On his return from military duty in 1968, he landed in trouble yet again when he was caught and convicted for an arson attack. The F.B.I. He also blamed many of the victims for reminding him of his domineering and abusive mother, so much so that once he began to hit them, he couldn't stop. 8. Eventually, he led his victims to the Genesee River and murdered them. Arthur Shawcross certainly fit Greg McCrary's criteria of being "extraordinarily ordinary." He was a forty-four-year-old white male, a Vietnam veteran, a blue-collar factory worker, and a regular customer of Lyell Avenue. After his release and discharge from the army, Shawcross and his second wife would move to Clayton, New York where Shawcross would terrorize the surrounding counties until his final arrest. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History. Investigators went from looking for individual killersto looking for a serial killer and the window of time between his kills was getting shorter. As to his aunt sexually abusing him, It was later determined,that if he had been abused, he somehow blocked out his aunt's name because the name that he gave did not belong to any of his real aunts. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The detectives gave Shawcross a list of 16 women missing or murdered, and he immediately denied having anything to do with five of them. A cyst found on Shawcross' right temporal lobe was said to have caused him to have behavioral seizures where he would display animalistic behavior, such as eating the body parts of his victims. The body of Elizabeth "Liz" Gibson, 29, was found strangled to death on November 27, in another county. A bargain was struck: in return for a guilty plea to Karen Hills slaying, no charges would be filed in the death of Jack . Arthur John Shawcross, handwritten account, 1990. [1], Arthur John Shawcross was born in Kittery, Maine, the first of four children of Arthur Roy Shawcross and Elizabeth "Bessie" ("Betty") Yerakes Shawcross. He was 63 years old. If he thought he sensed sympathy from the interviewer, he would add more details about how his mother would insert sticks into his anus or offer up specific details into exactly how his aunt took sexual advantage of him when he was just a child. 14. Steffen's father saw the facial recreation and identified the victim as his daughter, Anna Marie. His daughter was apparently instrumental in Shawcross's conversion to Catholicism while in . Shawcross did time in prison for these crimes, being released 1 year early and being settled in . Darlene Trippi, 32, was known for pairing up for safety with veteran Jo Ann Van Nostrand, yet on December 15, she like others before her, disappeared off Lyell Avenue. located in the administrative territorial entity. At around the same time, the Genesee River Killer murdered eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill. [4], A grand jury indicted Shawcross for murder in Hill's death. Stott was mentally ill and would occasionally vanish without telling anyone. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 - November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer. 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. Apparently, Stott was a friend and had been a guest in his home. The physiological evidence about brain science and genetic factors was, at best, spurious and beyond the understanding of the jury. 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. Shawcross married first wife, Sarah, in September 1964. ThoughtCo, Sep. 8, 2021, thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-arthur-shawcross-973145. June 16, 2012. He returned to Watertown, and by the following April, he was married for the third time and working for the Public Works Department. "Shawcross Sent to Attica In Child's Death", "Serial killer profile: Arthur Shawcross", "A Serial-Murder Trial, On TV, Grips Rochester", "He Should Suffer: Why Was Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross Paroled Before Murder Spree? After his release from the Army, he and his wife returned to Clayton, New York. She divorced him shortly afterward citing abuse and his propensity to being apyromaniacas her reasons. Also, based on the lack of semen found on his victims, he was sexually dysfunctional and found gratification after his victims were dead. He was released on parole in April 1987. Charles Montaldo. 17. We only haunt the willing. No matter how you look at it, Arthur Shawcross was a troubled person. On October 21, 1989, the body of homeless woman Dorothy Keeler, aged 59, was discovered followed six days later by another prostitute, Patricia Ives, in the same area. 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. 1 reference. Known as the "Genesee River Killer," Arthur Shawcross of upstate Watertown first raped and killed two children in 1972. Neighbors remembered that Shawcross had been seen with Karen in the vicinity of the bridge before her disappearance, and he had a history of minor run-ins with local children. With nothing to hold him onthe police had to let him go, but not before taking his picture. As they went down to get a closer look, they also spotted a man on the bridge above the body. 479 Words2 Pages. 