Robert Christian Hansen American serial killer Date of Birth: 15.02.1939 Country: USA

Biography of Robert Christian Hansen

Robert Christian Hansen, an American serial killer, was born on February 15, 1939, in Estherville, Iowa, to Christian and Edna Hansen. Growing up, Robert had a reputation for being quiet and solitary, with difficulties in his relationship with his authoritarian father. He was constantly teased in school due to his acne problem and suffered from a severe stutter.

In 1957, Hansen enlisted in the U.S. Army reserves, where he served for a year. He later worked as an assistant drill instructor at the police academy in Pocahontas, Iowa. It was during this time that he began a relationship with a teenage girl whom he married in the summer of 1960. However, while serving a 20-month sentence in prison for arson, his wife filed for divorce.

Over the next few years, Hansen frequently found himself in and out of jail for petty theft. In 1967, he moved to Anchorage, Alaska, with his second wife, whom he had married in 1963. In Anchorage, Hansen became a beloved neighbor and a successful hunter. He even broke several records listed in the 'Pope & Young' record book for hunting. However, all of his records were annulled when Hansen was convicted.

In 1977, Hansen was imprisoned for stealing a chainsaw. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium to regulate his mood swings, but there were no official instructions regarding his medication. After serving a year in prison, Hansen was released and opened his own bakery.

On June 13, 1983, a frightened 17-year-old named Cindy Paulson went to the police after escaping from Hansen's cabin, where she had been held captive. She revealed that she had been promised $200 to pose for photographs but instead was abducted, raped, and assaulted with a wooden hammer handle. Paulson managed to free herself from the handcuffs and escape when Hansen was momentarily distracted. She later identified Hansen as her attacker. Initially, due to his mild demeanor and occupation as a baker, Hansen was not considered the primary suspect.

From 1980 to 1983, detective Glenn Flothe was part of the team investigating the discovery of a series of female bodies near Eklutna Road. The first victim, known as Eklutna Annie, remained unidentified. After the discovery of Joanna Messina's body, Flothe sought assistance from the FBI. Criminal psychologist Roy Hazelwood suggested that the killer was an experienced hunter with low self-esteem, who took "souvenirs" from the crime scenes, including jewelry and even body parts. Based on Cindy Paulson's testimony, a search warrant was obtained for Hansen's residence on October 27, 1983. The search uncovered jewelry belonging to the victims, newspaper clippings about the murders, and a stockpile of firearms, including a Ruger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle.

It was speculated that Hansen began killing prostitutes around 1979. He would pay for their services, then abduct, torture, and sexually assault them. Finally, he would bind them and drop them from his private airplane above the Knik River Valley. In one instance, he pursued a victim on a sandy beach, playing a game of cat and mouse before fatally stabbing her as she tried to flee into the woods. Hansen was arrested and charged with assault, kidnapping, illegal weapons possession, theft, and insurance fraud. When ballistic analysis linked bullets found at the crime scenes to Hansen's rifle, he struck a deal with prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to four murders known to the police and provided detailed information about his other victims in exchange for serving his sentence in a federal prison. Hansen also requested that the information not be leaked to the press.

Hansen led investigators to the burial sites of 17 victims, 12 of whom were already known to the police. He was sentenced to 461 years in prison. Initially incarcerated in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, Hansen was returned to Alaska in 1988. He briefly served time in the Juneau Correctional Center before being transferred to the Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, where he remains incarcerated.

The case of Robert Hansen has inspired various works of fiction and documentaries, including the thriller film 'Naked Fear' (2007), which features a dancer kidnapped by a deranged human hunter. The video series 'The Hunting For Bambi' also includes segments depicting Hansen's activities. The episode 'Hunter's Game' of the TV series 'The FBI Files' also highlights Hansen's methods.