0 references. Patrol teams on the ground were alerted to the vehicle, which had sped away. The subject of Interview with a Serial Killer streaming on Netflix nowspeaks out in his own chilling words. Charles Montaldo is a writer and former licensed private detective who worked with law enforcement and insurance firms investigating crime and fraud. Officials said 63-year old Shawcross complained of a pain in his leg on the afternoon of November 10, 2008, his date of death. languages spoken, written or signed. He served two years in prison, was paroled to his respectable parents - and murdered a boy and a girl. This Hiking Photo Has A ChillingBackstory, She Met A Man Online And Ended Up Taking Down An Active SerialKiller. She had been beaten and strangled to death. Born in Kittery, Maine, and raised in Watertown, N.Y., Shawcross was an awkward child who frequently fought with other children, a practice that earned him a reputation as a bully. But another probationary charge for unlawful entry in November 1965, proved the last straw for his marriage and he was divorced soon after. [5] In November he was transferred to Green Haven Correctional Facility. Shawcross claims that his adolescence was turbulent, and cites a difficult relationship with both parents, particularly his domineering mother, for his later troubles. [2], Shawcross had difficulty settling down, as neighbors would protest his presence and employers would refuse to hire him. He was sent to Vietnam from October 1967 until September 1968 and wasthen stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Arthur John Shawcross was also known as The Genesee River Killer and The Rochester Strangler all due to how he would carry out his murders and where he would frequently dump the bodies of his victims. William DeLong is a freelance wordsmith. The body was not Felicia Stephens but that of missing prostitute June Cicero. He was taken to Albany Medical Center where he went into cardiac arrest, and died shortly thereafter. Police found mud, leaves and other debris had been forced down her throat and inside her clothing. imported from Wikimedia project. His second marriage, following drafting into the Army in April 1967, was also tainted by violence and was equally short-lived. His next three victims, 25-year-old Patricia Ives, 32-year-old Frances Brown, and 22-year-old Maria Welch, were all prostitutes Shawcross picked up and murdered while having sex with them. Between 1988 and 1989, Arthur Shawcross killed at least 10 women in Rochester, New York, and they were not his first victims. Search Reddit posts and comments - see average sentiment, top terms, activity per day and more "Serial killer Arthur Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, and died on November 10, 2008 while serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 women" (Arthur Shawcross 2015). There is no way of knowing whose version represents the reality of his upbringing, but what became clear, later on, was that Shawcross would change his stories at will, as he was interviewed by various professionals in the course of their investigations. Women said this particular john was prone to violence. Personal Life. Shawcross also made extreme reports about his early sexuality. From rape to mutilation, he terrified the Rochester area for over 17 years. On November 10th, 2008 Shawcross complained to officers about a pain in his leg. Moreover, he tricked the prostitutes thinking it was a safe date because he was a regular customer. He received his first probationary sentence in December 1963 for smashing a shop window. A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Elizabeth Gibsons murder. 5 of 22. With the discovery of Patty Ives, investigators realized that it was a strong possibility that a serial killer was loose in Rochester. 1 reference. The body, which was surrounded by fresh footprints in the snow, was that of June Cicero. He received a 25-year jail sentence, and third wife Penny divorced him shortly thereafter. Shawcross also talked about his childhood, as if using the experience as a way to justify his horrific acts. In September 1972, the body of 8-year-old Karen Ann Hill was found under a bridge. Shawcross killed most of his victims from 1988 to . This grave mistake led to the murders of 12 more people, all of them in Rochester. 17. Eventually, Shawcrosss parole officer settled them in Rochester without properly notifying authorities. Shawcross said throughout his childhood, he was a frequent bed-wetter (which is one part of the Macdonald triad). [2] Shawcross returned to his hometown of Watertown, New York, eventually getting a job with the Watertown Public Works Department and marrying for the third time. She too was never seen alive again. Shawcross also killed 13 people over the course of 17 years. It was noted that the labia had been cut off and that the killer likely hadit in his possession. Like his previous marriages, the marriage was short and ended abruptly after heconfessed to murdering two local children. With each victim that he confessed to the killing, he includedwhat the victim had done to deserve what they got. Shawcross stood trail in 1990 for 10 murders across Monroe County, New York. He was caught after neighbors witnessed the murderer with the girl near a bridge shortly before her death. They had the bodies of four women, all who went missing and were murdered within seven months of each other; three had been murdered within a few weeks of each other; three of the victims were prostitutes from Lyell Avenue, and all the victims had bite marks and had been strangled to death. 