The Boston Strangler

Contrary to popular belief, Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler. The Boston Strangler was a serial killer who sexually assaulted and killed thirteen women in Boston from 1962 to 1964. The search for the Strangler did not yield a strong suspect until 1964, when Albert DeSalvo, a patient of the Bridgewater State Mental Hospital, confessed to the crimes. Albert DeSalvo’s confession and detailed descriptions of the crimes led to further investigation into whether or not he was, in fact, the Boston Strangler. DeSalvo had sexually assaulted women in the past, and had had difficult relationships with the important women in his life. The most obvious connection between Albert DeSalvo and the killings was the final victim, Mary Sullivan. Although
DNA evidence found on Mary Sullivan connects DeSalvo to her murder, there is no solid evidence connecting him to the murders of the other twelve victims. The DNA found on Mary Sullivan also shows that she was possibly killed by two men, not just DeSalvo. In addition, several surviving victims of the Boston Strangler do not believe DeSalvo was the man who had attacked them, but thought the face of another man was familiar. There is not solid evidence to confirm or deny that DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler, so Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler. The Boston Strangler murdered thirteen women in Boston in the early 1960’s. DNA evidence proves that Albert DeSalvo murdered one of the thirteen, but, there is no conclusive proof as to who murdered the remaining twelve victims.
From June 1962 to January 1964, thirteen women in Boston, ranging in age from 19 to 85, were found murdered in their apartments. These murders sparked a city-wide panic. The women, who all lived by themselves, were believed to have known their attacker and allowed him into their homes. They were raped, killed, and posed nude, resembling a pornographic photograph. The method used to kill was strangulation, and a knife was sometimes used, as well. The object used for strangulation, which was typically a pair of stockings or a scarf, was left around the neck of the victim and tied in a signature bow. The apartments looked as if a burglary had taken place, but no valuables were missing. The many similarities between the different murders and crime scenes led people to believe that one single man committed all of the crimes that came to be known as “The Silk Stocking Murders.” Investigations followed, but there were no solid suspects until Albert DeSalvo, an inmate at a state mental hospital, confessed to the crimes in 1964 (Crime Library). This confession and DeSalvo’s detailed retellings of the crimes led to further investigation, especially into the death of the final victim. The body of Mary Sullivan was eventually exhumed from her grave and searched for evidence that was not initially found. Semen from two men was discovered on the body, one of which matched DeSalvo. These events are controversial because DNA evidence definitively ties DeSalvo to the final victim, but not to any of the other victims. DeSalvo’s confession was not confirmed by other evidence, so he was never charged (Jenkins, John Phillip). Although his confession has not been proven true, many believe that DeSalvo was, in fact, the Boston Strangler.
Many believe that Albert DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler based off of some strong evidence. DeSalvo’s confession provided investigators with strong suspicion and also presented them with the first plausible suspect in the case. After his confession, DeSalvo described the crimes in great accurate detail, even including details that the public had not been made aware of (Gellerman, Bruce). In addition to the suspicion provided from his confession and his accurate knowledge of the crimes, DeSalvo’s history points to his possible guilt. DeSalvo had sexually assaulted women in the past. In the “Measuring Man” case, DeSalvo acted as a recruiter for models. With his smooth speech and good looks, DeSalvo easily talked his way into his victims’ homes. He then proceeded to “measure” the women, and fondled them while doing so. When caught and convicted, DeSalvo spent one year in prison. After his release, the “Green Man”, a man dressed in green, much like a maintenance worker or detective, broke into women’s homes and sexually assaulted them. DeSalvo was later arrested when the assaults became more aggressive, and was admitted to the Bridgewater State Mental Hospital (Unsolved). In addition to prior sexual assaults, DeSalvo had had issues with the significant women in his life, which is typically a precursor to one becoming a sexually motivated serial killer. Under hypnosis, DeSalvo revealed that he had had a love-hate relationship with his mother because of his father’s abuse. His relationship with his wife was also strained because of their daughter, who was born with a physical disability (Biography). DeSalvo’s focus on the final victim, Mary Sullivan, led investigators to look further into her murder. After Sullivan’s body was exhumed, DNA samples found gave scientific confirmation to DeSalvo’s involvement in her murder. The DNA, found on the pubic area of Sullivan, was tested with the DNA of DeSalvo’s cousin. The test confirmed a 99% familial match. When tested with DNA later extracted from DeSalvo’s femur, it was confirmed that the DNA found belonged to DeSalvo, and that he was the man who raped and killed Mary Sullivan (Crime Library). Although this evidence can lead one to believe that Albert DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler, there is far more evidence to doubt his guilt.
With a closer look into the details of the case, one can also believe that Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler.
