Births

Kenneth Noye

1876 – Hilda Nilsson – born Hilda Lagerstedt in 1876, was a Swedish serial killer who gained infamy as the “Angel Maker of Bruks Street.” Her life and crimes cast a long shadow over Swedish history, making her one of the country’s most notorious female killers. Nilsson’s early life was marked by hardship. Born into poverty, she faced a challenging upbringing in rural Sweden. As a young woman, she moved to Helsingborg and turned to prostitution to survive. She married Gustav Nilsson but remained childless, a deep frustration that gnawed at her. Despite her struggles, Nilsson presented a different image to the world. She posed as a kind and caring woman who took in unwanted children for a fee, promising to act as their “angel” and find them loving homes. Desperate and unmarried mothers, often facing societal stigma and economic hardship, entrusted their children to Nilsson’s care. However, Nilsson’s promises were a cruel deception. Instead of finding new families, the children entrusted to her met a tragic fate. Between 1913 and 1915, Nilsson murdered at least eight children, most likely by smothering them. Her motives remain shrouded in mystery, with some speculating financial gain while others point to a twisted sense of control or even a warped maternal instinct. In 1917, Nilsson’s web of lies began to unravel. A mother, Blenda Henricsson, became suspicious when Nilsson denied her access to her child. Henricsson’s persistence led to a police investigation that uncovered Nilsson’s horrifying crimes. Nilsson’s trial was a sensational event, capturing the attention of the entire nation. She was found guilty of eight murders and sentenced to death. However, before the sentence could be carried out, Nilsson took her own life by hanging herself in her prison cell. Ironically, the day of her suicide coincided with the commutation of her death sentence to life imprisonment, a decision she never knew about. Hilda Nilsson’s story remains a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. Her crimes sparked widespread debate about social issues like poverty, desperation, and the plight of unmarried mothers. Her case also led to reforms in childcare regulations and adoptions in Sweden. Nilsson’s infamy endures, her name forever etched in Swedish criminal history as the “Angel Maker of Bruks Street.” Her story serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us to be wary of easy answers and to always question the motives of those who promise salvation, especially when dealing with the well-being of vulnerable children.

1947 – Kenneth Noye – Noye is a British criminal who gained notoriety for his involvement in several high-profile crimes. He was born on May 24, 1947, in Bexleyheath, Kent, England. Noye began his criminal career in the 1970s and quickly gained a reputation for being a ruthless and violent enforcer. He was known to be involved in various criminal activities, including fraud, extortion, and drug trafficking. In 1983, Noye was involved in the murder of an undercover police officer, Detective Constable John Fordham. Noye was charged with the murder but was acquitted in court. This incident made Noye one of the most wanted criminals in the UK, and he went into hiding for several years. Noye resurfaced in 1996 when he was involved in the infamous “M25 road rage killing.” In this incident, Noye stabbed Stephen Cameron to death in a confrontation on a motorway outside of London. Noye fled to Spain but was eventually extradited to the UK, where he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Despite being behind bars, Noye continued to be involved in criminal activities. In 2017, he was convicted of conspiracy to import drugs and was sentenced to an additional 16 years in prison. Noye’s criminal career has made him one of the most notorious and reviled figures in British criminal history.

1948 – Francisco Escalero – entered a world marked by hardship. Raised in a slum near a cemetery, he witnessed death from a young age, cultivating a morbid fascination. A sickly and reserved child, Escalero had little formal education and endured a tumultuous family life, marred by his father’s brutal abuse. By his teenage years, he exhibited disturbing tendencies, wandering the cemetery at night and committing petty thefts. Escalero’s first brush with the law came at 16, landing him in a psychiatric hospital. Released into a life of petty crime, he escalated to rape and violence, serving a 12-year prison sentence. Upon release in 1984, unable to hold down a job, he took to the streets as a beggar, struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction, and the grip of schizophrenia. From 1987 to 1994, a dark shadow fell over Madrid’s homeless community. The “Matamendigos,” a serial killer targeting vagrants, remained elusive until Escalero’s arrest in 1994. Initially confessing to 14 murders, his claims varied, with investigators estimating at least 11 confirmed victims. The brutality of his crimes, often involving necrophilia and cannibalism, shocked the nation. Declared insane, Escalero was institutionalized in a psychiatric hospital, where he remained until he died in 2014. While the case closed, the Matamendigos’ legacy haunts the memory of Madrid’s vulnerable communities. Escalero’s life is a tragic study of the intersection of mental illness, social marginalization, and violent impulses. When approaching his story, it’s crucial to do so with sensitivity and respect for the victims and their families. Highlighting the social context and systemic issues is paramount, avoiding sensationalization or glorification of violence.