7. Release, Arrest, Trial of Arthur Shawcross. 0. 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. (2021, September 8). The three women were prostitutes who worked on Lyell . Patrol teams on the ground were alerted to the vehicle, which had sped away. Arthur Shawcross was released from prison in 1987 after serving 14 1/2 years for the murder . Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. The victims were:[7], All the victims were murdered in Monroe County except for Gibson, who was killed in neighboring Wayne County. His apartment, 241 Alexander Street, is still there today. 13WHAM.com (2008118). He claimed most of his victims after being paroled early following a conviction for murdering [sexual partner] and two children in 1972. 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. On October 17, 1972, he was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of first degree manslaughter for both deaths and was sentenced to an indeterminate term with a maximum of 25 years at Attica Correctional Facility. Blake's body was not found until authorities received a tip by telephone on September 5. His lackluster marriage to Whalley meant that he was soon seeking solace elsewhere, both from prostitutes as well as his new girlfriend, Clara Neal. John, who claims he had a "bond" with the late convicted serial killer Arthur Shawcross (also known as the Genesee River Killer) and wrote a book about his friendship with the deceased murderer, says he's curious as to whether Shawcross meant as much to his daughter, Maggie, as he meant to John. On November 10, 2008, Shawcross died of cardiac arrest after being transferred from the Sullivan Correction Facility to an Albany, New York hospital. Dental records provided additional confirmation. It was discovered that Shawcross had an extra Y chromosomewhich somehave suggested (although there is no proof) makes the person more violent. Dont worry, you can unsubscribe any time you like. 0 references. 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. 25. The next strangulation murder happened in September of 1989. What's really fucked up is Shawcross had already been in prison for murdering other people. While serving his five-year prison sentence for arson, Arthur Shawcross went against his violent instincts and saved the life of a prison But another probationary charge for unlawful entry in November 1965, proved the last straw for his marriage and he was divorced soon after. Shawcross killed again in March of 1988, less than a year after getting out of jail. A background check on the vans plates led to the killers arrest on January 4. In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. Shawcross says he snapped her neck before cutting her open. See his granddaughter has a Burzum t-shirt on. Shawcross claims that his adolescence was turbulent, and cites a difficult relationship with both parents, particularly his domineering mother, for his later troubles. The artist died in 2008. Jack was never heard from again. Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945 in Kittery, Maine to an English immigrant . A judge sentenced the murderer to 250 years in prison. Still, police were unable to get Shawcross to admit to the murders until they confirmed that a piece of jewelery he had given to Clara Neal previously belonged to victim June Cicero. Another Lyell Avenue prostitute, Patricia "Patty" Ives, 25, was found strangled to death and buried under a pile of debris on October 27, 1989. In contrast to these claims, however, his parents and siblings maintain that he had a normal childhood, and the described events were largely the product of his imagination. He would often miss classes, and when he was there, he regularlymisbehaved and had the reputation of being a bully and picking fights with other students. There were also human bite marks found all around her vagina. After listening to hours of his self-serving saga, investigators still were unable to get him to admit to any of the Rochester murders. 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. Arthur Shawcross was an American serial killer born in April 1945. After the criticism, the Department of Correctional Services banned the Corrections on Canvas in 2002. He murdered Darlene after she made fun of him for failing to get an erection and hid her body in the woods. Police questioning elicited a confession to the murder of Karen Ann Hill and secured enough information to lead to the recovery of the remains of Jack Blake. She had been strangled, anally mutilated after death, had her labia removed, and was gutted from throat to crotch like a wild animal. After hours of interrogation, Shawcross still maintained that he had nothing to do with any Rochester murders. [10] It was later determined that Shawcross had a cyst pressing on the temporal lobe of his brain, as well as scarring on his frontal lobes areas that are responsible for decision-making and self-control. With the body count mounting, the police sought assistance from FBI profilers. 