The pattern revealed by police after revealing the identities of the 18 victims was that they were predominantly young women that had been sexually assaulted as well as strangled. In the 1980s, decades before the famous murders in Bucks County PA, the state was being terrorized by Gary Heidnik, who held six women captive in his Philadelphia residence between 1986 and 1987. Here's a look at some of the most infamous criminals in Pennsylvania history. on July 13, 2007 when someone slit her throat. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Oxygen Digital is kicking off its first-ever themed month in June withCrimes of the '80s. He was convicted and sentenced to death in Illinois for the 1984 murder and dismemberment of a 15-year-old. It became known as the Babes in the Woods murders. The group also pushed police to form a task force to find the killer. 1983: The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh opened in the Old Post Office building on the North Side. People leave a joint memorial service for siblings Jerry Michael Shelton, 35, Brittany Powell, 27, and Chanetta Powell, 25, at the Lighthouse Cathedral in Pittsburgh's St. Clair neighborhood, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. The passengers on the fourth plane mounted a counterattack and overcame the hijackers. Its booze, drugs and testosterone. A handcuffed William Bradfield, Jr. carries personal papers as he leaves his holding cell in the Dauphin County Courthouse accompanied by a deputy sheriff on his way to the courtroom for his murder trial 1983. Amstutz, a retired Lutheran deaconess, was shot nine times. Biography.com says that under his rule, more than 20 mob associates died. When Pittsburgh police officers searched Baumhammers' Mt. On Sept. 11, 2001, teams of Al Qaeda terrorists boarded four planes and crashed them into targets at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These gruesome murders epitomize the brutality of the killer. I also want to get Early Bird Books newsletter featuring book deals, recommendations, and giveaways. Every community has its grisly tales of murder including the Coal State. By Cindi Lash, Post-Gazette Staff Writer. He was dubbed the Grim Sleeper because he apparently took a 14-year-hiatus from killing: from 1988 to 2002. "[5], In the fall of 1999, Baumhammers was arrested in Paris, France, for striking a 50-year-old female bartender named Vivianne Le Garrac because he "believed she was Jewish." Police were hesitant to reveal the little evidence they did have. The Evening Standard questioned what would drive a person to kill children in cold blood, and how someone could be driven to dousing another individual with gasoline to set them ablaze. Confessions poured forth shortly after. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia, "Pennsylvania State Police SUV" by Niagara - Own work. The two admitted to luring LaFerrera through a Craigslist ad for sex, and to killing the man purely for the thrill. On that night he had been drinking, left a bar alone and later called his friends to come help him with a glass cut on his hand, even though he was a nursing grad. [1], Richard Baumhammers was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Andrejs and Inese Baumhammers, both Lutheran Latvian immigrants who fled the Soviet occupation of their homeland. In each of three recent cases, a man died of. By week's end, he left on a flight for Spain. Due to the number of deaths, it is probable that there was more than one killer, which substantiates the theory that Edward Surratt, the only man who admitted guilt to numerous slayings, wasnt the sole perpetrator. After police arrived, he shoteight girls, killing five, before killing himself. The book influenced the re-opening of several missing person cases. His death was believed to be accidental. At 3am Jimmy talked to his friends on the phone and said he was still partying and would probably walk home to Bridgeville. (AP Photo/Pool, File). [1] The family settled in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mt. One of the states most infamous crimes occurred in 2017 when four young men were murdered on a farm just outside of New Hope in Bucks County. Have any other famous murders in Pennsylvania inspired TV shows or movies? Also known as the Highway Murderer and the Interstate Killer, Eyler is believed to have killed between 19 and 23 people from 1982 to 1984. The majority of the women suffered multiple knife wounds. Baumhammers initially pointed the gun at Thomas, then turned and fired at Lee, killing him instantly. Their bodies were found Nov. 24, 1934 in Cumberland County near what is today the entrance to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Also known as the Grim Sleeper, Franklin is responsible for killing 10 - 25 or more victims. Two days later, on May 11, 2001, after deliberating for 20 minutes, the same jury requested that Baumhammers be executed for his crimes. In the 1980s, decades before the famous murders in Bucks County PA, the state was being terrorized by Gary Heidnik, who held six women captive in his Philadelphia residence between 1986 and 1987. At the same time, Clark began eyeing the couples 11-year-old neighbor. In late 1977 and early 1978, a killer was on the loose, murdering couples in their homes, leaving a bloody trail from Allegheny and Beaver counties to Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina and. In 2009, at just 11 years old, Jordan Brown was arrested for the murder of his father's fiancee, Kenzie Houk, and her unborn child. Sheriff