The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers (62 page)

and “unparalleled perversity,”

cated issue.

ALBERT FISH was bland enough to win the trust of total strangers, waltzing off with their children to “birthday parties” from which they would never return. Even
MATHURIN, Jean-Thierry

See PAULIN, THIERRY

crazy EDWARD GEIN was known around his hometown as a simple-minded handyman and local “character”; no one suspected he was also killing, robbing graves,
MEDICAL Murders

and crafting household decorations out of human A disturbing number of serial killers are found in the body parts.

medical profession, making victims of the very patients It comes as no surprise, therefore, when the arrest who entrust the twisted healers with their lives. The of a serial killer is met with dismay from his neigh-reasons for their choice of a career in medicine (and bors, the media recording statements of surprise that a murder) are admittedly complex, but one advantage is

“nice, quiet fellow” could perform such grisly deeds.

the ready-made supply of victims—often weak and In part, that shock is due to ingrained images from helpless, sometimes even comatose—who are presented Hollywood, where random killers are portrayed as daily to the medical professional. Those who select scar-faced, heavy-breathing hulks who roam the their victims from among the patients of a major hospi-streets in bloodstained aprons, armed with power tal or nursing home are sheltered from suspicion by tools. Such specimens exist, of course, but they are their Hippocratic oath and by the fact that death—par-rare exceptions to the rule. The psychopathic killer’s ticularly of the old and gravely ill—is taken more or

“mask of sanity” conceals a multitude of sins and less for granted. Only when a slayer grows too arro-often makes his victims easy prey when he—or she—

gant or careless, leaving telltale clues behind or killing turns on the charm.

too voraciously within a short time span, is he (or she) See also INSANITY DEFENSE; PARAPHILIA exposed.

Medical killers are found in the ranks of licensed physicians and dentists, of registered nurses, and of

“MASS Murder”:
Defined

lower-ranked employees such as orderlies and nurse’s Prior to introduction of the term SERIAL MURDER in the aides. They are both male and female, black and white mid-1960s, most slayers of multiple victims were referred (although Caucasians dominate this group). As in their to indiscriminately as mass murderers. Today, thanks training, race, and gender, so they are diverse in largely to the FBI, mass murder is defined as any killing of MOTIVES, although certain major themes repeat them-four or more victims at one time and place. The Bureau’s selves time after time.

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MIKHASEVICH, Gennadiy

One common motive in medical murder is the so-

prolific medical slayer since World War II is Britain’s Dr.

called mercy killing, wherein the slayer allegedly seeks HAROLD FREDERICK SHIPMAN, convicted of 15 murders to end the suffering of selected patients by ending in January 2000 and officially blamed for the deaths of their lives. The FBI Crime Classification Manual at least 215 patients between 1977 and 1998.

(1992) presents nurse’s aide DONALD HARVEY as an See also MODUS OPERANDI; WEAPONS

example of a “mercy killer” in action, although his techniques smacked of sadism (and his selection of victims, at least in some cases, was achieved through
MIKHASEVICH, Gennadiy

satanic rituals).

The first Russian serial killer acknowledged by the state-A second type of medical killer is the would-be controlled Soviet news media, Gennadiy Mikhasevich

“hero,” precipitating life-or-death emergencies with the was born in 1947, in the territory of Byelorussia (pre-intent of stepping in to save a patient at the penultimate sent-day Belarus). Details of his crimes remain sparse: the moment, thus earning kudos from his peers or members February 3, 1988, Tass announcement of his execution of the victim’s family. These operators—theoretically, at simply states that Mikhasevich had “savagely killed” 33

least—may not intend to kill at all but may instead fall women over the past 15 years. Some Western reports cite short in their attempts to “rescue” patients they have a body count of 36, with the first death recorded in driven to the brink of death. The FBI presents baby-1971, but the reliability of those accounts is still unclear.

killer GENENE JONES as an example of the “hero” type; We know that Mikhasevich was employed as a fac-identical motives have been ascribed to male nurse tory worker in Saloniki, serving for a time as chief of Richard Angelo in New York and to various others the state motor vehicle repair works, volunteering as an around the world.

auxiliary policeman in his spare time. In the latter Some medical slayers, of course, kill for profit. In the capacity, he helped “investigate” his own crimes, ques-1930s, Dr. Morris BOLBER organized a murder-fortioning various suspects and sometimes stopping drivers insurance ring in Philadelphia that claimed an estimated of cars that resembled the elusive slayer’s vehicle.

