William Heirens Convicted American serial killer Date of Birth: 15.11.1928 Country: USA

1. Biography of William George Heirens
2. Early Life and Troubled Childhood
3. Education and Criminal Behavior
4. Arrest and Controversial Confession

Biography of William George Heirens

William George Heirens, born on November 15, 1928, in Evanston, Illinois, grew up in the suburb of Lincolnwood, Chicago. As a convicted American serial killer, he confessed to three murders committed in 1946. He earned the nickname "The Lipstick Killer" for his infamous messages written in lipstick at the crime scenes. He is currently incarcerated at the Dixon Correctional Center, a maximum-security prison in Dixon, Illinois. Heirens has since recanted all of his confessions, claiming that he was subjected to coerced interrogations and police brutality.

Early Life and Troubled Childhood

In his early years, Heirens had a traumatic experience that deeply affected him. At the age of 11, he witnessed a couple engaged in sexual activity and promptly informed his mother. She instilled in him the belief that sex was a dirty and disease-ridden act. This had a severe impact on Heirens, as when he later kissed a girl, he burst into tears and vomited in front of her.

At the age of 13, Heirens was arrested for carrying a loaded firearm. A subsequent search of his home revealed hidden weapons in the refrigerator and attic. Heirens confessed to a series of burglaries and was sent to a reform school, where he admitted that his thefts were primarily for entertainment and stress relief.

Education and Criminal Behavior

Shortly after his release, Heirens returned to his criminal activities. This time, he was sentenced to three years at St. Bede Academy, a Catholic school run by Benedictine monks. Despite his delinquent past, Heirens displayed exemplary behavior during his time at the school. He was released at the age of 16, thanks to his good grades, and enrolled at the University of Chicago.

However, Heirens could not escape his criminal inclinations. On June 5, 1945, Josephine Ross, a 43-year-old woman, was found dead in her apartment, with multiple stab wounds indicating a struggle. The police investigated numerous suspects, but none of the victim's acquaintances had alibis. They searched for a dark-skinned man who may have been loitering near the crime scene or fleeing from Ross's apartment, but witnesses provided no helpful information.

On December 20, 1945, Frances Brown, a divorced woman, was brutally beaten in her apartment. A message written in lipstick on the wall read, "For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself." Fingerprints were found on the doorjamb, and witnesses reported seeing a nervous man leaving the building.

On January 7, 1946, 6-year-old Suzanne Degnan disappeared from her bedroom. A ransom note demanding $20,000 was found outside her window. Despite extensive police efforts and anonymous phone calls, the girl's dismembered body was discovered in various sewage outlets.

Arrest and Controversial Confession

After multiple suspects were investigated, 17-year-old William Heirens was arrested on June 26, 1946. Heirens claimed that he was tortured by the police for six days, denied food and water, and prevented from seeing his parents for four days. Under the influence of sodium pentothal, two psychiatrists interrogated him without an order or parental consent. Heirens then confessed to having an alter ego named George Murman, who committed the murders. However, the original transcript of the interrogation mysteriously disappeared.

Despite further evidence, including fingerprints allegedly matching those found at the Frances Brown murder scene, news of the captured serial killer and his split personality leaked to the media. Heirens' lawyers focused on saving him from the electric chair and struck a deal where he officially confessed to the murders of Ross, Brown, and Degnan in exchange for a life sentence.

Later in life, Heirens claimed that he confessed to save his own life. Numerous inconsistencies were discovered between his confessions and known facts about the crimes. Despite numerous appeals and hearings, Heirens was denied parole in 2007. Thomas Johnson, a member of the Illinois Parole Board, concluded the hearing with the statement, "God may forgive you, but the state won't."