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. After serving 22 months, he was granted an early release in October 1971, in part due to his role in the rescue of a correctional officer during a prison riot. The arrest marked an end to a 21-month killing spree that turned up 12 bodies. Dennis Rader, known as the BTK Killer (standing for "Bind, Torture, Kill") murdered 10 people between 1974 and 1991. 19. Arthur Shawcross was blinking in . They finally tracked down Shawcross via the car's registration, which was in the name of his girlfriend Clara Neal. 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. His sister was equally vehement about never having had a sexual relationship with her brother. Died in prison on November 10, 2008. Was Chris Benoit The Guy We Thought He Was, Or A Violent FamilyMurderer? [2] He served one tour of duty with the 4th Supply and Transport Company of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Allegedly, the youngster then began experimenting with this sexuality in many ways, including homosexuality and bestiality, by age 11. After serving less than 15 years of this sentence, he was released on parole in April 1987. 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. heart failure. Murder Inc. When it came time to discuss June Stott, Shawcross appeared to become melancholy. Marie Welch, age 22 was a Lyell Avenue prostitute who was reported missing on November 5, 1989. Serial killer Arthur Shawcross, whose drive to murder was analyzed by Dr. Dorothy Lewis, had been convicted in the deaths of two children in New York before ultimately securing parole and killing more. Hunters found her body in the Genesee River. Both Darlene Trippi and June Cicero were prostitutes that Shawcross picked up, strangled, and disposed of in December of 1989. [2], On January 5, 1990, two days after June Cicero's body was discovered by aerial surveillance, police arrested Shawcross. Size: 13 x 10 in. Police found mud, leaves and other debris had been forced down her throat and inside her clothing. manner of death. Kevin MacLeod . Arthur Shawcross: The Genesee River Killer: Directed by Beth Parkes. As part of the divorce, Shawcross gave up all paternal rights to his son and never saw the child again. This Hiking Photo Has A ChillingBackstory, She Met A Man Online And Ended Up Taking Down An Active SerialKiller. The Corrections on Canvas show had been staged for 35 years where inmates bought their own art supplies but were allowed to keep half the proceeds from their sales, with the other half going to the state Crime Victims Board. 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. When it came to Arthur Shawcross, this certainly appeared to be the case, because, throughout the years when interviewed,his answers to the questions seemed to change depending on who was doing the interviewing. After working out a plea deal, Shawcross confessed to murdering Hill and Blake and agreed to divulge the location of Blake's body in exchange for a charge of manslaughter in the Hill case and no charges for murdering Blake. The interrogation tactics Shawcross employed with his Vietnamese captive are very similar to those used in the Phoenix Program, which was a . Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, was in prison after . The family relocated to Watertown, New York, a few years later. We hear you like all things creepy we do too. Judge Donald Wisner sentenced Mr. Shawcross to the . Between 1988 and 1989, Arthur Shawcross killed at least 10 women in Rochester, New York, and they were not his first victims. Every Friday, we send out an email with the scariest horror movies and TV shows streaming that weekend along with creepy news, updates from the horror movie pipeline, and links to the best scary content on the web. Shawcross began to beat her and as she tried to get away through the Genesee River, he drowned her and let her body float downstream. Shawcross later claimed that he killed 39 enemy soldiersduring combat. His past meant that he would be unwelcome almost anywhere, and the authorities made the decision to seal his criminal record in order to prevent a recurrence of the public alarm in Binghamton. It was the second time that the man with the same physical description, named Mike or Mitch, had been mentioned in reference to the murders. Back in the penitentiary, he proved as enigmatic as . Arthur Shawcross is a man that committed his life to killing people. (20081011). He claimed his aunt sexually molested him when he was 9, and that he had sexual relations with his younger sister. 20. Arthur John Shawcross. He was released in October 1971, after serving just 22 months of his sentence. His family moved to Watertown, New York, when he was young. The body was not Felicia Stephens but that of missing prostitute June Cicero. Arthur Shawcross. 