Albert Henry De Salvo

Albert Henry De Salvo

American, possible serial killer
Date of Birth: 03.09.1930
Country: USA

Albert Henry DeSalvo Biography

Albert Henry DeSalvo, an American citizen, was a possible serial killer and was accused of being the infamous Boston Strangler. The Boston Strangler terrorized Boston from June 14, 1962, to January 4, 1964, during which time the maniac killed 13 unmarried women ranging from 19 to 85 years old. The victims of the Strangler were found in their own apartments, with no signs of forced entry. In all cases, the maniac first sexually assaulted his victims and then strangled them with their own clothing.

Albert Henry De Salvo

On the evening of October 27, 1964, Albert DeSalvo broke into a house in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, attempting to distract the owners by pretending to need help with a broken car. Unfortunately for him, the homeowner turned out to be Dick Sproles, the future police chief of Brockton, who was armed and resisted. DeSalvo, not expecting armed resistance, decided to retreat. Later that same evening, he entered another house, this time pretending to be a detective. The young woman living there was unable to offer any resistance. DeSalvo sexually assaulted her but did not kill her. He apologized to the woman and left the house. It was the testimony of this woman that helped capture DeSalvo. Initially, he was only charged with rape until he admitted to being the Boston Strangler. Unfortunately, DeSalvo was unable to prove his claim. There were significant inconsistencies in his statements and the existing police evidence contradicted his claims. However, these inconsistencies did not affect his sentence, and he was sentenced to life imprisonment based on other crimes, such as the mentioned burglaries and sexual assaults.

Albert Henry De Salvo

On February 24, 1967, Albert DeSalvo escaped from a psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts, but he was re-arrested the next day. His escape sparked a serious investigation into the FBI agents' misconduct. In 1973, DeSalvo was killed in his own prison cell. The mystery of the Boston Strangler remained unsolved, troubling FBI agents and detectives for over a decade. They wondered if they were hunting down only one killer, as the Strangler's victims varied greatly in age, social status, and nationality. Furthermore, forensic experts claimed that the murders differed significantly from each other. The theory of multiple killers gained traction among several researchers, including Susan Kelly and Robert Ressler. It was even suggested that DeSalvo had direct involvement with the killers and, for some reason, chose to cover for them.

In 2001, forensic scientists decided to resolve all doubts conclusively by exhuming the bodies of DeSalvo and the Strangler's last victim, 19-year-old Mary Sullivan. DeSalvo had previously confessed to Sullivan's murder, but his statements contained numerous errors. For example, he claimed that Mary was strangled with bare hands, while the Strangler used her own undergarments. The analysis confirmed the suspicions of the experts. The substance found on Sullivan's body, resembling semen, did not match the DNA samples taken from DeSalvo. If DeSalvo was not responsible for the Strangler's crimes, then who was? The police had several possibilities. One of the potentially interesting suspects was George Nassar, who had previously interacted with DeSalvo and seemed to fit the profile of the killer more closely. However, Nassar is currently serving a life sentence, so the residents of Boston may not have anything to fear for now.

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