The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (34 page)

one in Plainfield could ever recall Ed driving such a car.

Serial murder is clearly a national problem in Amer-No other evidence exists to identify Gein’s victims, but ica—none of the 50 states is wholly unaffected—but if he did not dispose of Hartley and Weckler, he at least once again, some districts are more dangerous than oth-killed two other young women, their names still ers. Georgraphy is another area, as in choice of unknown.

WEAPONS, where serial killers deviate from the Ameri-Gein’s burial in Plainfield posed an ongoing problem can norm. In an average year, 43 percent of all reported for local authorities. Vandals repeatedly invaded the murders are committed in the southern states, while the local cemetery, chipping fragments from his headstone West, Midwest and Northeast average 20 percent, 19

and defacing it with profane or satanic graffiti. Finally, percent, and 18 percent, respectively. Serial killers are on June 20, 2000, an unknown thief stole what remained less parochial: 25 percent strike in the South, with the of Gein’s marker. The stone surfaced in Seattle, Washing-West running a close second at 24 percent; the Midwest ton, on June 21, 2001, but no one seemed to know what and Northeast lag behind with respective figures of 17

should be done with it. In Plainfield, Sheriff Patrick Fox and 16 percent. The five most dangerous states in terms told reporters, “We could bring it back and put it in the of serial murder cases reported are California (with 10

cemetery, but it would only get stolen again.” A proposal percent of the world total during the 20th century), to deposit Gein’s headstone with the Waushara County Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois.

Historical Society was flatly rejected. “I brought it up to Crime writer Ann Rule, in U.S. Senate testimony dat-the group,” said board member Ardis Spuhler. “They ing from July 1982, suggested that these states (and the said, ‘No.’ They didn’t want any part of it. If people are Pacific Northwest) may record a disproportionate num-determined to get ahold of this thing, we didn’t want ber of cases because serial killers “run to the borders”

them breaking into the museum to get it.”

in an unconscious physical expression of their mental extremity. The theory sounds intriguing, but there seems to be no evidence of any sort behind it. In fact, if
GEOGRAPHY:
Distribution of serial killers the notion was accurate, states like Montana, North No continent except the frozen wasteland of Antarctica Dakota, and Maine should be overrun with serial has been entirely spared from serial murders, but some killers, instead of ranking near the bottom in reported regions are clearly safer than others. North America has cases.

produced some 80 percent of all known 20th-century In fact, the answer seems to lie in simple logic. The serial killers, with the vast majority of those active in favored hunting grounds of domestic serial killers the United States. Europe runs a distant second with include five of America’s seven most populous states and about 16 percent of the world’s total crop: the Euro-seven of the nation’s 10 most crowded cities. Aside from pean leaders are Great Britain (with 28 percent of the population density, cities such as New York, Los Ange-continent’s total), Germany (with 27 percent), and les, Chicago, San Francisco, and Miami share reputa-France (trailing with 13 percent). Third World nations tions as the most “liberal” in America, where sex, drugs, presently spawn 4 percent of the world’s known serial and alcohol are concerned; all feature thriving subcom-killers, but a recent upsurge in reports from South munities of prostitutes and homosexuals who frequently Africa and Latin America threaten to alter those statis-fall prey to random killers. In America’s mobile society, tics in the new millennium. (The Third World lag, those cities draw the vast majority of homeless tran-despite huge population blocs, has variously been sients, runaways, and would-be “stars”; they also rank explained in terms of cultural disparity, poor communi-consistently among the worst in terms of violent crime.

cation, and news censorship imposed by various totali-Warm year-round climates and flourishing agriculture tarian regimes.)

bring thousands (if not millions) of migrant workers and One thing is clear from any global survey of serial illegal aliens to California, Florida, and Texas every murder: the United States, with 5 percent or less of the year, providing human predators with yet another ready
95

GEOGRAPHY

source of prey. It is impossible to say if these states breed know.” Criminologist Aleksandr Bukhanovsky offered sadistic murderers in greater numbers or attract them as a more plausible explanation. “The problem of serial a magnet draws iron filings, from afar, but either way, murder exists everywhere in Russia,” he says. “It’s just the evident preponderance of serial killers in the top five that here we have more practice at catching serial states should come as no surprise.

killers, and therefore the statistics are higher.”

A hunter goes where there is ready game.

South Africa faced similar problems in the new cen-Outside of the United States, the past 10 years have tury. Since 1990, police have acknowledged 52 serial witnessed surprising outbreaks of serial murder in the killers active nationwide, with 16 still at large in former Soviet Bloc and South Africa; it has even been November 2003. (By contrast, the years 1936 through suggested that South Africa, with a total population 1990 produced only eight verified cases.) Psychologist less than one-sixth the size of America’s, may soon MICKI PISTORIUS stays busy PROFILING the killers at record a higher per capita murder rate than the United large, while detective Gerard Labuschagne pursues States. Explanations for the latest outbreaks vary: both them with the special 22-member Investigative Psychol-regions have, in fact, recorded cases of serial murder ogy Unit. Labuschagne’s unit has pioneered in training throughout the 20th century, but changing circum-officers specifically to hunt serial offenders, with the stances have apparently increased the incidence (or at result that detectives from Scotland Yard and other least the reporting) of serial murder. Prior to the advent agencies are often sent to hone their skills in South of glasnost in 1987 (and the Soviet Union’s official col-Africa. That focus may also explain why South Africa lapse four years later), Communist censors and police boasts the world’s highest per capita arrest rate for mul-worked in tandem to suppress reports of “decadent tiple murderers. Statistically, most South Africa preda-Western-type crime” in what was supposed to be a tors are captured within six weeks, while the global socialist Utopia. (The same pattern continues today in average is two years.