1950 – Thomas DeSimone – nicknamed “Two-Gun Tommy” or “Tommy D,” was a notorious American mobster associated with the Lucchese crime family in New York City. Born in 1950, he led a short but violent life, marked by association with major heists, brutal murders, and a chilling disappearance that remains unsolved. DeSimone’s family had deep roots in organized crime. His grandfather and uncle were both bosses of the Los Angeles crime family, and this connection undoubtedly influenced his path. By his teens, he was already involved in petty scams and robberies alongside future mob associate Henry Hill. DeSimone’s ruthlessness and connections quickly gained him recognition within the Lucchese family. He became a trusted associate of caporegime Paul Vario, participating in major operations like the infamous 1967 Air France robbery at JFK Airport and the 1978 Lufthansa heist, the largest cash robbery in American history at the time. DeSimone was known for his volatile temper, sadistic tendencies, and penchant for violence. He allegedly committed numerous murders, including the brutal 1970 killing of William Bentvena, a member of a rival family. His violent outbursts and unpredictable behavior made him a feared figure even within the mafia. DeSimone’s life story served as a key inspiration for the character of Tommy DeVito in Martin Scorsese’s classic gangster film “Goodfellas.” Actor Joe Pesci’s portrayal of DeVito, capturing DeSimone’s volatility and brutality, earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 1979, at the age of 28, DeSimone vanished without a trace. The prevailing theory is that he was murdered by his associates, possibly due to his erratic behavior and concerns about his becoming a liability. His body has never been found, and his disappearance remains one of the mafia’s most enduring mysteries. Despite his short life, Thomas DeSimone left a lasting mark on the world of organized crime. His association with major heists, his violent reputation, and his unsolved disappearance continue to fascinate and intrigue people to this day. He serves as a chilling reminder of the dark underbelly of the mafia and the often tragic consequences of a life of crime.

1950 – Lorenzo Gilyard – He emerged into a world tainted by violence, with family members plagued by criminal convictions. His father was a rapist, his sister a convicted murderer, and another brother was incarcerated for a drug-related killing. This bleak backdrop foreshadowed the darkness that would engulf Gilyard’s own life. From a young age, Gilyard exhibited a pattern of aggression and predatory behavior. He assaulted women, both friends and strangers, and racked up a string of rape accusations. This culminated in a 1975 conviction for raping a 13-year-old girl. Yet, he remained at large, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. In 1977, a chilling specter began to haunt Kansas City. Women, primarily prostitutes, started disappearing, their bodies discovered later, strangled, and discarded. This was the reign of the “Kansas City Strangler,” and Lorenzo Gilyard was the monster behind the mask. For sixteen years, Gilyard operated with impunity, preying on the marginalized and forgotten. He is believed to have murdered at least thirteen women and girls, his reign of terror leaving a trail of grief and fear in its wake. Police struggled to find the elusive killer, their frustration mounting with each unsolved case. In 2004, a fortuitous DNA match finally linked Gilyard to the crimes. After years of meticulous investigation, the evidence led to his arrest. He maintained his innocence, but a jury saw through his facade. In 2007, he was convicted of six murders and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Gilyard remains incarcerated, serving his sentence at the Crossroads Correctional Center in Missouri. While justice has been served, the wounds inflicted by the Kansas City Strangler continue to scar the city’s memory. His story serves as a stark reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface, and the enduring struggle to bring closure to victims and their families. Lorenzo Gilyard’s biography cannot be solely painted with the brushstrokes of a serial killer. It is a story of a troubled childhood, a descent into depravity, and the relentless pursuit of justice. It is a cautionary tale, a reminder to confront the shadows within ourselves and our communities and strive for a world where the vulnerable are protected from the monsters that walk among us.

