The Killer I Knew: 14 Shockingly Nice Things People Remember About Murderers
By Jim Goad
1.
“He was like the guy next door. He was a quiet person who kept to himself. He was a good tenant, not one of those rowdy types.”
—Landlord of Richard “The Angel of Death” Angelo, who killed eight hospital patients through poisoning.
2.
“[He’s] an extremely pleasant type of guy.”
—Friend of Alton Coleman, who along with a female accomplice killed seven people.
3.
“He wouldn’t hurt a canary bird.”
—Friend of Angelo “The Hillside Strangler” Buono, who killed and raped 10 women.
4.
“Dean was a good boy….He was almost too good, tried to do favors for people, always tried to make the best of every situation.”
—Relative of Dean “The Candy Man” Corll, who killed 28+ boys.
5.
“He was a perfect gentleman—quiet, reserved, polite.”
—Girlfriend of Ronnie “The Amityville Killer” DeFeo, who killed six family members.
6.
“Good old Ed. Kind of a loner and maybe a little bit odd with that sense of humor of his, but just the guy to call in to sit with the kiddies when me and the old lady want to go to the show.”
—Neighbor of Ed “Psycho” Gein, who killed two women and made keepsakes of their body parts.
7.
“[Donald was a) precious little boy, a very attractive child who got along with everybody, boys and girls.”
—Teacher of Donald Harvey, who killed 37+ hospital patients.
8.
“[He was a] peaceful man, devoted to his family.”
—A neighbor of Leo Held, who killed six people.
9.
“[He was] a quiet guy who never caused any trouble.”
—Hotel clerk who knew Calvin Jackson, who raped and killed nine women.
10.
“[He was the] most pleasant unpleasant man I have ever known.”
—Neighbor of Leonard Lake, who along with an accomplice tortured and killed an estimated 11-25 victims.
11.
“[He was a] shy, withdrawn man who was always polite and sweet.”
—A friend’s mother describing Marc Lepine, who killed 14 women at a school in Montreal.
12.
“He is one of the gentlest and most loving Christian persons I have ever known.”
—Sister Clemmie, the jail minister to Henry Lee Lucas, who was convicted of murdering 11 people and boasted of killing over 200.
13.
“[He] wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
—A coworker of Dennis “The Monochrome Man” Nilsen, AKA “The British Jeffrey Dahmer.”
14.
“[She] is very kind, compassionate, has a heart of gold. If the world could know the real Aileen Wuornos, there’s not a jury that would convict her.”
—Arlene Pralle, Christian minister to Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men.