Peter Manuel Scottish serial killer originally from the USA Date of Birth: 13.03.1927 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Peter Manuel
2. A Life of Crime
3. The Beast of Birkenshaw
4. A Series of Murders
5. The Capture and Trial
6. The Execution

Biography of Peter Manuel

Peter Thomas Anthony Manuel was born on March 13, 1927, in New York, USA, to Scottish parents. His family moved to Detroit, where they lived until they immigrated back to Britain in 1932, this time to Birkenshaw, Lanarkshire. From a young age, Peter was an outcast, possibly due to bullying, and he was known to the local police as a petty thief.

A Life of Crime

At the age of 16, Peter committed a series of sexual assaults, which landed him a nine-year prison sentence. It was during his time in prison that he embarked on a path of murder, starting in 1956. His first known victim was 17-year-old Anne Kneilands, who was raped and bludgeoned to death on January 2, 1956, at a golf course in East Kilbride. Peter was questioned by the police and confessed to the murder two years later, but he escaped arrest when his father provided him with an alibi.

The Beast of Birkenshaw

Peter Manuel's killing spree continued, and his next victims were Marion Watt, her daughter Vivienne Watt, and her sister Margaret Brown. They were shot dead in their home in Burnside, Glasgow, on September 17, 1956. Peter became a suspect but managed to avoid arrest when Marion's husband, William, was taken into custody. Sydney Dunn, a 36-year-old taxi driver, became Peter's fifth victim when he was shot on December 8, 1957. Although there were doubts about Peter's involvement in Dunn's murder, evidence found in the taxi eventually linked him to the crime.

A Series of Murders

Isabelle Cooke, a 17-year-old girl, disappeared after leaving her home to attend a dance at her school on December 28, 1957. Peter Manuel stalked and raped her, then strangled her and buried her body in a nearby field. He later led the police to the burial site. The Smart family, consisting of Peter Smart, Doris Smart, and their 10-year-old son Michael, became Peter's next victims. He shot them in their own home in Uddingston on January 1, 1958. Peter lived in their house for a week after the murders, surviving on the leftovers from their New Year festivities before stealing money, their car, and escaping.

The Capture and Trial

Ironically, Peter picked up a police officer investigating Isabelle Cooke's disappearance in the stolen Smart family car and even gave him misleading information. When the police discovered the Smart family's murders, they realized a serial killer was at large, leading to the release of William Watt. Many police officers who knew Peter suspected him of the murders, but they lacked evidence until he started spending the stolen money in pubs, which eventually led to his capture.

Peter Manuel was convicted of multiple murders by the Glasgow High Court. He shocked the court by dismissing his defense lawyer and representing himself. Despite his legal knowledge and skill in court, the judge, Lord Cameron, rejected his claims of innocence. Peter was found guilty on all charges, except for Anne Kneilands' murder due to lack of evidence.

The Execution

On July 11, 1958, Peter Manuel was hanged at Barlinnie Prison in Glasgow. His last words were, "Turn up the radio, and I'll go quietly." In December 1960, Anthony Miller was also hanged at Barlinnie, followed by Henry John Burnett in Aberdeen in August 1963. In 2009, the BBC program "Inside the Mind of a Psychopath" claimed that authorities conspired to hang Manuel, knowing full well that he was a psychopath.