John Sr. shot him nine more times before dragging him into the ballroom with the rest of his family. List methodically murdered his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and their three childrenPatricia, 16; Frederick, 13; and John Jr., 15. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. Inside the mansion's cavernous ballroom, the bodies of List's wife Helen, 46, and his three children Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, were laid out on the floor on sleeping bags. Interview statement on List's confession to his second wife. He was arrested in 1989 after a former neighbor recognized him from a profile on the syndicated TV show America's Most Wanted. Net Worth in 2022. He did not mention his wife, his mother, or his children. On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared; he had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone suspected that anything was amiss. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling. John seemingly grew up without incident, reporting a normal childhood with the exception of his stringently religious upbringing, with which he identified wholeheartedly. Details of Delores life before she married John List are unavailable. 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. [26][27] List continued to stand by his alias for several months, even after his 1989 extradition to Union County, New Jersey; finally, faced with irrefutable evidence including a fingerprint match with List's military records, as well as evidence found at the crime scene he confessed his true identity on February 16, 1990. John Emil List Birth 17 Sep 1925 Bay City, Bay County, Michigan, USA Death 21 Mar 2008 (aged 82) Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA Burial Burial Details Unknown. The alias worked, and he kept it when he moved to Richmond. He was apprehended 18 years later in 1989 and was sentenced to five terms of life sentence. Examples include "Savior," the season 6, episode 16 of the television series Law & Order; the 1987 film The Stepfather and its 2009 remake; the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which List was portrayed by Robert Blake;[39] and the character Keyser Sze in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.[40]. Salary in 2022. John List passed away on March 21, 2008, after suffering from pneumonia. [28][29], At trial, List testified that his financial difficulties reached crisis level in 1971 when he was laid off with the closure of the Jersey City bank. At Fort Eustis in Virginia, he met Helen Morris Taylor, the widow of an infantry officer killed in action in Korea, who lived nearby with her daughter, Brenda. By 1971, he was still leaving for work every morning, but unknown to his family he was unemployed and unable to pay the bills. Then List waited downstairs to kill his children, one by one, as they came home. He married his second wife Delores in 1985. He refused to go on welfare, as it would entail excruciating embarrassment in the community and violate the principles of self-sufficiency that he learned at his fathers knee. This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, 17 things to do in Santa Cruz, the old-school beach town that makes for a charming getaway, Best coffee city in the world? lists This is not the man I know. In addition, it will contact the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Administration and Public Welfare for any possible death benefits. 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. Dr. Miller said List had learned before the killings that syphilis was the cause of his wife's worsening medical and psychological problems and that knowing she had a sexually transmitted disease would have a 'tremendous impact' on someone of his background. With his first wife, John Frederick had had a son, William George, who happened to be the same . He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. After extradition to New Jersey, he was convicted on five counts of first degree murder and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment, making him ineligible for parole for nearly 75 years.[2]. Helen and her three children were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. They separated in 1973 and he moved . Ten days after a creepy, glass-eyed bust of John List was shown on Americas Most Wanted, Westfield residents had not heard of a single promising lead. Helen List apparently was infected with the disease by her first husband, a soldier who was killed in Korea. Associated With. Everything looked great on the surface. One night after dinner, he even asked his family what should be done with their bodies after they died. He was 82 years old at the time of his demise. He killed Patricia when she returned home from school, then the youngest son, Frederick. The family car was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. The episode, "Murder House", premiered on November 18, 2015. A manhunt for John was declared, but it was not until 18 years that he was arrested. List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. In 1950, John List was recalled to active military service. A new house was built on the site in 1974. Returning home, he made several calls to explain that the family had gone to North Carolina to visit his wife's ailing mother, and that he was planning to follow by car. He married Helen and raised three children with her, while working as an accountant in many places, such as New York and New Jersey. And it came from a family member of all people. The News Leaders copyright story quoted his pastor, closest friend and neighbors as saying that the arrest was unbelievable and impossible.. Feb. 20, 2002 -- Thirty years ago, accountant John List methodically murdered his whole family his mother, his wife, and their three children. 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. He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. New Jersey prosecutors had come up with a plan. Police in Virginia arrested mass murderer John List on June 1, 1989, a mere nine days after Americas Most Wanted aired his case. Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German-American parents John Frederick List (18591944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (18871971). At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and married her in 1985. He joined a local Lutheran church and, in 1985, married a widow named Delores Clark, with whom he moved to Richmond, Va. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. "[37] When asked why he had not taken his own life, he said he believed that suicide would have prevented him from going to heaven, where he hoped to be reunited with his family. By then, he was assigned to the finance corps, from where he was discharged in 1952. YouTubeForensic artist Frank Bender uses photographs to sculpt an aged bust of mass murderer John List. It was a masterful depiction of John List. John List died in prison in 2008 at age 82. The man I know is kind, loving, a devoted husband and a dear friend. He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. 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. He says he wanted to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion and to make sure they got to heaven. "I approached all of them from behind so they wouldn't realize till the last minute what I was going to do to them," he said. Their faces were covered. Austin Goodrich, an ABCNEWS consultant who is writing a book with John List, contributed material for this report. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. While there is no set timetable on when that might happen, Daly said the remains of other prison inmates have been stored for up to roughly three months by the medical examiner's office. For the economist, see, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, Dupont de Ligonns murders and disappearance, "Wanted: A Killer Disappears Into Another Life", "John List, famous murderer The Crime Library", "Breeze Knoll: The John List Murder House", "John E. List, 82, Killer of 5 Family Members, Dies", "In Hiding for 18 Years, a Wanted Man Is Caught by the FBI and a TV Posse", "Prosaic Life of Suspect in '71 New Jersey Murders", "Real Estate Assessment Data for 13919 Sagewood Trace", "Notorious AMW Fugitive John List Dead at 82", "Frank Bender, 'Recomposer' of Faces of the Dead, Dies at 70", "John List Bust Remembered as Sculptor Faces Death", "The List Murders Stun Westfield In 1971", "Slaying Suspect Saw 2 Choices, Doctor Testifies", "I Know That What Has Been Done Is Wrong", "Killer of Family Gets 5 Life Terms: Court: Judge sentences accountant who murdered his mother, wife and children 18 years ago to the maximum sentence", "Judge Sentences Family Killer to Life in Prison", "The boogeyman of Westfield, a ghost story that won't end", "How Profitable Sequels Succeed: They Just Bring 'em Back Alive", "The Watcher's Grisly John Graff Murder Sequence Is Based on True Story of a Family Massacre. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army and served as a laboratory technician during World War II. Hopefully they would go to heaven, and then maybe I would have a chance to later confess my sins to God and get forgiveness.". He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. Several films and documentaries have been made to cover the details of the List murders. List saw the children off to school and then shot her in the kitchen as she sipped her customary morning coffee. He took a new identity and also joined a Lutheran church, where he met his second wife, Delores Miller. [3], In November 1950, as the Korean War escalated, List was recalled to active military service. He took a break and made himself lunch. John was arrested and extradited to New Jersey. Authorities went to Clarks home and spoke to his wife, whom he met at a church social gathering. He had saved the souls of the people he loved. Currently, the morgue is storing the body of "Thrill Killer" Richard Biegenwald, who died March 10 while serving a murder conviction for killing five victims - two teenage girls, two young women and one man - in Monmouth County from Oct. 31, 1981, to Nov. 20, 1982. Corrections spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer said the social services unit at New Jersey State Prison, where List was an inmate, will attempt to find the nearest relative to see if that person would claim the body. [10] While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. But back in Denver, his former neighbors did recognize him, and called police. Robbins is one of Pitt-Bradford's . This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. photos, BAY CITY, MI Before killing his mother, wife, and three teenage children in his 19-room New Jersey mansion, John E. List began life in Bay City. [16] In reporting his death, the New Jersey Star-Ledger referred to him as "The Boogeyman of Westfield. In November 1971, the mass murderer and long-time fugitive killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. The army discharged him in 1946, after which he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Assistant Prosecutor Eleanor Clark strongly protested telling the jury of Helen List's syphilis during bitter legal arguments over several days. [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. Los Angeles, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Fox News finally reveals its kryptonite: the bottom line, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Snowboarder dies at South Lake Tahoe resort, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass. The wife of Robert P. Clark--whom the FBI says is really John List, a man who killed his family in 1971--says his arrest is unbelievable and that the alleged killer is not the man I know.. Authorities walk John List to a plane in Richmond, Virginia in 1989 before transporting him to New Jersey to stand trial.Steve Helber/AP. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. Login Helen List lied to her doctors during several hospitalizations, Liss said. They'll either have forgiven me or won't realize, you know, what happened," List told Downtown's Connie Chung in an interview at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, where he is serving five life sentences. He simply exploded.'. He became increasingly depressed. While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran family, single child John List was a fairly shy, odd and obsessed with military books child from Michigan. List gave critical financial problems, as well as his perception that his family members were straying from their religious faith, as his motivations for the murders. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck - Who was She? He says he wanted to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion and to make sure they got to heaven. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The arrest followed Foxs Americas Most Wanted, featuring a sculpted clay bust of Johns age-progressed face. John List was a devout Lutheran who lived with his wife, mother and three children. John List Sr., husband, father, son, accountant, devout Lutheran, had announced that they were going on a family trip, had stopped the paper and milk deliveries and then killed his family. When the children left for school, he shot his wife and his mother to death. He described a woman whose brain was deteriorating and who was going blind, who was addicted to tranquilizers and drank four or five glasses of Scotch a day, who remained in bed because she was afraid of falls but who retained enough social skill to act normally in casual relationships. Episodes, photos and other information are also available at fatherwantsusdead.com. His zodiac sign is Virgo. Feb. 20, 2002 -- Thirty years ago, accountant John List methodically murdered his whole family his mother, his wife, and their three children. The family did not have a lot of visitors and it took the neighbours 29 days to notice that something was off in the house. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. Bradford Patricia Colosimo (23 years), director of arts programming Jon Draeger (35 years), associate professor of chemistry Andrea Robbins (40+ years), instructor of chemistry and algebra, Division of Physical and Computational Sciences. [42] In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. He was not, however, willing to suffer the earthly consequences of his actions. 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. Helen was first. However, the marriage was not very good. John had first moved to Michigan, and then to Colorado, where he took an accounting job in Denver. John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. After driving John Frederick home, List shot him repeatedly because, as misfire evidence showed, his son attempted to defend himself. Then he made a sandwich, drove to the bank, and disappeared for 18 years. He believed that it was his failure as a man to be unable to provide for his family. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. After gruesomely murdering his entire family, John List had begun living a normal life again. A seemingly admirable and usual American man, John List and his family lived happily in New Jersey. 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. 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). In an interview, he stated that he did not kill himself because suicide prevents one from going to heaven. On April 12, 1990 he was found guilty on five . 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. Subsequent jobs didnt pan out. YouTubeThe List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. Because this is one of the most. The undertaker keeps the remains for a year and if nobody comes to claim them, they are put in a concrete vault and buried in a grave (at the state cemetery) on Cedar Lane in Trenton.". He said they were going to North Carolina to visit an ailing relative. His middle son, John Jr. who was also his favorite suffered the most brutal death. If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. As I was doing it I knew it was wrong," he said. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck was the second wife of John Steinbeck, master story-teller and Nobel Prize winner. Wikimedia CommonsJohn List with his wife and three children. 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. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. A former Denver neighbor alerted the police, who made the arrest later. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Because syphilis is not infectious in its later phases, she did not pass it on to John List or her children, although she suffered several miscarriages during her first marriage. She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. In a second attempt at love, he was lucky enough to find a business and life partner in Allain, a producer and hairstylist. 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. "I finally decided the only way to save them from that was to kill them," he said. WhenAmericas Most Wantedaired the story of the John List murders on May 21, 1989, an audience of 22 million saw Frank Benders sculpture. [5] By 1959, List had risen to general supervisor of the company's accounting department; but Helen, an alcoholic, had become increasingly unstable. "List, an unemployed accountant and devout Lutheran who shot his wife, mother and three children and disappeared for 18 years before being captured following a tip, died on Friday from massive blood clots in both lungs, authorities said. "I'm sure that if we recognize each other that we'll like each other's company just as we did here, when times were better.". He died on March 21, 2008 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. Then, he went to the bank to close his accounts and cash his mother's savings bonds. Dr. Steven Simring, a psychiatrist who examined List after his arrest years later, told Downtown his "sense of neatness" was the result of a compulsive personality. 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.