Earle Nelson: Serial Killer

Earle Nelson was one of the less well known serial killers in comparison to Jeffrey Dahmer or Jack the Ripper. Yet his crimes were still horrific. Earle Nelson wasn't always insane though, His killing spree was due to the traumatic brain injury he sustained as a child. After the accident which featured him being hit by a car while biking, he was never the same. His mind was forever altered leading to an unfortunate change of character. This traumatic event would forever change the course of his life. During his childhood both of Earle’s parents died of syphilis causing him to have to grow up living with aunts, uncles, grandparents and other relatives. He grew up and lived in San Francisco most of his life. He ended up living with his grandparents

He pretended to be a plumber to gain entry into a man named Charles Summers' home. He encountered Charles' 12 year old daughter and attempted to sexually assault her. Luckily, she screamed at the top of her lungs and her brother came to the rescue. Earle tried to run but eventually the police caught up to him. The judge sentenced him to Napa State Mental Hospital after it was declared that he was mentally insane. Doctors then said he was incurably insane and said he needs to stay institutionalized forever. Regardless, Earle escaped on three different occasions and the nurses gave up of

Woodcot’s description was made by Canadian Police. They also advised women to be wary of letting guests into their homes under any pretext, particularly those looking to rent a room. They provided a $1,500 reward for information that resulted in the capture of the offender. Several sightings of the strangler were reported across Canada. Police in Killarney, Manitoba, detained a man who matched the description of the strangler on June 16, 1927. The man, who identified himself as Virgil Wilson, was composed and not the raving, murderous devil the constables had anticipated. Constables, however, kept him behind bars while they decided whether to admit him or