The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (131 page)

Read The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers Online

Authors: Michael Newton

Tags: #True Crime, #Murder, #General, #Serial Killers

BOOK: The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
13.24Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

VICTIMS: Two

MO: Mutilation-slayer of random victims, mostly MO: Stabbed/strangled female guest and maid at local women

hotels

DISPOSITION: 12 years for manslaughter in ax mur-DISPOSITION: Convicted on one murder count, June der of a salesman, 1947; life for nine rape-murders, 4, 2001; convicted on second count, June 2002; life 1950; suicide by hanging in prison, Feb. 1958

terms imposed in both cases

ACCOMPLICES: Karl Hoffman (1914– ) sentenced

to life on six counts, 1950; Konrad Schuessler
Piper, Thomas W.
(1849–76) AKA: Boston Belfry (1928– ) sentenced to life for two murders and one Murderer

attempted murder

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

DATE(S): 1873–76 VENUE: Boston, Mass. VIC-

Poehlke, Norbert Hans
(d. 1985)

TIMS: Four confessed

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE/PC

MO: Rape-slayer of young girls, one in the church DATE(S): 1984–85 VENUE: Germany/Italy VIC-where he served as sexton

TIMS: Six

DISPOSITION: Hanged, 1876

MO: Police inspector who shot men age 36–47, using their stolen cars in robberies; also shot his wife and
Pirrera, Samuel
(1967– )

two sons

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./PC

DISPOSITION: Suicide by gunshot, Oct. 23, 1985

393

The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers

Pomeroy, Jesse Harding
(1860–1932)

MO: Paroled pedophile; linked to death/disappearance SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC/Sad.

of three named teenagers and 12 unspecified victims; DATE(S): 1870s–80s VENUE: Boston, Mass. VIC-one skeleton found on his property in Ala.

TIMS: 20+ alleged

DISPOSITION: Life term with 25-year minimum for MO: Sadistic slayer of street children; set prison fire Fla. sex crimes, 1994; indicted on one murder count that killed three fellow inmates

in Ala.

DISPOSITION: Condemned on two counts, 1876

(commuted to life, 1878); spent 41 years in solitary;
Pough, James Edward
(1948–90) AKA: Pops died in prison, 1932

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-nonspe-

cific

Pommerais, Dr. Edmund de la
(1836–63)

DATE(S): 1971/90 VENUE: Jacksonville, Fla. VICSEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE

TIMS: 11

DATE(S): 1862–63 VENUE: France VICTIMS: Two

MO: Shot male friend (1971); shot strangers at random MO: Compulsive gambler; poisoned female victims for (1990)

insurance

DISPOSITION: 1971 murder charge reduced to aggra-DISPOSITION: Guillotined, 1863

vated assault (five years probation); suicide by gunshot, June 18, 1990

Pommerenke, Heinrich
(1937– ) AKA: Beast of the Black Forest

Powers, Harry F.
(1889–32) AKA: Mail-order Blue-SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

beard

DATE(S): 1959–60 VENUE: Germany VICTIMS:

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: CE

DATE(S): 1920s–31 VENUE: Quiet Dell, W. Va.

10 confessed

VICTIMS: 50 alleged

MO: Religious fanatic rape-slayer of women

MO: Profit-motivated “Bluebeard” slayer of prospec-DISPOSITION: Six life terms with 140-year minimum, tive fiancées lured with lonely-hearts ads

1960

DISPOSITION: Confessed five murders; hanged for one on Mar. 19, 1932

Pool, Dave
(?–?)

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE/PC

Poyner, Syvasky L.
(d. 1993)

DATE(S): 1861–65 VENUE: Kans./Mo. VICTIMS:

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE/Sex.

“Numerous”

DATE(S): 1984 VENUE: Hampton/Newport News,

MO: Notorious member of “QUANTRILL’S RAIDERS”

Va. VICTIMS: Five

DISPOSITION: Surrendered May 22, 1865; no prose-MO: Shot female robbery victims, stripping one body cution

DISPOSITION: Executed Mar. 18, 1993

Popova, Madame
(d. 1909)

Prada, Hernando Arturo
(1973–2000)

SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC/CE

SEX: M RACE: H TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-felony

DATE(S): 1880s–1900s VENUE: Samara, Russia

DATE(S): 1990s VENUE: Colombia VICTIMS: 10

VICTIMS: 300 confessed

MO: Bandit imprisoned for murders of robbery victims MO: Poisoner for hire, specializing in abusive husbands DISPOSITION: Received a 60-year sentence; escaped DISPOSITION: Executed in Mar. 1909

during a prison transfer in February 2000; captured and executed by vigilante death squad on Feb. 22

