One of the earliest of America's serial killers to gain heavy publicity and hence at least temporary celebrity of the notorious kind, Albert DeSalvo is thought by many to have strangled between 11 and 13 women in and around Boston from 1962 to 1964. He was billed in the press as The Boston Strangler.
DeSalvo, who worked as a handyman, was arrested in connection with serial rapes in Connecticut, where he was dubbed the Green Man because of the green overalls worn by the rapist. DeSalvo was convicted of rape in 1967 and sentenced to life. He was never tried for the murders, which he reportedly confessed to his lawyer, F. Lee Bailey, although police cast doubt on his motives for confessing to murder. The number of rapes he committed remains a mystery. Police put the possible total at 300, but DeSalvo himself claimed 2000, give or take a few.
Whoever did the Boston area killings used some textile item to strangle the victims, who were left with that item tied around the person's neck tied in a bow.
DeSalvo's rape victims were mostly elderly or middle-aged women, an unusual target group. He and two fellow inmates escaped from prison in 1967 but were recaptured the next day. DeSalvo was stabbed to death in his cell in 1973; his killer was never identified.
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