The Boston Strangler

Contrary to popular belief, Albert DeSalvo was not the Boston Strangler. The Boston Strangler was a serial killer who sexually assaulted and killed thirteen women in Boston from 1962 to 1964. The search for the Strangler did not yield a strong suspect until 1964, when Albert DeSalvo, a patient of the Bridgewater State Mental Hospital, confessed to the crimes. Albert DeSalvo’s confession and detailed descriptions of the crimes led to further investigation into whether or not he was, in fact, the Boston Strangler. DeSalvo had sexually assaulted women in the past, and had had difficult relationships with the important women in his life. The most obvious connection between Albert DeSalvo and the killings was the final victim, Mary Sullivan. Although
DeSalvo’s testimonies, though highly accurate, held many clear flaws. According to Susan Kelly, the author of The Boston Stranglers, "the newspapers were an excellent source of information - and it's very interesting to me that the details that Albert got wrong in his confession were identical to the details that the newspapers got wrong." DeSalvo may have just retold exactly what he had read in the newspapers or heard from someone else because of his photographic memory. DeSalvo also stated that he had visited the crime scenes after the crimes when the police were there, so he could have based his answers off of his own observations of the crime scenes (Unsolved). Though DeSalvo’s answers in questioning were highly detailed and accurate, the questioning was not done as it should have been. The answers to the questions were almost implied, and if DeSalvo’s answer was not correct, he was prompted into giving the right answer (Unsolved). In addition to his faulty questioning, the physical evidence also raised some doubt. When Mary Sullivan’s body was examined after being exhumed, two different DNA samples were found. Tests confirmed that one of the samples did not belong to DeSalvo, meaning that two men were involved with Mary Sullivan shortly before her death, and that more than one person may have also been involved in her murder. So even if DeSalvo did
The Boston Strangler was a serial killer in Boston in the early 1960’s who killed thirteen women. Albert DeSalvo confessed to all thirteen murders, providing investigators with a strong suspect. The thirteen women were found raped and murdered by strangulation. DeSalvo provided investigators with highly accurate retellings of the crimes. His history of sexual assault and problems with the women in his life could have led him to kill the women. DNA evidence found on the last victim matched DeSalvo, connecting him to the murders. Though evidence does point to the possibility that DeSalvo was guilty of the crimes, he was not the Boston Strangler. DeSalvo’s testimonies held the same inaccuracies that the newspapers got incorrect. His interrogation was not performed correctly. He was guided into giving certain answers. There were also two samples of DNA found on Mary Sullivan, one of which did not belong to DeSalvo. Surviving victims of the Boston Strangler did not identify DeSalvo as their attacker, but thought his fellow inmate George Nassar seemed familiar. Nassar fit the profile of the Strangler, but was ruled out because of his use of guns in his murders. DeSalvo’s only connection to the Silk Stocking Murders was Mary Sullivan, but even that was faulty. Details of the crimes were inconsistent, so they were most likely committed by more than one person. DeSalvo’s disposition did not fit that of a serial