Births

Michelle Knotek

1951 – Paul Leslie Snider – A Canadian nightclub promoter and pimp who was married to Playboy model and actress Dorothy Stratten, as Stratten’s star was shining brightly things were not going as well for Snider, and Stratten left him, he was so enraged by this that on August 14th, 1980 he would rape and murder Stratten before taking his own life. 

1952 – Donald Harvey – was an American serial killer and former nurse’s aide who gained notoriety for his crimes committed in the healthcare setting. Born in Butler County, Ohio, Harvey exhibited troubled behavior from a young age and experienced a difficult childhood. His early life included instances of abuse and a tumultuous family environment. Harvey’s criminal activities began in the 1970s when he started working as a nurse’s aide at various hospitals in Ohio and Kentucky. Over several years, he committed a series of murders, estimated to be between 37 and 57 victims, though the exact number remains unclear. His victims included patients under his care, as well as colleagues and acquaintances. Harvey’s preferred methods of killing varied, and he used various means such as poisoning, suffocation, and other methods that took advantage of his position in the healthcare system. His crimes went undetected for a considerable amount of time due to the nature of his work and the difficulty in tracing the cause of death in many cases. The authorities finally apprehended Harvey in 1987, when he confessed to his crimes during an unrelated investigation. In 1987, he pleaded guilty to 37 murders and was sentenced to multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole. He spent the rest of his life in prison, showing little remorse for his actions. Harvey died in prison on March 28, 2017, after being attacked by a fellow inmate.

1952 – James Wilson Chambers – Whilst on temporary release from prison after shooting a man at a bar, Chambers got into an altercation with Jerry Lee Oestricker at a bar and as they were leaving Chambers hit him, knocking him to the floor, Oestricker got up, hands raised not wanting any trouble when Chambers shot and pistol-whipped him whilst taunting him mercilessly. Oestricker died from his injuries and Chambers was given the death penalty.

1954 – Michelle Knotek – is a woman who was convicted of two murders and one manslaughter in Washington state. She was born in 1964 and grew up in a troubled family with an alcoholic mother and a mentally ill father. She married David Knotek, a charismatic businessman, and had three daughters with him. She also had a nephew, Shane Watson, who lived with them. Michelle Knotek was known for her generosity and kindness, as she often invited friends and relatives to stay with her and her family. However, behind the facade of hospitality, she was hiding a dark side of abuse, torture, and murder. She killed two of her boarders, Kathy Loreno and Ronald Woodworth, in 1994 and 2003 respectively. She also killed her nephew Shane Watson in 1994. She allegedly starved, drugged, burned, doused with bleach, and before death made her victims drink urine. Michelle Knotek’s crimes were exposed when her daughters came forward with their horrifying stories of what their mother had done to them and their guests. They said that Michelle Knotek had brainwashed them into believing that they were evil for speaking out. They also said that they feared for their lives after being released from prison. Michelle Knotek was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the murders of Loreno and Woodworth, and 15 years for the murder of Watson. She served about 18 years at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor before being released on November 8, 2022. Her husband David Knotek served about 13 years at the Monroe Correctional Complex before being paroled in 2016.