Porter, Ronald Elliot
(1947– )

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

Prejean, Dalton
(d. 1990)

DATE(S): 1984–85 VENUE: San Diego, Calif. VIC-

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE

TIMS: 14 alleged

DATE(S): 1974/77 VENUE: La. VICTIMS: Two

MO: Rape-slayer of women

MO: Robbed/killed taxi driver; shot policeman

DISPOSITION: 15 years on one count, with eight years DISPOSITION: Imprisoned, 1974 (paroled 1978); exe-consecutive for sex offenses, 1993

cuted May 18, 1990

Potts, Frank
(1944– )

Presenti, Valentino
(?– ) AKA: Monster of Genoa SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

DATE(S): 1977–89 VENUE: Ala. VICTIMS: 15

DATE(S): 1976–91 VENUE: Genoa, Italy VIC-

alleged; one confessed

TIMS: Four+

394

Appendix A: Solo Killers

MO: Lust killer of women

Prince, Walter
(1902–34)

DISPOSITION: Life sentence

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC

DATE(S): 1928/34 VENUE: Manchester/Retford,

Presnell, Virgil Delano, Jr.
(1954– )

England VICTIMS: Two

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

MO: Murdered one man and one woman in personal DATE(S): 1976 VENUE: Atlanta, Ga. VICTIMS:

disputes

Two suspected

DISPOSITION: Hanged, 1934

MO: Pedophile slayer of preadolescent girls

DISPOSITION: Condemned, 1976

Pritchard, Dr. Edward William
(d. 1865) SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-domes-Price, Craig Chandler (1974– ) AKA: Iron Man tic

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC/Sad.

DATE(S): 1863–65 VENUE: Glasgow, Scotland

DATE(S): 1987/89 VENUE: Warwick, R.I. VIC-

VICTIMS: Four

TIMS: Four

MO: “Bluebeard” poisoner of wife, mother-in-law, and MO: Home invader; beat/stabbed females age eight to children

39

DISPOSITION: Hanged, July 28, 1865

DISPOSITION: Pled guilty in juvenile court; confined until age 21

Profit, Mark Antonio
(1964– )

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

Price, Ricky Lee
(?– )

DATE(S): 1996 VENUE: Minneapolis, Minn. VIC-

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.

TIMS: Four suspected

DATE(S): 1980s VENUE: Va./N.C. VICTIMS: Two

MO: Slayer of female prostitutes in/around Wirth Park MO: Strangler of women

DISPOSITION: Two consecutive life terms, 1997, on DISPOSITION: Life term + 58 years in Va., 1985; con-one count of murder and two counts of rape

demned in N.C., 1987; died in prison on Nov. 23, 1998

Protopappas, Dr. Tony
(1945– )

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: PC-non-

Pries, Dieter
(1956– )

specific

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE/Sex.

DATE(S): 1982–83 VENUE: Costa Mesa, Calif.

DATE(S): 1974/84–97 VENUE: Germany VIC-

VICTIMS: Three

TIMS: Two+

MO: Dentist who deliberately overdosed three female MO: Robbed/killed grandmother (1974); rape slayer of patients, age 13–31, with anesthetic

women

DISPOSITION: three concurrent terms of 15 years to DISPOSITION: Eight years for murder as juvenile (con-life, 1984

fined to asylum); judged insane and committed, 1978

Prudom, Barry Peter
(1944–82) AKA: Cop Killer
Prince, Cleophus, Jr.
(1967– ) AKA: Clairemont Killer SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-felony

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.

DATE(S): 1982–83 VENUE: England VICTIMS:

DATE(S): 1990 VENUE: San Diego, Calif. VIC-

Three

TIMS: Six

MO: Fatally shot two policemen and a male robbery MO: Home-invading “ripper” of women age 18–42

victim

DISPOSITION: Condemned, 1993

DISPOSITION: Suicide during shoot-out with police, July 4, 1982

Prince, Hamisi
(1990– )

SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-nonspe-

Pruett, Marion Albert
(1949–99) AKA: Mad Dog cific

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC/CE-

DATE(S): 1998–99 VENUE: Cyangusu Prefecture,

felony

Rwanda VICTIMS: More than three

DATE(S): 1981 VENUE: Ark./Colo./Miss./N. Mex.

