Gorilla Killer - 1st known American Serial Sex Murderer
Hi!
Here is your weekly dose of “Everything Strange,” literally a list of everything strange happening around us. So let’s start with
Today's Strange History (May 12, 2021)
Slave: Exactly 232 years ago today in 1789, Britain started the process to abolish slave trade. William Wilberforce made his first major speech on abolition in the UK House of Commons, reasoning the slave trade morally reprehensible and an issue of natural justice.
North Pole: In 1926, Airship Norge was the first vessel to fly over North Pole, lead by Roald Amundsen and piloted by Umberto Nobile.
Computer: Today in 1941, Konrad Zuse presented the Z3 - the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.
Nazi: In 1942, 1,500 Jews were gassed in Auschwitz.
Hurricane: 43 years ago today in 1978, US Commerce Department said hurricane names will no longer be only female.
Legend: Today in 1984, then South African prisoner Nelson Mandela saw his wife for 1st time in 22 years.
What is Today?
Today i.e. May 12th is
🍀 Limerick Day
🚗 Odometer Day
🍫 Nutty Fudge Day
🛎️ Receptionists’ Day
👷 Third Shift Workers’ Day
👩⚕️ International Nurses Day
💪 Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
🦷 Root Canal Appreciation Day
❤️ Donate A Day’s Wages To Charity Day
Strange Case of the day: First known American Serial Sex Murderer of the 20th Century
Many aren't aware but exactly 124 years ago today in 1897, the first known American serial sex murderer of the 20th century was born. Earle Nelson also known as the "Gorilla Man," the "Gorilla Killer," and the "Dark Strangler," was an American serial killer, rapist, and necrophile. Nelson's crime spree consisted of 22 known murders, which made him the most prolific serial killer by convictions in American history for the next 5 decades. Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 film Shadow of a Doubt was inspired by him. So who was Earle Leonard Nelson?
Early Life
Nelson was born Earle Leonard Ferral in San Francisco, California.
Both of his parents died of syphilis before he reached the age of two.
Nelson lived with his maternal grandmother and her two younger children (10 and 8 years old)
At age 7, he was expelled from school.
At age 10, he collided with a streetcar while riding his bicycle and remained unconscious for 6 days.
After he awoke, he suffered from frequent headaches & memory loss.
His behaviors became bizarre - such as talking to invisible people, compulsively quoting Biblical passages, and watching female family members undress.
His grandmother noted that several times he left for school in freshly-cleaned clothes and returned home in rags, as though he had changed clothes with a homeless person.
Nelson obsessively read the Book of Revelation as a teenager.
He began frequenting brothels and bars and contracted STD.
Adult
He was jailed several times for different crimes.
He joined different army branches with different names but didn't continue any.
Nelson was then admitted to a mental hospital due to odd and erratic behavior.
He managed to escape at least 3 times before staff eventually stopped trying to locate him.
His frequent escapes earned him the nickname "Houdini" among the hospital's employees.
Nelson acquired a job working as a janitor at St. Mary's Hospital, using the pseudonym "Evan Louis Fuller."
There, he met 60-year-old Mary Martin who he married.
The marriage was short-lived.
Mary reported weird behaviors like him pouring glasses of water over his toes.
Later he tried to molest a 12-year-old, and was re-admitted to mental hospital.
He escaped again on two occasions before being discharged from the institution in 1925.
Crimes and Capture
Almost all his crimes included rape, strangulation and murder.
His victims consisted near-exclusively of women, along with one male infant child.
Portland Police Bureau issued the following statement to the public: "Do not show your houses or rooms for rent while alone. If necessary, call a policeman to accompany you. Crimes such as these should be prevented and could have been prevented if women had been more careful. I do not wish to unduly alarm the people of Portland. But there is no denying the situation is grave."
He then moved to Canada where he committed his final crimes.
Assuming that Nelson had fled back to the United States, Canadian police sent descriptions of him to all U.S. police stations and post offices.
Few constables in Canada, arrested a man named "Virgil Wilson" who fit Nelson's description.
His demeanor was reportedly so calm and cooperative that the constables assumed they had the wrong guy.
"Wilson" was incarcerated in the local jail, but managed to escape the same evening.
He made a terrible mistake of trying to catch the same train that was transporting members of the Winnipeg police, and was recaptured 12 hours after his initial escape.
Court and Trial
Fingerprints were a positive match.
Nearly 4,000 spectators awaited his arrival outside the station, hoping to glimpse the accused man.
Nelson admitted to his crimes, bluntly telling reporters: "I only do my lady killings on Saturday nights."
However, he would subsequently retract his admission and claim he was innocent.
Nelson's ex-wife Mary Martin testified against him, claiming that he was "absolutely insane."
Additionally, over 60 individuals from both Canada and the U.S. testified against him.
Nelson never admitted to any of the crimes.
After 40 minutes of deliberation, the jury sentenced him to death.
Nelson was executed by hanging at 7:30 a.m. on January 13, 1928.
His final words were: "I forgive those who have wronged me."
So will end today’s strangeness here. As always, please give me feedback. What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Let me know! Just tweet me at @StrangeButTrue_
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Much love and Stay Strange,
Stranger