[16] In reporting his death, the New Jersey Star-Ledger referred to him as "The Boogeyman of Westfield. John List - History, Crime. List is charged with shooting his mother, wife and three children in their Westfield, N.J. home, and authorities said he left a five-page note detailing the crime. John List laid the bodies of his family members on top of sleeping bags in the ballroom, then composed a note to his pastor, who he felt would understand. When his daughter and youngest son came home, he shot them in the back of the head. Alex Murdaugh's defense rests after 14 witnesses over two weeks in he is the biggest con man who ever walked the Earth, another unidentified friend told the paper. List caught the tail end of the show with his wife, who did not know his past. John had first moved to Michigan, and then to Colorado, where he took an accounting job in Denver. He canceled all deliveries and contacted his childrens schools to let their teachers know the family would be on vacation for a few weeks. [42] In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. He married his second wife Delores in 1985. Joe Sharkey's DEATH SENTENCE is an account of the life of John Emil List who, in a case that was well known in the 70s, killed his mother, his wife, and their 3 children. They also found the five-page note from John List explaining that the bloodied bodies on the ballroom floor were his family members, killed out of mercy. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. With his first wife, John Frederick had had a son, William George, who happened to be the same . The Twisted Mind of Family Annihilator John List - America's Most Haunted Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 'Father Wants Us Dead' podcast extras: Never before seen List - Nj After gruesomely murdering his entire family, John List had begun living a normal life again. [8], On November 9, 1971, List murdered his entire immediate family, using his own 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun[9] and his father's Colt .22 caliber revolver. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck was the second wife of John Steinbeck, master story-teller and Nobel Prize winner. The Lists might have appeared to be the ideal American family, but everything was not as it seemed. While his name is still occasionally mentioned in Cooper articles and documentaries, no direct evidence implicates him, and the FBI no longer considers him a suspect. The John List project: About the reporting - nj.com He lined up the four bodies in the ballroom (he said his mother's body was too heavy to move), put music on the internal intercom, and cleaned up meticulously. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. "I was perspiring like anything," he remembers, but said his wife did not seem to have recognized him. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Ideal YouTube Profile Picture: Size, Dimensions, Tricks, and More, Reasons To Invest In A Good Gaming Laptop, Microphone Sound Recording for Live Streaming, Delores Miller Clark: Learn More about John Lists Ex-Wife, Johanna Thiebaud- All about Shania Twains Stepdaughter, What You May Not Know About Gweneth Gonzales Thomas, Richard Thomas Daughter, Linnell S. Nobori: All there is to Know about Ted Bessells Wife, Online Pharmacies Make it Easy to Compare Medicines Prices, Katya Ariel Tylo Personal Life, Net Worth, & More, Isis Rae Boykin, Personal Life and Net Worth, Finn William Leeves Coben Lifestyle and Personal Life. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. John List and his family were the definition of the American Dream in 1965; they seemed to have it all. But then his life began to crumble. Subsequent jobs didnt pan out. A manhunt for John was declared, but it was not until 18 years that he was arrested. Delores Clark, right, tells reporters at a press conference on June 8, 1989 that she did not believe her husband was John List. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. [41] A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. In an interview in 2008, parents told a reporter in New Jersey that children will not walk past that property, nor do they even want to live on the same street. John List | Criminal Minds Wiki | Fandom John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. Delores Miller Clark lived a simple life in Denver before she met and married John List, who then went by the name Robert Peter Bob Clark. On April 12, 1990 he was found guilty on five . He was the only child born to German-Americans John Frederick List and Alma Maria Barbara Florence List. It took Johns fingerprints to match with the military records to convince the authorities that he was John List. Realizing he was overhearing an important conversation between List and his second wife, the young officer took notes and later related what he heard to investigators from New . The devout Lutherans attended church every Sunday, and List taught Sunday school. Im convinced hes just pulling my chain, Gluck recalled. American Criminal John List was born John Emil List on 17th September, 1925 in Bay City, Michigan, USA and passed away on 21st Mar 2008 Trenton, New Jersey, USA aged 82. A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. He lived at 431 Hillside Avenue with his wife, Helen Morris Taylor; mother, Alma Barbara Florence List; and two children: daughter Patricia, and sons Frederick and John. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. They attended church each week with List's mother, a strict Lutheran who lived with them. John List's confession to his 2nd wife revealed in new episode of [30] As the year progressed, the family's financial problems became more strained; List encouraged his children to seek part-time work, ostensibly to teach them maturity and responsibility, but in actuality to help keep the family financially solvent. In 1950, John List was recalled to active military service. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. "I knew it was wrong. John Schneider Nursed His 'Miracle' Wife Back to Health after His play times were replaced with gatherings around . List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82. Like his father, List was a devout Lutheran and a Sunday school teacher. Several films and documentaries have been made to cover the details of the List murders. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. John List Killed His Family In Cold Blood, Then Disappeared For 18 Years List, who grew up in a strict Lutheran community in Bay City, Mich., was 'immersed in his religion,' he said. Like her sister, Rosanne Cindy inherited her father's musical talent, and by the time she was 16 she was already performing on stage with Johnny and his second wife June Carter. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling List lived at a Midlothian address under the name Robert Clark, FBI Agent Tom ODonnell said. He was apprehended 18 years later in 1989 and was sentenced to five terms of life sentence. Also in 2022, Netflix released a seven-part dramatic fictional miniseries called The Watcher. Psychologists theorized that List would wear the same spectacles he wore as a younger man to remind him of more successful days. ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Accused family-killer John Emil List, who had always looked to his religious faith for answers, was so overwrought over the discovery that his wife had advanced syphilis. A new house was built on the site in 1974. John confessed to committing the murders in February 1990. He killed his immediate family since he could not pay the mansions mortgage after losing his job and did not want them to face ridicule. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. He worked as an accountant, bringing a stable income back to his Victorian mansion; home to himself, his wife, three children and his mother. Flanery lived next door to John List, who was going by Robert Clark, and his second wife, Delores Clark, in Aurora, Colorado from 1985 to 1988. Then he sat down and ate lunch at the same table where he had shot his wife hours before. He slept in the mansion where his family lay dead, then walked out the door the next morning and wasnt seen again for 18 years. "I grew up with the idea that you should provide for your family and to do that you had to be a success in the job that you had or you're a failure, and that was not a good thing to be," he said. No one has stepped forward to claim the body of mass murderer John List, who died while serving a life sentence for killing his Westfield family in 1971, authorities said today. An aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. He murdered his mother, wife and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey on November 9, 1971. Then, he went to the bank to close his accounts and cash his mother's savings bonds. The 14th and final defense witness was the defendant's brother John . To avoid sharing this humiliating development with his family, List engaged in the same routine and dress as when employed, leaving home each morning on schedule and spending the day at job interviews or at the Westfield train station, reading newspapers until it was time to come home. List left a confession letter at the scene, so police had little doubt as to who was responsible for the killings. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The research in this book is outstanding, and Sharkey clearly put a great deal of time and effort into it. See the events in life of John List in Chronological Order, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_List_(mugshot).jpg, https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/john-list-10634.php. By then, progression of the disease combined with her excessive alcohol consumption had, according to testimony, "transformed her from an attractive young woman to an unkempt and paranoid recluse"[30][32] who frequently and often publicly humiliated List, comparing his sexual prowess unfavorably with that of her first husband. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. After seeing all his children off to school, John List set his plan in motion. [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. After light bulbs began burning out one by one, they called the police. He. [35] At his sentencing hearing, he denied direct responsibility for his actions: "I feel that because of my mental state at the time, I was unaccountable for what happened. He became increasingly depressed. Afterwards, he dragged his wifes body to the ballroom and made himself lunch and ate it. FBI agents visited his unsuspecting second wife in Virginia and handcuffed the killer, who was going by the name Robert P. Clark, at his accounting office. They got him down in Virginia.. The Case of John List. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran | by He was not, however, willing to suffer the earthly consequences of his actions. [15] Destroyed along with the home was the ballroom's stained glass skylight, rumored to be a signed Tiffany original, worth at least $100,000 at the time (equivalent to $650,000 in 2021). After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning coffee. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. He did not mention his wife, his mother, or his children. The arrest followed Foxs Americas Most Wanted, featuring a sculpted clay bust of Johns age-progressed face. John Emil List, a.k.a. Cindy wrote a book about her family, "The Cash Family Scrapbook." Cindy married three times, and shares a daughter, Jessica, with her first husband, Cris Brock. John List - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays The memory of the murders still haunts Westfield residents. In addition, it will contact the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Administration and Public Welfare for any possible death benefits. List left the bodies of his wife, his mother, Alma, 84, and his children, Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, and several confessions and apologies in his Westfield home in November 1971 and disappeared for 17 years. [43], The movie A Killer Next Door, based on the events that