MO: Nine-year-old son of man imprisoned for geno-VICTIMS: Five

cide; arrested for beating a three-year-old girl to MO: Serving time for a Georgia bank robbery when he death, whereupon he confessed killing “many chil-killed his cellmate, framing another inmate for the dren in the past”

crime; testimony in that case earned him release in DISPOSITION: Sent to a reeducation camp, Nov. 11, 1979, with placement in the witness protection pro-1999

gram; Pruett soon developed a $4,000-per-week

395

The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers

drug habit and turned to violence; bludgeoned his DATE(S): 1960 VENUE: Tenn. VICTIMS: Two

common-law wife with a hammer and burned her

MO: Career criminal; shot holdup victim and police-body, then embarked on an interstate crime spree, man

shooting three male victims in armed robberies DISPOSITION: Killed in escape attempt, Oct. 24, 1960

DISPOSITION: Received life terms for three murders in Colorado, Mississippi, and New Mexico; exe-Rachals, Terri Eden Maples (1962– )

cuted in Arkansas, April 13, 1999

SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: PC-nonspe-

cific

Pruett, Mark David
(1949–93)

DATE(S): 1985 VENUE: Albany, Ga. VICTIMS: Six

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

confessed

DATE(S): 1975–85 VENUE: Va. VICTIMS: Five+

MO: Hospital nurse who poisoned intensive-care MO: Rape-slayer of women

patients

DISPOSITION: Executed on two counts, Dec. 16,

DISPOSITION: Found guilty but mentally ill on one 1993

count aggravated assault; 17-year prison term plus three years probation; released April 2003

Puente, Dorothea Helen
(1929– )

SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: CE

Racine, Steven
(1964– )

DATE(S): 1982–88 VENUE: Sacramento, Calif.

SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-

VICTIMS: Nine

felony

MO: “Black widow” landlady; poisoned tenants for DATE(S): 1990–2001 VENUE: Montreal, Quebec

pension checks

VICTIMS: Six

DISPOSITION: Life without parole on three counts, MO: Career criminal who bound and strangled victims 1993

in drug-related killings

DISPOSITION: Pleaded guilty to all counts on Sept.

Putt, George Howard
(1946– )

25, 2002, receiving a life prison term with a 25-year SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.

minimum

DATE(S): 1969 VENUE: Miss./Tenn. VICTIMS:

Five

Rahman, Yusef Abdullah
(1968– )

MO: Home-invading mutilation-slayer of men and SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC-non-women

specific

DISPOSITION: Condemned, 1970 (sentence com-

DATE(S): 1987–88 VENUE: Kans./N.Y. VICTIMS:

muted to 99 years, 1972)

Four confessed

MO: Shot men in random sniping attacks

Quansah, Charles Papa Kwabena Ebo
(1964– ) DISPOSITION: 42 years to life on one count, 1990; SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

concurrent life term on second count, 1992

DATE(S): 1999–2000 VENUE: Accra, Ghana VIC-

TIMS: 34 confessed

Raies, Jean
(?–?)

MO: Rape slayer of women

SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE

DISPOSITION: Confessed, then recanted; condemned DATE(S): 1880 VENUE: Geneva, Switzerland VIC-at trial, July 2002

TIMS: 12

MO: Nurse who killed patients to collect “bounty”

Quantrill, William Clarke
(1837–65)

offered by local mortician for new clients

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC/CE

DISPOSITION: Life sentence; died in prison

DATE(S): 1855–65 VENUE: Ill./Mo./Kans./Tex./Ky.

VICTIMS: “Numerous”

Raj, Subbah
(1949– )

MO: Psychopathic career criminal; leader of outlaw SEX: M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-nonspe-

“QUANTRILL’S RAIDERS” during Civil War; ordered cific

hundreds of murders besides those committed per-DATE(S): 2002 VENUE: Kamakshipuram, India

sonally

VICTIMS: Eight

DISPOSITION: Shot by Union soldiers, May 10, 1865; MO: Thrill-killer of beggars, slain by stones dropped died June 6

on heads as they slept; captured in attack on decoy mannequins; confessed to police that he “found hap-Raby, Clarence Leon (1933–60)

piness in killing stranded persons”

SEX: M RACE: ? TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE

DISPOSITION: Unknown

396

Appendix A: Solo Killers

Ralston, Larry
(1949– )

Rathbun, Charles Edgar
(1957– )

SEX: M RACE: ? TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.

SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.

DATE(S): 1975–77 VENUE: Clermont/Clinton Coun-

DATE(S): 1989–95 VENUE: Mich./Ohio/Calif.

ties, Ohio VICTIMS: Five

VICTIMS: Six suspected

MO: Rape-slayer of females aged 15–23

MO: Convicted rapist; photographer and lust-killer of DISPOSITION: Four life terms, 1978; fifth life term, women

Other books

Mumbersons and The Blood Secret, The by Crowl, Mike, Celia Crowl
Gateways by Hull, Elizabeth Anne
To Trade the Stars by Julie E. Czerneda
Make Me Beg by Alice Gaines
Velvet by Jane Feather
Saving the Sammi by Frank Tuttle