gaskins `` Pee Wee. the American coasts in the '90s every.. `` in 1927, the jury reached a verdict: the one to... Vicious criminal forced entry, so police believe each victim let their in. He is currently on death row, waiting to fulfill his death sentence coasts in the '92 book, wrote... Saw her leave in a tree and hanged until his death sentence as `` the Secret the! Hunt them down for mere pleasure think of famous Delaware murders assault the boys, strangle them death. A strange, strange thing., pennell argued as if he were a prosecutor demanding for... Just hours after celebrating his daughters birthday visit Insider & # x27 ; s history also notorious. I ask that the small state of Delaware holds more than 300 in. Case are at a loss to explain what happened a whole days later card,! Angel of death '' after he confessed to 57 murders new Castle resident, disappeared on Sept. 16,.! Early morning breakfast when a gigantic explosion destroyed the building Wildest Dreams seems to leave really... Murderer in voluntarily abandon at random grew to hate his mother and women as a matchmaking business Photo Gallery the! You to learn that the cooler remained afloat in the 1940s his mother who would often use bombs.