1956 – William Theodore Boliek Jr – is a death row inmate in Missouri who was convicted of murdering Jody Harless, an 18-year-old woman, in 1983. He was sentenced to death in 1984, but his execution was stayed by then-Governor Mel Carnahan in 1997 due to claims of inadequate representation during his trial and appeals. The stay was not resolved before Carnahan died in a plane crash in 2000, and Boliek remains on death row to this day. Boliek was involved in a robbery with two other men, Vernon Wait and Linda Turner’s brother Don Anderson, and the Harless sisters, Jill and Jody. After the robbery, they decided to leave town and hide in southern Missouri, where Boliek’s parents lived. Along the way, they robbed a store in Nevada, Mo. Later that night, they made a rest stop along Route M in Oregon County. As Jody Harless got out of the car to stretch her legs, Boliek took a shotgun from the car and shot her twice, once in the stomach and once in the head. He told the victim’s sister that he had fired the second shot into the victim’s mouth and neck so identification of the body would be impossible. Boliek was arrested two days later for an armed robbery of a gas station committed earlier that day. He had escaped from custody but was recaptured by a rancher who discovered his car abandoned on Highway M. The police found two live .410 shotgun shells and two 12 gauge expended shells near the car. The victim’s decomposed body was unidentifiable by viewing and had to be identified by dental records. At trial, Boliek claimed that he did not know that the gun was loaded when he fired the first shot at Jody Harless. He also claimed that Wait fired the second shot at her as she pleaded for her life. The jury did not believe his story and convicted him of capital murder. Boliek appealed his conviction several times, arguing that he did not receive competent legal help at trial and on appeal. His lawyers said that his trial attorney was unprepared for the penalty phase of the trial and that he did not have access to adequate evidence or witnesses. In 2001, the Missouri Supreme Court rejected Boliek’s appeal and affirmed his sentence. In 2000, Governor Carnahan ordered a board of inquiry to investigate claims that Boliek did not get adequate representation during his trial and later appeals. The board submitted a confidential report to Carnahan but he did not announce a decision before he died while campaigning for U.S. Senate. His successor, Bob Holden, said that he would review Carnahan’s order but did not take any action on it. In 2001, the Missouri Supreme Court asked Holden to set an execution date for Boliek but Holden refused to do so until he received more information from Carnahan’s office. However, Holden never received any information from Carnahan’s office because it had been destroyed by fire after Carnahan’s death. In 2009, Governor Jay Nixon issued a stay on Boliek’s execution until further notice due to pending litigation over his case. Nixon said that he wanted to ensure that Boliek would receive fair treatment under state law before proceeding with any execution order. Nixon also said that he wanted to respect Harless’ family’s wishes regarding their daughter’s killer. However, Nixon never lifted the stay on Boliek’s execution despite several requests from Harless’ family members who wanted him executed as soon as possible. As of December 2023, William Theodore Boliek Jr. is still on death row waiting for his final fate.

1956 – Robert Glen Coe – He grew up in a poor and abusive family, where his father would molest him and his sister. He started playing guitar at the age of nine and performed in local clubs by the age of fifteen. In 1979, he kidnapped and killed Cary Ann Medlin, an eight-year-old girl who lived near him. He lured her into his car with the promise of directions to her father’s house but instead drove her to an isolated spot where he sexually assaulted and murdered her. He then dumped her body on the road and fled the scene. He was arrested three days later after some of his family members helped him evade capture by buying him a bus ticket to Georgia. He confessed to the crime after hearing about Cary’s death on the news. He gave a detailed description of how he killed her and why he did it. He was tried and convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, and other charges. He pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty, but he still faced life imprisonment without parole. His trial attracted national attention as one of the most gruesome cases in Tennessee history. On April 19, 2000, he was executed by lethal injection at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee. He became the first person to be executed in Tennessee since 1977 and the first person to be executed for rape-murder since 1985. His execution was controversial as some people argued that he deserved mercy while others argued that he deserved justice for his victims’ families. Robert Glen Coe’s life story is both tragic and fascinating. He had a musical talent but also a dark side that led him to commit unspeakable crimes. He left behind two children from his previous marriage who were raised by his ex-wife Tracy Coe after his death. Tracy later wrote a book about their relationship called The Ghost of Macon Jones: A True Story of Love & Betrayal (2020).