1951 – Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon – Melendez-Colon is a Puerto Rican man who spent over 17 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. He was born on May 18, 1951, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Melendez-Colon moved to the United States when he was a young man and settled in Florida, where he worked as a farm laborer. In 1984, he was arrested and charged with the murder of Delbert Baker, a man who was killed during a robbery at a drug dealer’s home. Despite the lack of physical evidence tying him to the crime, Melendez-Colon was convicted and sentenced to death in 1984. He spent the next 17 years fighting for his innocence, with the help of advocacy groups and his legal team. In 2002, Melendez-Colon was finally exonerated when it was discovered that the key witness in his trial had lied about his involvement in the crime. Melendez-Colon was released from prison and returned to Puerto Rico, where he has become a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform. Melendez-Colon’s wrongful conviction and subsequent exoneration have become emblematic of the flaws in the American criminal justice system. He has spoken out about his experiences and has become a leading voice in the fight against the death penalty and wrongful convictions.

1954 – Arthur Martin Ross – He is known for a crime he committed on April 10, 1990, in Tucson, Arizona, USA. Ross posed as a businessman interested in leasing a vacant office and arranged a meeting with a 26-year-old male real estate agent named James Ruble. Once inside the office, Ross shot Ruble twice in the head with a nine-millimeter handgun. He then fled with Ruble’s wallet, which contained a credit card, a bank card, and identification. Ross used the bank card to withdraw approximately $800 from Ruble’s account at automatic teller machines in Tucson and Casa Grande. He was arrested in Casa Grande on April 14, 1990. Ross was tried and found guilty of premeditated murder. He was sentenced to death in April 1991. Despite having legal options available, Ross chose not to use them, stating that he was tired of living on death row and would rather die. He was executed by lethal injection in Arizona on April 29, 1998.

1960 – David Mark Hill – Hill had been married for about 5 years and he and his wife had three children, one of whom was quadriplegic due to an accident, he had received divorce papers from his wife and noticed that he had been accused of sexually abusing his disabled daughter. Social services got involved and Hill’s wife and kids moved out of the home, so distraught was he at this that he went to the social services offices and shot and killed three members of staff, the reasons he later gave were that one staff member had organized to have his kids removed from him, one had seen him with the gun and the last one was shot simply because she was black!!

1961 – Scott Mansfield – On October 15, 1995, the body of Sara Robles was found in a grassy area next to a Winn-Dixie grocery store in Kissimmee, Florida. Robles was found with her clothing moved to reveal her breasts and pelvic area, which were mutilated. Mansfield was identified as the last person seen with Robles at Rosie’s Pub, located in the same shopping plaza as the Winn-Dixie. Receipts from purchases made by Robles and Mansfield at the Winn-Dixie were found near Robles’ body. Mansfield was subsequently charged with murder and armed sexual battery. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death on January 30, 1998. The conviction was based on the testimony of witnesses, including a jailhouse informant who testified that Mansfield admitted to the crimes and bragged about them.

1963 – Robert W. Jackson III – Jackson and his friend and accomplice Anthony Lachette wanted to get high but they were short on cash and so could not afford marijuana. The pair decided to rob a house to get the required cash, things were going fine until the owner of the house 47-year-old Elizabeth Girardi came back, Lachette ran off but Jackson decided to confront the homeowner and attacked her with an ax, killing her.

