Boston Strangler

Boston Strangler - Serial Killer

13.Mary Sullivan 19 4th January 1964

13. De Salvo posed as a detective, and allowed his victim to live after apologising.

Despite all the efforts of all involved trying to solve the case, it was the strangler himself who caused his own capture.
On 27th October, 1964, he entered a young woman's home posing as a detective. He tied his victim to the victim's bed, proceeded to sexually assault her, and suddenly left, saying "I'm sorry" as he went. The woman's description to the police led to his identification as Albert De Salvo, with the publication of his photo resulting in women coming forward in droves identifying him as the man who had assaulted them. At this point, De Salvo was not suspected of being involved with the spate of stranglings that had taken place over a period of nearly two years, and wasn't until he was being held on a rape charge that he confessed in great detail his activities as the Boston Strangler.

However, there was no evidence to substantiate his confession, and as such, stood trial for earlier, unrelated crimes of robbery and sexual offences. He was sent to prison for life in 1967, but was to be murdered six years later while in his cell.