famous delaware murders

Pennell delivered a terse argument for his own death, filled with biblical quotes. While excavating his former home, they found the bodies of six boys and young men buried under the floorboards. 1900-1924. Most recovered, but Mary Dunning and her sister, Ida, Mrs. Joshua Deane, died three days later. In Numbers, chapter 35, verse 30, Whoever kills a person, the person shall be put to death.Also, in Genesis, chapter 9, verse 6, Whoever sheds mans blood by man, his blood shall be shed., This court has found me guilty on the testimony of witnesses. [11], A 2000 episode of The FBI Files, title "Deadly Obsession,"[12] and an episode of the CBS News documentary program 48 Hours featured the case. Charlene got out of jail in 2013 after serving a 16-year sentence. A Delaware probation officer wanted Keith Gibson to spend more years in prison. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Faheys apartment and Capanos home were extensively searched, but it was more than a year before Capano was arrested and charged with killing Fahey. At each crime scene, he would leave a clue as to who he was. In some ways, he was very much a conformist. These killings occurred on separate days in. An arrest warrant was issued, and on Nov. 29, 1988, a year after hed claimed his first victim, Pennell was in handcuffs. Where he got slaughtered was his demeanor. Roughly a quarter century later, the questions persist. After Lorraine attempted to escape, he sexually assaulted her and strangled her to death. The coast to coast trip, including layovers, took four and a half days. Gordons body washed up on the rocky banks of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on Sept. 20. He remains the only person to represent himself before the state Supreme Court, and the only one to ask for death. Some of the many northern Delaware unsolved murders which can be found listed on the Delaware State Polices cold case website include the 2013 murder of Kaiheem White, the 1993 murder of Linda Ann Moody Armstrong, the 2000 murder of Carmen Rodriguez, the 2013 murder of Lamar Wilmer, and the 2013 murder of Samantha Neuwein, among many others. But in the Pennell case, we couldnt get at it. Price is currently in jail after confessing to the brutal murders. 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. It was a strange, strange thing., Pennell argued as if he were a prosecutor demanding death for a vicious criminal. 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 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. Terry is not the only member of the Blair family who has a murderous past. Asking for death was his way of admitting it,the task forces Taschner suggests. 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. [6] The defense claimed that MacIntyre had burst into Capano's room and, in a jealous rage upon seeing Capano and Fahey engaged in intimacy, had threatened to shoot herself; as Capano and MacIntyre were wrestling for the gun, it discharged and killed Fahey. Foul play is not suspected. My back all the way down into my groin. In 2016, his nine death sentences were upheld in Phoenix. When Israel Keyes killed himself in prison in 2012, he took a lot of answers with him. This True Story About One Delaware Hero Is Nearly Unbelievable, Youll Actually Enjoy The History Lessons Found At This Quirky Delaware Pub, Few People Know That A Revolutionary War Battle Took Place In This Delaware Town, Most People Dont Know About These Strange Ruins Hiding In Delaware, This Is The Oldest Place You Can Possibly Go In Delaware And Its History Will Fascinate You, These 12 Photos Of Delaware From The Early 1900s Are Beyond Fascinating, 8 Nostalgic Places Around Delaware That Will Take You Back To Your Childhood, History Left A Definite Mark At This One Fascinating Spot In Delaware, The One Place To Sleep In Delaware Thats Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. Dover, which is the second largest city by population in Delaware, currently has a population of well over 185,000 residents. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime communitytogether we can do better. As they were chased away, one caught himself in a tree and hanged until his death. (AP Photo/Matthew S. Gunby), Assistant U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly, right, answers questions from the media as Delaware State Prosecutor Ferris Wharton, center, and Deleware Attorney General Jane Brady, left, listen after a jury convicted Thomas J. Capano for first-degree murder in the death of Anne Marie Fahey. In just one instance, a Panamanian United Fruit Company ship "San Gil" was hit by a torpedo. In a weird twist, she was buried outside and eventually exhumed when the land was undergoing renovation. She fought back and got away. The Supreme Court unanimously rejected the argument, and Pennell was scheduled for execution. Even the FBI tried to talk to him and get at the heart of what caused him to do this. He first strangled his 17-year-old daughter and held her under the water in a rain barrel. Investigators were stumped. The Lizzie Borden Axe Murders. Gun violence hearings leave Philly councilmembers, residents disheartened and tired. He has published nine books on coastal history and his latest is "Deadly Storms of the Delmarva Coast." The 23-year-old