They finally tracked down Shawcross via the car's registration, which was in the name of his girlfriend Clara Neal. She was the only victim where he went to Wayne County to dispose of the body because he could sense that police were catching up to him and wanted to throw them off the trail. His family completely denied his accusations of abuse. Arthur John Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, is responsible for a brutal wave of slayings discovered between 1988 and 1990 in our downtown area. Arthur Shawcross, also known as the Genesee River Killer, was in prison after . She divorced him shortly afterward citing abuse and his propensity to being apyromaniacas her reasons. However, Lewis's theories have attracted greater attention . The one aspect of Shawcross's life that was Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, in Kittery, Maine . Marie Welch, age 22 was a Lyell Avenue prostitute who was reported missing on November 5, 1989. Frances "Franny" Brown, age 22, was last seen alive leaving Lyell Avenue on November 11, with a client known by some of the prostitutes as Mike or Mitch. Both Darlene Trippi and June Cicero were prostitutes that Shawcross picked up, strangled, and disposed of in December of 1989. cause of death. Stott was mentally ill and would occasionally vanish without telling anyone. She had been strangled, anally mutilated after death, had her labia removed, and was gutted from throat to crotch like a wild animal. He Wanted Her To Stop Yelling. Hunters found her body in the Genesee River. According to Shawcross, he did not get along with his parents and his mother was domineering and extremely abusive. A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Elizabeth Gibson's murder. 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. He was released in October 1971 and returned to Watertown again. A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Elizabeth Gibsons murder. All of these murders were unsolved. The family relocated to Watertown, New York, a few years later. 201311 2008118 "Upstate New York Serial Killer Dies". In November 1990, Shawcross went on trial for the 10 murders that had occurred in Monroe County. On March 18, 1998, Blackburn was reported missing by her sister. As to his aunt sexually abusing him, It was later determined,that if he had been abused, he somehow blocked out his aunt's name because the name that he gave did not belong to any of his real aunts. Years later, while serving in Vietnam, Arthur John Shawcross wrote bloodcurdling letters about his battlefield ordeals, then returned to Watertown to commit a string of arsons and burglaries. The cases selected were chosen largely because of the amount of information available on the subjects. He served a tour of duty in the .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Vietnam War in October 1967, and he later claimed that he murdered and cannibalized two young Vietnamese girls and several children while there. A portrait of the late Princess Diana was among 10 sketches and paintings by him that sold for as much as $540 a piece. But while they might intuitively sound plausible . [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. Shawcross killed again in March of 1988, less than a year after getting out of jail. Arthur is what is called a serial killer/ murder. Serial killer Arthur Shawcross murdered 11 women from 1988 to 1990 in upstate New York, earning the nickname "Genesee River Killer. He received his first probationary sentence in December 1963 for smashing a shop window. 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. 5 of 22. With little evidence, and no public impetus to solve the murder of a prostitute, her case languished for over a year. Eventually, Shawcrosss parole officer settled them in Rochester without properly notifying authorities. Shawcross would find his first victim, 27-year-old Dorothy Dotsie Blackburn around this area. Serial killer Arthur Shawcross, whose drive to murder was analyzed by Dr. Dorothy Lewis, had been convicted in the deaths of two children in New York before ultimately securing parole and killing more. Twenty-seven year old victim of the "Genesee River Killer" known as Arthur Shawcross. As they went down to get a closer look, they also spotted a man on the bridge above the body. Arthur Shawcross, convicted of killing 10 Rochester-area women from 1988 to 1990, was sentenced today to a minimum of 250 years in prison. Months after Jacks murder, 8-year-old Karen Ann Hill disappeared while on a Labor Day vacation with her mother. While living in Watertown, in May of 1972, Shawcross murdered 10-year-old Jake Blake. In all the previous cases at least some attempt at concealment had been made, which police felt indicated previous criminal or military experience. In 2000, Margaret Demming discovered that Arthur Shawcross was her biological father.She forged a relationship with him and allowed him to meet her seven children. When discussing the murders of the two children in 1972, he told the detectives that Jack Blake had been bothering him, so he hit him, killing him by mistake. It was at this point that the Rochester police decided to contact the F.B.I. Once the boy was dead, he decided to eat his genitals. [5], After fourteen years' imprisonment, inexperienced prison staff and social workers concluded that Shawcross was "no longer dangerous", disregarding the warnings of psychiatrists who had assessed Shawcross as a "schizoid psychopath." 