A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Elizabeth Gibsons murder. The mass murderer took up painting bright visages of butterflies, wildlife and water features. He began biting her groin in retaliation before strangling her to death. His withdrawn behavior earned him the nickname "oddie" from his peers. Shawcross and his girlfriend Clara Neal were brought to the police station for questioning. Hunting Down Shawcross' Car. Under the terms of a plea bargain, Shawcross was allowed to plead guilty to one charge of manslaughter, for which he . As they went down to get a closer look, they also spotted a man on the bridge above the body. Interview with a Serial Killer is a powerful, no-frills documentary that consists largely of what the title advertises- a lengthy interview with Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River . Five months later, his victim's body was finally located. After several hours of interrogation, he still denied having anything to do with the murdered women. People like Arthur Shawcross, the Rochester, NY based killer who killed 12 women . Shawcross would find his first victim, 27-year-old Dorothy Dotsie Blackburn around this area. His first admission that he was involved in the murders was when he told police that Clara had nothing to do with it. Arthur Shawcross died in prison in 2008 at the age of 63. He could overpower people with this strength which pretty much sums up his murder methods. Shawcross was declared sane and guilty of 10 instances of second-degree murder. Once his involvement was established, the details began to flow. Dorothy "Dotsie" Blackburn, 27, was a cocaine addict and prostitute who often worked on Lyell Avenue, a section in Rochester that was known for prostitution. "Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross." But from 1988 to 1990, Shawcross killed 11 women in upstate New York, earning the nickname "Genesee River Killer." Mr. Shawcross confessed in 1972 to strangling an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy in his hometown, Watertown, N.Y., and served 15 years of a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, officials said. heart failure. Totem phase is the reliving of the crime through souvenirs in order to sustain the high. Arthur Shawcross was sentenced to 25 years in prison but served less than 15 years. With nothing to hold him onthe police had to let him go, but not before taking his picture. Signing up helps us (not Zuckerberg) stay in direct contact with you and create the best horror website possible. [2] In mid-October, Shawcross and Walley found more permanent lodgings at 241 Alexander Street in Rochester. However, Lewis's theories have attracted greater attention . 23. When Lewis first invoked dissociative identity disorder as an insanity defense in the 1980s, particularly in the widely covered trial of Arthur Shawcross, who terrorized the Rochester, New York . He also said that while strangling her she struggled so hard she broke a gearshift in his car. The physiological evidence about brain science and genetic factors was, at best, spurious and beyond the understanding of the jury. Arthur Shawcross believed that the spirit of a thirteenth-century cannibal called "Ariemes," possessed his body and drove him to rape, murder and cannibalism. Twenty-seven year old victim of the "Genesee River Killer" known as Arthur Shawcross. It was noted that the labia had been cut off and that the killer likely hadit in his possession. [3] On September 2, just prior to the body's discovery, Shawcross raped and killed eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill, who had been visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. He had been sexually assaulted and suffocated, but police had no leads to the identity of the killer. He was sent to Vietnam from October 1967 until September 1968 and wasthen stationed at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. At around the same time, the Genesee River Killer murdered eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill. The serial killer recounts Stotts murder as if hes reciting instructions on how to bake a cake. YouTubeA mugshot of a young Arthur Shawcross. Thats why we started Creepy Catalog in 2015 as a place for creepy content and creepy people to congregate. By subscribing, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Statement. Shawcross killed most of his victims from 1988 to . There was a small van nearby. [5] In November he was transferred to Green Haven Correctional Facility. 3. With the body count mounting, the police sought assistance from FBI profilers. 201311 2008118 "Upstate New York Serial Killer Dies". Shawcross served two years of a five-year jail term. [2] Shawcross returned to his hometown of Watertown, New York, eventually getting a job with the Watertown Public Works Department and marrying for the third time. His early release from prison or even the fact he was even being . From school records it can be independently verified that he was an inveterate truant, with a particularly low IQ, a tendency to bullying and violence and that he came under suspicion for a series of juvenile arson attacks as well as burglaries. After relocating due to the publics outcry of his release, he moved to Rochester with his fourth wife. This was the first real lead the investigators received. The discovery of the body of another prostitute, Anna Steffen, on September 9, 1989, linked several of the victims. She divorced him shortly afterward citing abuse and his propensity to being apyromaniacas her reasons. He was 16 years old. Arthur John Shawcross, handwritten account, 1990. It was discovered that Shawcross had an extra Y chromosomewhich somehave suggested (although there is no proof) makes the person more violent. [2], In November 1990, Shawcross was tried by Monroe County First Assistant District Attorney Charles J. Siragusa for the ten murders in Monroe County. The serial killer agreed to cooperate with police. Her body was found in the Genesee River, dumped there following a vicious attack, which included bite marks in the groin area and strangulation. Arthur Shawcross: Vile cannibal who loved to eat women. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. In 1967 he was drafted by the US Army at age 21. Once the boy was dead, he decided to eat his genitals. He agreed to be interviewed for a 2003 documentary about cannibalism where he bragged about slicing out and eating the genitalia of three victims but refused to discuss the eating the genitals of his first victim, Jack Blake in 1972. There are several different accounts of what his IQ actually wassome records show it as 86 or below average while other accounts report him testing slightly above average at 105 and 107. This one piece ofevidence could have led the authorities right to Shawcross, had they known that he was living in Rochester. 2011719. He claimed most of his victims after being paroled early following a conviction for murdering [sexual partner] and two children in 1972. 20. manner of death. A monster, whose release is still considered one of the most egregious examples of the unwarranted release of a prisoner. Over the next few years, his violent behavior intensified, and he was suspected of arson and burglary. Abstract. The trial was a national media event, extensively televised and widely viewed. . We only haunt the willing. The cases selected were chosen largely because of the amount of information available on the subjects. Inside The Mind Of Arthur Shawcross, The 300-Pound Genesee River Killer. languages spoken, written or signed. He was cremated. Shawcross also killed 13 people over the course of 17 years. Following Dotsies murder, Shawcross became a Lake Avenue regular and was known to the prostitutes by the name of Mitch. . [2], In March 1988, Shawcross began murdering again, primarily targeting sex workers in the Rochester area, before his capture less than two years later. He appeared to be urinating, but when he spotted the aircrew, he immediately fled the scene in his van.The ground team was alerted and went in pursuit of the man in the van. With Arthur Shawcross, John McCaffrey, Lynde Johnston, Geoffrey Wansell. Male interviewers often had to listen to his conquests in Vietnam. #FatPantLoadWe are still trying to crack the code. The man from the bridge was apprehended at a nearby nursing home. Within six months of each other, two Watertown children went missing in September 1972. Born in 1945 in upstate New York, Shawcross was perceived as different even in childhood (his classmates dubbed him ``Oddie,'' and elementary school officials called for mental health evaluations). His next three victims, 25-year-old Patricia Ives, 32-year-old Frances Brown, and 22-year-old Maria Welch, were all prostitutes Shawcross picked up and murdered while having sex with them. Shawcross was born in Kittery, Maine in 1945, the oldest of four children. Judge Donald Wisner sentenced Mr. Shawcross to the . ThoughtCo, Sep. 8, 2021, thoughtco.com/profile-of-serial-killer-arthur-shawcross-973145. A common trait of serial killers is the desire to show they are still in control and can reach through the prison walls and still do damage to those outside. She had been strangled, anally mutilated after death, had her labia removed, and was gutted from throat to crotch like a wild animal. It was the second time that the man with the same physical description, named Mike or Mitch, had been mentioned in reference to the murders. Initially, upon his release, Shawcross moved to Binghamton, New York, then relocated to Delhi, New York to be with a woman named Rose who would eventually become his third wife. He was convicted of eleven murders, with a twelfth not officially ascribed to him. Arthur Shawcross: The Genesee River Killer: Directed by Beth Parkes. She died of asphyxia, and her body had been dumped in a similar manner to Blackburn's corpse. Van Nostrand was a seasoned prostitute who had entertained men with all kinds of particularities, but this one - this "Mitch" - managed to give her the creeps. His final victim was Felicia Stephens, another 19-year-old prostitute. I 1972 tilstod han seksuelle overgreb og mord p to brn. In 1972, he raped and killed an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old in two separate incidents. Arthur Shawcross certainly fit Greg McCrary's criteria of being "extraordinarily ordinary." He was a forty-four-year-old white male, a Vietnam veteran, a blue-collar factory worker, and a regular customer of Lyell Avenue. Angry that she was going to reveal his affairs to both Clara and Rose, Shawcross grabbed a log and beat her on the side of the head. Then his violent tendencies got worse and the arsonist became a cold-blooded murderer. A photo taken of him during the initial questioning soon confirmed his identity as "Mitch," and official enquiries unearthed the reason for Shawcross' sealed record, which prevented the police from tracking him down sooner. Arthur Shawcross, known as the Genessee River Killer, killed at least 14 people in the 1980s. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. He was identified as Arthur John Shawcross. Arthur John Shawcross was an American serial killer who killed between 1972 and 1990 around Rochester, New York. This, along with the fact that she was not a prostitute or drug user, kept her disappearance separated from the serial killer investigation. Shawcross also talked about his childhood, as if using the experience as a way to justify his horrific acts. Arthur Shawcross, 44, is expected to be charged with three additional killings, raising to 11 the number of murders he allegedly committed since March 1988 in and around Rochester. Shawcross says he snapped her neck before cutting her open. Authorities ran criminal background checks on possible suspects, but sealing Shawcross previous records meant they didnt show up in any checks. All other charges were dropped and he was sentenced to a 25-years in prison. [1], Arthur John Shawcross was born in Kittery, Maine, the first of four children of Arthur Roy Shawcross and Elizabeth "Bessie" ("Betty") Yerakes Shawcross. As to his claims to have killed and devoured two Vietnam women, two psychiatrists that interviewed him agreed that Shawcross changed the story so often that it became unbelievable. Shawcross was transparent, so much so that the interviewers,detectives, and doctors that listened to him,doubted much of what he said when he would describe his childhoodabuse and his enjoyment of cutting up women andeating body parts. She was also a Lyell Avenue prostitute and was last seen by Jo Ann Van Nostrand with the "Mitch" client who she had reported to the police in October. Cause of Death: Asphyxiation New York governor George Pataki called Shawcross works of art sickening because the gentle paintings didnt reveal the monster underneath. His apartment, 241 Alexander Street, is still there today. He was placed on probation in 1963 for breaking the window of a store. His family moved to Watertown, New York, when he was young. His past meant that he would be unwelcome almost anywhere, and the authorities made the decision to seal his criminal record in order to prevent a recurrence of the public alarm in Binghamton. He was 63 years old. 1 reference. He says he also exhibited behavioral problems at an early age, including bed-wetting and bullying. All Rights Reserved. He was arrested the next day. 30-year-old June Stotts was the first of Shawcrosss victims where he dove back into his love of cannibalism and mutilation. (33.02 x 25.4 cm) Frame Size: 14.75 x 11.25 inches . 13WHAM.com (2008118). On October 23, June Stott, 30, was reported missing by her boyfriend. He was arrested in 1972 for the rape and murder of two children. Updated on July 03, 2019. Blackburn's lifestyle opened up a broad range of possible suspects for case detectives to investigate, but with too few clues the case eventually went cold. He also claimed that an aunt sexually molested him when he was 9 years old and that he acted out by sexually molesting his younger sister. Charles Montaldo. Shawcross' sealed criminal record meant that he shielded him from police scrutiny. In this jailhouse interview, Arthur Shawcross, the Genesee River Killer, shares candid details of his crimes and his surprising family bonds. 9 October 2017. place of death. Shawcross was sentenced to five years in prison for arson in 1969. In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. On April 7, 1972, he took a 10-year-old boy named Jack Blake, a neighbor at the time, fishing. ", Astrological Sign: Gemini, Death Year: 2008, Death date: November 10, 2008, Death State: New York, Death City: Albany, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Arthur Shawcross Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/crime/arthur-shawcross, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: October 27, 2021, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. This Hiking Photo Has A ChillingBackstory, She Met A Man Online And Ended Up Taking Down An Active SerialKiller. Arthur J. Shawcross, a notorious serial killer, claimed to have had a very troubled childhood. Under the terms of a plea bargain, he was allowed to plead guilty to one charge of manslaughter, for which he served 14 years of a 25-year sentence. They also believed that the killer would return to mutilate the bodies of his victims when possible. He later claimed his mother performed oral sex on him for several years starting when he was aged 7, and that during junior high school he had sexual relations with his sister. Call Her Christine: The Story Of The Original American Transgender Celebrity, Christine Jorgensen, The Shocking Crimes Of Velma Barfield, The "Death Row Granny", What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Shawcross came under immediate suspicion. Interviews with many of the Lyle prostitutes indicated that he was a regular and that he had the reputation of being violent. His second marriage quickly ended in divorce, after which Shawcross became a frequent arsonist. The second child was Karen Ann Hill, age 8, who was visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. [2], Shawcross had difficulty settling down, as neighbors would protest his presence and employers would refuse to hire him. When a pair of discarded jeans was discovered near the river on December 31, 1989, containing an ID card for a girl named Felicia Stephens, police began an aerial search of the surrounding area. Arthur Shawcross was an American Postwar & Contemporary artist who was born in 1945.