1960 – Robert Bacon Jr – He grew up in a poor and abusive family, and dropped out of school at the age of 15. He joined a street gang and became involved in drug dealing and robbery. He met Bonnie Clark, a white woman who was married to Glennie Clark, at a bar in 1986. They began an affair and planned to kill Glennie for his life insurance money. On February 1, 1987, Robert Bacon Jr. and Bonnie Clark drove to Glennie’s house in Pinehurst, North Carolina. They broke into the house and stabbed Glennie multiple times with a kitchen knife. They then stole his car keys and drove away. They dumped Glennie’s body in a ditch near the airport road. The next day, Robert Bacon Jr. confessed to the police that he had killed Glennie with Bonnie’s help. The police found incriminating evidence in his car and at the crime scene that linked him to the murder. Bonnie Clark was arrested later that day after she tried to flee the country with $130,000 from Glennie’s life insurance policy. Robert Bacon Jr. was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and grand larceny of property over $1,000. He pleaded guilty to all charges except conspiracy to commit murder, which he maintained he did not know about. He was convicted by an all-white jury on June 4, 1987. He received the death sentence for his role in the murder of Glennie Clark. Robert Bacon Jr.’s trial was marked by racial bias and prejudice against him as a black defendant who had dated a white woman. The jury did not hear about Bonnie Clark’s history of alcoholism and physical abuse of her husband and children. The jury also did not hear about Robert Bacon Jr.’s background or his cooperation with the police that led to Bonnie Clark’s arrest. The jury also excluded all prospective black jurors from being selected because they held against him. After all, he was dating a white woman. The jury that sentenced Robert Bacon Jr. to death also did not know that he had confessed to the police that he had killed Glennie Clark with Bonnie’s help. This confession was one of only eight statutory mitigating factors specified by the General Assembly for capital cases. However, this confession was not presented at his trial or considered by his defense attorney because it contradicted Bonnie Clark’s testimony that she had acted alone without Robert’s involvement. Robert Bacon Jr.’s case attracted national attention because of its racial injustice and its potential impact on capital punishment laws in North Carolina. In May 2000, one juror filed an affidavit asserting that the jury had been improperly influenced by racial prejudice and had sentenced Robert Bacon Jr. to death because he was black and had been dating a white woman. In October 2001, Governor Mike Easley commuted Robert Bacon Jr.’s death sentence to life imprisonment without parole after reviewing his case and finding it unconstitutional due to its racial discrimination. Robert Bacon Jr. has been incarcerated at Central Prison since 1987. He has filed several appeals challenging his conviction and sentence based on ineffective assistance of counsel, prosecutorial misconduct, juror misconduct, new evidence of innocence or mitigating circumstances, violation of constitutional rights during trial or sentencing proceedings, etc. However, none of these appeals have been successful so far.

1961 – Jesse K. Timmendquas – Timmendquas had prior convictions for child molestation when on the 29th of July 1994 he enticed 7-year-old Megan Nicole Kanka into his home, where he raped and murdered her. This case caused such a national outcry that  “Megan’s Law” was enacted which makes it a legal requirement for law enforcement to disclose details of where registered sex offenders reside.

1966 – Elena Kiejliches – Russian immigrant and Staten Island resident Kiejliches seemingly had a perfect life, a millionaire husband, two fabulous children, and an amazing home but the marriage was on the rocks, she was having an affair with a would-be rapper and her husband had threatened to leave her poverty-stricken by divorcing her. She couldn’t risk losing it all and she shot her husband Borys and her lover disposed of the body in the marshland near Queens. Once Borys’s murder came to light, Elena and her lover turned on each other, with him providing evidence for the prosecution. She received a sentence of 22 years to life in prison and will be eligible for parole in June 2024.

1966 – Tony Lee Walker – In a drug-fueled stupor, Walker went to the home of his friends 82-year-old Willie Simmons and 66-year-old Virginia Simmons the couple knew him they let him in when he knocked but once Walker got in the house he attacked, tying Willie up whilst beating him with a stick, he then turned his attention to Virginia and sexually assaulted her. In a moment of clarity, Walker realized that the couple would be able to identify him so he decided to kill them both, he savagely beat them both with a stick and then sat and had a beer whilst they died.