China, where at least three serial killers since 1995

China, by contrast, says little about its modern rash have been falsely described in official reports as of serial killings, except when offenders are captured

“China’s first.”)

and hastily sentenced to die. Each new outbreak trig-South Africa’s recent problem with serial murder is gers waves of public shock and anger, occasioned at rather different from Russia’s. While the nation’s least in part by official news censorship during the whites-only government was every bit as brutal as the course of ongoing investigations. By the time a killer is Soviet regime (to nonwhites, at least), state censorship captured, his score may be well into double digits, and in South Africa was seldom—if ever—employed to sup-some killers predictably elude arrest. In November press reports of sensational civilian crimes. With the 2003, while celebrating the arrest of a man who killed final collapse of apartheid in 1993, some analysts sug-17 boys lured away from video arcades in Henan, Chi-gest, black rage suppressed for generations has at last nese police reluctantly acknowledged that they had no found avenues of physical expression. And, while the leads in other cases, including one with 12 female vic-majority of serial killers in South Africa, as elsewhere, tims and another involving 65 persons slain across four prey on members of their own race, several dozen white provinces. As for those convicted and executed, farmers have been murdered by roving black slayers in Amnesty International complains that Chinese courts the latter 1990s.

and firing squads are sometimes prone to act without The United States held its statistical lead in serial sufficient evidence, preferring the appearance of success murders at the start of the 21st century, but authorities to actual solution of a crime.

in other nations acknowledged a rapid worldwide The 21st century also brought startling reports of a increase in this typically “Western” crime. Russia set murder epidemic in Guatemala, where more than 700

new records at the turn of the millennium, with much female victims were slain during 2001–03. The year of its serial crime concentrated in the southern river city 2003 alone witnessed 383 murders of women; police of Rostov-on-Don, where ANDREI ROMANOVICH

solved only 11 cases. Many of the victims were brutally CHIKATILO once stalked victims in local railway sta-tortured, mutilated, beheaded, and/or burned, their tions. Police report that 29 serial killers and rapists bodies discarded in trash bins and along highways. At were caught in Rostov during the 1990s, with several least two serial killers were involved in the carnage: others still at large. Some residents vainly sought reli-One smothered prostitutes in Guatemala City and gious explanations for the plague of predators. In Janu-inked messages on their bodies, describing his “pact ary 1999, a spokesman for the local Orthodox

with Lucifer”; another committed five double murders cathedral told Newsweek magazine, “The people here of young girls within the last six months of 2003, leav-are no less God-fearing than anywhere else. Why Satan ing two ravaged corpses together in each case. As in chooses so many of his servants here is not for us to CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO, human right activists con-96

GOHL, Billy

tend—and officials flatly deny—that police are respon-bars. In many cases, sailors just returned from months sible for some of the slayings.

at sea had large amounts of cash in hand. An honest See also HISTORY OF SERIAL MURDER

union delegate would hold the money in a safe until it was reclaimed. In Aberdeen, the spoils belonged to Billy Gohl.

GOHL, Billy

His method was simplicity itself. When sailors Nothing of substance is known about Billy Gohl’s first turned up individually, Gohl checked the street for 40 years, and the stories he told in response to occa-witnesses. If it was clear, and if something of substan-sional questions were riddled with holes, contradic-tial value was entrusted to his care, he drew a pistol tions, and some outright lies. By his own reckoning, from his desk and shot his victim in the head. That Gohl was born around 1860, spending most of the next done, he paused to clean the weapon, then stripped four decades as a laborer and sailor. In 1903 he sur-his prey of any extra cash and all identifying docu-faced in Aberdeen, Washington, as a delegate for the ments. Gohl’s building had a trapdoor, with a chute Sailors’ Union of the Pacific.

extending to the Wishkah River just outside, with cur-The union office, in those days, functioned as a comrents flowing toward Gray’s Harbor and the sea bination mail drop, bank, and general employment beyond.

office for its members. Sailors new in port might check Within a few years after Gohl’s arrival, Aberdeen for letters, scan the list of vessels needing crewmen, or acquired a reputation as a “port of missing men.” No deposit valuables before they made the rounds at local records exist for his first six years of operation, but authorities pulled 41 “floaters” out of the water between 1909 and 1912, suggesting a prodigious body count. Most of the dead were presumed to be merchant seamen, and Billy Gohl was among the most vocal critics of Aberdeen law enforcement, demanding apprehension of the killers and more protection for his men.

Gohl’s downfall was precipitated by a timepiece and his own attempt at cleverness. While rifling the pockets of his latest victim, Billy came upon a watch bearing the engraved name of August Schleuter from Hamburg, Germany. Alert to the potential for incrimination, he replaced the watch and dumped the corpse as usual. When the “floater” came ashore, Gohl was on hand to identify Schleuter as one of his sailors, renewing demands for thorough investigation of the murders.

This time, Billy got his wish. It took some time, but homicide investigators learned the victim was, in fact, a Danish sailor named Fred Nielssen. He had bought the watch in Hamburg from a craftsman who identified each piece he made with an engraving of his name.

Gohl’s effort to identify the corpse as August Schleuter smacked of guilty knowledge, and detectives finally built a case that brought him into court in 1913 on a double murder charge.