TIMELINE OF ANDRE RAND (CROPSEY)
By Elijah Sanchez
Forensic Sciences I
Period 8
Background Info
- Andre Rand was originally born Frank Rushan on March 11, 1944
- He has/had a sister. She claims neither of them were physically or sexually abused.
- His father passed when he was 14.
- Not too long after, his mother was admitted to the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood, New York.
- After visiting his mother in the psychiatric center during his teenage years, people began to say that witnessing his mother's horrible living conditions may have been the cause of his fascination with mental disorders.
Background Info (Cont'd.)
- Andre Rand worked at the Willowbrook School from 1965-1966
- Willowbrook was originally a home for disabled children
- The conditions of Willowbrook not only traumatized the patients, but the staff as well
- It is said that Andre Rand's fascination with the mentally disabled grew as he worked in the Willowbrook School
- All of his victims were either patients here or had a form of mental disability
Alice Periera
- Alice Pereira was 5 years old when she went missing
- She went missing July 7, 1972
- She was last seen playing in the lobby of an apartment building with her brother before she vanished around 3:30 pm
- Andre Rand was linked to Alice's disappearance after her father was cleared as a suspect.
- At the time of her disappearance, Andre Rand worked as a painter in the apartment building. He also was a convicted child sex offender at the time of her disappearance.
- Alice was never found and was presumed dead
Victims
Holly Ann Hughes
- Missing since 7/15/1981
- She was 7 years old when she was last seen
- Rand was a main suspect in this case
- His aunt lived in the same apartment building as Holly
- It is said that he left around the same time Holly did to go buy soap
Holly Ann Hughes
Jennifer Schweiger
Jennifer Schwweiger
- Jennifer was 12 years old at the time of her disappearance
- She had down syndrome and a congenital heart ailment
- She was found dead in an 18 inch deep hand dug grave near Rand's campsite.
- She was last seen arm in arm with Rand before her disappearance.
Criminal Charges
- Andre Rand was charged with the kidnapping of more than 4 young people with mental disabilities.
- He was not charged with the murder of anyone.
- He remains in prison to this day after being sentences 50 years to life.
Sources
- https://allthatsinteresting.com/andre-rand-cropsey
- https://www.silive.com/news/2011/05/convicted_kidnapper_andre_rand.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/1987/08/06/nyregion/homeless-man-seized-in-case-of-missing-si-girl.html
- https://apnews.com/article/4ff1a02114f1e0471e660c0f538546e2
- https://www.worldenvironment.tv/2018/04/04/a-look-at-andre-rand-the-cropsey-killer-who-terrorized-staten-island/
- https://untappedcities.com/2015/06/12/exploring-the-ruins-of-the-still-operational-pilgrim-psychiatric-center-on-long-island/
Sources