2. Apparently, Stott was a friend and had been a guest in his home. 21. 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. In a disturbing interview, Shawcross details some of his crimes while vehemently refusing to discuss others. Sentenced to 250 years to life in prison, 1991. Five months later, his victim's body was finally located. Male interviewers often had to listen to his conquests in Vietnam. 25. "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? The Genesee River Serial Killer was a man who had previously spent more than 14 years in prison for the murder of two children - and then was released to kill again. John Paul Fay was a murderabilia dealer with a troubled past. He served a tour of duty in the .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Vietnam War in October 1967, and he later claimed that he murdered and cannibalized two young Vietnamese girls and several children while there. However, Lewis's theories have attracted greater attention . With the body count mounting, the police sought assistance from FBI profilers. No matter what happened to Shawcross as a child, his adulthood was horrible. When discussing the murders of the two children in 1972, he told the detectives that Jack Blake had been bothering him, so he hit him, killing him by mistake. He was born on June 6, 1945 in Kittery, Maine. At around the same time, the Genesee River Killer murdered eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill. You may unsubscribe at any time. He has two sisters, Donna and Jeannie, and one brother, James. There was an immense criticism of Shawcross being allowed to participatehed previously served 9 months of a 2-year solitary sentence for giving art to outside individuals to sell on eBay, which is not allowed. Elizabeth Gibson was merely waiting in Shawcrosss car to keep warm while Shawcross was getting a cup of coffee at a nearby diner. 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. The judicial system then thought it was wise to seal Shawcross records to prevent panic wherever he lived. Dorothy was Shawcross's first murder after he was released from prison in 1987. [2], On May 7, 1972, he raped and killed his first known victim, 10-year-old Jack Owen Blake, after luring the boy into a wooded area in Watertown. "Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross Dead". We only haunt the willing. 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. Interview with a Serial Killer is a powerful, no-frills documentary that consists largely of what the title advertises- a lengthy interview with Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River . They developed a profile that described the killer as a white male in his 20s or 30s, who was strong, probably with a previous criminal record, familiar with the area, and comfortable enough with the victims that they would enter his vehicle without question. 30-year-old June Stotts was the first of Shawcrosss victims where he dove back into his love of cannibalism and mutilation. Shawcross married first wife, Sarah, in September 1964. 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. However, Shawcross was born with XYY syndrome. On his return from military duty in 1968, he landed in trouble yet again when he was caught and convicted for an arson attack. Angry that she was going to reveal his affairs to both Clara and Rose, Shawcross grabbed a log and beat her on the side of the head. He was arrested the next day. 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 . On November 10, 2008, Shawcross died of cardiac arrest after being transferred from the Sullivan Correction Facility to an Albany, New York hospital. 5. 18. Then his violent tendencies got worse and the arsonist became a cold-blooded murderer. Arthur J. Shawcross, a notorious serial killer, claimed to have had a very troubled childhood. He did, however, offer up more details about his childhood, his past murders and his experiences in Vietnam. 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. Known as the "Genesee River Killer," Arthur Shawcross of upstate Watertown first raped and killed two children in 1972. In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. ", Astrological Sign: Gemini, Death Year: 2008, Death date: November 10, 2008, Death State: New York, Death City: Albany, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Arthur Shawcross Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/arthur-shawcross, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: October 27, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. When they asked for his driver's license, he admitted he did not have one and then revealed that he had been in jail for manslaughter. 