Coon was responsible for solving 82 of 83 murders within the city. Bundy was also guilty of decapitation. The Ecletic Collection/YouTube Gary Heidnik's mugshot taken after his arrest in 1987. To be honest, I'm surprised we don't have more bodies washing up in the rivers considering, you know, we have three rather large ones. A Pennsylvania serial killer in jail since the 1970s has confessed to six more murders, authorities said. In 1928, Nelson Rehmeyer was murdered and his corpse was mutilated by a group of men led by John Blymire. (Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com). In fact, some of the incidents took place in Washington County, 23 miles south of the city, and Beaver County, approximately 30 miles north. [8], Baumhammers next drove to the Ahavath Achim Congregation in Carnegie, where he shattered the synagogue's glass windows with gunfire. Mark Spotz wasgiven three life sentences for a cross-state killing spree, begun from an altercation that ended in the death of his brother Dustin. Jacob was last seen alive on Dec. 16, 2012 around 3am, after drinking at Static nightclub and getting into a fight with his girlfriend and then being left behind by her at the McDonalds in The Strip. The 37-year-old man would have been under arrest for dismembering and disemboweling two men in 1988 and 1992. In 2014, Miranda and Elytte Barbour were convictedforthe murder of Troy LaFerrera. Notorious for his sadistic tendencies, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo was the head of the Philadelphia Mafia in the 1980s and was convicted of several crimes, including ordering at least nine murders. It is important to note these advancements, as they are integral in not only stopping murderers from going on long-lasting killing sprees, but saving people before they become victims. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Jacob was last seen alive on Dec. 16, 2012 around 3am, after drinking at Static nightclub and getting into a fight with his girlfriend and then being left behind, in an extremely intoxicated state, by her at the McDonalds in The Strip. Most of his killings took place in the mid-80s. His body was found Dec. 12, 2014 in Beaver Falls. Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a suicide on Feb 26th. (Gene J. Puskar). Here are 8 of the most lethal serial killings of the decade. The 93-foot tower represents the third phase of the memorial in the field where Flight 93 crashed 16 years ago. Want more true crime? Like 80% of them had been drinking, I'm inclined to lean toward accidental deaths. His crimes took place in the Wild West, but Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, who would be known as the Sundance Kid, was born in Mont Clare, Pa. He was tried as an adult and convicted of murder. The psychiatrists agreed that he was psychotic but used different words to describe his condition: paranoid schizophrenic, psychotic thought disorder, and delusional disorder. Heidnik, executed by lethal injection on July 6, 1999, was the last person to have the death penalty enforced upon in Pennsylvania.AP Photo/File. He went on a murderous rampage in 2007, taking the lives of victims in Harrisburg, York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. To date, Surratt has only confessed to 6 of the unsolved murders that plagued the Pittsburgh area, leaving dozens unsolved. Miranda Barbour was a 19-year-old newlywed when she confessed to slaying over 20 victims. Hugo Selenski is led to his hearing on murder charges, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003, in Trucksville, Pa. (AP Photo/The Citizens' Voice, Jack Kelley). Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Four of them were murdered by an accomplice, later revealed to be Robert David Little, a college professor. Randy Stair blocked the exits of a Weis Market in Tunkhannock late overnight in June of 2017 before opening fire on the people inside. In 2015, National Geographic reported that evidence of the oldest known homicide had been uncovered literally. The last update on these cases was in October of 2003, which surmised that local authorities were still plagued with the question of who committed such atrocities. This serial killer is also known as the .22-Caliber Killer or the Midtown Slasher. In 2010, a judge ruled that he was mentally incompetent and therefore could not be executed. A former prison guard, Banks went on a killing spree that took the lives of 13 people, 11 of whom were his relatives. There is still hope for justice. When she was caught by the infant's aunt, she confessed to slaying three other children in the same manner, claiming that "I did it because I have the devil in me.". Graham, 43, on death row since May 1988 for murdering seven women and leaving their decomposed bodies in his apartment, cannot be executed because he is mentally retarded, a judge ruled Friday, Dec. 19, 2003. Thorman was a 13-year-old servant when she fatally burned a toddler on the stove. The headline was added after days of public comment and correction. (AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam). How was the body found but the location unknown? Was murdered and his corpse was mutilated by a group of men led by John Blymire of Mt 20. Lutheran deaconess, was shot nine times it became known as the Babes in the mid-80s are of... The oldest known homicide had been uncovered literally, later revealed to be Robert David,!, breaking news, sweepstakes, and much more in 2010, a professor. 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