The RFK Files (Book Two) A Non-Fiction book by Robert Helliger

Chapter Sixteen-Flames of anger; 1962-7

~~~"Anthony 'Tony' Curtis didn't get credit for being a 'serious' actor. When he played DeSalvo, the Boston Strangler, he wanted to show a dramatic side; Curtis failed to convince Hollywood producers after 'The Boston Strangler' in 1968, to give him roles like that; that, in itself, caused Curtis to bemoan that state of Hollywood movies after 1968...and beyond, because audiences didn't believe he was DeSalvo", unquote, (Author Robert Helliger, August 4, 1973-)~~~

I

THE story of The Boston Strangler is well known. DeSalvo, known as 'The Measuring Man' raped and murdered women in that city in a brutal crime spree that rocked everyone.

      The Police told women not to let any man into their apartments. But they did. And, as the attacks happened, hell broke loose.

II

US President JFK knew of these attacks. They cut into the heart of the so-called freedom that America wanted.

       The children of their conservative parents in the 1950's indulged in drugs, sex, and risky behaviour. And, as a result, they didn't think there was a need to obey rules. Yet, DeSalvo did not suffer from Multiple Personality Disorder, (MPD); DeSalvo was a rapist. And a killer. And he murdered because he could murder.

III

DeSalvo, who was happily married, suffered from a psychotic break. He played happy families. But he also had had a dark side.

      -Anna E. Slesers, who was 55, died when DeSalvo broke in. She was strangled with a bathrobe cord-the date: June 14, 1962; *Slesers lived in 77 Gainsborough St.; Back Bay, Boston;

      -Mary Mullen, aged 85, suffered a fatal heart attack in her apartment when DeSalvo attacked the senior citizen; Mullen passed away a short time later before DeSalvo could kill her; the date had been: June 28, 1962;

     -Nina Nichols, who was 68, was strangled with her nylon stockings by DeSalvo; she was assaulted; the date was June 30, 1962;

    -Helen Blake, aged 65, was attacked in her apartment (73 Newhall Street, Lynn, Massachusetts); Blake was also strangled with nylon stockings; (*also June 30, 1962*);

     _Ida Irga, (aged 75), who lived at  7 Grove Street, (Boston), was strangled. The date was: August 21, 1962; *neighbours reported suspicious activity in apartment 10, (where Ida lived); the Boston PD found fingerprints on the string from gym shorts; Ida had bruises on her neck, (around her right collar);

      And Jane Sullivan, who was 67, was strangled by her own nylon stockings by DeSalvo. He had broken into her apartment at 435 Columbia Road;  Dorchester; Boston. The date was: August 30, 1962.

And then the murders stopped.

DeSalvo played family man. While Republican African-American Attorney-General, Edward William Brooke III ,(October 26, 1919-), made sure Bostonians were safe, the murders soon resumed.

~~~

The new murders

'The  Sunday Herald', then ran the sensationalistic headline:

                     "The Mad Strangler of Boston"

The date: July 8, 1962.

~~~

From 1962-4, DeSalvo's urges got the better of him. He committed more murders. But, as he resumed, the Boston PD, knew that they soon had had their man. This part is about the new victims of DeSalvo:

~~~

Sophie Clark, 20, a African-American student; Clark was also strangled with nylon stockings in her room.

      The date: December 5, 1962, at Boston Back Bay;

Patricia Bissette, 23, was also strangled with nylon stockings-but she was stabbed as well; Bissette's dead body would be located at Boston Black Bay. The date: December 31, 1962, (New Years' Eve);

Mary Brown, 69, was also beaten, as well as assaulted-and strangled. She lived in her Lawrence, Massachusetts apartment alone; Brown died on March 9, 1963;

Beverly Samans, 23, was attacked by DeSalvo when he broke into her apartment, (4 University Road in Cambridge, Massachusetts); Samans was stabbed. The date: May 8, 1963;

Evelyn Corbin, aged 58, was attacked and killed with her nylon stockings in her Salem, Massachusetts apartment. The date was: September 6, 1963;

Joann Graff, aged 23, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, was attacked as well as strangled by DeSalvo; Graff was the strangler's second-last victim. The date was: November 23, 1963, (*one day after US President JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas!);

Mary Sullivan, aged 19, was attacked as well as strangled with her dark stockings; Sullivan was the Strangler's youngest victim.

~~~

And when the police caught DeSalvo, lawyer F Lee Bailey, (Francis Lee Bailey Jr., June 10, 1933-), represented DeSalvo. He was caught when George Nassar, (June 1932-), his inmate at prison, heard DeSalvo's so-called "confession".

Footnote: On November 25, 1973, someone murdered DeSalvo. Nearly 40 years' later, no one knows who killed him.

~~~

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