Earle Leonard Nelson

Earle Nelson wasn’t captured much earlier due to the fact that he kept moving.

He relocated up and down the west coast, eventually ending up in Canada.

Police at the time weren’t fully educated in how serial killers’ motivations worked, as it was still a relatively unstudied phenomenon at the time.

Unfortunately, there are no records left of the conversations psychiatrists had with Earle Nelson either before or after his arrest, so one can only speculate.

Nelson’s two head injury incidents could have contributed to the ongoing bizzare behaviour in his life making him more insane by the second – Scientists who support the ‘nature’ theory believe that it is possible that excessive head injury can cause abnormal and violent behavior - Yet, in this case it was unlikely that the hit contributed the behaviour, since the bizzare odd acting began before the incident took place.

The End of Nelson

• A parade of witnesses from Canada and the United States identified Earle Nelson as the man they had encountered during the Dark Strangler's killing spree.

• Witnesses as far back as Merton Newman, the only person who had seen Nelson within moments of him having committed a crime, pointed him out.

• As the witnesses and police from various jurisdictions pooled their evidence, a more complete picture of his modus operandi evolved.

• He usually killed shortly after he had been shaved and barbered, then let his appearance grow more shaggy until the need to murder became unbearable.

Breakout

• Nelson was officially linked to 22 murders, beginning February 20, 1926 and ending with the murders of Lola Cowan and Emily Patterson on June 9-10, 1927.

• Although Nelson was caught and recognized for the crimes he had committed, his attorney tried to mark him as mentally incompetent but the jury disagreed and was given the death penalty.

• As the sixty days from the date of his conviction to the date of his execution passed, Nelson appealed his sentence and granted interviews to journalists to try and win sympathy. The high court of Manitoba disagreed and ordered the execution to go forward post-haste.

• Earle Leonard Nelson was Hanged on January 13, 1928.

• Chandler in his book' Murder and Mayhem in Portland' wrote that, " it took Nelson nearly 15 minutes to strangle to death. Some thought it was poetic justice for the ‘Dark Strangler.’"

• Nelson was taken to Killareny Jail where he used a fake name - Virgil Wilson , that made Police doubt whether he was the right suspect.

• He was put in a jail cell from where he escaped.

• In an old barn he changed clothes and met a farmer who recognized him and called the Police. Nelson is put back into Custody.

Conclusion

Capture

• Earle Nelson was five miles from the U.S. border when the first lawman caught up with him.

• When Nelson stopped in a general store in Wakopa to buy food, he was recognized by the storeowner who knew of the $1,500 reward and notified the law.

• Nelson was headed out of town aware that he had been spotted.

• He had gotten about a mile and a half away from Wakopa when the local constable appeared in front of him, revolver drawn. Earle Nelson immediately raised his hands and surrendered.

Earle Nelson insisted that a man like him could never commit such horrible crimes.

‘ Murder just isn't possible for a man of my high Christian ideals '

Identification

International Preacher of Death

"I am innocent. I stand innocent before God and man. I forgive those who have wronged me and ask forgiveness of those I have injured. God have mercy!"

~Earle Nelson's last words before execution

• His face became known to too many people in a relatively small city.

• He left witnesses at the rooming house where he pretended to be Mr.Woodcoats, and he raped and killed a young girl.

• Not only was the entire Royal Canadian Mounted Police Force looking for him, but also every other citizen who would not stand for such barbarity also wanted his head.

• As a foreigner, Nelson was unfamiliar with the customs and traits of Winnipeg. There were things that made him stand out in their minds as a liar and suspicious character, which in turn made him memorable enough that when reports of the horrible events of Winnipeg became public, they immediately thought of Nelson. Thus, police were able to track his movements and predict his next appearance.

