Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Over 20 months between 1962 and 1964, a series of heinous crimes took place in Boston and its surrounding cities. Reports indicate that an unknown man brutally murdered 11 women after sexually assaulting them. The case garnered nationwide attention, and although a man named Albert DeSalvo confessed that he committed those killings, authorities never charged him. For almost five decades, the identity of the Boston Strangler remained in suspense.
According to ABC News, in 1964, police apprehended DeSalvo for sex crimes, burglary, and more. While in jail, DeSalvo admitted that he killed 11 women between 1962 and 1964. However, he was never charged in the case related to the murders that took place in and around Boston. But, in 2013, authorities had a breakthrough in the case and finally announced that Albert DeSalvo was indeed the Boston Strangler. The outlet reported that advanced DNA technology helped them confirm the killer’s identity.
ABC News noted that authorities used a water bottle, which Albert DeSalvo’s nephew discarded, to obtain the DNA evidence. Citing the investigators, the publication stated that the DNA found on the water bottle matched the sample collected at one of the crime scenes. Additionally, the report indicated that the DNA evidence proved with “99.9 percent certainty” that DeSalvo was the Boston Strangler.
Is the Boston Strangler still alive?
The court sentenced Albert DeSalvo to life in prison for crimes not related to the killing between 1963 and 1964. However, in 1973, authorities discovered DeSalvo’s dead body inside his prison cell in Walpole State Prison. According to The New York Times, one of the prison inmates stabbed DeSalvo to death in his cell bed. The publication also mentioned that DeSalvo died because of multiple stab wounds.
At the time, authorities revealed that they did question a suspect in the murder case of Albert DeSalvo but didn’t make any arrests. They said, “The only problem we had with Albert DeSalvo was his trafficking in drugs. It’s possible … anyone who deals in drugs has enemies because it’s competitive.”
For many years, the Boston Strangler case has intrigued many people. In 2023, Hulu produced a feature-length film about Albert DeSalvo’s killing spree. The film also focuses on the journalist who connected a series of murders and broke the story of a serial killer known as the Boston Strangler. The film stars Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, and David Dastmalchian in pivotal roles.
Boston Strangler is available to stream on Hulu.
