Births

Henri Desire Landru

1869 – Henri Desire Landru – was a notorious French serial killer known as the “Bluebeard of Gambais.” Landru gained infamy for his heinous crimes during the early 20th century, particularly during and after World War I. Landru began his life as a seemingly ordinary individual, marrying and fathering four children. However, he faced financial difficulties, and his entrepreneurial ventures often failed, leading him to engage in various fraudulent activities. In the midst of this, Landru’s personal life became chaotic, marked by multiple extramarital affairs. His criminal activities escalated in the 1910s when he began corresponding with wealthy widows through personal advertisements. Posing as a charming suitor, Landru lured these women into relationships and convinced them to turn over their assets to him. Tragically, after establishing financial control, he would murder his victims, disposing of their bodies in a makeshift crematorium he had set up in his home in the town of Gambais. Landru’s crimes went undetected for several years, thanks in part to his ability to manipulate and deceive his victims. However, his downfall came in 1919 when the sister of one of his victims became suspicious and reported him to the police. Upon searching his property, authorities discovered evidence of Landru’s gruesome acts, including human remains and personal belongings of the missing women. In November 1921, Landru stood trial for the murders of ten women, though the actual number of his victims is suspected to be higher. Despite his attempts to plead innocence and portray himself as a victim of circumstance, Landru was found guilty and sentenced to death. On February 25, 1922, Henri Désiré Landru met his end at the guillotine in Versailles. His crimes and trial captured the public’s imagination, and Landru’s name became synonymous with the archetype of the charismatic, heartless killer. The case also highlighted the vulnerability of women in post-war France and contributed to discussions about the dangers of modernization and changing social norms during that era.

1927 – Patrick Meehan – He grew up in a poor and violent environment, where he learned to survive by stealing and breaking into houses. He became involved in the criminal underworld of Glasgow, working as a safe-blower and a bank robber. He had several convictions for his crimes, but he always managed to avoid prison by using his connections and bribing the police. In 1969, he was one of the suspects in the brutal robbery and murder of Mrs. Rachael Ross, an elderly bingo hall owner who lived in Ayr. The robbers tortured her and her husband for 30 hours before killing her. The police arrested Meehan based on the testimony of Mr. Ross, who said that one of the robbers called himself “Pat”. However, Meehan had an alibi for that night: he was at a pub with his friends. Meehan’s trial was a farce: he pleaded not guilty and claimed that another man named Ian Waddell had committed the crime. His lawyers were incompetent and his witnesses were unreliable. The jury found him guilty after only two hours of deliberation. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Meehan spent 14 years in prison before he was released on parole in 1976. He received a royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II for his innocence, but it did not restore his reputation or his freedom. He became a recluse and lived under various aliases until he died of throat cancer in Swansea in 1994. Meehan’s case is one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in Scottish history. It exposed the flaws and corruption of the criminal justice system at the time, as well as the lack of media attention and public awareness about wrongful convictions. It also sparked a campaign for justice by some prominent figures, such as Nicholas Fairbairn and Ludovic Kennedy.

1943 – Robert Durst – became a notorious figure for his involvement in a series of suspicious deaths and disappearances. Despite never being convicted of the most high-profile cases, Durst’s life was a tangled web of intrigue, tragedy, and unanswered questions. This biography delves into the key events that shaped his life and the controversies that continue to haunt his legacy. Durst was born into immense privilege, the eldest son of Seymour Durst, a real estate tycoon who built a fortune developing skyscrapers in New York City. However, his childhood was marked by tragedy. His mother died in a fall from the family penthouse when he was just seven years old, an event that cast a long shadow over his life. Despite his family’s wealth, Durst exhibited a rebellious streak. He struggled academically and was known for his eccentric and withdrawn personality. After graduating from Lehigh University, he enrolled in a Ph.D. program at UCLA but dropped out to pursue alternative lifestyles, living in communes and exploring his artistic side.  In 1973, Durst married Kathleen McCormack, a medical student. The couple moved to Maine, where he attempted to run a health food store. However, their marriage was troubled, and Kathleen mysteriously disappeared in 1982. Despite an extensive investigation, her remains were never found, and Durst became the prime suspect. As the years passed, more suspicious deaths followed Durst. In 2000, his longtime friend Susan Berman, who could have provided crucial information about Kathleen’s disappearance, was murdered in Los Angeles. Durst eventually fled to Texas, where he disguised himself as a mute woman and killed his neighbor, Morris Black, in a bizarre chain of events. Although acquitted of the Black murder, Durst was arrested in 2015 for Berman’s killing. The HBO documentary series “The Jinx,” which chronicled his life and the investigations surrounding the deaths, was instrumental in his capture. In 2021, Durst was finally convicted of Berman’s murder and sentenced to life in prison. On the 10th of January 2022, Robert Durst died in a prison medical facility of natural causes due to several health issues, he was 78. 

