(Remember that website?!) Miranda Barbourarranged through Craigslist to meet LaFerrara in a parking lot along Routes 11-15 north of Selinsgrove.Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive. The group also pushed police to form a task force to find the killer. Lane murderedat least one more woman in New Jersey and attacked another inMassachusetts, but may have attacked and killed more on his various trucking routes across the country. Hugo Selenski is led to his hearing on murder charges, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003, in Trucksville, Pa. (AP Photo/The Citizens' Voice, Jack Kelley). Eventually, his wife paid a fellow carnival worker $1,500 to kill her menacing husband, making this not only one of the most famous murders in Pennsylvania but one of the strangest too. It was largely agreed that their targets were in a younger age bracket, relatively innocent, and naveallowing them to be easily persuaded by the perpetrator. Right! When he did socialize, he seemed to have felt most comfortable spending time with native Latvians and a few passing Latvian Americans. In 2020, the cable channel Investigation Discovery aired a two-hour special on the murders called, The Lost Boys of Bucks County.. At the same time, Ted Bundy, Son of Sam David Berkowitz, and the Hillside Strangler were active criminals, which may explain why youve never heard of these less publicized crimes or names like Edward Surratt before. By Brooke Stangeland, Andrew Paparella, and Enjoli Francis October 3, 2019, 11:30 AM 7:28 This undated photo provided by the Kansas Department of Correction.Read More Have there been any other famous murders in Pennsylvania? Gary Michael Heidnik (November 22, 1943 - July 6, 1999) was an American murderer and serial rapist who kidnapped, tortured, and raped six women, murdering two of them, while holding them captive in a self-dug pit in his basement floor, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Robinson is the only serial killer on record from Allentown, and he is also one of the youngest serial killers in American history. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Studies have shown that before the '60s, only a dozen or so serial killers were reported although it's possible less communication and coordination by law enforcement between states resulted in reporting that wasn't as strong. [5], According to several people who associated with him in Latvia, Baumhammers mainly kept to himself. But the fire never spread and days later the body was discovered. He once delivered a beating that caused his pregnant daughter to miscarry. He gained notoriety for a series of murders, estimated at a dozen, in the early 1980s. On Sept. 11, 2001, teams of Al Qaeda terrorists boarded four planes and crashed them into targets at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In order to understand the full scope of these unsolved murders that took place in Pittsburgh, one must delve into several local newspapers from the city, various counties in the surrounding area, and different states. The "Frankford Slasher" raped and killed women in Philadelphia in the late 1980s and early 1990s. There was a wide radius that this killeror killerscovered over the course of the late-1970s. On that night he had been drinking, left a bar alone and later called his friends to come help him with a glass cut on his hand, even though he was a nursing grad. The case was the subject of a book, "The D-Day Bank Massacre," authored by Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli. Though he was from New Jersey and worked there, he spent parts of his nursing career in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. He awaits trial. His friends left him alone to go get food and when they returned Paul was gone. Released in August 2021, the movie stars Elijah Wood, playing the role of Hagmaier, and Luke Kirby, portraying Bundy. Brenda Lee Ritter, 18, was found strangled on May 19. Most of his victims were killed during the 1980s. [9], Richard Baumhammers was pulled over in his Jeep and arrested at 3:30p.m. EDT in the town of Ambridge, Pennsylvania. Eric Frein, authorities say, ambushed two state police troopers outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks on Sept. 12, 2014, killing Cpl. By the '90s, the number of cases dropped to 141 and again to 61 by the 2000s. The headline was added after days of public comment and correction. [1], A short distance from the synagogue at the India Grocer in Scott Town Center, 31-year-old Anil Thakur, formerly of Bihar, India, was shot to death while picking up groceries during his lunch hour. Norris carried out the murder while Trimble was out at dinner. The famous murders in Bucks County PA arent the states only history-making slayings. Brenda Lee Ritters case had evidence, a killer profile, and even connections to Texas serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. The 93-foot tower represents the third phase of the memorial in the field where Flight 93 crashed 16 years ago. On that night he had been drinking, left a bar alone and later called his friends to come help him with a glass cut on his hand, even though he was a nursing grad. His outstanding career catapulted him into a political role: He was elected Sheriff of Allegheny County, was named chairman of the County Democratic Committee and was narrowly defeated for a county commissioner scat. Known as the Cannibal Killer, Dahmer killed 17 people between 1978 and 1991. People leave a joint memorial service for siblings Jerry Michael Shelton, 35, Brittany Powell, 27, and Chanetta Powell, 25, at the Lighthouse Cathedral in Pittsburgh's St. Clair neighborhood, Tuesday, March 22, 2016. He was convicted of the murder, but sentenced to just 15 years probation because of his health concerns. He lived for a time in Philadelphia,working as a pharmacist, and left when a child died as a result of drugs taken