50 lives. Most practitioners operate on a more modest Through it all, he continued to kill, with 14 victims scale, but some—like Connecticut’s AMY ARCHER-GILLI-murdered in the peak year of 1984.

GAN—open their own clinics or rest homes with murder Soviet police might not admit to a killer at large, but in mind. Another profit-motivated killer, Missouri den-they were aware of his crimes, all the same. Regrettably, tist Glennon Engelman, made no use of his medical as Tass admitted years later, “the investigation veered skills when it came down to murder, preferring dyna-from the right track,” with a dozen defendants con-mite and firearms as his tools.

victed and sentenced for various crimes they did not Finally, as some “healers” sexually abuse their commit, following “breaches of law” by Byelorussian patients, so we cannot rule out sexual or sadistic homicide investigators. Four innocent suspects were motives in some medical murders. Lesbian lovers actually framed and convicted on murder charges: one GWENDOLYN GRAHAM and CATHERINE WOOD made a

of them was executed, another killed himself in custody, brutal “game” of murder at a Michigan rest home, so and a third innocent defendant went blind in prison.

excited by the death throes of their victims that they Officials responsible for the frame-ups were belatedly often had to find an empty room for hasty bouts of sex punished, according to Tass, but once again the details when they were finished smothering a patient in her are unavailable.

bed. Likewise, it is undoubtedly significant that all three No matter who they sent to jail, the murders contin-patients killed by Dr. Tony Protopappas in his dental ued; the elusive slayer picked women up in his small, chair with anesthetic overdoses were attractive females red Zaporachet car and strangled them with a scarf. A under 35 years old.

letter was sent to police at one point, signed “Patriot of The most frightening aspect of medical murder is the Vitebsk,” which attributed the slayings to “revenge apparent ease with which some practitioners evade against adulterous women.” Detectives knew the letter detection, sometimes forever, while running up prodi-was authentic when similar notes were left with the gious body counts. A review of modern unsolved cases killer’s last two victims in 1985. Meanwhile, Detective reveals seven hospitals—including five in the United Nikolai Iquatovich was slogging through mountains of States and one each in Canada and France—where paperwork, checking out the owners of some 200,000

unknown slayers claimed 320 victims with complete red cars and the holders of 312,000 interstate pass-impunity. In one case where a killer on the ward was ports. It was reportedly the latter approach which led to brought to book, a hospital administrator also pled Mikhasevich’s arrest, sometime in 1985. He confessed guilty to destroying evidence illegally in a misguided to the murders in custody and was sentenced to death effort to protect the hospital’s “good name.” The most by firing squad.

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MILAT, Ivan Robert Marko

MILAT, Ivan Robert Marko

brought calls pouring in from locals who had seen them Australia’s worst serial killer of modern times, Ivan hiking through the countryside or thumbing rides, but Milat was the son of Croat immigrants, born in 1945.

none apparently had seen the killer—except, perhaps, A nonsmoker who also shunned liquor, Milat worked for Paul Onions. A British subject from Birmingham, as a highway construction worker and devoted his Onions heard about the “backpack murders” on televi-leisure time to motorcycle riding, off-road touring in a sion and recalled his own near miss with death outside four-wheel-drive vehicle, and hunting. Friends assumed Sydney in January 1990. Onions had been thumbing that his passion for stalking game was restricted to rides when he was picked up by the driver of a silver four-legged targets, but they were mistaken. Today, Nissan four-wheel-drive truck, who introduced himself Milat stands convicted of seven murders committed as “Bill.” A half mile north of the Belanglo State Forest, between 1989 and 1992 and suspected of more dating Bill had stopped and pulled a gun, declaring, “This is a back to the late 1970s.

robbery!” Onions had run for his life through the bush, Australia’s two-year manhunt for the vicious “Back-bullets whizzing past his head, and managed to escape pack Killer” began in September 1992 when hikers after a hectic chase. He recalled the gunman well found the decomposed remains of two women in the enough to help police prepare a sketch, including the Belanglo State Forest, near Sydney, at a point called would-be killer’s handlebar mustache.

