This week's Sinister Saturday follows Arthur Shawcross, a vile man who literally got away with murder and terrorised women in his local area.
Arthur Shawcross during a prison interview / Picture Credit: Real Stories on YouTube
Who was Arthur Shawcross?
Arthur Shawcross was an American serial killer born in April 1945.
He lived in Watertown, New York (NY) in his youth, and was relocated to Rochester, NY later on in his life.
His first known murders were in 1972 when he killed a young boy and young girl in Watertown, NY.
Early Life
It is always crucial to look at the early life of serial killers as they are often laden with disturbing facts and problems, and more often than not it isn’t the question of if they will kill, but when…
Shawcross claimed that his relationship with his parents was rocky, but his relationship with his mother was particularly difficult. He cited this problematic relationship to his troubles later on in life.
He said himself to have had behavioural issues at a young age, including bed-wetting and bullying other children.
When he made outlandish claims against his mother and aunt by saying that they sexually assaulted him, as well as stating he had sexual relations with his sister, they all said that he was lying. They said he had a normal childhood and that he was just using his imagination.
Shawcross also said he had his first homosexual encounter at the age of 11, which in itself isn't too odd – but add in the fact that he claimed to then have tried bestiality, and it becomes not only homophobic in his linking the two acts, but extremely concerning.
While at school, Shawcross was suspected of many juvenile crimes, such as arson and burglaries. He had a rather low IQ, was prone to bullying and violence, and when he failed ninth grade he dropped out of school.
Imprisonment
In 1972, suspicion grew around Arthur who, when questioned by police about the disappearance of a young boy, claimed he knew nothing of the child being missing, despite everyone in the area not only knowing about the boy but also looking for him too.
Suspicion grew again when locals once again stated that Arthur was the last to see another missing child – this time it being a young girl around eight years old who had been raped and murdered.
Shawcross was arrested for questioning and eventually confessed to both killings, but due to lack of evidence he was only charged with the young girl’s death and was given 25 years in prison.
He was released after serving only 15 years on prison for good behaviour.
Life after prison
Once released (in 1987), Shawcross tried to settle in Binghamton, NY. But as soon as locals found out who he was or recognised him, they made his life a living Hell. They shamed him publicly and did everything they could to drive him away – which worked.
After only a few month in Binghamton, Shawcross voiced his concerns to parole officers who then decided to move him (and his girlfriend at the time, Rose Whalley) to Rochester, NY. Once there, Shawcross and Whalley tied the knot.
There, authorities decided to seal shut Shawcross’ criminal records, so no one in the area could see what he had done, allowing him to live a normal life and keep him off the police's back.
Shawcross did whatever menial jobs he could find to make any sort of money. When his marriage became lacklustre, he would spend that cash on sex workers and seek solace from them, along with his new girlfriend Clara Neal.
Back at it again
Only 10 months after moving to Rochester and his release from prison (in 1987), Shawcross began killing again.
In March 1988, the body of a 27-year-old prostitute was found in the Genesee River. Her body showed strangulation marks, and also harrowing signs that her groin area had been bitten.
In September of 1989, another prostitute’s body was found. Her body linked several of the victims related to the case, but since it was found far from the original victim it was not seen as a serial murder.
A month later in October 1989, two bodies of women were found within a week of each other and in the same area. Both had been asphyxiated and press were now beginning to believe that the cases were linked.
They nicknamed the offender ‘The Genesee River Killer’.
If Shawcross’ criminal data was not hidden, then police would have had a better chance of being able to catch him before anyone else died…
Police began scanning the area, and asked sex workers in the area to tell them if anyone suspicious was round. Many women gave the same description (of Shawcross) but stated his name was Mitch or Mike, and was prone to violence.
Then, the body of a 26-year-old woman was found, neither a sex worker nor a drug abuser, on Thanksgiving Day. She had been strangled and anally mutilated after death, had her labia removed, and was gutted from throat to crotch, almost like a wild animal.
The post-mortem injury inflicted on this poor woman suggested that the killer was getting more comfortable with his murders, since something like anal mutilation and gutting would take time. It inferred that the killer may be returning to the scene of the crime to relive the attack.
Arrest, imprisonment, and death
During a sweep of the area, a police helicopter saw the naked body of a woman, almost cut in half.
Fortunately, a man was seen from the helicopter on a nearby bridge either pleasuring himself, or urinating. As presumed earlier, Shawcross had indeed come back to the scene of the crime to relive the pleasure of the attack.
Shawcross would not admit to the murders, until police told him that his girlfriend Clara Neal would be deemed an associate to the killings, due to a piece of jewellery she had been given by Shawcross, belonging to one of the victims.
He spoke up straight away after that, and confessed to most of the murders, explaining why he had to kill each one – his formal confession was nearly 80 pages long.
In November 1990, Shawcross was declared sane and guilty of 10 instances of second-degree murder. He was given 25 years for each murder, accumulating a total sentence of 250 years.
In 2008 he was taken to hospital from the Sullivan Correctional Facility in NY, when he complained of a pain in his leg.
He later died of cardiac arrest.
Check out Real Stories on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/RealStories.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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