List of Known Victims:

May Murray

Mrs. John E. Berard - 49yrs

Bonnie Pace - 23yrs

Germanla Harpin -28yrs;

+ Daughter 8months

Mary McConell - 60yrs

Mrs. Jennie Randolph - 35yrs

Mrs.Maureen Atorthy

Minnie May - 53yrs

Mary Sietsma - 27yrs

Lola Cowan - 14yrs

Mrs.Emily Patterson

Clara Newman - 62yrs

Laura E. Beal - 60yrs

Mrs.Lillian St.Mary - 63yrs

Mrs. George Russell - 53yrs

Mary Nesbitt - 50yrs

Beata Withers - 35yrs

Virginia A. Grant -59yrs

Mabel McDonald Fluke

Mrs. William A. Edmunds

Florence Fithian Monks

Blanche Meyers - 48yrs

Olla McCoy

Putting the Pieces Together

The obsession with sexual sin and a God-fearing bible may have had a negative effect on the young child – grandmother was more focused on putting the fear of god in the child than giving him a loving upbringing. Nelson would have grown up repressed and having an identity crises. He was an unloved infant and this could have later contributed to his possessive jealousy on his wife – The fact that he married a woman almost twice his age clearly indicated that he was looking for a mother-figure rather than a partner.

Modus Operandi

His way of strangulation seems to indicate that he wanted

to watch as the victims dies. Face to face, the killer can see the eyes of the victim, the sounds of choking, the body begging for air. Earle Nelson was likely to choose victims that have some symbolic meaning for him. By murdering these women, Earle was able to use the bodies as sex objects. He was able to express his sexual desires, without the judgment of his grandmother or the rejection of his wife.

• Almost every crime scene was taking place in a boarding house

• Nelson always used his hands as a ‘weapon’.

• He would always hide his victims.

• All his victims ended up being sexually abused after their death.

• Earle even experimented with post-mortem mutilation, slashing some of his victims with a razor

Nelson had his own trademark - he would choose a house displaying a "Rooms for Rent" sign, would gain the trust of his victims showing them the bible,

then would strangle them with his abnormally large hands, which led to his being nicknamed "The Gorilla Killer

• In 1926 Nelson claimed his first two victims in two weeks (60yrs+) :

Clara Newman

Laura Beal

• He seemed to always kill those women that resembled the two most important female figures in his life :

Grandmother

Ex-wife.

• Age really didn’t matter to him but all the victims were females

• Preyed on landladies, killing them while they were showing him real estate

Getting Married

• His Aunt Lillian found him a job of a janitor at St. Mary's Hospital near San Francisco.

• There, Nelson met and ended up marrying a much older woman who resembled his grandmother – Mary Martin , 58.

• Consciously or unconsciously, he forced Mary into the role of a domineering mother-type, while he played the part of the disobedient son.

• His bizarre personal habits had increased. He rarely bathed, his public behaviour was a total embarrassment, and when he used to return home, he also used to manage to lose his underwear, a habit of his since childhood.

• At first Nelson was affectionate with Mary, but soon his affection crossed the line to possessive jealousy. His wild suspicions and angry accusations and threatening drove Mary mad. Earle continued to make horrible scenes in public; Once he accused her of having a boyfriend- grabbed her left hand and tore off her wedding ring.

Criminological Theories associated

with Earle’s Nelson peculiar behaviour.

Structural Functionalism &

Social Control Theory

The fact that Nelson did not have a stable on-going primary socialization could have easily influenced Nelson’s personality and character. Nelson had no positive relationship with any of his guardians especially in his grandmother's house where he grew up feeling like a constant outsider. He distanced himself from everyone; He was known to be a loner at school - and also expelled from grade school while later dropping out at the early age of 14.

He had a life full of unstable events – such as having a hard time keeping to one job , and not having a long-lasting relationship with his wife who divorced him. Nelson did not have emotional security and the chance to stabilize himself was also lost.

Beginning of Nelson's Criminal Career

Anti-Social Personality Disorder

• Earle Nelson was arrested for the first time at the age of 18 for breaking and entering where he was sentenced to 2 years to San Quentin prison.

