The Boston Strangler operated in the Boston, Mass. area during a two-year span in the early 1960s. The "Silk Stocking Murders" is another epithet given to the same series of crimes. Though Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murders, many experts and investigators have doubts as to his involvement in the crimes. The CrimesIn the Boston area, beginning in June 1962 and ending in January 1964, 13 women were killed, mainly by strangulation. Most of the victims were found with their own nylons wrapped several times around their neck and tied with a bow. The murders occurred generally twice a month with a brief respite from the end of August to the first week of December, 1982. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 85 years of age. All were sexually assaulted.
The Victims
Most of the victims were single women living in apartments. No sign of breaking and entering was evident and investigators deduced that the victims knew their attacker, or his ruse was sufficiently clever to allow him to gain admittance to the inside of the home.
DeSalvo's Arrest
In October of 1964, a young woman reported a man claiming to be a detective tied her to her bed and began to rape her. He suddenly stopped, apologized, and left. Her description helped police to figure DeSalvo as the assailant. Several women came forward to accuse him of accosting them when his picture was released to the newspapers.
Albert DeSalvo - His Childhood Years
Albert Henry DeSalvo was born in Chelsa, Mass. on September 3, 1931, to a father that beat and abused his wife and children. By the time he was 12, he had already been arrested for robbery and assault and battery. He was sent to a correctional facility for a year then worked as a delivery boy upon his release. In less than two years he was readmitted to the facility for car theft.
Army Years
After his second parole he joined the army and did a tour in Germany where he met his wife. He was honorably discharged for disobeying an order. He reenlisted and was accused of molesting a nine-year-old girl while stationed at Fort Dix. The parents declined to press charges and he was again honorably discharged.
The Measuring Man
After his discharge in 1956, he was arrested twice for robbery. In March of 1960, he was arrested for burglary and confessed to "the Measuring Man" crimes. He would approach good-looking women posing as a fashion model recruiter and fondle the victims under the pretense of taking their measurements with a tape measurer. Again, no charges were filed and he spent 11 months on the burglary charge.
The Green Man
After being released DeSalvo allegedly began his "Green Man" crime spree - so named because he dressed in green to commit sexual assaults. He is reputed to have raped over 300 women (as many as six a day) in four states in a two year period. He was arrested in November of 1964, for one of these rapes and was remanded to Bridgewater State Hospital for evaluation.
Boston Strangler?
Another inmate, George Nassar, turned in DeSalvo to the authorities as the Boston Strangler in order to collect the reward that was offered for information concerning the stocking murders. It was discovered later that Nassar and DeSalvo made a deal that part of the reward money would be sent to DeSalvo's wife. DeSalvo confessed to the murders. Problems occurred when the only survivor of the Boston Strangler failed to identify DeSalvo as the attacker and insisted that George Nassar was her attacker. DeSalvo was never charged with any of the murders. Famous lawyer F. Lee Bailey represented him on the Green Man crimes for which he was found guilty and received a life sentence.
DeSalvo was stabbed to death by another inmate in Walpole Prison in 1973.
The Victims
Most of the victims were single women living in apartments. No sign of breaking and entering was evident and investigators deduced that the victims knew their attacker, or his ruse was sufficiently clever to allow him to gain admittance to the inside of the home.
DeSalvo's Arrest
In October of 1964, a young woman reported a man claiming to be a detective tied her to her bed and began to rape her. He suddenly stopped, apologized, and left. Her description helped police to figure DeSalvo as the assailant. Several women came forward to accuse him of accosting them when his picture was released to the newspapers.
Albert DeSalvo - His Childhood Years
Albert Henry DeSalvo was born in Chelsa, Mass. on September 3, 1931, to a father that beat and abused his wife and children. By the time he was 12, he had already been arrested for robbery and assault and battery. He was sent to a correctional facility for a year then worked as a delivery boy upon his release. In less than two years he was readmitted to the facility for car theft.
Army Years
After his second parole he joined the army and did a tour in Germany where he met his wife. He was honorably discharged for disobeying an order. He reenlisted and was accused of molesting a nine-year-old girl while stationed at Fort Dix. The parents declined to press charges and he was again honorably discharged.
The Measuring Man
After his discharge in 1956, he was arrested twice for robbery. In March of 1960, he was arrested for burglary and confessed to "the Measuring Man" crimes. He would approach good-looking women posing as a fashion model recruiter and fondle the victims under the pretense of taking their measurements with a tape measurer. Again, no charges were filed and he spent 11 months on the burglary charge.
The Green Man
After being released DeSalvo allegedly began his "Green Man" crime spree - so named because he dressed in green to commit sexual assaults. He is reputed to have raped over 300 women (as many as six a day) in four states in a two year period. He was arrested in November of 1964, for one of these rapes and was remanded to Bridgewater State Hospital for evaluation.
Boston Strangler?
Another inmate, George Nassar, turned in DeSalvo to the authorities as the Boston Strangler in order to collect the reward that was offered for information concerning the stocking murders. It was discovered later that Nassar and DeSalvo made a deal that part of the reward money would be sent to DeSalvo's wife. DeSalvo confessed to the murders. Problems occurred when the only survivor of the Boston Strangler failed to identify DeSalvo as the attacker and insisted that George Nassar was her attacker. DeSalvo was never charged with any of the murders. Famous lawyer F. Lee Bailey represented him on the Green Man crimes for which he was found guilty and received a life sentence.
DeSalvo was stabbed to death by another inmate in Walpole Prison in 1973.