1 reference. The lack of sexual interference indicated it might be someone with sexual dysfunction. The artist died in 2008. It seemed as if each week another woman went missing and those found murdered were not close to being solved. In 1972 he confessed to the sexual assault and murders of two children. In contrast to these claims, however, his parents and siblings maintain that he had a normal childhood, and the described events were largely the product of his imagination. Arthur Shawcross (Arthur John Shawcross) an American serial killer known as the Genesee River Killer and the Genesee River Strangler. In the Spring of 1972, 10-year-old Jack Owen Blake disappeared after going out to play near the Cloverdale apartments where Shawcross lived. The discovery of the body of another prostitute, Anna Steffen, on September 9, 1989, linked several of the victims. The charges were pled down to one count of manslaughter and he was released on parole in 1987. He was pronounced dead at 9:50p.m. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After relocating due to the publics outcry of his release, he moved to Rochester with his fourth wife. Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, and died on November 10, 2008, while serving a life sentence for the murder of 11 women. 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. 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. Eventually, he led his victims to the Genesee River and murdered them. It was discovered that Shawcross had an extra Y chromosomewhich somehave suggested (although there is no proof) makes the person more violent. Rather than claim insanity this time, he pleaded guilty and received a further life sentence. He also claimed a "combat kill" total of 39 which, when investigated later, was also discounted as fabrication; authorities claim he killed no one on his tour of duty. A year later, on April 7, 1972, he claimed his first victim: 10-year-old neighbor Jack Blake. 9 October 2017. place of death. She died from having her neck broken. He was identified as Arthur John Shawcross. Allegedly, the youngster then began experimenting with this sexuality in many ways, including homosexuality and bestiality, by age 11. When it came time to discuss June Stott, Shawcross appeared to become melancholy. ", Idaho Murders: What Led Police to Bryan Kohberger, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Arthur Shawcross, Birth Year: 1945, Birth date: June 6, 1945, Birth State: Maine, Birth City: Kittery, Birth Country: United States, Best Known For: Serial killer Arthur Shawcross murdered 11 women from 1988 to 1990 in upstate New York, earning the nickname "Genesee River Killer. This time, Shawcross wasnt getting out of prison. It did not take long for himto become bored with his new menial life. Her body was found under a bridge. Released and invisible. He began biting her groin in retaliation before strangling her to death. As reported by Biography, Shawcross made many disturbing claims about his childhood: he said he had sexual relations with his younger sister, claimed that he was molested by his aunt at just 9 years old, and said he had an early homosexual experience. [2], On May 7, 1972, he raped and killed his first known victim, 10-year-old Jack Owen Blake, after luring the boy into a wooded area in Watertown. [2] He served one tour of duty with the 4th Supply and Transport Company of the 4th Infantry Division in Vietnam. Several weeks later on April 22, 1972, he married his third wife, Penny Sherbino, who was pregnant with his child. Another serial killer, Arthur Shawcross did a prison stint for a few minor offences and was granted parole in 1971. The post-mortem injury inflicted on June Stott, and not on any other victim, indicated that the killer was becoming more comfortable around corpses, probably returning to the crime scene again later to relive the attack. [2], After his discharge from the Army, Shawcross moved with Linda from Oklahoma to Clayton, New York. Police tried various tactics, including canvassing all the local bars, to no avail. His criminal career began with crimes like burglary and arson, but the craziest thing about his past is that he had already been imprisoned once for murder. McClusky also suggested Shawcross could have argued at trial that he was under "extreme emotional disturbance," and a jury would have been likely to arrive at a verdict of manslaughter. Could it be that Rochester was being stalked by two serial killers? Size: 13 x 10 in. After serving 22 months, he was granted an early release in October 1971, in part due to his role in the rescue of a correctional officer during a prison riot. The next strangulation murder happened in September of 1989. He died in prison. On January 2, another air and ground search was organized and right before calling it off due to bad weather, the air team spotted what appeared to be the body of a half-nude femalelaying face down near the Salmon Creek. The Most Notorious Serial Killers in History. She had also been mutilated post-mortem, as well as sawn practically in half. While in Vietnam, along with killing 39 menduring combat (which was a proven lie) Shawcross also used the venue to describe in grotesque detailshow he murdered, then cooked and ate, two Vietnam women. 20. The day of her death, October 21, 1989, Dorothy and Shawcross had spent the day fishing and having sex before getting into an argument about Shawcrosss various affairs and how hed been stealing money. Stott was not a drug addict or a prostitute, and her body had been left in an area far from the other victims. See his granddaughter has a Burzum t-shirt on. Arthur John Shawcross was also known as "The Genesee River Killer" and "The Rochester Strangler" all due to how he . A decision was made to seal his records from public view, and he was moved one final time. Search Reddit posts and comments - see average sentiment, top terms, activity per day and more Arthur John Shawcross was an American serial killer who killed between 1972 and 1990 around Rochester, New York. The body was not Felicia Stephens but that of missing prostitute June Cicero. There were other murders of prostitutes in that time but, given the danger of the profession, nothing untoward was noticed that linked any of the cases. His lackluster marriage to Whalley meant that he was soon seeking solace elsewhere, both from prostitutes as well as his new girlfriend, Clara Neal. Between 1988 and 1989, Arthur Shawcross killed at least 10 women in Rochester, New York, and they were not his first victims. manner of death. His wife filed for divorce soon afterward, stating that he was abusive. The cause of death was strangulation. One particular murder stood out to investigators who gave interviews after Shawcross went to jail. Then we detail the first few grisly deaths Arthur committed, which would prove only to be a warmup to unbelievable mayhem. Police investigators arrested Shawcross in October 1972 after he was identified as the man who was with Hill on the bridge right before she disappeared. He dropped out of school after failing to pass the ninth grade, and the next few years were punctuated with violence and jail sentences. The story of Arthur Shawcross, whose bloodthirsty murder spree lasted more than a decade and claimed over a dozen lives. It did not take long for Shawcross to return to his murderous ways. We only haunt the willing. Prosecution psychiatrist Dr. Park Dietz testified that Shawcross had antisocial personality disorder. The judge sentenced him to 25 years for each count, a total of 250 years imprisonment. They saidthat the killer showed characteristics of a manin his 30s, white, and who knew his victims. Arthur Shawcross believed that the spirit of a thirteenth-century cannibal called "Ariemes," possessed his body and drove him to rape, murder and cannibalism. 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. Russian Wikipedia. Investigators were unable to identify the victim whose bones were found, so they hired an anthropologist to reconstruct the victim's facial features based on a skull that found on the scene. Arthur Shawcross. At around the same time, the Genesee River Killer murdered eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill. But another probationary charge for unlawful entry in November 1965, proved the last straw for his marriage and he was divorced soon after. He later boasted of grotesque combat exploits, such as "beheading mama-sans and nailing their heads to trees as a warning to the Vietcong" and engaging in cannibalism; in reality he never served in a combat position. He returned to Watertown, and by the following April, he was married for the third time and working for the Public Works Department. His early release from prison or even the fact he was even being . located in the administrative territorial entity. The decapitated and decomposing remains of a homeless woman, 60-year-old Dorothy Keller, was found on October 21, 1989, in the Genesee River Gorge. Arthur Shawcross's work has been offered at auction multiple times. 