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. His first known murders were in 1972 when he killed a young boy and a girl in his hometown of Watertown, New York. This grave mistake led to the murders of 12 more people, all of them in Rochester. The charges were pled down to one count of manslaughter and he was released on parole in 1987. He was arrested in 1972 for the rape and murder of two children. Arthur Shawcross Photo: Getty Images Serial killer Arthur Shawcross murdered 11 women in upstate New York in less than a two-year . 3. In 1989, on the day before Ted . Early Life. The big problem with this defense was that there was no one who backed up his stories. By Gina Tron. On January 2, 1990, a helicopter spotted what appeared to be a naked female body lying on the ice surface of the river by a bridge in the forest. The second child was Karen Ann Hill, age 8, who was visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. In 1964 Shawcross married and the next year he and his wife had a son. He hid the body and left but told police that he later returned and threw her skull into the river. 2. Image via murderpedia.org. July 21, 2017. YouTubeArthur Shawcross in a prison interview. languages spoken, written or signed. The well-publicized resettlement of a child killer in the Binghamton area of New York State was greeted by a public outcry, and he was forced to leave the area after a few months along with his new girlfriend, Rose Whalley. McClusky also suggested Shawcross could have argued at trial that he was under "extreme emotional disturbance," and a jury would have been likely to arrive at a verdict of manslaughter. The helicopter followed his car and tracked the license place number, leading back to Shawcross. 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. Had investigators hoped that the busy December holiday season and the cold temperatures might slow down the serial killer, they soon found out that they were wrong. Thats why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate. Her body was found under a bridge. All of these murders were unsolved. Following his release, he killed 12 women . 26. Nostrand went to the police and gave them the information along with a description of the man's vehicle. 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. While living in Watertown, in May of 1972, Shawcross murdered 10-year-old Jake Blake. All were young women and all were prostitutes. When Lewis first invoked dissociative identity disorder as an insanity defense in the 1980s, particularly in the widely covered trial of Arthur Shawcross, who terrorized the Rochester, New York . They also believed that the killer would return to mutilate the bodies of his victims when possible. He lived in Watertown, New York (NY) in his youth, and was relocated to Rochester, NY later on in his life. Shawcross was brought in for questioning a second time. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. 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 . Several weeks later on April 22, 1972, he married his third wife, Penny Sherbino, who was pregnant with his child. 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. 23. With little evidence, and no public impetus to solve the murder of a prostitute, her case languished for over a year. Now that youve read about Arthur Shawcross, the Genesee River Killer, read about serial killer Edmund Kemper, whose story is almost too gross to be real. Twenty-seven year old victim of the "Genesee River Killer" known as Arthur Shawcross. Hunters discovered his next victim, 27-year-old prostitute Dorothy Blackburn, on March 24, 1988. Local authorities discovered patterns of behavior regarding the killer, which led them to ask FBI profilers for assistance. From March 1988 to December 1989, Shawcross is believed to have killed 12 women, mostly prostitutes in the Rochester, New York, area and then dumping most of . [3] On September 2, just prior to the body's discovery, Shawcross raped and killed eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill, who had been visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. He was convicted of eleven murders, with a twelfth not officially ascribed to him. After his release on parole in April of 1987, Shawcross simply could not stop his murderous tendencies. [9], In response to the defense's claim that Shawcross's actions were the product of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his war service, FBI criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler reviewed the claim on behalf of the prosecution before the trial. 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. He agreed to be interviewed for a 2003 documentary about cannibalism where he bragged about slicing out and eating the genitalia of three victims but refused to discuss the eating the genitals of his first victim, Jack Blake in 1972.