from said pharmacy. Heidnik abducted six women and held them hostage in his Philadelphia home, subjecting them to rape, beatings, electrical shocks and other forms of torture, which eventually resulted in the deaths of Sandra Lindsay and Deborah Dudley. Dahmer was reported to eat some of his later victims, most of whom he lured home from gay bars. on July 13, 2007 when someone slit her throat. To this day, these cases remain unsolved, and the mysteries of Pittsburghs decade filled with death permeates oral histories across nearly every county nearby. In one case, a Harrisburg woman survived after she was stabbed in the head 25 times with a screwdriver and left for dead in a wooded area in Perry County. The famous murders in Bucks County PA aren't the state's only history-making slayings. On Oct. 16, 1755, a band of raiders from the Delaware tribe attacked and killed over a dozen settlers at Penn's Creek near Selinsgrove. Not trying to be insensitive, but were most or all of these men gay? Also known as the Grim Sleeper, Franklin is responsible for killing 10 - 25 or more victims. He was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in July 1999. In late 1977 and early 1978, a killer was on the loose, murdering couples in their homes, leaving a bloody trail from Allegheny and Beaver counties to Ohio, West Virginia, South Carolina and. It's not like they went missing in regent square and ended up in the Allegheny. He focused on killing women, many of them prostitutes, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. While David Robert Kennedy was placed on trial or the murder of Deborah Capiola, it was uncovered that her death was not connected to two others. Related: 29 Unsolved Murders That Will Send Shivers Down Your Spine. 'He didn't look dangerous': The truth about serial killer, con man John Robinson He's accused of killing eight women and giving a victim's baby to his brother. On October 26, 1978, The Evening Standardnow known as the Herald Standardprinted a story that listed the ages and deaths of numerous victims. Kochus body was pulled from the Ohio River in West Virginia on March 20 2015. Police chargedCheron Shelton and Robert Thomas in the shooting, and said that the ambush was a "calculated" and "brutal" attack. Harvey M. Robinson is one of the youngest serial killers in American history and the only serial killer from Allentown, PA. From 1992 to 1993, he raped and killed three women in the city, who ranged in age from 15 to 47. [1], On April 28, 2000, at 1:30p.m. EDT, Richard Baumhammers walked to the home of his next-door neighbor, a 63-year-old Jewish woman named Anita "Nicki" Gordon, and fatally shot her, then set her house on fire. The Blue Eyed Six In 1878, Charles Drews, Frank Stichler, Henry F.. When it comes to Pennsylvania murder victims, a large number were slain by Charles Cullen. Miranda went on to confess that she was part of a Satanic cult and had killed over 20 people, though police found no evidence that was true. Have any other famous murders in Pennsylvania inspired TV shows or movies? Last seen in downtown Pittsburgh at about 7 p.m on May 27, 2015. 1,000. September 13, 2022 / 1:52 PM / CBS Pittsburgh. On April 17, 2022, two teenagers were killed and 14 people were injured in a mass shooting at a house party in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Those that were solved can be traced to Edward Surratt. Einhorn claimed hed been framed. Bernard Williams used a hammer to brutally beat state Rep. William Telek, left, to death, stealing about $100 in cash and the stateman's car. Most of his late murders involved cannibalism, necrophilia, and permanent preservation of body parts. A former prison guard, Banks went on a killing spree that took the lives of 13 people, 11 of whom were his relatives. He killed them and raped their corpses. Not only are all of these people real, they're wondering where the hell their mail is! He tied them up and opened fire, killing five girls and injuring five, before committing suicide. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). At the time, it was speculated that there may have been 41 murders in total, but that number has yet to be confirmed or denied. 4. [5] Those who met him in Latvia said they did not recall Baumhammers being prone to violence or ever espousing any racist remarks, and the Latvian government has no record of Baumhammers ever getting in trouble with authorities. The pattern revealed by police after revealing the identities of the 18 victims was that they were predominantly young women that had been sexually assaulted as well as strangled. Related: 9 Chilling Books About Unsolved Murders That Will Make You Lose Sleep. Here are a list of some of the most horrendous in Pennsylvania history, whether they be crimes of passion or calculated killings. Bryon Dickson and seriously wounding Trooper Alex Douglass. Eighteen months later, in 1979, her mummified body was found in a steamer trunk in Einhorns second-floor Philadelphia apartment. Amstutz, a retired Lutheran deaconess, was shot nine times. He is currently serving multiple life sentences. cat or dog had been scratching at the door. Today, he sits on death row. [15] On February 28, 2010, Allegheny County Judge Jeffrey A. Manning granted Baumhammers an indefinite stay of execution. His body was found, with wallet and phone, on January 23rd, 2012 on the shore of the Ohio River. By June of 1980, Clark picked up two teenage girls on the Sunset Strip. While white picket fences, finely pruned lawns, and bright blue skies paint a lovely picture of a perfect neighborhood, nefarious characters live in the shadows. Soon, Clark began bringing prostitutes home for threesomes. Franklin wasnt caught until 2007 when a murdered woman was matched through DNA analysis to at least 11 unsolved murders in Los Angeles. Penn State would soon face crippling sanctions from the NCAA. However, after nearly a decade behind bars, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction. These confused reporters. One of the states most infamous crimes occurred in 2017 when four young men were murdered on a farm just outside of New Hope in Bucks County. Death always comes with the territory. 