[16], List eventually expressed a degree of remorse for his crimes. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. YouTubeThe bodies of John Lists wife and three teenage children were found laid out on sleeping bags in the ballroom. "The Boogeyman of Westfield", was an American family annihilator and mass murderer who killed five members of his family on November 9, 1971, in Westfield, New Jersey. 'The Watcher's John Graff is based on grim true story of family She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU_2xrMKO8g. But his defence was rejected and he was imprisoned at the New Jersey State Prison. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "It's just like D-Day, you go in, there's no stopping after you start," he said. List assumed a new identity, remarried, and eluded justice for nearly 18 years. $1 Million - $5 Million. He then shot his wife in the back of the head as she enjoyed her final sips, careful to ensure that her last moments were free of suspicion. List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. Fast forward 18 years to 1989. YouTubeAn aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. He went to the post office to stop the family's mail, then to the bank, where he cashed his mother's savings bonds, checking that he got the correct interest to the penny. American Criminal John List was born John Emil List on 17th September, 1925 in Bay City, Michigan, USA and passed away on 21st Mar 2008 Trenton, New Jersey, USA aged 82. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. He settled in New Jersey and took a job at a local bank. A month passed before neighbors, curious about the constantly burning lights and empty windows, began to suspect something was wrong at the List mansion. March 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain responded to a home to rescue a horse that had fallen into its owner's swimming pool and was unable to get itself out. John List A Killer's Secret Life Exposed by Art - George Pallas The Rev. Alongside his close friend and colleague Steven Levitt, List has committed to studying the way people behave in the real world, instead of understanding economics as a theory-based field. It rippled through the county and state: John List, the man who had meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids in their Westfield mansion and disappeared without a trace, was in custody. He says today he felt he was letting the family down. His father died in 1944. His father was a devout Lutheran who also taught at a local Sunday School in Bay City. Although it is a work of fiction, much of the character John Graff was borrowed from the story of the John List murders. By the late 1950s, the family was in a good financial situation as John had been promoted to the position of a general supervisor in the company. He was 82 years old at the time of his demise. After List's discharge in 1946, List enrolled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting, and was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC. He killed them to save their souls so they would go to heaven. [35] At his sentencing hearing, he denied direct responsibility for his actions: "I feel that because of my mental state at the time, I was unaccountable for what happened. . Specifically: I am a member of St Lorenz Lutheran Church with access to burial records. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. Police investigated hundreds of leads without success. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Alex Murdaugh trial updates: John Marvin faults SLED, doesn't believe The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "I finally decided the only way to save them from that was to kill them," he said. The family later moved to Rochester, New York, to work with Xerox. In a five-page letter to his pastor, found on the desk in his study, List claimed that he saw too much evil in the world, and he had killed his family to save their souls. The list of retirees in the second half of 2022 isn't very long, but the years of service add up into the hundreds. One night after dinner, he even asked his family what should be done with their bodies after they died. [43], The movie A Killer Next Door, based on the events that led to the capture of John List, was released In July 2020. When police officers entered the home on Dec. 7, 1971, they heard organ music on an intercom system and found the bodies of Mr. List's wife, Helen, 46; his daughter, Patricia, 16; his sons. He had saved the souls of the people he loved. Gallery - Father Wants Us Dead: A True Crime Podcast From NJ The List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. She had a young daughter from her previous marriage. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. However, the marriage was not very good. Associated With. List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82. It turned out that List had changed his identity and moved to Colorado under the assumed name Robert Clark. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. He later took a job as the vice president at a bank in New Jersey, where the family finally got settled. [4], After completion of his second tour in 1952, List worked for an accounting firm in Detroit, and then as an audit supervisor at a paper company in Kalamazoo, where his three children were born. Then, read the chilling story of John Wayne Gacy, the original killer clown. John List - History, Crime. Then, he went up to the third floor and murdered his mother in her bed. March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. They attended church each week with List's mother, a strict Lutheran who lived with them. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). When authorities entered the Westfield, New Jersey house on December 7, 1971, they heard organ music piped through the intercom system. He then shot both his wife and mother in their heads. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. He joined a local Lutheran church and, in 1985, married a widow named Delores Clark, with whom he moved to Richmond, Va. [10] While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. Delores Clark said that she was making her statement reluctantly and that she would have no further comment. "I grew up with the idea that you should provide for your family and to do that you had to be a success in the job that you had or you're a failure, and that was not a good thing to be," he said. They did not have any children together. 'He faced limited options and like a small rubber band, he snapped. While his name is still occasionally mentioned in Cooper articles and documentaries, no direct evidence implicates him, and the FBI no longer considers him a suspect. In an interview, he stated that he did not kill himself because suicide prevents one from going to heaven. The devout Lutherans attended church every Sunday, and List taught Sunday school. He then cleaned the various crime scenes, removed his own picture from all family photographs in the house, tuned a radio to a religious station, and departed. But what led Delores husband to commit such a chilling crime? 'List believed doing what he did do to his family was allowed because he was sending them to join God and saving them from the embarrassment of having to be on the public dole.'. List is charged with shooting his mother, wife and three children in their Westfield, N.J. home, and authorities said he left a five-page note detailing the crime. In 1971, John List lost his job at the bank at age 46. From New York, he had traveled overland to Denver, where he began a new life under the name Robert P. Clark, working first as a hotel fry cook and later as an accountant for H&R Block. In 1965, when List and his family moved to affluent Westfield, N.J., he seemed to be a model of suburban success and propriety. 