1968 – Louise Ann Turpin – is known for her involvement in the infamous Turpin case. She was born into a family of six siblings and was the daughter of a preacher. Her life has seen its fair share of tumult and purported trauma. She met her husband, David Allen Turpin, at Princeton High School in Princeton, West Virginia. The couple married in Pearisburg, Virginia, in 1985, when David was 23 years old and Louise was 16 years old. They had numerous children as part of their beliefs. The Turpin case involved the maltreatment of children and dependent adults by their parents, David and Louise Turpin of Perris, California, U.S. The ages of the 13 victims ranged from 2 years old to 29. On January 14, 2018, one of the children, then-17-year-old Jordan Turpin, escaped from the family home and called local police, who then raided the residence and discovered disturbing evidence. In February 2019, both Turpin parents pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts, including cruelty to a dependent adult, child cruelty, torture, and false imprisonment. In April, they were sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

1978 – Christopher Hudson – Hudson is an Australian criminal who gained notoriety for his involvement in a violent altercation in Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District) in 2007.  Hudson was a member of the outlaw motorcycle gang known as the Hells Angels. In 2007, he was involved in a confrontation with two other men in the center of Melbourne, during which he shot both men, killing one and seriously injuring the other. After the shooting, Hudson fled to New South Wales, where he was apprehended by police and charged with murder, attempted murder, and other offenses. During his trial, it was revealed that Hudson had a history of violent behavior and had been involved in numerous criminal activities, including drug trafficking and extortion. In 2011, Hudson was convicted of murder and attempted murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 35 years to be served before being eligible for parole.

1981 – Geno Capoletti Wilson – Wilson was a thief and noticed a guy walking around the streets attempting to sell cleaning solution, Wilson intimated to the guy that he would buy some, the two got into a conversation and then Wilson pulled out a gun and demanded the man handover any cash he had, the man said he didn’t have any and almost immediately Wilson shot the man in the head killing him instantly. He was later sentenced to death which was commuted to life in prison without parole.

1996 – Matthew Eappen – Little Matthew Eappen was an 8-month-old infant who was the victim of a highly publicized case of child abuse that took place in 1997 in the United States. He was born on May 24th, 1996, in Boston, Massachusetts. Matthew was being cared for by his nanny, Louise Woodward, when he was found unconscious in his crib. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead soon after. An autopsy revealed that he had suffered severe head injuries and brain damage. Woodward was arrested and charged with murder, and her trial received extensive media coverage. During the trial, prosecutors argued that Woodward had shaken Matthew violently, causing the fatal injuries. Woodward claimed that Matthew had fallen from a piece of furniture and that she had been wrongly accused. In 1997, Woodward was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years. However, her conviction was later reduced to involuntary manslaughter, and she was released from prison after serving just over 279 days in jail.

Deaths

Dr. Arthur Waite

1725 – Jonathan Wild – Wild was an English criminal who lived during the 18th century and is known for his role as a thief-taker, a type of professional thief hunter. He was born in Wolverhampton, England, in 1682. Wild’s criminal career began in his teenage years, and he quickly rose through the ranks of the London underworld. In 1718, he was appointed as a thief-taker, a position that allowed him to profit from both catching and protecting thieves. Wild would often extort money from criminals, threatening to turn them over to the authorities if they did not pay him. He would also sell stolen goods back to their rightful owners, earning a profit on both ends of the transaction. Wild’s criminal activities eventually caught up with him, and he was arrested in 1725 and charged with a variety of offenses, including theft and extortion. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Despite his criminal activities, Wild is remembered for his role in creating a system of organized crime in London and for his influence on the development of the detective novel.

1917 – Dr. Arthur Warren Waite – was born on December 2, 1887, in Grand Rapids, Michigan to Warren W. Wait and Sarah Jane Haines. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and attended the local high school. He claimed to be a physician and took a course in dentistry at the University of Michigan and then studied at the University of Glasgow. Even though he was listed in directories as “Dr. Waite”, he was never a registered physician, nor practiced dentistry. Waite married Clara Louise Peck, the daughter of Hannah M. Peck (nee Carpenter) and John Edward Peck on September 9, 1915, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He poisoned his mother-in-law, Hannah Peck, with arsenic and she died on January 30, 1916. He also poisoned his father-in-law, John Peck, during a dental exam and gave him additional arsenic in his food. When the death was too slow he gave him ether and smothered him with a pillow. John Peck died on March 21, 1916. Waite was found guilty and sentenced to death via electrocution at Sing Sing on May 24, 1917.