'It Was A Flooring Moment,' Says Woman On Learning Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross Was Her Dad. (20081011). They began to advise prostitutes working in the area to exercise caution, and sought as much information as possible about strangers operating in the area. Released on parole in March 1987. Shawcross' family members strongly denied that he was abused and described his childhood as normal. Shawcross claimed he couldnt recall any details of the murder other than he did it and disposed of her body near the last two. But death did not end the killer's cruelty. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 - November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer active in Rochester, New York. Five months later, his victim's body was finally located. Her body, nude except for her boots,was discovered three days later dumped in the Genesee River Gorge. He received a 25-year jail sentence, and third wife Penny divorced him shortly thereafter. At least for a time, Shawcross believed that the spirit of a thirteenth-century cannibal Ariemes possessed his body and drove him to rape, murder, and cannibalism. Profile of Serial Killer Arthur Shawcross. He served two years in prison, was paroled to his respectable parents - and murdered a boy and a girl. Shawcross also killed 13 people over the course of 17 years. The three women were prostitutes who worked on Lyell . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 - November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer active in Rochester, New York from 1972 through 1989.. Shawcross's first known murders took place in his hometown of Watertown, New York, where he killed a young boy and a girl.Under the terms of a plea bargain, he was allowed to plead guilty to one charge of . Shawcross began to beat her and as she tried to get away through the Genesee River, he drowned her and let her body float downstream. Her body, however, was found far from the original murder scene, so again the possibility that a serial killer was at work was not recognized. An autopsy revealed that she had suffered severe wounds from a blunt object. After Vietnam, he was stationed in Oklahoma where he remarried (Shawcross was already once divorced and had given up parental rights to a child who he never saw again) and worked as an armorer. Arthur Shawcross was born in Kittery, Maine on June 6, 1945. Linda would soon divorce him, after which he began committing crimes such as arson and burglary. During his trial, his lawyer tried to prove that Shawcross was a victim of multiple personality disorder stemming from his years of being abused as a child. When you opt in, not only do you get our curated list of the best horror streaming and stories, you support our work and help us keep the lights on. In April 1967 Shawcross was drafted into the Army. He preyed primarily upon prostitutes from Lyell Ave, raping and mutilating his victims before and after dumping their bodies in out of the way locations throughout the city.He had a penchant for securing their bodies by way of a . Male interviewers often had to listen to his conquests in Vietnam. Then the body of 26-year-old June Stott, who was neither a prostitute nor drug user, was found on Thanksgiving Day. 2011719. Shawcross paintings in prison bring new meaning to the phrase still waters run deep. If Arthur Shawcross developed a love of art earlier on instead of killing, perhaps his paintings of rivers and lakes would have been a healthier outlet for his emotions. There is no corroborating evidence to support this, however. A monster, whose release is still considered one of the most egregious examples of the unwarranted release of a prisoner. 0. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He died in hospital in Albany, New York on the 10 November 2008, aged 63.. At the time he was incarcerated at Sullivan Correction Facility in the Hudson Valley and had been transferred for medical treatment. Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945 in Kittery, Maine to an English immigrant . An autopsy revealed that Stott had been strangled to death. The corpse was then anally mutilated, and the body was cut opened from the throat down to the crotch. The family moved to Watertown, NY shortly after Arthur's birth and he would be raised there. He was convicted of eleven murders, with a twelfth not officially ascribed to him. This was not the first time that he killed. He was 63 years old. Arthur Shawcross The Genesee Rive Killer Dr. Mike Aamodt Radford University maamodt@radford.edu Birth Born on June 6, 1945 at the U.S. Montaldo, Charles. In September 1972, the body of 8-year-old Karen Ann Hill was found under a bridge. He also blamed many of the victims for reminding him of his domineering and abusive mother, so much so that once he began to hit them, he couldn't stop. He thanks you for reading his content. This grave mistake led to the murders of 12 more people, all of them in Rochester. When it came to Arthur Shawcross, this certainly appeared