Executioner’s Drop. The corpses were identified as 21-Investigators, meanwhile, were reviewing their files year-old Caroline Clarke and 22-year-old Joanne Wal-on old sex crimes—including a December 1974 rape ters, British tourists last seen alive in Sydney on April allegation filed against Ivan Milat, known to use the 18, 1992, while thumbing rides to Adelaide. Autopsies nickname “Bill.” On May 22, 1994, a flying squad of revealed that both young women had been sexually 50 officers raided the property in Eagle Vale, a Sydney assaulted; Walters had been gagged and stabbed to suburb, where Milat lived with a girlfriend. The raiders death, and Clarke was shot 12 times in the head.

caught their man in bed, and a search of his home The discovery of two corpses prompted a wider

turned up evidence including firearms linked to the search, and police soon found a shallow grave a few murders and camping gear stolen from the victims. (A miles distant from the first site that contained the sword, reportedly used to behead Anja Habschied, was skeletal remains of Australians James Gibson and found in a later search at the home of Milat’s mother.) Deborah Everist. The two 19-year-olds had disap-Detectives suggested that Milat sometimes killed his peared somewhere between Liverpool and Goulburn victims and then used their skulls for “target practice”

while hitchhiking to a conservation festival on Decem-after they were dead, thus accounting for multiple head ber 9, 1989. Gibson’s pack and camera were found wounds.

beside a rural highway two months later, as if thrown On May 31, 1994, Milat was formally charged with from a passing car.

seven counts of murder, plus the attack on Paul Onions The search continued. In October, authorities found and various weapons charges. (Two of his rifles, as well the remains of 21-year-old Simone Schmidl, a German as a homemade silencer found by police in his posses-visitor who disappeared on the same stretch of road sion, were banned by Australian law.) At his four-between Liverpool and Goulburn, hitchhiking to Mel-month trial in 1996, Milat’s attorney tried to bourne on January 21, 1991. Her glasses and camping undermine the prosecution’s case by fingering alternate equipment had later been found in the brush near Wan-suspects, including two of Milat’s own brothers, gatta, a small town in Victoria. According to the med-Richard and Walter. Jurors rejected the ploy, convicting ical examiner’s report, Simone had been bound, gagged, Ivan of all seven murders on July 27, but presiding Jus-and stabbed repeatedly.

tice David Hunt did tell the court, “In my view, it is The corpses of two more German tourists, 21-year-old inevitable that the prisoner was not alone in that crimi-Gabor Neugebauer and 20-year-old Anja Habschied, nal enterprise.” In the absence of further indictments, were found on November 4, 1992. The couple had last however, Milat was the lone recipient of six life sen-been seen alive 10 months earlier, on December 26, tences, plus an additional six-year term for the 1991, when they set off hitchhiking from King’s Cross to attempted murder of Paul Onions.

Darwin and vanished without a trace. Their deaths bore Milat echoed Justice Hunt’s opinion in February all the signs of another sexual attack: Neugebauer was 1997 when he appealed his conviction on the unusual apparently strangled, then shot six times in the head; his grounds that he did not act alone in the murder. No girlfriend was nude below the waist and she had been action has been taken to date on that appeal, but Milat decapitated, her head missing from the scene.

was placed under tight security three months later after By that time, Australian police knew they had a ser-prison guards foiled a “meticulously planned” escape ial killer at large. Published photos of the victims by Ivan and three other inmates. By November 1997,
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