The Boston Strangler: DeSalvo's Confession and Mystery
Boston Strangler: 13 murders and DeSalvo's role
Between 1962 and 1964, Boston was struck by a wave of [Internal Link Placeholder] as a [Internal Link Placeholder], later known as The Boston Strangler, [Internal Link Placeholder] and brutally [Internal Link Placeholder] 13 women in their own homes in [Internal Link Placeholder]. Although Albert DeSalvo confessed to all the crimes, and crucial [Internal Link Placeholder] many years later linked him to the final victim, Mary Sullivan, the [Internal Link Placeholder] surrounding this [Internal Link Placeholder] still casts long shadows in criminal history. Doubts about DeSalvo's full confession and more recent investigations suggest that multiple perpetrators may have been involved, making the Boston Strangler case one of the most complex and debated – at least partially – [Internal Link Placeholder].
Murder spree start: Anna Slesers's death and Bureau
It all began on June 14, 1962, when 55-year-old Anna Slesers was found [Internal Link Placeholder] and strangled with her own belt in her Boston apartment. Her death marked the grim beginning of a series of [Internal Link Placeholder] that sent shockwaves through the city. In the following months, six more [Internal Link Placeholder] women, aged 65 to 85, were killed under similar circumstances. A tragic case was that of 85-year-old Mary Mullen, who died of a heart attack during the assault. The [Internal Link Placeholder] police were powerless; there were rarely signs of forced entry, indicating that the victims themselves had let the killer in. Panic grew, and in January 1964, Massachusetts Attorney General Edward Brooke established a special unit, the 'Strangler Bureau,' dedicated to coordinating the intensive investigation.
Fear's name: Media's role and 'The Boston Strangler'
The [Internal Link Placeholder], particularly the journalistic work of Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole from the *Boston Record American* newspaper, played a crucial role. Their series of articles was the first to connect the [Internal Link Placeholder] and gave the perpetrator the infamous name: 'The Boston Strangler.' This significantly increased pressure on the police but also amplified fear in Boston. In the desperate hunt for clues, unconventional methods were also employed, including the use of parapsychologist Peter Hurkos and hypnosis. Early forensic [Internal Link Placeholder] was also examined, although DNA analysis as we know it today was not yet an established method.
DeSalvo's confession: Bailey's role and details
A potential turning point came in October 1964. Albert DeSalvo, a 33-year-old family man with a history of [Internal Link Placeholder] and sexual assault, was arrested for an assault. During interrogations, DeSalvo shockingly began to confess to all 13 Boston Strangler [Internal Link Placeholder]. His cellmate, George Nassar, alerted his lawyer, the later renowned defense attorney F. Lee Bailey. Bailey became pivotal as he presented DeSalvo's confession, which, according to the lawyer, contained details from the [Internal Link Placeholder] that only the murderer could know – including a 'Happy New Year' card left near Mary Sullivan, the final victim of The Boston Strangler.
Conviction without evidence: DeSalvo's trial cracks
Despite Albert DeSalvo's detailed confessions, the police lacked crucial physical [Internal Link Placeholder] linking him to all thirteen [Internal Link Placeholder] scenes. The 1967 [Internal Link Placeholder] therefore focused on earlier [Internal Link Placeholder], resulting in a [Internal Link Placeholder] for DeSalvo. During the trial itself, he behaved dramatically and sketched the [Internal Link Placeholder]. However, critics continued to sow doubt: Was DeSalvo truly the sole perpetrator behind The Boston Strangler? The victims' profiles varied – from young women to [Internal Link Placeholder] widows – and the murder methods ranged widely, from strangulation to the 22 stab wounds that killed 23-year-old Beverly Samans, or deaths caused by heart attacks. These inconsistencies led experts to consider theories of multiple perpetrators or copycat crimes, contributing to the [Internal Link Placeholder] surrounding this partially [Internal Link Placeholder].
DNA 2013: DeSalvo linked to Sullivan, what about 12?
The Boston Strangler case took a dramatic turn in 2013 when the Boston Police reopened the investigation using modern DNA technology. Analysis of forensic material from Mary Sullivan's body revealed a Y-chromosome that matched DNA from Albert DeSalvo's nephew. A subsequent exhumation of DeSalvo's body enabled a direct DNA comparison, which linked DeSalvo to Mary Sullivan's [Internal Link Placeholder] with 99.9% certainty. This groundbreaking [Internal Link Placeholder] was a breakthrough, confirming DeSalvo's guilt in this one murder. However, it did not completely solve the riddle of the other twelve murders. Although DeSalvo was now definitively connected to one victim, the many variations in the other cases still left the question open: Could other perpetrators have operated under 'The Boston Strangler' name, making parts of the case still unsolved?
Behind the monster: DeSalvo's past and prison end
A look at Albert DeSalvo's background reveals a harsh upbringing in Chelsea, [Internal Link Placeholder], marked by a violent father. His criminal career began early with scams, where he posed as a modeling agent – a period that earned him the nickname 'Measuring Man.' Psychiatric evaluations painted a picture of a man with strong psychopathic traits; he was described as manipulative and narcissistic with a pathological desire for fame, a craving to become a [Internal Link Placeholder]. This is underscored by the fact that after confessing to the Boston Strangler [Internal Link Placeholder], he made necklaces in prison which he cynically called 'chokers.' Albert DeSalvo himself was murdered during a prison altercation in 1973.
Legacy of Strangler: Riddle and forensic lessons
This [Internal Link Placeholder] of The Boston Strangler has since inspired numerous books and [Internal Link Placeholder]. The ongoing debate about the many unresolved aspects of the Boston Strangler case underscores the immense challenges in investigating complex serial [Internal Link Placeholder] cases, especially without access to modern forensic tools and DNA technology. The Boston Strangler case is now a key case study in forensics. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of being critical of confessions not supported by solid [Internal Link Placeholder]. Although [Internal Link Placeholder] definitively linked Albert DeSalvo to one of the murders, the other twelve murders remain in many ways an [Internal Link Placeholder], a dark and uncertain chapter in American criminal history.
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