1947 – Roy Clifton Swafford – Swafford and his friends went on a road trip to Daytona Beach in Florida, whilst there they visited a few bars, and whilst his friends headed back to the campground where they were staying Swafford remained at the bar where he met Patricia Atwell and they spent the night together he returned her at 6 am and drove to a service station where he came across Brenda Rucker, Swafford would abduct her, rape, rob and murder her and then dumped the body in a secluded area and went about his road trip like nothing had happened. It was later found out that Swafford was guilty of another murder in 1981.

1963 – Dennis Ray Roark – He grew up in a dysfunctional family, with an alcoholic father who abused his mother and a brother who was addicted to drugs. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and joined the army, where he served for four years. He was honorably discharged in 1982 and moved to Indiana, where he met Mary Waggoner, a 19-year-old waitress. Roark and Waggoner had two children together: Dennis Jr., who was born in 1984, and Elizabeth, who was born in 1986. They lived with Waggoner’s mother, Betty Waggoner, at her home in Lake County. Roark worked as a truck driver and struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction. He often got into fights with other men and had a history of domestic violence. On February 3, 1989, Roark returned home after a night of drinking and found Waggoner arguing with her mother over money. He told Waggoner that he would rather leave than be yelled at by her mother. Waggoner decided to leave with him and take the kids. She grabbed their son and told them that she would kill herself if they left. She then lunged at Roark with a knife that she had taken from the kitchen. Roark wrestled the knife away from her and stabbed her several times in the chest. He then stabbed Betty Waggoner eight times when she tried to intervene. He then turned his attention to his children, who were hiding under a bed. He stabbed them both multiple times before fleeing the scene. The house was later set on fire by Roark to destroy any evidence of his crime. The police arrived shortly after the fire department put out the flames and found four charred bodies inside: Mary Waggoner, Dennis Jr., Elizabeth Waggoner, and Betty Waggoner. Roark was arrested on February 4 after he tried to rob a gas station near his home. He confessed to killing his girlfriend’s family but claimed that he was insane at the time of the murders due to his mental illness and drug use. He also said that he loved them all very much. Roark went on trial for murder on September 26-29, 1989. The prosecution presented evidence that showed that Roark planned the murders and acted with premeditation and malice aforethought. They also argued that Roark suffered from severe mental disorders that impaired his ability to understand right from wrong or control his impulses. The defense argued that Roark acted under extreme emotional disturbance caused by alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, poverty, unemployment, loneliness, depression, anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions of persecution, or grandeur. They also presented witnesses who testified that Roark had been diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict: guilty of three counts of murder (one count for each victim) and one count of voluntary manslaughter (for Betty Waggoner). The jury also recommended mercy for Roark based on his mental condition. However, Judge James L. Clement rejected the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Roark to death by lethal injection on October 17. He said that he did not believe that Roark was insane at the time of the murders or at any other time during his life. He also said that he did not think that mercy would be appropriate for such a heinous crime. Roark appealed his conviction several times but all of his appeals were denied by higher courts. In December 1994, Governor Robert Orr commuted Roark’s sentence from death to life imprisonment without parole. This meant that Roark would spend the rest of his life behind bars without ever having a chance for parole.