had distanced herself from the life of a streetwalker, even purchasing books for nursing school. Although he only killed two women, authorities call him a serial killer that would have killed again if he had not been stopped. All rights reserved. Simmons was apprehended by the police after killing a bank teller, an oil company worker, and wounding 3 other people. They called him the "Chameleon" because he went by so many names and aliases. Instead, he was known as the I-5 killer after he murdered over 40 people along the interstate in Oregon state in the early '80s. Just as fast as the killings started, they suddenly stopped. In 1891, Mary Pennington of Dover, daughter of former Delaware Congressman John Pennington, married John P. Dunning, a newspaper reporter. He was looking right through me.. During his "60 Minutes" interview, he apologized for his crimes but said, "I don't know if I would have stopped.". One of his more brutal cases was when he broke into a 5-year-old girl's home, raped, and strangled her. They later found 11 bodies just 50 feet from his home. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 11 life sentences. Her killer cut up her body. 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. It's hard to pin down Terry Peder Rasmussen. Manson implied heavily to his followers that he was a Christ figure, that coupled with LSD usage and isolation from the outside lead to brainwashing of the family members. Roughly three months later, Finner was found dead near the Chesapeake & DelawareCanal, her body in such an advanced state of decay that a cause of death couldnt be determined. into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. He also had "atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and that obesity was a contributing factor in his death". All of this thanks to a gas leak in the kitchen. We had a gamut of people stop for her,says Hedrick.Doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers. Delaware Pilot, Oct. 8, Dec. 3, Dec. 19, 1898. 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. Botkin was furious and she plotted sweet revenge. The investigators had their guy: a seemingly harmless man who was a father, a husband, and an electrician. 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. Fairbanks became so impassioned that we thought he would burst into tears,Moore recalls. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. In an interview with the Daily News in 2010, Rifkin said, "I was surprised I didn't get caught sooner.". Married with four daughters, Capano separated from his wife Kay the following year. Thomas Capano, a once-prominent Delaware attorney who was convicted of killing his mistress after a dramatic trial more than 12 years ago, has been found dead in his prison cell. He was executed by lethal injection in 1990. 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. If that was ruled inadmissible, everything else wouldve been kept out under the fruit of the poisonous treelegal doctrine. First, he would abduct them and then he would torture them. During his confession, he explained how he strangled each of his victims to death and disposed of their bodies in lakes or near railroad tracks, according to Charlotte Magazine. Technically, Charles Starkweather is a spree killer but that doesn't make him any less terrifying. Robinson was sentenced to death and remains on death row. 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. Shortly after that, now-retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee sentenced Capano to death. He told authorities he started his killing spree because his parents did not approve of his girlfriend, according to Wyoming History's website. Currently, there is no definite way to know how many murders in Delaware 2021 as well as how many murders in Dover, Delaware, 2021 yet. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. 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During those years free from jail, he killed four people. Unfortunately, it appears that the number of Delaware homicide and real crime stories will never cease. What made him particularly noteworthy is the cat and mouse game he played with authorities. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? The story goes that Bartlett ran an inn with her family where she is said to have poisoned the guests with arsenic and would then ditch the bodies in a local corral. He is currently serving a 70-year sentence. They would engage in flirty banter with the men who stopped, but they never got into a vehicle. The day before Halloween, Price, a redhead, was found dead in the bathtub, and Rogers fled the scene. He was found guilty on eight counts of first-degree murder. 48 murders but was able to avoid the death sentence with a plea bargain. David Parker Ray bought a $100,000 trailer. 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. In the years to come, the "Weepy-voiced killer" would be identified as Paul Michael Stephani. The driver demanded that Taschner get in the van. The town of Texarkana which spanned Texas and Arkansas lived in fear, as he apparently attacked eight people and killed five. Superior Court Judge Richard Gebelein denied Maurers claims, concluding that the carpet was in plain view once Pennell opened the door to invite Taschner inside the van. He was executed in 1985. 