DeSalvo’s testimonies, though highly accurate, held many clear flaws. According to Susan Kelly, the author of The Boston Stranglers, "the newspapers were an excellent source of information - and it's very interesting to me that the details that Albert got wrong in his confession were identical to the details that the newspapers got wrong." DeSalvo may have just retold exactly what he had read in the newspapers or heard from someone else because of his photographic memory. DeSalvo also stated that he had visited the crime scenes after the crimes when the police were there, so he could have based his answers off of his own observations of the crime scenes (Unsolved). Though DeSalvo’s answers in questioning were highly detailed and accurate, the questioning was not done as it should have been. The answers to the questions were almost implied, and if DeSalvo’s answer was not correct, he was prompted into giving the right answer (Unsolved). In addition to his faulty questioning, the physical evidence also raised some doubt. When Mary Sullivan’s body was examined after being exhumed, two different DNA samples were found. Tests confirmed that one of the samples did not belong to DeSalvo, meaning that two men were involved with Mary Sullivan shortly before her death, and that more than one person may have also been involved in her murder. So even if DeSalvo did
kill Mary Sullivan, the owner of the other DNA could have also been involved. For further investigation, surviving victims of the strangler were brought in to identify their attacker. Two men were presented to them. The man the survivors recognized was not DeSalvo, but George Nassar, one of DeSalvo’s fellow inmates (Crime Library). George Nassar was a convicted murderer, and was often seen talking with DeSalvo. It was thought that he and DeSalvo struck a deal to split the reward money for supplying information about the Boston Strangler. Nassar fit the profile of the Strangler better than DeSalvo did, but was ruled out because he had used a gun in his previous murders. The only connection DeSalvo had to The Silk Stocking Murders was Mary Sullivan. There was absolutely no evidence connecting DeSalvo to the other victims. A man’s guilt cannot be based off of one small sliver of evidence, so Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler.
It is quite clear that Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler. A confession is not definitive proof of someone’s guilt, and DeSalvo’s confession could not be used against him because he was an inmate at a mental hospital (CBS News). His retellings of the crimes had error and involved details others already knew, not any unique details that only the killer would know. Those familiar with DeSalvo knew that he had a strong desire to “be someone” and be recognized; he could have easily taken on the persona of the Boston Strangler just so his name would be known. DeSalvo’s disposition did not fit that of a serial killer. He seemed almost kind, and his family and friends did not believe that he was capable of the crimes. When questioned, DeSalvo was guided to give certain answers. He also had a photographic memory and had retold murders as if he was looking at pictures of the crime scenes, not like he was actually reliving his crimes. DeSalvo was happily used as a scapegoat to put the public’s mind at ease simply because the police needed someone to take responsibility for the crimes. The connection to Mary Sullivan was also faulty. Two different DNA samples were found, so even if DeSalvo was involved, another man was involved, as well. In addition to the two DNA samples, inconsistent details between the killings, such as ages of victims, manner of strangulation, and posing of victim, show that there could have possibly been more than one killer, or that some of the murders were the result of copy-cat killers who used the identity of the Boston Strangler to get away with their crimes. One man could not have fit the mold of all of the crimes. The DNA found on Sullivan was the only connection found between DeSalvo and the Silk Stocking Murders. That does not make for a very strong case to prove that DeSalvo was the Strangler. Just before DeSalvo was supposed to tell the “real story” to his psychiatrist, he was found stabbed in his prison cell. The prison had very high security, so DeSalvo’s murder had to have been planned. Someone did not want anyone to know the real story. Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler because the evidence used against him was not definitive proof of his involvement in the case, and the details of the case caused more doubt than confirmation.
Despite common belief, Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler.
The Boston Strangler was a serial killer in Boston in the early 1960’s who killed thirteen women. Albert DeSalvo confessed to all thirteen murders, providing investigators with a strong suspect. The thirteen women were found raped and murdered by strangulation. DeSalvo provided investigators with highly accurate retellings of the crimes. His history of sexual assault and problems with the women in his life could have led him to kill the women. DNA evidence found on the last victim matched DeSalvo, connecting him to the murders. Though evidence does point to the possibility that DeSalvo was guilty of the crimes, he was not the Boston Strangler. DeSalvo’s testimonies held the same inaccuracies that the newspapers got incorrect. His interrogation was not performed correctly. He was guided into giving certain answers. There were also two samples of DNA found on Mary Sullivan, one of which did not belong to DeSalvo. Surviving victims of the Boston Strangler did not identify DeSalvo as their attacker, but thought his fellow inmate George Nassar seemed familiar. Nassar fit the profile of the Strangler, but was ruled out because of his use of guns in his murders. DeSalvo’s only connection to the Silk Stocking Murders was Mary Sullivan, but even that was faulty. Details of the crimes were inconsistent, so they were most likely committed by more than one person. DeSalvo’s disposition did not fit that of a serial
killer, and those close to him did not think he was capable of the murders. With all facts considered, Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler. The real Boston Strangler has yet to be found to this day.