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. The big problem with this defense was that there was no one who backed up his stories. [2] His second wife Linda experienced several aspects of his disturbing behavior, especially his penchant for starting fires; an Army psychiatrist told her that Shawcross derived sexual arousal from setting fires. He appeared to be either masturbating or urinating. Despite the warnings of prison psychiatrists, after less than 15 years behind bars, social workers and prison staff members incorrectly determined Shawcross was no longer dangerous and granted him early parole in April of 1987. The judge sentenced him to 25 years for each count, a total of 250 years imprisonment. He says he also exhibited behavioral problems at an early age, including bed-wetting and bullying. The press also grew interested in the murders and dubbed the killer as the "Genesee River Killer," and the "Rochester Strangler.". While in Vietnam, along with killing 39 menduring combat (which was a proven lie) Shawcross also used the venue to describe in grotesque detailshow he murdered, then cooked and ate, two Vietnam women. Arthur Shawcross was born in Kittery, Maine on June 6, 1945. They also believed that the killer would return to mutilate the bodies of his victims when possible. The discovery of the body of another prostitute, Anna Steffen, on September 9, 1989, linked several of the victims. Partly told through the letters of Arthur Shawcross, THE SHAWCROSS LETTERS is the tale of one of America's most notorious serial killers and his relationship with his would-be biographer, John Paul Fay. Arthur Shawcross leaves court in 1990 in Rochester, New York. Then the body of 26-year-old June Stott, who was neither a prostitute nor drug user, was found on Thanksgiving Day. 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. He was 63 years old. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-arthur-shawcross-973145. In March 1988, Shawcross began cheating on his wife with a new girlfriend. While several later tests showed his intelligence to be sub-normal or even "borderline disabled,"[citation needed] Shawcross received As and Bs in his first two years of grade school but was later tested to have an IQ of 86, signifying below-average intelligence. He set fires to a local paper mill and the factory where he worked before being arrested and sentenced to five years in prison. After several hours of interrogation, he still denied having anything to do with the murdered women. Partly told through the letters of Arthur Shawcross, The Shawcross Letters is the tale of one of America's most notorious serial killers and his relationship with his would-be biographer, John Paul Fay. Shawcross served two years of a five-year jail term. 1 reference. Arthur Shawcross The Genesee Rive Killer Dr. Mike Aamodt Radford University maamodt@radford.edu Birth Born on June 6, 1945 at the U.S. Felicia went missing December 26, 1989, and a few days later on the 31st, a pair of hikers found some jeans with her ID in the pocket. 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. She had also been mutilated post-mortem, as well as sawn practically in half. There are several different accounts of what his IQ actually wassome records show it as 86 or below average while other accounts report him testing slightly above average at 105 and 107. and he murdered 12 more women. Jo Ann Van Nostrand along with other prostitutes identified the police picture of Shawcross as the same man they called Mike/Mitch. Arthur Shawcross, also known as "The Genesee River Killer," was responsible for the murders of 12 women in upstate New York from 1988 to 1990. The body of Elizabeth "Liz" Gibson, 29, was found strangled to death on November 27, in another county. People like Arthur Shawcross, the Rochester, NY based killer who killed 12 women . Arthur Shawcross, convicted of killing 10 Rochester-area women from 1988 to 1990, was sentenced today to a minimum of 250 years in prison. 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. Shawcross was sentenced to five years in prison for arson in 1969. The serial killer, also known as the Monster of the Rivers, the Genesee River Strangler, and the Genesee River Killer, was not a small man. All of these murders were unsolved. The interrogation tactics Shawcross employed with his Vietnamese captive are very similar to those used in the Phoenix Program, which was a . When police threatened to implicate her in the killings, Shawcross capitulated and admitted to most of the murders, giving detailed excuses about why he had been "forced" to kill each one. This one piece ofevidence could have led the authorities right to Shawcross, had they known that he was living in Rochester. Shawcross had returned to visit Jean Ciceros body. There were other murders of prostitutes in that time but, given the danger of the profession, nothing untoward was noticed that linked any of the cases. They let him out saying he was no longer a danger. [2], On January 5, 1990, two days after June Cicero's body was discovered by aerial surveillance, police arrested Shawcross. A food service worker, Shawcross trawled the streets of Rochester in his girlfriend's 1984 Dodge Omni (later using her 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity), looking for sex workers to kill. It did not take long for Shawcross to return to his murderous ways. "Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross." He went into fits of rage that led to broken windows and beat-up wives. Linda would soon divorce him, after which he began committing crimes such as arson and burglary. He also was spending a lot of timewith prostitutes. He was sentenced to 250 years to life in prison, where he remained until he died of a cardiac arrest in 2008, aged 63. 