1964 – Frederick Treesh – was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up in a troubled family. He dropped out of school at an early age and became involved in drug dealing and crime. He joined a gang called the Black Pumas and participated in several violent incidents. In 1994, he embarked on a month-long crime spree with two companions, Keisha Harth and Benjamin Brooks, and another man named Anthony Washington. They robbed banks and businesses, committed sexual assaults, stole cars, committed carjackings, and shot someone to death in Michigan during their rampage. They also traveled to Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. On August 27, 1994, they arrived in Eastlake, Ohio, where they planned to rob an adult bookstore called The Book Nook. They entered the store around 11:30 p.m. and demanded money from the clerk at gunpoint. The clerk complied but then reached for the phone to call for help. Treesh panicked and shot him in the face with a .22 caliber pistol. He then fled the scene with his accomplices. The next day, they continued their crime spree until they were cornered by police officers near Cleveland. They exchanged gunfire with the officers but were eventually subdued after a brief struggle. Treesh was arrested along with Harth and Brooks while Washington managed to escape. Treesh was charged with multiple counts of murder, attempted murder of police officers or other persons using a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance; aggravated robbery; aggravated burglary; rape; carjacking; kidnapping; felonious assault; possession of cocaine; possession of drug paraphernalia; tampering with evidence; receiving stolen property; possession of firearms or ammunition by a felon; escape from custody; resisting arrest or obstructing official business; endangering children under 12 years old by exposing them to criminal activity or violence. He pleaded guilty to all charges except for one count of aggravated murder against Washington’s girlfriend who survived being shot by Treesh during their escape attempt from Michigan. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection, and on March 6, 2013, at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, his sentence was carried out.  

1965 – Marko Bey – A 17-year-old juvenile who met 19-year-old Cheryl Alston and sexually assaulted, strangled, and beat her and then dumped her body in an unused parking lot, three weeks after this, he did the same again to 47-year-old Carol Peniston, once caught he received two death sentences which were later commuted to life in prison

1965 – Frances Newton – An American woman with a rap sheet that included three years probation for forgery, after purchasing life insurance policies on her husband and her daughter, she would murder both of them and her 7-year-old son as well. The gun used was registered to a man that Newton was seeing at the time, however, she told anyone who would listen that it was drug dealers who had killed the three. She was found guilty and sentenced to death, for the 17 years she spent on death row she proclaimed her innocence. 

1971 – Walanzo Deon Robinson – was a black man who was executed by the state of Oklahoma in 2003 for the murder of a rival drug dealer, Dennis Hill, in 1989. He was 18 years old at the time of the crime and claimed that he was innocent. However, he was convicted based on eyewitness testimony, which was unreliable and inconsistent. He also alleged that he was subjected to racial discrimination and intimidation by some of the jurors who voted for his death sentence. His appeals were denied by the courts and he did not receive any clemency from the governor. He died at the age of 31 after receiving a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. His case sparked controversy and debate over the fairness and effectiveness of the death penalty in Oklahoma and other states. His family and supporters maintained that he was wrongly convicted and executed, while his opponents argued that he deserved to die for his role in Hill’s murder. His execution was carried out amid tight security and media attention, as it was one of the last executions in Oklahoma before a moratorium on capital punishment was imposed by Governor Brad Henry in 2004.

1973 – Jeremy Bryan Jones – is a notorious American murderer and confessed serial killer. He had a troubled childhood and showed signs of aggression and anti-social behavior, leading to addiction to alcohol and drugs. In 1992, he moved to Baxter Springs, Kansas, where he lived with a friend named Justin Judd. On May 9, 1992, Justin Judd married his girlfriend Jennifer, whom he had known since high school. Two days later, an intruder broke into their home while Justin was away, bound Jennifer, and stabbed her multiple times. Jeremy Bryan Jones was arrested for the murder of Jennifer Judd on May 11, 1992. He claimed that he had nothing to do with the crime and that he was innocent. He also said that he had killed other women in different states since then. In 2005, Jeremy Bryan Jones was arrested for the murder of Lisa Nichols in Mobile, Alabama. He admitted to killing her after she rejected his sexual advances at a bar. He also confessed to killing 17 other women in Kansas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Alabama between 1992 and 2004. However, he later recanted his confessions and said that they were made under duress or coercion by the police or other inmates. Jeremy Bryan Jones was convicted of capital murder for the death of Lisa Nichols on June 28, 2005. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection on July 16, 2005. His execution date has not been set yet due to legal challenges from his lawyers and appeals from the state courts. Jeremy Bryan Jones is currently a death row inmate at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. He has never been charged or convicted of any other murders besides Lisa Nichols’ case.