1968 – Sanna Sillanpaa – is a Finnish woman who shot three men to death with a rented 9mm Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol on 21 February 1999 in a shooting range in Albertinkatu, Helsinki, and wounded another man, who received lifetime injuries. One man present was not harmed. One of the dead was the shooting club’s 23-year-old supervisor. Sillanpää was born in Helsinki, Finland. She graduated from the University of Helsinki with a degree in computer science in 1991. She worked as an IT consultant for several years before the shooting. On the day of the shooting, Sillanpää rented a gun and ammunition from the shooting range. She then entered the range and opened fire on the people present. She killed three men and wounded another. After the shooting, she calmly left the range and attempted to flee the country. She was arrested at the airport. Sillanpää was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was committed to a psychiatric hospital. She remains institutionalized to this day. The Albertinkadun kolmoissurma, as the shooting is known in Finnish, was a major news event in Finland. It raised questions about gun control and mental health care in the country.

1975 – Daniel Earl Reneau – In December of 1995, Daniel Earl Reneau and Jeffrey Wood devised a plan to rob a gas station in Kerrville. Their initial attempt to recruit two employees of the establishment to participate in the crime was met with refusal. Undeterred, Reneau and Wood proceeded with their criminal intentions. Around 6:00 a.m. on January 2, 1996, with Wood waiting outside, Reneau entered the gas station wielding a .22 caliber handgun. He aimed the weapon at Kris Keeran, the clerk behind the counter, and ordered him to the back room. When Keeran didn’t move quickly enough, Reneau fired a single shot that tragically struck him between the eyes, resulting in almost instantaneous death. Shockingly, without checking on the victim’s condition, Reneau continued with the robbery, and Wood joined in. The duo absconded with a safe, a cash box, and a videocassette recorder containing the store’s surveillance tape. Within 24 hours, both men were apprehended and provided complete confessions. Wood, like Reneau, was convicted and sentenced to death. On June 13, 2002, Reneau’s sentence was carried out.

Deaths

Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria

1925 – Fritz Haarmann – also known as the “Butcher of Hanover” or the “Vampire of Hanover,” was a German serial killer who terrorized the city of Hanover between 1918 and 1924. He is believed to have murdered at least 24 young men and boys, though some estimates place the number as high as 27. Haarmann was born in Hanover in 1879 into a dysfunctional family. His father was an alcoholic and abusive, and his mother struggled to cope with her large family. Haarmann himself was a shy and withdrawn child, often bullied by his peers. He left school at a young age and worked odd jobs, but never held down a steady position. Haarmann’s criminal career began in his early twenties when he was convicted of indecent assault on a young boy. He served a short sentence but was released in 1906. After his release, Haarmann continued to prey on young men, luring them with promises of work or shelter. He would then take them to his apartment, where he would murder them, dismember their bodies, and sell their flesh on the black market. Haarmann’s modus operandi was always the same. He would approach young men, often runaways or vagrants, at train stations or in other public places. He would gain their trust by offering them food, shelter, or a job. Once he had lured them to his apartment, he would bite their neck, claiming it was a way to check for tuberculosis. He would then overpower them and strangle them to death. After killing his victims, Haarmann would dismember their bodies and dispose of the remains in various ways. He would boil the flesh and bones to make soap and soup, which he would then sell on the black market. He would also bury some of the remains in his backyard or throw them into the Leine River. Haarmann’s reign of terror finally came to an end in 1924. One of his intended victims managed to escape and report him to the police. The police raided Haarmann’s apartment and found incriminating evidence, including human bones and bloodstains. He was arrested and charged with 27 murders. Haarmann’s trial was a sensation, drawing crowds from all over Germany. He initially denied the charges, but eventually confessed to 24 of the murders. He claimed that he was driven by an uncontrollable urge to kill and that he had bitten his victims’ necks because he was a “vampire.” Haarmann was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. He was beheaded on April 15, 1925, in Hanover. His case remains one of the most notorious in German history, and he is still considered one of the country’s most prolific serial killers. The Haarmann case had a profound impact on German society. It led to calls for stricter laws against vagrancy and prostitution, and it also raised questions about the nature of evil. Haarmann’s story continues to fascinate and horrify people today, and he is often seen as a symbol of the dark side of human nature.