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John died aged 82 in March 2008 of complications from pneumonia while still imprisoned. Judge William L'E. See who retired from Pitt in the second half of 2022 John seemingly grew up without incident, reporting a normal childhood with the exception of his stringently religious upbringing, with which he identified wholeheartedly. Alex Murdaugh trial updates: John Marvin faults SLED, doesn't believe All That's Interesting is a Brooklyn-based digital publisher that seeks out stories that illuminate the past, present, and future. Subsequent jobs didnt pan out. Born In: Bay City, Michigan, United States. Contents 1 Background 2 Familicide, Capture, and Incarceration 3 Modus Operandi 4 Known Victims 5 Notes 6 On Criminal Minds 7 On Suspect Behavior 8 Sources He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. The crime remains one of the most gruesome acts of all time. And it came from a family member of all people. John List Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. John List - Wikipedia Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. When they entered the house, music was still playing on the intercom, but List was long gone. John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife), See John List died in prison in 2008 at age 82. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. But he fled to Colorado, assumed a new name and remarried, managing to elude a nationwide manhunt for 18 years. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. Liss summarized Helen List's medical reports for the jury. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . The Stepfather is Based on the True Story of John List - Wicked Horror photos, On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On November 9, 1971, John Emil List murdered his mother, his wife, and their three children at their Westfield, New Jersey home using his 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun and his. We have estimated John A. List's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. But then his life began to crumble. On November 9, 1971, John List put his plan into action. [8], On November 9, 1971, List murdered his entire immediate family, using his own 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun[9] and his father's Colt .22 caliber revolver. By then, he was assigned to the finance corps, from where he was discharged in 1952. He couldnt bear to tell his family about the loss of income. Helen and her three children were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. "I wish I had never done what I did," he told Connie Chung in 2002. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Bank Vice President and Sunday School Teacher. He was portrayed in the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story by actor Robert Blake, who, ironically, was later convicted of killing his own wife. "I knew it was wrong. [41] A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. He waited for Helen to come down for her morning coffee. However, he was not ready to disclose his incompetency to his family yet and hence, he left the house every morning, sat on the railway station and read books and newspapers all day. They got married in December 1951. Alex Murdaugh's defense rests after 14 witnesses over two weeks in During that time, he was associated romantically with a number of celebrities, including a nine-year affair with actress Merle Oberon. After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning. He killed Patricia when she returned home from school, then the youngest son, Frederick. The New Jersey mansion he inhabited with his mother, wife, and three children had 19 rooms, including a ballroom, marble fireplaces, and a Tiffany skylight. Net Worth in 2021. He told her she went through a slow, agonizing death, the friend said. The tipster said her neighbor was also an accountant and attended church. The FBI found his car parked at Kennedy International Airport in New York City, but they never found him. Dr. Steven Simring, a psychiatrist who examined List after his arrest years later, told Downtown his "sense of neatness" was the result of a compulsive personality. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. He believed that killing them would assure their souls a place in Heaven, where he hoped to eventually join them. Daly said that if no one comes forward, the remains would eventually be returned to the state Department of Corrections, which has had custody of List since his conviction in 1990. Elijah Miller has presented testimony from witnesses, including a Lutheran pastor who knew the Lists in the early 1960s in Rochester, N.Y., to describe the troubled family. If you take gaming seriously, you shouldn't accept anything less than the greatest. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. Aside from a few extra wrinkles, the bust was spot on. [46] Played by Joe Mantello, much of John Graff's story was identical such as his being an accountant, attending a Lutheran church, and murdering his family members and live-in mother, along with leaving music playing in the house and planning an alibi that would cause the bodies to remain undiscovered for several weeks. He. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. [1] She was the second wife and widow of businessman John Jacob Astor IV . The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. John List - The Decision Lab 'It's as if you're on a race track going around and around with no way out,' Miller told the jury in Union County Superior Court. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. John packed off his children to school and loaded both of his handguns. Delores Miller Clark lived a simple life in Denver before she met and married John List, who then went by the name Robert Peter Bob Clark. By then, progression of the disease combined with her excessive alcohol consumption had, according to testimony, "transformed her from an attractive young woman to an unkempt and paranoid recluse"[30][32] who frequently and often publicly humiliated List, comparing his sexual prowess unfavorably with that of her first husband. All List wanted was to reunite with his wife, mother, and children in the afterlife, where he believed there would be no pain or suffering. Delores kept a low profile after Johns arrest, and it is unclear what happened to her. His mother, Alma was overprotective and dominating that would forbid him to go outside and play with the other children because he might get sick. Delores and John divorced in 1989, probably following his arrest on 1 June. List diverted money from his mother's bank accounts to avoid default on his mortgage. Afterwards, he dragged his wifes body to the ballroom and made himself lunch and ate it. All rights reserved (About Us). John List - Biography - IMDb That left his oldest son. [31] Though her health progressively deteriorated, she said nothing to List or her physicians until 1969, when a thorough workup revealed the condition. On Nov. 9, 1971, after sending his children off to school, List took his two handguns out to the car to load them, then walked into the kitchen and shot his wife from behind as she was drinking coffee. He refused to go on welfare, as it would entail excruciating embarrassment in the community and violate the principles of self-sufficiency that he learned at his fathers knee. Cindy wrote a book about her family, "The Cash Family Scrapbook." Cindy married three times, and shares a daughter, Jessica, with her first husband, Cris Brock. However, he was a loner who was not socially active and had very few friends in school and his locality. He believed that it was his failure as a man to be unable to provide for his family. 'Father Wants Us Dead' podcast extras: Never before seen List - Nj