1975 – Jonathan Huey Lawrence – Lawrence and his friend Jeremiah Rodgers picked up their friend Jennifer Robinson, all three had met up before so they went again to a secluded area in the woods and each of them got drunk and Jennifer had sex with both men after they had finished Rodgers shot her in the back on the head, she died soon after. The men then took Robinson’s corpse further into the woods where Lawrence sliced flesh off her whilst Rodgers took Polaroid pictures, they then buried her.

1993 – Lauren Kavanaugh – is a survivor of horrific abuse and a motivational speaker who advocates for children’s rights. She was born in 1993 and given up for adoption by her biological mother, Barbara Atkinson, who later regained custody of her when she was eight months old. For the next six years, Lauren was locked in a closet and subjected to physical, sexual, and psychological torture by her mother and stepfather, Kenneth Atkinson. She was also sold to pedophiles who raped her repeatedly. She was rescued in 2001 by the police after a neighbor reported the abuse. She weighed only 25.6 pounds and had severe malnutrition, organ damage, and cognitive impairment. Lauren underwent several surgeries and treatments to recover from her injuries. She also received counseling and therapy to cope with the trauma of her abuse. She graduated from high school in 2013 and enrolled in college. She became an advocate for abused children and founded the Lauren Kavanaugh Foundation, which provides support and resources for survivors of child abuse. She also wrote a book about her story called The Girl in the Closet: My Life After Being Locked Up for Six Years. Lauren has faced many challenges and difficulties in her life, but she has also shown remarkable resilience and courage. She has overcome many obstacles and achieved many goals. She has inspired many people with her message of hope and healing. She is a role model for anyone who has suffered from abuse or injustice.

Deaths

Marion Albert Pruett

1928 – Madeleine Hamilton Smith – A 19th Century Glasgow socialite who was the daughter of prominent architect James Smith, her grandfather was neo-classical architect David Hamilton. Smith came to prominence when she was put on trial for the poisoning murder of Pierre Emile L’Angelier, with whom she was having a clandestine affair. The trial was sensational in Victorian Britain especially given that Smith had written her lover a copious amount of letters that were risque for the time, eventually, the verdict that came back was “not proven”.

1999 – Marion Albert Pruett – was a notorious serial killer who confessed to killing at least five people in the 1980s. He was born on October 4, 1949, in Gastonia, North Carolina, and grew up in a poor and abusive family. He dropped out of school in the ninth grade and became involved in drugs and crime. He was arrested several times for robbery, assault, and burglary. In 1979, he was given $800 and a new identity (Charles “Sonny” Pearson) by the federal government as part of a witness protection program. He testified against a fellow inmate who had killed a prison guard in Atlanta, Georgia. However, he later recanted his testimony and claimed that he had committed the murder himself. He resumed his criminal career under his new name and moved from state to state, robbing banks, convenience stores, and other places. He also became addicted to cocaine and spent most of his money on drugs. He killed his common-law wife, Pamela Sue Barker (aka Michelle Lynn Pearson), in March 1981 after she refused to give him money for drugs. He then kidnapped Peggy Lowe from a bank in Jackson, Mississippi, on September 17, 1981, and killed her after she resisted his robbery attempt. He continued to kill other victims across New Mexico, Mississippi, Colorado, and Arkansas until October 12, 1981, when he shot Bobbie Jean Robertson at a convenience store in Fort Smith, Arkansas. She survived the attack but suffered permanent injuries. Pruett fled the scene but was soon captured by the police after a nationwide manhunt. He was convicted of Robertson’s murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He also received three life sentences for killing Barker (in New Mexico), two convenience store clerks (in Colorado), and another woman (in Arkansas). He appealed his convictions but lost all of them. He maintained his innocence until the end of his life. He died on April 12, 1999, at the Cummins Unit prison in Grady County, Arkansas. His last meal consisted of pizza from Pizza Hut,  Burger King Whoppers, french fries, Pepsi, fried eggplant, fried squash, fried okra, and pecan pie. He shared his meal with another inmate who was also scheduled to be executed that day. His execution was carried out without any complications or controversies. Marion Albert Pruett was one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. His crimes shocked the public and raised questions about the effectiveness of witness protection programs and drug abuse prevention programs.