1975 – Russell Lee Smith – was an American spree killer. He was born in Bessemer, Alabama, on February 6, 1947. His father was killed in an ore mine accident in 1951, and his mother died less than a year later, leaving him orphaned at the age of 4. His only sister died of a heart attack at the age of 19. When he was 17 years old, Smith began to live with his aunt Evelyn Harris in Dayton. In 1968, he married, but his wife Laura later left him. He was arrested repeatedly for drunkenness, armed robbery, auto theft, and attempted breaking and entering. In 1970, he was sentenced to one to ten years at the Mansfield Reformatory after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter for the killing of a man during a shootout at a Dayton bar. During his time in prison, two psychiatrists who had examined him found that he had numerous traits of a sociopathic nature. Despite this negative assessment, he was placed on probation in July 1971 after 10 months in prison but continued to receive psychiatric treatment afterward. On May 24, 1975, Smith killed two people and wounded nine others in Dayton, Ohio. He also took two women hostage and raped them before committing suicide.

2013 – Gabriel Fernandez – was born on February 20, 2005, to Arnold Contreras and Pearl Fernandez. Shortly after birth, Gabriel was put in the custody of his great-uncle on his mother’s side, Michael Lemos Carranza, and his partner David Martinez. They raised Fernandez for four years. In 2009, four-year-old Gabriel moved in with his grandparents, due to his grandfather’s objection to Carranza’s and Martinez’s same-sex relationship. He lived with his grandparents until 2012, when his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, regained physical custody of him. Throughout his eight-month stay in the household of Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre, Gabriel Fernandez was systematically abused and tortured. The abuse included regular physical beatings causing broken bones, being forced to eat cat litter and feces, his own vomit, and spoiled or expired foods, being burned with cigarettes, heated spoons and lighters, being shot with a BB gun in various areas of the body, including the face and groin, being pepper-sprayed, being forced to wear women’s clothing, being forced to take cold showers, having to sleep bound and gagged in a small cupboard, and having his teeth knocked out with a bat. On May 24, 2013, Gabriel Fernandez, an eight-year-old boy from Palmdale, California, who had been abused and tortured for months, died due to a beating from his mother, Pearl Fernandez, and her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, two days earlier. Pearl Fernandez and Isauro Aguirre were charged and convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances of torture. Pearl was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and Aguirre was sentenced to death. This tragic case led to concerns over the effectiveness and efficiency of social services in Los Angeles County and led to four social workers being criminally charged in Los Angeles Superior Court. All charges were later dropped.

Events

Gertrude Baniszewski

1966 – Gertrude Baniszewski is sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sylvia Likens.

1969 – Mick Jagger & Marianne Faithfull are arrested for drug possession in England

1989 – French war criminal Paul Touvier is arrested in a monastery in Nice, France

1989 – Sonia Sutcliffe, the wife of Peter Sutcliffe, The Yorkshire Ripper is awarded £600,000 in damages after winning a libel action against the satirical magazine Private Eye, the award was later reduced to £60,000.

1991 – Brazilian serial killer Pedro Filho is apprehended

1997 – Actor Tim Allen is arrested in Michigan for drunk driving

2016 – Actor and comedian Bill Cosby is ordered to stand trial in a sexual assault case in Norristown.

2018 – A record US fentanyl seizure of 120lbs (54kg) is confirmed by police in Nebraska, enough to kill 26 million people – it is one of the largest drug busts in history.

2018 – Actor Morgan Freeman is accused of sexual harassment by several women in a CNN report.

2018 – US President Donald Trump posthumously pardons boxer Jack Johnson for a racially oriented criminal conviction – the transportation of a white woman across state lines.

2018 – The Bangladeshi police are reported to have shot 52 suspected drug traffickers in 10 days.

2022 – 18-year-old Salvador Ramos fatally shoots 19 students and 2 teachers and wounded 17 others at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.