2022 Pittsburgh shooting: April 17, 2022 17 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Unsolved Robb Elementary School shooting: Friends allegedly repeatedly tried to get help for the 28-year-old mentally disabled drug addict, who also suffered from a multiple personality disorder and a fervent attachment to his Cookie Monster doll. His deformities made him unable to walk, but from all accounts, he had tremendous upper body strength that he used to beat and torture his wife and children. [8], Baumhammers next drove to the Ahavath Achim Congregation in Carnegie, where he shattered the synagogue's glass windows with gunfire. In Pittsburgh in 1978 he shot and killed his oldest daughters boyfriend. Notorious for his sadistic tendencies, Nicodemo "Little Nicky" Scarfo was the head of the Philadelphia Mafia in the 1980s and was convicted of several crimes, including ordering at least nine murders. The notorious murders of three siblings occurred in 1934 but have yet to be forgotten by the community. Licensed under GFDL via Wikimedia Commons. Allegheny County has called on its sheriff, the former head of the city homicide squad, to take over the investigation. Former trucker Edward Surratt, now 79, had for years been a suspect in these killings and . Thats certainly the case with the murders below, which are without a doubt 10 of the most bizarre and famous murders in Pennsylvania history. The survivors were taken intoprotective custody by governor John Penn, but that didn't stop the Paxton Boys from breaking in and murdering six adults and eight children. Slippery Rock University graduate Bill Hagmaier, '69, '74M, is portrayed in a new movie, "No Man of God," about his time as an FBI agent who profiled the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy when Bundy was on death row in the late 1980s. The names of Brenda Lee Ritter, Deborah Capiola, Barbara Lewis, Mary Irene Gency, and Susan Rush were five that came up the most often. Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death a suicide on Feb 26th. By 1986 he helped clear 213 unsolved cases. He spent a few years in jail and, according to some biographers, tried to go straight, but within a few years of his release was robbing trains and banks with his gang, The Wild Bunch. "[1] His father, Andrejs, would later say that he had seen signs of mental illness since Baumhammers was four years old. We need to know more about the causes of death. 2022 Pittsburgh shooting. Spotz and his girlfriend then carjacked Penny Gunnet of York County at gunpoint and stole her cash credit cards and jewelry. We'll explore big trends (drug cartels), sensational cases ("The Preppy Killer"), the decade's most lethal and infamous serial killers (The Night Stalker, The Grim Sleeper) and more. Even with two confirmed killers, Southwestern Pennsylvania continues to grieve the loss of the dozens of people who died during the 1970s at the hands of multiple killers who remain unknown. [13], Nearly a year later, on May 9, 2001, a jury found Richard Baumhammers guilty on all nineteen charges. While some death may, in fact, be suspicious, there is nothing that links the deaths beyond a body being found in (or in one case near) a river. It's all highly circumstantial. However, there were several killings that threw a wrench in their theory. Yes! Two days later, on May 11, 2001, after deliberating for 20 minutes, the same jury requested that Baumhammers be executed for his crimes. During the 1970s, Southwestern Pennsylvania transformed from an unsuspecting steel driven area to a horrifying landscape that prompted a rise in firearm sales. [1], In 1993 Baumhammers traveled to Europe for a vacation, and upon returning home, his father was shocked by his son's emotional state. Let us know in the comments below if there's anyone else you think belongs on this list. It must be noted that I, the author, am from Washington, Pennsylvania, where several murders took place. Mary Stiles was married to Grady Stiles, also known as the sideshow performer Lobster Boy. See the article in its original context from. Hidden in every town and city in America lies a dark secret. Surratt had only been out of prison for 8 months after serving an attempted rape charge in Virginia. The settlers organized behind Reverend John Elder, whom they nicknamed the "Fighting Parson" for his tendency to preach with a rifle at his pulpit. The robbery took just four minutes. PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - What happened to Dakota James?. On May 19, 2000, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Lawrence J. O'Toole ruled that Baumhammers was unfit to stand trial and ordered that Baumhammers undergo at least 90 days of psychiatric treatment. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. They also photographed her inappropriately. David's went missing on January 18th while the Homestead Gray's Bridge. He was charged with rape, murder, and dismemberment of 17 men and boys during 1978-1991. In addition to killing at least 12, he wounded numerous others. (Christine Vendel | cvendel@pennlive.com). Ten of this year's 16 playoff teams feature former Penguins, including one of the league's best penalty killers and the 40-goal scorer who got away. In each of three recent cases, a man died of shotgun wounds and a woman was abducted; one of the women was later Sound beaten to death and the other two are still missing. They didnt demand money or brandish weapons. Some say that the '80s was the peak for serial killers and the publics fascination with them. He is serving five life prison sentences. 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