2003 – Robert Henry Nicolaus – was a serial killer born in 1933 in the United States, who committed his heinous crimes in the 1960s and 1980s. In May 1964, Nicolaus shot his three children, aged two, five, and seven, to death in their home in Sacramento, California, and was arrested two days later. He was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, but his convictions were reduced to second-degree murder by the California Supreme Court and he was released on parole in August 1977. In February 1985, Nicolaus killed his ex-wife, who identified him as her killer before her death. He then fled California again and went into hiding. The FBI issued an Identification Order for Nicolaus based on his photo from a newspaper article. A citizen recognized his photo at a post office in York, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 1985, and alerted the authorities. Nicolaus was arrested without incident and extradited to California. He was convicted of one count of first-degree murder for killing his ex-wife and sentenced to death again. He appealed his conviction but it was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990. Nicolaus died of natural causes at the age of 70 while serving his sentence at San Quentin State Prison. He was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Sacramento. Nicolaus is considered one of the most notorious serial killers in California history. His case has been featured in several books, documentaries, podcasts, and TV shows.

2006 – Corey James Jennings – On March 6, 2000, he entered a convenience store carrying a gun and demanded money from the clerk, Quy Quang Lam. Lam emptied the register and handed over all the cash to Jennings, who then took him to the bathroom. Jennings beat Lam with a gun before shooting him to death. He took about $400 from the store. He was identified by his wife and several friends from video surveillance tapes at the store. He denied committing the crime but was convicted by a jury in March 2001. He was sentenced to death by lethal injection on April 11, 2001. He did not have a scheduled execution date until he died in prison on April 12, 2006, at the age of 31.

2012 – David Alan Gore – was an American serial killer whose name is etched in the annals of Florida’s darkest criminal history. His life, riddled with disturbing acts and eventual execution, paints a chilling portrait of human evil.  Born in 1953, Gore’s early life was marked by unsettling glimpses into his future. Fired from his first job for voyeurism at a gas station, he exhibited a disturbing lack of empathy and respect for boundaries. As an adult, he worked as an auxiliary deputy, a position he allegedly exploited to stalk and target potential victims. Gore’s reign of terror unfolded in the early 1980s, often alongside his cousin, Fred Waterfield. Dubbed the “Killing Cousins,” the pair lured young women from the beaches of Vero Beach and Indian River County, Florida, using their charm and Gore’s badge as a facade. Between 1981 and 1983, Gore confessed to and was convicted of six brutal murders. His victims, ranging from teenagers to young women, were subjected to unimaginable trauma before succumbing to his violence. The details of their assaults and deaths remain too disturbing to fully recount. Following a lengthy trial and appeals process, Gore was sentenced to death in 1985. He spent 28 years on Florida’s death row, marked by failed appeals and legal wrangling. Finally, in 2012, his sentence was carried out by lethal injection.

Events

Marc Sappington

1869 – North Carolina legislature passes an anti-Ku Klux Klan law

1919 – Serial killer Henri Desire Landru is apprehended

1990 – James Brown moves to a work release center after serving 15 months of a 6-year sentence for weapons & drug-related charges

2000 – John Eric Armstrong who eventually was convicted of five murders is arrested for the strangulation of Wendy Jordan

2001 – The Kansas City vampire Marc Sappington who gained notoriety for eating part of one of his victims is sentenced to murder

2022 – Terrorist attack on the New York subway injures 26 people, 10 of them by gunfire, the suspect is arrested a day later