led to the capture of John List, was released In July 2020. The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their . If you want to get the most Any streaming system that wants to deliver live audio must have microphones. HOW HE MET HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE John Schneider and his wife, Alicia Allain, began their journey after his divorce from his first wife of twenty-one years. The episode aired on May 21, 1989 (Opens in a new tab), catching the eye of a neighbor who called the police and warned Clark's second wife, who seemed "stunned." (Opens in a new tab) List was . List is accused of killing his wife, his three children and his mother in 1971. The couple later moved to Richmond together . A neurologist, Dr. Henry Liss, testified earlier Friday that Helen List, 45, had tertiary syphilis and had hidden her disease for years from her doctors and her family. Although it is a work of fiction, much of the character John Graff was borrowed from the story of the John List murders. $1 Million - $5 Million. photos, Authorities went to Clarks home and spoke to his wife, whom he met at a church social gathering. John List: The Father Who Killed His Entire Family and - The Lineup 'To find his wife having a veneral disease was morally, ethically and religiously a very hard thing for him to accept,' the psychiatrist said. The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, Feb. 27 proceedings in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial or a replay upon completion. "I finally decided the only way to save them from that was to kill them," he said. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. They attended church every Sunday as devout Lutherans and List taught Sunday school. John packed off his children to school and loaded both of his handguns. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army and served as a laboratory technician during World War II. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. John enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 and was a laboratory technician during World War II. Reporters Rebecca Everett and Jessica Remo explore the impact of the capture, meeting people in Virginia who saw List unmasked and tracking down Lists second wife one side of the infamous story thats never been told. His father-in-law had heard from the county sheriff: After nearly 18 years, List had been caught. List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. [32], On April 12, 1990, List was convicted of five counts of first degree murder. He then shot his wife in the back of the head as she enjoyed her final sips, careful to ensure that her last moments were free of suspicion. Delores Clark said that she was making her statement reluctantly and that she would have no further comment. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. Delores and John divorced in 1989, probably following his arrest on 1 June. He was arrested 11 days later, and, after a jury rejected his diminished capacity defense, convicted and sentenced. But after doctors at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York concluded that her symptoms might be caused by syphilis, she admitted that she had suffered from the disease since the 1940s and had been treated for it at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. He turned on the lights and the radio, leaving religious hymns playing in the houses empty rooms. All List wanted was to reunite with his wife, mother, and children in the afterlife, where he believed there would be no pain or suffering. His picture was also shown on television, which led one of his neighbours to notify the authorities. Helen and her three children were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. The News Leaders copyright story quoted his pastor, closest friend and neighbors as saying that the arrest was unbelievable and impossible.. When authorities entered the Westfield, New Jersey house on December 7, 1971, they heard organ music piped through the intercom system. List (born 1968), American economist. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We have estimated John A. List's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. In an interview with Connie Chung in 2002, List said he didnt kill himself after killing his own family because he felt that would prevent him from getting to heaven. [13] List also stopped milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. Then he made a sandwich, drove to the bank, and disappeared for 18 years. During that time, he was associated romantically with a number of celebrities, including a nine-year affair with actress Merle Oberon. Authorities walk John List to a plane in Richmond,. lists Jurors deliberated for about . John List with his wife and three children. He said they were going to North Carolina to visit an ailing relative. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . He was caught after the television show "America's Most Wanted" air a segment on the murders. The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. The army discharged him in 1946, after which he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "I feel when we get to heaven we won't worry about these earthly things. [32][34] Welfare was an unacceptable option, he reasoned, because it would expose him and his family to ridicule and violate his authoritarian father's teachings regarding the care and protection of family members. [16], List died of complications from pneumonia aged 82 on March 21, 2008, while imprisoned at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. A month passed before neighbors, curious about the constantly burning lights and empty windows, began to suspect something was wrong at the List mansion. John List may refer to: John A. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Interview statement on List's confession to his second wife. YouTubeForensic artist Frank Bender uses photographs to sculpt an aged bust of mass murderer John List. Upstairs, the body of List's 84-year-old mother Alma was found. Episodes, photos and other information are also available at fatherwantsusdead.com. This is not the man I know. Delores Miller (wife) and John List are divorced. A deputy sheriff at the Henrico County Jail was tasked with watching John List after his arrest in 1989. The tipster said her neighbor was also an accountant and attended church. After making himself lunch, List drove to his bank to close both his and his mother's bank accounts, and then to Westfield High School to watch his elder son John Frederick, 15, play in a soccer game. But his defence was rejected and he was imprisoned at the New Jersey State Prison. The trail went cold. [7] In 1965, List accepted a position as vice president and comptroller at a bank in Jersey City, New Jersey, and moved with his wife, children, and mother into Breeze Knoll, a 19-room Victorian mansion at 431 Hillside Avenue in Westfield. news, Following his high school graduation, he enlisted into the American military and worked as a lab technician. [18][19][20], In 1972, List was proposed as a suspect in the D. B. Cooper air piracy case because of the timing of his disappearance (two weeks prior to the airline hijacking), multiple matches to the hijacker's description, and the reasoning that "a fugitive accused of mass murder has nothing to lose. Then, read the chilling story of John Wayne Gacy, the original killer clown. After learning about the murders committed by John List, check out the story of Dale Cregan, the one-eyed killer. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Contents 1 Background 2 Familicide, Capture, and Incarceration 3 Modus Operandi 4 Known Victims 5 Notes 6 On Criminal Minds 7 On Suspect Behavior 8 Sources Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Helen was first. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. John and Helen began dating and a few months later, Helen revealed to John that she had become pregnant. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. List had a masters degree in accounting, but lacked social skills and had a history of losing jobs. He simply exploded.'. The jury finally found John List guilty and a judge sentenced him to five life terms in a New Jersey prison. By 1971, he was still leaving for work every morning, but unknown to his family he was unemployed and unable to pay the bills. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . Net Worth in 2022. At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and married her in 1985. And it came from a family member of all people. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. The inconspicuous accountant was arrested without incident Thursday at work. Joseph Vought, Ludwig "Lou" Silbermann, Jerome Kendall, George Corbett,. He settled in New Jersey and took a job at a local bank. On November 9, 1971, John List put his plan into action. The Star-Ledger reporter, who loved to chat about the infamous murderer with the locals on his Union County beat, was grabbing a sandwich for lunch when he got a tip of his own. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. All five victims had been shot. Judgment Day: The John List Story (TV Movie 1993) - IMDb He was born as the only child in the highly religious German-American household. She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. Financial troubles combined with his discontentment with his family over many issues caused severe depression to John, who then decided to take a drastic step to end everything once and for all. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. But, during a four-hour interview, he sought to explain how worries that financial hardship would split his family and turn them away from their faith forced him to make a tough decision. Wertheimer allowed the jury to hear testimony about Helen List's syphilis after Miller told him, in a brief hearing, that List knew what his wife suffered from before he killed her. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. He says today he felt he was letting the family down. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. The New Jersey mansion he inhabited with his mother, wife, and three children had 19 rooms, including a ballroom, marble fireplaces, and a Tiffany skylight. 07, 2022, 8:00 a.m. The third wife was Pilar Pallette, with whom he had three more children. He then walked up to the third floor and shot his 85-year-old mother, Alma. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. He was arrested in 1989 after a former neighbor recognized him from a profile on the syndicated TV show America's Most Wanted. [31] Though her health progressively deteriorated, she said nothing to List or her physicians until 1969, when a thorough workup revealed the condition. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. Suspect in Family Slaying 'Not Man I Know,' Wife Says The mansion in New Jersey where John List lived with his family burned down several months after the murders. [12] Neighbors noticed that all of the mansion's rooms were illuminated day and night, with no apparent activity within the house. Then he went downstairs, dragged his wife's body into the ballroom and began scrubbing up the blood so the children would not realize what was going on when they got back from school. The John List Murders - Historic Newspapers "I wish I had never done what I did," he told Connie Chung in 2002. But back in Denver, his former neighbors did recognize him, and called police. However, he was a loner who was not socially active and had very few friends in school and his locality. On Nov. 9, 1971, after sending his children off to school, List took his two handguns out to the car to load them, then walked into the kitchen and shot his wife from behind as she was drinking coffee. He married Helen and raised three children with her, while working as an accountant in many places, such as New York and New Jersey. Fast forward 18 years to 1989. Jury in List family-killing trial told of wife's syphilis - UPI The List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot.
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