Births

David Edward Attias

1683 – Jonathan Wild – Born into poverty in Wolverhampton in 1683, Jonathan Wild’s life carved a path into infamy unlike any other. He straddled the line between criminal mastermind and self-proclaimed crusader for justice, leaving a legacy shrouded in controversy and intrigue. Wild’s early years were a blur of apprenticeships, domestic service, and ultimately, a stint in debtor’s prison. But within those confines, he honed a cunning mind and a knack for navigating the city’s underbelly. Upon release, he found his calling, not as a reformed citizen, but as the self-styled “Thief-Taker General.” Wild’s genius lay in his duplicity. He established himself as a champion against lawlessness, capturing and apprehending petty criminals. His public persona earned him accolades and even cooperation from authorities. But behind the facade, Wild orchestrated a vast criminal empire. He operated a network of thieves, fencing stolen goods, and manipulating the system for his own gain. His “Thief-Taker” business was a shrewd double-edged sword. He eradicated competition by turning in rivals and pocketed hefty rewards for capturing his own accomplices, later returning them to their “employ” for a handsome fee. This intricate web of deceit and manipulation kept him at the top of the criminal food chain. Wild’s life wasn’t without its share of drama. He married Mary Millineaux, a notorious thief and fence herself, and their partnership solidified his grip on the underworld. He even published his own pamphlets extolling his virtues as a crime-fighter, further blurring the lines between truth and deception. However, the walls eventually closed in. Betrayal from within his own organization led to his arrest and a sensational trial. Even on the gallows, Wild remained defiant, claiming his actions had brought order to a lawless city. He was hanged in 1725, leaving behind a legacy that continues to fascinate historians and artists. Jonathan Wild was more than just a notorious criminal. He was a master manipulator, a cunning businessman, and a fascinating enigma. His life serves as a cautionary tale of ambition, corruption, and the thin line between justice and self-interest. Whether villain or hero, his story remains etched in the annals of London’s criminal history, a testament to the enduring allure of the man who dared to play both sides of the game.

1920 – Martha Beck -was an American serial killer couple, known as the Lonely Hearts Killers. They were convicted of one murder, known to have committed two more, and suspected of having killed up to twenty victims during a spree between 1947 and 1949. Beck and Fernandez met through a personal ad. Beck abandoned her children to be with Fernandez, which he saw as proof of her unconditional love. She was extremely jealous and would ensure that Fernandez and his “intended” never consummated their relationship. If she found out they had sex, both of them were subjected to Martha’s violent temper. Their modus operandi involved Fernandez seducing older women before stealing from them, with Beck posing as his sister. They became engaged and Beck moved into Fernandez’s apartment. Their crimes escalated to murder, and they were eventually arrested and tried for serial murder in 1949. Both were executed by electrocution at Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, New York, U.S. on March 8, 1951.

1928 – Werner Boost – born Werner Korecki in 1928, remains a chilling enigma in German criminal history. Dubbed “The Couples Killer” or “Liebespaarmörder” in his native tongue, Boost is suspected of having committed multiple double murders targeting couples in the early 1950s. However, due to a lack of concrete evidence and a single definitive conviction, his true motives and body count remain shrouded in shadow. Boost’s life was marked by hardship from the outset. Abandoned by his father, he spent his childhood in a Protestant orphanage in Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth, eventually being transferred to a care home after stealing money from his mother. At 16, he was drafted into the Wehrmacht during World War II and subsequently became an American prisoner of war. The scars of this tumultuous upbringing, coupled with the horrors of war, likely played a significant role in shaping the darkness that would follow. The string of suspected murders attributed to Boost began in 1952. Young couples, seemingly enjoying carefree outings in the scenic landscapes of West Germany, would vanish, only to be found later, brutally murdered. The modus operandi was eerily consistent: targeted attacks on isolated pairs, often involving firearms and blunt force trauma. The lack of discernible patterns in the victims’ profiles added to the public’s growing fear and the investigators’ bafflement. The sole confirmed instance linking Boost to these killings came in 1953 with the murder of lawyer Bernd Servé and his fiancée. Boost, identified as an acquaintance of the couple, was apprehended after attempting to sell Servé’s car. Circumstantial evidence and ballistics tests tied him to the crime scene, leading to his conviction and a life sentence. Despite the conviction in the Servé case, doubts about Boost’s involvement in other killings persist. Several unsolved double murders from the same period bear striking similarities to his suspected modus operandi, but concrete proof remains elusive. The lack of definitive confessions or corroborating evidence has left the true extent of Boost’s crimes and the number of his victims a chilling mystery.

1930 – David Carpenter – An American rapist & serial killer known as The “Trailside Killer” who was active in San Francisco for around 18 months between 1979 and 1981. He is known to have trailed his victims beforehand in the hills and trails of San Francisco before killing them, he was convicted of the killings of five people and is known to have murdered eight but is believed to have been responsible for more than ten. An interesting fact, his first attempted murder was in 1960 and the intended victim was Lois Rinna who three years later gave birth to future television personality Lisa Rinna from “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” fame, btw he would serve seven years for this attempt.