1931 – Giuseppe “Joe the Boss” Masseria – Born in Menfi, Sicily in 1886, Giuseppe Masseria, better known as “Joe the Boss,” immigrated to the United States in 1903. He quickly gravitated towards the criminal underworld, starting with petty crimes and extortion. His ruthlessness and cunning earned him a reputation, and he rose through the ranks of the Morello crime family, one of the early Italian-American Mafia groups in New York City. By the early 1920s, Masseria had become the boss of the Morello family, which later evolved into the Genovese crime family, one of the Five Families of the New York Mafia. He established a tight grip on the city’s rackets, controlling everything from bootlegging and prostitution to gambling and labor unions. He was known for his brutality and his old-world ways, often settling disputes with violence and intimidation. Masseria’s reign was challenged in the late 1920s by Salvatore Maranzano, another ambitious Mafioso. The ensuing conflict, known as the Castellammarse War, was a bloody power struggle that engulfed the New York underworld. Masseria, clinging to his traditional methods, was ultimately outmaneuvered by Maranzano and his younger, more forward-thinking allies, including Lucky Luciano. In a shocking turn of events, Masseria was assassinated in 1931 while playing cards at Coney Island. The hit was orchestrated by Luciano, who had secretly defected to Maranzano’s side in exchange for the promise of becoming the new “Boss of Bosses.” Masseria’s death marked the end of an era and paved the way for a new generation of Mafia leadership, characterized by a more corporate and business-oriented approach.

1981 – Charles E. Terry – born in 1930 in Waterville, Maine, led a life shrouded in darkness and suspicion. Though convicted of only one murder, his suspected involvement in several others across various states paints a chilling portrait of a potential serial killer. Terry’s early life remains largely obscure. However, glimpses gleaned from official records and local accounts suggest a troubled upbringing marked by petty crime and violence. He reportedly dropped out of school early and drifted from odd job to odd job, often entangled in petty theft and assault charges. This pattern of delinquency laid the foundation for a life on the fringes of society. In 1963, Terry’s life took a sinister turn when he was arrested for the brutal strangulation of Zenovia Clegg in New York. The 68-year-old woman was found in her apartment, bound and strangled with stockings. Evidence, including fingerprints and eyewitness accounts, placed Terry at the scene, and he was subsequently convicted of the murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. While the Clegg murder solidified Terry’s status as a convicted felon, it was merely the tip of the iceberg. Authorities suspected him of involvement in several other unsolved murders across Maine, Massachusetts, and Louisiana. The modus operandi in these cases often mirrored the Clegg killing, with lone women being targeted and strangled. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence, these suspicions never translated into formal charges. Terry served his sentence at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York, where he died in 1981. Throughout his incarceration, he maintained his innocence in the unsolved murders, attributing the suspicions to a combination of circumstantial evidence and his troubled past. However, the truth about his potential involvement in these crimes remains buried in the shadows, leaving behind a legacy of fear and speculation. Charles Edward Terry’s life serves as a stark reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly unremarkable lives. Though only one murder was officially pinned on him, the web of suspicion surrounding him paints a chilling portrait of a potential serial killer whose true body count may never be known.

1986 – Daniel Morris Thomas – On the 1st of January 1976, Thomas went to the home of an associate professor at the University of Florida, Charles Anderson & his wife with the intention of robbery.  When he got inside he was disturbed by Mr Anderson and at this point, Thomas shot him, Mrs Anderson appeared, worrying about her husband and as he lay dying Thomas raped her, he then shot the family dog before leaving.

Events

Matthew De Grood

1865 – Abraham Lincoln dies nine hours after he is shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play “Our American Cousin” at Ford’s theater in Washington

1988 – Leopoldo Narvaiz murdered his ex-girlfriend and her 3 siblings by stabbing them over 100 times

1992 – Billionaire Leona Helmsley is sent to jail for tax evasion

2013 – Boston Marathon bombing

2014 – Matthew de Grood stabbed five young adults to death at a house party in the Brentwood neighborhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

2021 – A shooting at a Fed Ex facility in Indianapolis, Indiana leaves 8 dead and 5 injured