Dennis Nilsen British serial killer Date of Birth: 23.11.1945 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Dennis Nilsen
2. Early Life and Childhood
3. Early Adulthood and Military Service
4. Life after the Military
5. The Killing Spree and Arrest

Biography of Dennis Nilsen

Dennis Nilsen was a British serial killer who murdered 15 people over a span of five years.

Early Life and Childhood

Nilsen's mother was Scottish, while his father was a Norwegian soldier. Their family life was troubled, with Nilsen's father frequently drinking and being absent from home for long periods of time. When Nilsen was four years old, his parents divorced. A significant event in his childhood occurred when he was six years old - he was made to sit alone for several hours next to his dead grandfather's body before the funeral. This experience deeply affected Nilsen and caused what he referred to as an "emotional death". Two years later, Nilsen had another traumatic incident when he almost drowned in the sea and was saved by an older boy who then engaged in a sexual act, leaving Nilsen feeling confused and violated.

Early Adulthood and Military Service

Unlike many serial killers, Nilsen did not display aggression or a tendency to harm animals during his childhood. In 1961, he joined the British Armed Forces and became an army cook. It was in this position that he developed skills as a butcher, which he would later utilize during his criminal activities. Nilsen avoided socializing with others in the army and began to abuse alcohol. In his private room, he occasionally engaged in masturbation while imagining himself looking at a corpse. Towards the end of his military service, he formed a close friendship (not a homosexual one) with a man who allowed Nilsen to film him on a video camera. During the filming, Nilsen requested that his friend lay still and pretend to be dead. When they parted ways, Nilsen destroyed all the recorded tapes and gave the camera as a gift to his friend.

Life after the Military

After leaving the military in 1972, Nilsen briefly worked as a police officer but quickly realized that it was not the right career for him. He then found employment at a job placement agency, where he worked until his arrest. In 1974, Nilsen met David Gallichan, and they lived together for two years. The end of their relationship was a difficult time for Nilsen, leading him to immerse himself in work and indulge in alcohol. In 1978, Nilsen experienced a deep depression during the Christmas holidays, spending them alone in his apartment. Secret desires related to his attraction to dead bodies resurfaced. On December 30, 1978, he went out in desperate hopes of meeting someone. He brought a young man home, and after fearing that the man would leave him like previous lovers, Nilsen strangled him with a tie and drowned him in a bucket of water.

The Killing Spree and Arrest

Over the next year, Nilsen attempted to kill another man, Andrew Ho, whom he had met at a gay bar, but Ho fought back and escaped. On December 3, 1979, Nilsen committed his second murder, strangling a 23-year-old Canadian student, Kenneth Ockendon, with headphone wire. He then engaged in disturbing activities with the corpse, such as undressing, washing, dressing, photographing in various positions, applying makeup to the face, and even "having tea" and "watching television" with it. Subsequent victims of Nilsen followed a similar fate, with his targets primarily being homeless teenagers and boys from troubled families, whom he lured to his home. Nilsen's arrest came after concerned neighbors called a plumber to unclog a sewer pipe, only to discover large chunks of decaying flesh causing the blockage. The plumber reported the finding to the police. Upon learning about this, Nilsen secretly removed the remains from the sewer pipe during the night, but his actions were noticed by a neighbor. He was apprehended the following day. Nilsen was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for at least 25 years.