1937 – Rubin “Hurricane” Carter – was an American middleweight boxer who later became a Canadian citizen. Born in Clifton, New Jersey, he was the fourth of seven children. He had a troubled relationship with his father, a strict disciplinarian. At the age of eleven, he was sentenced to a juvenile reformatory for assault, having stabbed a man who he alleged had tried to sexually assault him. Carter escaped from the reformatory in 1954 and joined the United States Army. While in Germany, Carter began to box for the Army. He was discharged in 1956 as unfit for service, after four courts-martial. In his boxing career, Carter had a total of 40 fights, with 27 wins (19 by KO), 12 losses, and 1 draw. He earned the nickname “Hurricane” for his powerful boxing style. In 1966, Carter and his co-accused, John Artis, were arrested for a triple homicide committed at the Lafayette Bar and Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. They were convicted of all three murders and given life sentences. Carter’s conviction was controversial and attracted widespread attention. His fight against the injustice of his life sentence was taken up by Bob Dylan in his 1975 protest song “Hurricane” and later inspired the 1999 film “The Hurricane”, starring Denzel Washington as Carter. Carter was released following a petition of habeas corpus after almost 20 years in prison. His autobiography, titled “The Sixteenth Round”, written while he was in prison, was published in 1974 by Viking Press. From 1993 to 2005, Carter served as executive director of the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (later rebranded as Innocence Canada).

1969 – Kim Hae-Sun – Sun was a South Korean pedophile, rapist, serial killer, and possible cannibal responsible for the murders of three minors in three months in 2000, he is known to have mutilated at least one victim and he confessed to eating parts of this victim. When convicted he was sentenced to death in 2001, he appealed and it was denied.

1982 – David Edward Attias – is known for a tragic event that occurred on February 23, 2001, in Isla Vista, California, near the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) campus. He was an 18-year-old UCSB student and the son of television director Dan Attias. On the evening of February 23, 2001, David Attias drove his father’s 1991 Saab 9000 at a speed of 50 to 65 miles per hour, hitting five pedestrians. Four people were killed, and a fifth person, who suffered critical injuries, died in October 2016. Witnesses reported that after the incident, Attias got out of the car and shouted, “I am the Angel of Death!” David Attias was charged with four counts of murder, four counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, and five counts of felony driving under the influence. He was ruled legally insane and sentenced to 60 years in a mental institution. In September 2012, a court approved Attias’ release after 10 years.

1988 – Jessica Tata – is known for a tragic incident that occurred at her home daycare in Houston, Texas. On February 24, 2011, a fire broke out at the daycare, resulting in the deaths of four children. The victims were Elias Castillo (18-month-old), Shomari Dickerson (3-year-old), Elizabeth Kojah (20-month-old), and Kendyll Stradford (20-month-old). Tata was convicted of felony murder in connection with the death of 16-month-old Elias Castillo. Authorities stated that Tata had left seven children unsupervised at her home while she went to a nearby Target store. It was alleged that she left a pan of oil cooking on a stovetop burner, which ignited the fire. Three other children were seriously injured. On November 19, 2012, Tata was sentenced to 80 years in prison. In addition to the prison sentence, she was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. She still faces three more counts of felony murder concerning the other children who died, three counts of abandoning a child, and two counts of reckless injury to a child in relation to three who were hurt. After the fire, Tata fled to Nigeria but was captured after about a month. She returned to the U.S. in March 2011 and has remained jailed since. Tata was born in the U.S. but has Nigerian citizenship.

Deaths

Adolfo Constanzo

1927 – Ansis Kaupens – was a Latvian robber and serial killer; perhaps the most famous Latvian criminal of the interwar period. Kaupēns was born in 1895 and baptized in Platone Parish. In 1916 he began serving in the Imperial Russian Army, and after that for the Red Army’s 9th Latvian Riflemen Regiment (with the rank of sergeant), but in 1919 or 1920, he deserted and returned to live in Latvia. He committed his first robbery on 29 January 1920 and the last on 29 May 1926. During this period, more than 30 robberies and 19 murders were supposedly committed. In the meantime, Kaupēns worked as a paper hanger in Jelgava during the day. He was even able to stop and rob a passenger train (on 27 September 1923 between Viesīte and Daudzeva), but mostly robbed on highways. Arrested on 8 June 1926 and sentenced to death, Kaupēns was executed by hanging on 6 May 1927. He was buried in Svēte Parish. The life of Kaupēns became the basis of several books and films, such as Andris Grūtups’ 2001 book Tiesāšanās kā māksla and the 2011 film Kaupēns, which was based on his crimes. Kaupēns is often portrayed as a Robin Hood figure in Latvian folklore, even though he was a violent criminal. This is likely because he often targeted wealthy Germans and Russians during a time of great poverty and hardship in Latvia.