to be the case, because, throughout the years when interviewed,his answers to the questions seemed to change depending on who was doing the interviewing. Nicknames like The Genesee River Killer, The Monster of the Rivers, and The Rochester Strangler began popping up. He was arrested on October 3, 1972, and finally confessed to both killings, although he was only charged with Karen Hill's killing, given the lack of evidence tying him to Jack Blake's death. Future news of events, Zoom movie marathons, books, and streaming updates will be delivered first to our newsletter readers. YouTubeA mugshot of a young Arthur Shawcross. Just three weeks later, Shawcross married his third wife who was pregnant with his child. In 1964 Shawcross married and the next year he and his wife had a son. He had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death. Was Chris Benoit The Guy We Thought He Was, Or A Violent FamilyMurderer? for help. Edit: Since it came up in comments. Shawcross's first known murders took place in his hometown of Watertown, New York, where he killed a young boy and a girl. Jack was never heard from again. Dont worry, you can unsubscribe any time you like. [10] It was later determined that Shawcross had a cyst pressing on the temporal lobe of his brain, as well as scarring on his frontal lobes areas that are responsible for decision-making and self-control. You may unsubscribe at any time. 24. 9. He was 16 years old. The F.B.I. He was never a good student failingboth behaviorally and academically during his short time at school. Kimberly Logan, 30, another Lyell Avenue prostitute, was found dead on November 15, 1989. New York governor George Pataki called Shawcross works of art sickening because the gentle paintings didnt reveal the monster underneath. 6. 15. [9], In response to the defense's claim that Shawcross's actions were the product of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from his war service, FBI criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler reviewed the claim on behalf of the prosecution before the trial. This, along with the fact that she was not a prostitute or drug user, kept her disappearance separated from the serial killer investigation. No matter what happened to Shawcross as a child, his adulthood was horrible. He also said that while strangling her she struggled so hard she broke a gearshift in his car. It was not until the detectives threatened to bring his wife and his girlfriend Clara in together for questioningand that they couldbe implicated in the murders, did he begin to waver. His withdrawn behavior earned him the nickname "oddie" from his peers. After Frances Browns body was found the media began to catch wind of the killing happening in the area. 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. Authorities didnt find Jacks body for five months, but analysis showed the boy suffered from a sexual assault before his death. In this study, five serial murderers were identified as having engaged in childhood animal cruelty. In September, six months after Blackburn's body was found, the bones from another missing Lyell Avenue prostitute, Anna Marie Steffen, was found by a man who was collecting bottles to sell for cash. Shawcross and his girlfriend Clara Neal were brought to the police station for questioning. But from 1988 to 1990, Shawcross killed 11 women in upstate New York, earning the nickname "Genesee River Killer." Arthur Shawcross died in prison in 2008 at the age of 63. In this television interview, Shawcross said that murder was out of anger because allegedly Stott was going to go to the police and rat him out. Within six months of each other, two Watertown children went missing in September 1972. Arthur Shawcross, also known as "The Genesee River Killer," was responsible for the murders of 12 women in upstate New York from 1988 to 1990. Arthur Shawcross with his daughter (left) and granddaughter at the Sullivan Correctional Facility in 2002. Our newsletter keeps our core readers connected. Arthur John Shawcross (June 6, 1945 November 10, 2008), also known as the Genesee River Killer, was an American serial killer active in Rochester, New York from 1972 through 1989. He was arrested the next day. This victim was Dorothy Blackburn, a 27-year-old prostitute he strangled to death on March 24, 1988. Agents sent to Rochester created a profile of the serial killer. He served two years in prison, was paroled to his respectable parents - and murdered a boy and a girl. Arthur John Shawcross, a serial killer who terrorized the Rochester, N.Y., area from 1988 to 1990, died on Nov. 10 of a heart attack.He was 63. After a photo of Shawcross was confirmed to be Mitch and police threatened to implicate Clara in the murders (Shawcross had gifted her a piece of jewelry from one of the victims), he confessed to killing the women detailing the reasons why he was forced to do it.