• Later, he was committed to the Napa State Mental Hospital after behaving oddly and erratically during his short time in the US Navy, but managed to break out multiple times.

• Nelson's first attempt at murder was a dismal failure; 1921, attempted to molest a 12-year-old girl – Mary Summers. He was caught and sent back to the institution where he spent 4 years.

• During his life event, he went in and out of mental institutions quite regularly, always attempting to escape - and finally staff gave up searching for his return.

Personality traits and disorders such as impulsivity and aggression (Morley & Hall, 2003) have become essential in the diagnosis of individuals with antisocial or criminal behavior.

Earle’s strange habits, social isolation and impaired sense of self were the initial signs of psychosis. Earle Nelson was a maniac - “He was absolutely insane” - cross examination from his wife. His personality characteristics show an antisocial personality disorder .

When transferred to the Napa State Hospital, Nelson was diagnosed with a condition known as the "constitutional psychopathic state"; he had emotional instability, paranoid personality, was a pathological liar and had sexual psychopathy. A number of factors have been found to contribute to the development of psychopathic personalities. These include having an emotionally disturbed parent, lack of love,inconsistant discipline.

Psychopaths are prone to have problems with society, rules, expectations and relationships . With early warning signs such as poor self-control and early behavioural problems, lack of realistic long term goals and impulsive lifestyle , Earle Nelson fits this criteria perfectly. (Robert Hare, The leading expert on the Psychopathic Personality)

• Blood tests showed evidence of gonorrhea and syphilis, which Nelson said he contracted before his 16th birthday

• Nelson carried on conversations with invisible friends and enemies

• Was known to walk around the house on his hands

The Beginning of Madness

• Temper when aroused was fearful and violent.

• Compulsive masturbator

• Daydreaming

• Uncontrollable sexual appetite

• Could not keep a job for long

• Alcohol Problem

• Jealousy towards wife to the point of obsession - divorce

• He became withdrawn, moody, and had bizarre habits

• Going to school with clean clothes and returning with thorn, dirty foul , smelly ones.

• Being expelled from primary school at the age of 7 for violent behaviour

• Age 14 dropped out school completely

• Peculiar habits especially the way he used to eat - like an animal

• Signs of mental illness; Memory loss, hearing voices in his head and severe headaches.

Early Life

• Earle Nelson's parents both died of Syphilis just before turning 2 years old. Sent to live with his Pentecostal fanatic grandmother - religion played an important role in the young boy's home life.

• From an early age he was a difficult child. He was at times hyperactive, and at other times, depressed. Growing up he cared little for hygiene and manners.

• His grandmother’s home seemed more like a place where he resided, not as a cherished family member but as a temporary, barely tolerated guest.

• At the age of 11 , he was involved in a streetcar accident which left him unconscious for about a week - resulted in migraines and also memory lapses.

• His grandmother died when he was 14 and therefore moved in with his aunt, who although supported him, was clearly afraid of his rough temper character and eventually gave up trying to discipline him.

Full Name

Earle Leonard Nelson

Nickname

The Dark Strangler / The Gorilla Killer

Born

May 12, 1897

Convicted

Murder, Attempted Molestation, Breaking and Entering

Location of Activity

Western United States & Canada

Years of Activity

1926 - 1927

Number of Killings

22+

Date of Death

Jan 13, 1928

Cause of Death

Hanged

Earle

Leonard

Nelson

1897- 1928

The first American serial sex-murderer of

the century , killing at least 22 women.

" If there's a lesson to be learned from the appalling life of the “Gorilla Man,” it may simply be this: Truth is not necessarily stranger than fiction. But sometimes it can be a good deal more gruesome—and much, much scarier."

Schechter ‘Bestial: The Savage Trail of a True American Monster'

THANK YOU !

Sheryl Bartolo 216394M

Tamsen Xerri 415194 M

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[Last Accessed 30.04.14]

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