Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Thursday, January 26
    Trending
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on January 26th
    • History Short: Who is the Octomom?
    • This Day in History on January 25th
    • History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh
    • Headline: The Doomsday Clock Has Moved Closer to Midnight Than Ever Before!
    • Headlines: 2023 Oscar Nominations Released!
    • This Day in History on January 24th
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Society»Crime»January 18, 1967: Boston Strangler Guilty (Or Was He?)
    Crime

    January 18, 1967: Boston Strangler Guilty (Or Was He?)

    Major DanBy Major DanJanuary 18, 2014Updated:January 16, 20202 Comments5 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp
    Boston Strangler

    A Brief History

    On January 18, 1967, self-confessed “Boston Strangler” Albert DeSalvo was convicted of several rapes and related crimes, but not of murder.

    Digging Deeper

    Digging deeper, we find no one was actually convicted of the murder of the 13 victims of the “Boston Strangler” although DeSalvo had confessed.

    Gainsborough Street, site of the first murder attributed to the Boston Strangler.  Photograph by Doctorpete at English Wikipedia.

    Due to some inconsistencies in his details of the murders and in analysis of the manner of each murder, there is much disagreement about whether or not DeSalvo really was the murderer he said he was, with some researchers claiming there must have been more than one killer.

    Raping and strangling from 1962 to 1964, the Boston Strangler somehow managed to talk his way into the apartments of many women even though the media was blaring warnings and sensationalizing the current serial killer du jour.  Women all over Boston were known to reinforce their locks, arm themselves with all manner of weapons and worry themselves silly.  Still, the killer found unprepared victims!

    This is a poster for The Strangler (1964).  The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the item promoted, Allied Artists, the publisher of the item promoted or the graphic artist.

    DeSalvo was represented in his trial by F. Lee Bailey, the greatest trial lawyer of the day.  Bailey believed  DeSalvo to be guilty of the “Boston Strangler” murders, but also believed that DeSalvo was criminally insane and as such should be in a hospital, not a prison.  The court disagreed, and DeSalvo was given a life sentence.

    DeSalvo had a brief single day of freedom in 1967 when he escaped and then turned himself in, alleging that the escape was to publicize the poor conditions at the hospital he was being held in.  He also tried to recant his earlier confessions but since he had been convicted, he was off to prison where he was stabbed to death 6 years later!

    DeSalvo after escaping Bridgewater State Hospital and being caught in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1967.  Photograph by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Strangler Bureau.

    The debate over whether or not DeSalvo was the Strangler continued, with some of those convinced that he was indeed guilty pointing to how he had the childhood that is typical of many serial killers, including a violent and abusive father and a history of torturing animals.  In 2013, his body was exhumed to obtain a DNA sample which definitely connected him to the most recent of the “Boston Strangler” murders.  Still, there are those who claim there had to have been more than one killer.

    DeSalvo and the moniker of “The Boston Strangler” are continuously popping up in cultural references from movies such as the 1968 film The Boston Strangler (starring Tony Curtis), to books, television allusions (even The Sopranos), rock and roll songs, the name of a rock group and even a character in the video game Silent Hill 4.

    This is a poster for The Boston Strangler.  The poster art copyright is believed to belong to the distributor of the film, Twentieth Century Fox, the publisher of the film or the graphic artist.

    The most bizarre historical event stemming from the “Boston Strangler” phenomenon has to be the Texas state legislature’s passing of a resolution in 1971 honoring Albert DeSalvo for his work in “population control!” Apparently, the resolution had been presented as an April Fools’ prank, but the oblivious legislators blindly passed it anyway.  Such actions make one wonder what else they pass without knowing what they are doing!  Question for students (and subscribers): What is the most ridiculous resolution your state legislature has ever passed?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    To learn more about the Boston Strangler, please read:

    Hoblin, Paul.  The Boston Strangler (Unsolved Mysteries).  Essential Library, 2012.

    Rogers, Alan.  The Boston Strangler (New England Remembers).  Commonwealth Editions, 2006.

    For more on The Boston Strangler’s popular culture depictions, see…

    Fleischer, Richard, dir.  The Boston Strangler.  20th Century Fox, 2004.  DVD.

    Murakoshi, Suguru.  Silent Hill 4: The Room.  Konami, 2004.  PlayStation 2.

    The featured image in this article, a photograph by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Strangler Bureau of DeSalvo after escaping Bridgewater State Hospital and being caught in Lynn, Massachusetts in 1967, is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code.

    You can also watch a video version of this article on YouTube:

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleJanuary 17, 1966: United States Nukes Spain!
    Next Article January 19, 1913: Haunted Hotel Burns! January 19, 1978: Haunted Hotel Burns Again!
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    History Short: Who was the First National Leader Assassinated by Firearm?

    January 23, 2023

    This Day in History on January 18th

    January 18, 2023

    History Short: Today is National Thesaurus Day!

    January 18, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through January 26th, 2023)

    January 26, 2023

    This Day in History on January 26th

    January 26, 2023

    History Short: Who is the Octomom?

    January 26, 2023

    This Day in History on January 25th

    January 25, 2023

    History Short: The Rise and Fall of Sir Walter Raleigh

    January 25, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2022 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.