1929 – Dagmar Overbye – A Danish serial killer who has been described as “pure evil” who worked as a child caretaker and a go-between for people wanting children and mothers who didn’t want to keep their newborns. Unfortunately for these babies, they would never be placed with a loving family, instead over 7 years Overbye murdered at least 16 children who she had taken into her care, one being even her daughter!  This vile creature then drowned, strangled, or burnt the children to death in a masonry heater. When convicted they could only prove that she killed nine even though she had confessed to more and was sentenced to death, however, the reigning monarch of Denmark Christian X was against the execution of women and therefore she was re-sentenced to life in prison. Overbye died in prison in 1929, leaving behind a legacy of horror and sorrow. Her case had a profound impact on Danish society, leading to stricter laws governing child welfare and adoption. It also sparked a national conversation about the dark side of human nature and the vulnerability of children.

1958 – Vivian Frederick Teed – was not a man destined for fame. Yet, his name is etched in Welsh history as the last person to be hanged within its borders. His life, tragically brief and undeniably dark, remains a subject of debate and reflection. Born in 1934, Teed’s early life was shrouded in hardship. A troubled upbringing, marked by poverty and personal struggles, hinted at deeper internal conflicts. He held down various jobs, but his path was beset by mental health issues and petty criminality. Then came the fateful night of November 15th, 1957. In the quiet suburb of Fforestfach, 73-year-old William Williams, the local postmaster, was found brutally murdered. Suspicion fell upon Teed, and the evidence, including footprints and bloodstained clothing, seemed damning. In the ensuing trial, Teed’s mental state took center stage. His defense pleaded insanity, attributing his actions to schizophrenia and diminished responsibility. Yet, conflicting diagnoses and witness testimonies painted a complex picture. Was Teed a calculating opportunist or a victim of his own internal demons? The jury found Teed guilty, and despite appeals for clemency, the judge pronounced the death sentence. On May 6th, 1958, Teed met his end at HMP Swansea, becoming the last person to be hanged in Wales. Teed’s case left a deep scar on the region’s conscience. Questions lingered about the fairness of the trial, the role of mental illness, and the ultimate efficacy of capital punishment. Some believe his execution hastened the national debate that led to the abolition of the death penalty in the UK a decade later.

1989 – Adolfo Constanzo – was a Cuban-American serial killer, drug trafficker, and cult leader who terrorized Matamoros, Mexico, in the late 1980s. His followers, a bizarre blend of drug cartel hitmen and devotees of Palo Mayombe, a syncretic Afro-Cuban religion, dubbed themselves the “Narco-Satanists.” Constanzo, their charismatic and ruthless leader, was known as “The Godfather” (El Padrino) and “The Witch Doctor.” Constanzo’s life began in Miami, Florida, born to a young Cuban immigrant mother. His early years were marked by instability and exposure to the occult, as his mother dabbled in Haitian Vodou. As a teenager, Constanzo moved to Puerto Rico, where he embraced Palo Mayombe, a religion that blends Catholicism with African and indigenous spiritual practices. Constanzo’s descent into darkness began in his early twenties when he moved to Matamoros, Mexico. There, he fell in with the Hernandez gang, a group notorious for marijuana and cocaine smuggling. Constanzo quickly rose through the ranks, using his charisma and ruthlessness to become a top lieutenant. Constanzo’s true notoriety, however, stemmed from his fusion of criminal enterprise and Palo Mayombe rituals. He convinced his followers that human sacrifice, particularly the hearts and brains of their victims, would grant them supernatural protection and success in the drug trade. The Narco-Satanists engaged in a reign of terror, kidnapping, torturing, and murdering dozens of people, including American tourist Mark Kilroy. Their Matamoros ranch became a macabre altar, with human bones and organs scattered about. Constanzo’s reign of terror finally came to an end in 1989. A tip from a disgruntled cult member led Mexican authorities to the ranch, where they discovered the gruesome evidence of the cult’s activities. Constanzo, cornered in Mexico City, committed suicide rather than face capture. Adolfo Constanzo’s story remains a chilling reminder of the dark intersection of drug trafficking, religious fanaticism, and human depravity. His Narco-Satanist cult serves as a stark warning of the consequences when violence and superstition intertwine.

Events

Ramon Mercader

1882 – Thomas Henry Burke & Lord Frederick Cavendish are stabbed to death by Fenian assassins in Phoenix Park, Dublin

1960 – Trotsky’s murderer Jacques Mornard (Ramon Mercader) is freed in Mexico

1966 – Myra Hindley & Ian Brady are sentenced to life imprisonment for the Moors murders

1975 – Bundy victim Lynette Culver disappears from Pocatello, Idaho

1990 – Tom Cruise is ticketed for careless operation of a vehicle in South Carolina

2002 – Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn is assassinated following a radio interview at the Mediapark in Hilversum

2013 – Three women kidnapped and missing for more than a decade are found alive in Cleveland, Ohio in the United States

2014 – Six people are injured in a knife attack at a Chinese train station in Guangzhou