William Heirens
William Heirens (born November 15, 1928 in Chicago , Illinois , † March 5, 2012 there ) was an American serial killer.
Life
Heirens committed his first murder on June 5, 1945, by cutting the throat of a 43-year-old woman when she surprised him while breaking into her apartment. He committed his second murder on December 10th of the same year. He rammed a knife into the head of a woman and killed the seriously injured woman with two headshots. After the murder, he put the corpse in a bathtub, wrapped towels around her face and left a lipstick message on the wall for the police: For heaven's sake catch me before I kill more I cannot control myself. (Eng. "For God's sake, arrest me before I kill again. I have no control over myself."). Heirens committed the third and final murder on January 6, 1946. He kidnapped a six-year-old girl, dismembered the corpse and disposed of the body parts in a sewer.
There were initially several suspects. On June 26, 1946, Heirens was arrested by the police in a burglary. Among other things, after taking thiopental , a so-called truth drug, Heirens confessed to the deeds on July 30, 1946, but revoked his confession a short time later.
Heirens then sat in prison for over 65 years and protested his innocence. Even if some experts assumed his innocence due to schizophrenia, all requests for pardon were denied. Heirens was recently the longest prisoner in the United States. He spent three times as many years in prison as he was in freedom.
Fritz Lang adopted motifs from this serial murder case in his film The Beast ( While the City Sleeps ) (USA 1956).
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Heirens, William |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American serial killer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 15, 1928 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Chicago , Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 5, 2012 |
| Place of death | Chicago , Illinois |