Background Information
Transcript: Short-Improvement Feb.20, 1926 66 year old Clara Newman found dead in the attic of her rooming-house in San Francisco. had displayed a ‘Rooms to Rent’ sign in her downstairs window Earle Nelson used a different name and came to inquire about one. Her nephew saw him but did not notice anything suspicious. After several hours she was still missing so the boarders searched the house until they found her body. First Victim Taken back to Napa for another 16 months. no further entries were made into his record. Unknown whether he improved. Almost four years after the Mary Summers’ assault he was released. Note read "Discharged as improved." Convinced his wife to take him back but his “nomadic dementia” took over in a matter of weeks so he began to wander Northwest. began to kill. Outcome Institutionalized Capture Overview Tendency to daydream. Passed through many different jobs-kept them until his strange behavior or laziness made it impossible to keep him. 15-Frequently visited prostitutes and alcoholic binges. Conversations with invisible friends and enemies. Known to walk around house on his hands and come home bruised and battered as if in a fight. Pick up chain with his teeth. Diagnosis In Love Psychological State lay down on the bed in the cell so the constable went to telegraph Winnipeg with the news. Nelson had managed to find a wire, pick the double lock on the cell door and escape from the jail without being seen. Constable immediately formed a posse, every able-bodied man was armed and searching for Earle Nelson. He found an old barn and hid there for the night. found an old sweater and a pair of hockey skates -removed the blades and made into shoes. Began heading south & met a man whom he bummed some smokes. psychopathic nature was evident as he interacted with the farmer. Completely at ease standing in front of the him in a moth-eaten sweater and hockey skates for shoes. Background Information Last Victim Last Victim Name: Nelson Earle Leonard Number of Victims: 26+ Date of Murders: Feb.20, 1926- June 9, 1927 Date of Arrest: June 10, 1927 Date of Birth: May 12, 1897 Date of Death: January 13, 1928 Location: Began: Philadelphia Ended: Winnipeg Nicknames: "The Gorilla Killer" "The Dark Strangler First Canadian Victim 14 year old girl and she sold artificial flowers. Her father suffered from appendicitis and her family did whatever they could to make ends meet. Earle Nelson had a room on 133 Smith Street when Lola came to sell flowers. He indicated that he had no money on him and that she would have to come to his room. He led her to his room where he ushered her in first, with her back turned he hit her over the head . Wrapped a cloth around her neck to strangle her, later repeatedly sexually assaulted her. He stuffed her under his bed and then went to sleep. Body was discovered by the woman who owned the boarding house when she went to check on him. Emily Patterson Napa for the second time Not allowed to roam the grounds without restraints. Tried to flee 2 times but never managed to get outside (first 2 weeks) At first, Earle improved slightly thanks to treatment of ant-syphilis drug. His record for the first year cooperative and capable of performing menial tasks and carrying on normal conversation. Made half-hearted attempts to escape, but slowly the staff became more trusting so he was allowed in certain areas without restraint. Leaving the Hospital Victims Childhood Most of his victims were older landladies- he broke this pattern when he murdered Mrs.Harpin's 8 moth old baby and 14 year old Lola Cowen. Approach them on the premise of renting a room. He would study a worn Bible around to keep his victims at ease and catch them off guard. Gained their trust then killed them, almost always by strangulation, and engage in necrophilia with their corpse. Would blind victims with strips of cloth that were tied in a complicated sailors knot Often hide the body often leaving it under the nearest bed. Victims were all close in age to his grandmother. His necrophilia could have arisen out of a desire to hurt his dead grandmother, with his victims playing her part. Physical Traits: young brunette Marital Status:Married Occupation: Boarding house owner Last known activity: Cleaning the House Family Background: Irish 20 February 1926 Clara Newman 60 San Francisco 2 March 1926 Laura E. Beale 60 San Jose 10 June 1926 Lillian St Mary 63 San Francisco 24 June 1926 Anna Russell 58 Santa Barbara 16 August 1926 Mary Nesbit 52 Oakland 19 October 1926 Beatrice Withers 35 Portland 20 October 1926 Virginia Grant 59 Portland 21 October 1926 Mabel Fluke ? Portland 15 November 1926 Blanche Myers 48 Oregon City 18 November 1926 Wilhelmina Edmunds 56 San Francisco 24 November 1926 Florence Monks ? Seattle 23 December 1926 Elizabeth Beard 49 Council Bluffs ? December 1926 Bonnie Pace 23 Kansas City 28 December 1926 Germania Harpin * 28 Kansas City 27 April 1927 Mary McConnell 60 Philadelphia 30 May 1927 Jenny Randolph 35