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. He appealed and the South Dakota Supreme Court (pictured) heard arguments about the case. The attorney alleged the review was neither thorough nor comprehensive, and that time was needed for a more complete evaluation. Albert DeSalvo confessed to all 13 murders, but his story didn't fully add up. They went to Stone Harbor, New Jersey, with a large cooler that contained Fahey's body,[citation needed] sailed 62 miles (100km) out to sea, and pushed the cooler overboard. From there, Reid went on to rob four different fast-food restaurants and kill people inside. 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. They nicknamed him "The Green River Killer.". Dont let the eerie history keep you away from Blackbird State Forest though. When Cowgill owned the spot, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 2002, he was in jail for fraud and convinced the FBI to let him out as an informant. No angry boyfriend or anything that would connect a murderer to her death. They had all been riding a train on which a fight broke out. How many of the following troubling stories had you heard? The jury also deadlocked on the death penalty. Did you know your favorite state park was once the site of a gruesome murder? The woman calling said she had been kidnapped. Capano belonged to a prominent family of Delaware real estate developers and building contractors. The sleepy town of Bear was jolted awake when a serial killer was on the loose, killing women that he picked up along Route 40. According to Project: Cold Case, there were roughly 1,993 homicides in Delaware between 1965 and 2019. Henley confessed and told the police about his work with Croll. In fact, it's among the most haunted states on the East Coast. Meyers body was never found. However, Capano's other mistress, Debby MacIntyre, had bought a gun and admitted having supplied the weapon to Capano.[2]. Known as a prostitute to local authorities, Gordon was last seen on Route 40, hopping into the passenger side of a blue Ford panel van. 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. Dubbed the "Serial Killer Clown," Gacy killed 33 boys and young men in the '70s. When Joubert was caught, he said was happy because he knew he would kill again, according to the New York Daily News. 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. Why did he refuse to admit guilt but demand to be executed for the crimes? Allow us to check the ten most renowned killings in the United States out. In New Hampshire, he was known as "Bob Evans" who killed one woman and three small children. Right around Christmas in 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons murdered his entire family. Ted Bundy is probably the most notorious serial killer of the 20th century. The restaurant had to be torn down after it lost an entire wall, most of a second wall, the roof, and many of the windows and doors. 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. His first bombing was at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Authorities also link him to a couple's murder in Burlington, Vermont. Gerald was found and was sentenced to death in both California and Nevada, but died of cancer before he was executed. He would often lure them to him by faking an injury. On her behalf, church followers killed upwards of 40 people. Victims' Last Words Black Widows The Black Widows of Liverpool Jill Coit Susan Smith Infamous Trials Lizzie Borden Larry Nassar Scott Peterson Lydia Trueblood Slender Man Stabbing Gianni Versace Marvin Gaye Sean Taylor Adam Walsh Andrea Yates Charles Manson Christopher Dorner Erik and Lyle Menendez Jodi Arias Sister Cathy Cesnik & Joyce Malecki Back to As the bodies began to pile up, investigators struggled to find the culprit. Since he was a minor at the time, he has not been sentenced for those crimes. And speaking of beautiful, weve put together a list of some of the most picturesque destinations in Delaware for you to visit. Of those 18, five people were killed. There was no reason for Shirley Ellis to be killed,recalls Kathleen Jennings, the state prosecutor who eventually stared the accused down in a tough cross-examination. After an extensive search, the FBI joined in the investigation in July and a federal grand jury heard evidence for over a year. It was registered to Pennell. Abby's body turned up discovered upstairs, with her head smashed to pieces, while Andrew laid lifeless on the couch . It happened again seven months later. After a brutal car chase, Kimball was arrested and plead guilty to four charges of second-degree murder. Steven Pennell was arrested November 29, 1988, and convicted of the November 1987 murder of Shirley A. Ellis, and the June 1988 murder of Catherine A. DiMauro. By 1973, Corll had killed 28 boys in Texas just outside of Houston. When finally caught, Hansen confessed to murdering 17 people but was only convicted for four. Pennell appeared before the five-judge court on Feb. 11, 1992, to ask for his own execution. Taschner immediately saw the blue carpet covering the vans interior. Pennells next move shocked the world. He was your typical, all-American person,the task forces Hedrick says of his interview with Pennell. 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