6 of 22. Life for Shawcross and Rose became routine. Years later, while serving in Vietnam, Arthur John Shawcross wrote bloodcurdling letters about his battlefield ordeals, then returned to Watertown to commit a string of arsons and burglaries. Despite officials on the ground, Arthur Shawcross got away. They divided the 11 unsolved prostitute murders into sub-groups according to method and position. An autopsy revealed that Stott had been strangled to death. He hid Patricias body under scraps of construction material, Francess down a nearby embankment and dumped Maria into roadside bushes. Shawcross killed again in March of 1988, less than a year after getting out of jail. Tidlige r. 16. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation. Arthur Shawcross. 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. Arthur Shawcross (Arthur John Shawcross) an American serial killer known as the Genesee River Killer and the Genesee River Strangler. When you opt in, not only do you get our curated list of the best horror streaming and stories, you support our work and help us keep the lights on. The physiological evidence about brain science and genetic factors was, at best, spurious and beyond the understanding of the jury. He dumped her body into the Salmon River, one of his favorite fishing spots. There were also human bite marks found all around her vagina. A portrait of the late Princess Diana was among 10 sketches and paintings by him that sold for as much as $540 a piece. The cases selected were chosen largely because of the amount of information available on the subjects. His criminal career began with crimes like burglary and arson, but the craziest thing about his past is that he had already been imprisoned once for murder. In all the previous cases at least some attempt at concealment had been made, which police felt indicated previous criminal or military experience. Shawcross claimed he couldnt recall any details of the murder other than he did it and disposed of her body near the last two. This was not the first time that he killed. He appeared to be urinating, but when he spotted the aircrew, he immediately fled the scene in his van.The ground team was alerted and went in pursuit of the man in the van. Shawcross claims while in prison he was raped and after extracting revenge on his attackers, he was transferred to another prison to serve out his sentence. June 16, 2012. Interview with a Serial Killer: Directed by Christopher Martin. He claimed most of his victims after being paroled early following a conviction for murdering [sexual partner] and two children in 1972. 14. Montaldo, Charles. Shawcross' defense team tried to build a case based on an insanity plea, citing various mitigating factors, such as his upbringing, post-traumatic stress as a result of military service, a cyst on the brain and a rare genetic defect. In 1967 he was drafted by the US Army at age 21. They began to advise prostitutes working in the area to exercise caution, and sought as much information as possible about strangers operating in the area. Arthur John Shawcross was an American serial killer who killed between 1972 and 1990 around Rochester, New York. Kimberly Logan, 30, another Lyell Avenue prostitute, was found dead on November 15, 1989. It did not take long for himto become bored with his new menial life. It was also hindered by poor presentation on the part of the expert witnesses called to testify. A year later, on April 7, 1972, he claimed his first victim: 10-year-old neighbor Jack Blake. One victim tried to steal his wallet, another wouldn't be quiet, another made fun of him, and yet another had nearly bitten off his penis. Montaldo, Charles. Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross. Edit: Since it came up in comments. After a photo of Shawcross was confirmed to be Mitch and police threatened to implicate Clara in the murders (Shawcross had gifted her a piece of jewelry from one of the victims), he confessed to killing the women detailing the reasons why he was forced to do it. [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. 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 from 1972 through 1989. The amount of cannibals in American history is probably a lot higher than you'd expect. "Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross." Arthur Shawcross was skilled in having conversation with the prosititues about buying sex. He Wanted Her To Stop Yelling. Since they had no solid evidence to convict him in the Blake case,prosecutors agreed, and he was found guilty and given a 25-year-sentence.