He lined up the four bodies in the ballroom (he said his mother's body was too heavy to move), put music on the internal intercom, and cleaned up meticulously. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. They were shot methodically one by one. lists Elijah Miller has presented testimony from witnesses, including a Lutheran pastor who knew the Lists in the early 1960s in Rochester, N.Y., to describe the troubled family. During that time, he was associated romantically with a number of celebrities, including a nine-year affair with actress Merle Oberon. Unlike the others, John didn't go quietly, his body jerking as List emptied both the 9 millimeter and the .22 into his son. He lived at 431 Hillside Avenue with his wife, Helen Morris Taylor; mother, Alma Barbara Florence List; and two children: daughter Patricia, and sons Frederick and John. [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. . John enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 and was a laboratory technician during World War II. By then, progression of the disease combined with her excessive alcohol consumption had, according to testimony, "transformed her from an attractive young woman to an unkempt and paranoid recluse"[30][32] who frequently and often publicly humiliated List, comparing his sexual prowess unfavorably with that of her first husband. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . His middle son, John Jr. who was also his favorite suffered the most brutal death. The List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. 2023. Authorities walk John List to a plane in Richmond,. Returning home, he made several calls to explain that the family had gone to North Carolina to visit his wife's ailing mother, and that he was planning to follow by car. Like her sister, Rosanne Cindy inherited her father's musical talent, and by the time she was 16 she was already performing on stage with Johnny and his second wife June Carter. Contents 1 Background 2 Familicide, Capture, and Incarceration 3 Modus Operandi 4 Known Victims 5 Notes 6 On Criminal Minds 7 On Suspect Behavior 8 Sources He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. [17] From 1979 to 1986, he was the comptroller at a paper box manufacturer outside Denver. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran family, single child John List was a fairly shy, odd and obsessed with military books child from Michigan. Everything looked great on the surface. A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. [12], The murders were not discovered until December 7, nearly a month later, due in part to the family's reclusive tendencies, and in part to notes sent by List to the children's schools and part-time jobs claiming that the children would be visiting their ailing maternal grandmother in North Carolina for a few weeks. John fled the house after putting all the bodies on sleeping bags, turning the house lights on and putting on some classical music. He joined a local Lutheran church and, in 1985, married a widow named Delores Clark, with whom he moved to Richmond, Va. On November 9, 1971, John Emil List murdered his mother, his wife, and their three children at their Westfield, New Jersey home using his 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun and his. [16], List eventually expressed a degree of remorse for his crimes. List methodically murdered his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and their three childrenPatricia, 16; Frederick, 13; and John Jr., 15. Next he went upstairs, to where his 84-year-old mother was having breakfast, kissed her ("like Judas," he told Downtown), and shot her in the head. By then, he was assigned to the finance corps, from where he was discharged in 1952. List left the bodies of his wife, his mother, Alma, 84, and his children, Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, and several confessions and apologies in his Westfield home in November 1971 and disappeared for 17 years. One night after dinner, he even asked his family what should be done with their bodies after they died. He says today he felt he was letting the family down. He had drained his and his mothers bank accounts and fled, changing his identity. The crime remains one of the most gruesome acts of all time. If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. She had a young daughter from her previous marriage. Also in 2022, Netflix released a seven-part dramatic fictional miniseries called The Watcher. Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German-American parents John Frederick List (18591944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (18871971). While there is no set timetable on when that might happen, Daly said the remains of other prison inmates have been stored for up to roughly three months by the medical examiner's office. The family were devout Lutherans. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. The department will use any money remaining in List's account at the prison to pay for all or part of the cremation and burial, according to state regulations. Delores Miller (wife) and John List are divorced. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. But, during a four-hour interview, he sought to explain how worries that financial hardship would split his family and turn them away from their faith forced him to make a tough decision. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. However, he was not ready to disclose his incompetency to his family yet and hence, he left the house every morning, sat on the railway station and read books and newspapers all day. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. He said they were going to North Carolina to visit an ailing relative. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "At least I'm certain that all have gone to heaven now. John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife), See "The Boogeyman of Westfield", was an American family annihilator and mass murderer who killed five members of his family on November 9, 1971, in Westfield, New Jersey. The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their . Based on information gleaned from dozens of interviews and hundreds of pages of police and FBI documents, Father Wants Us Dead is an in-depth and chilling narrative from two reporters with more than 25 years of combined experience. John List was a devoutly religious man, and provided for his family in the town of Westfield, New Jerseywhere they lived in a 19-room mansion called Breeze Knoll. From New York, he had traveled overland to Denver, where he began a new life under the name Robert P. Clark, working first as a hotel fry cook and later as an accountant for H&R Block. Helen was first. March 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain responded to a home to rescue a horse that had fallen into its owner's swimming pool and was unable to get itself out. "It was my belief that if you kill yourself, you won't go to heaven," he said. List had a masters degree in accounting, but lacked social skills and had a history of losing jobs. He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. John List was an American mass murderer, who became infamous in the 1970s for killing his mother, wife and three children. Aside from a few extra wrinkles, the bust was spot on. John List died in prison in 2008 at age 82. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck was the second wife of John Steinbeck, master story-teller and Nobel Prize winner. This is either the most unbelievable mix-up or . [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. He had been fired from all his jobs due to his cold demeanor and his inability to be social with his co-workers. They got him down in Virginia.. One tip came from a woman in Richmond, Virginia, who thought her next-door neighbor, Robert Clark, bore a striking resemblance to the bust. The man I know is kind, loving, a devoted husband and a dear friend. But unlike the other members of the List family who dropped instantly, John Jr. struggled. He also claimed to be suffering from PTSD. In an interview with Connie Chung in 2002, List said he didnt kill himself after killing his own family because he felt that would prevent him from getting to heaven. I ask all affected by this for their forgiveness, understanding and prayer. The family did not have a lot of visitors and it took the neighbours 29 days to notice that something was off in the house. List diverted money from his mother's bank accounts to avoid default on his mortgage. They separated in 1973 and he moved . The two met at a Christian religious gathering. He earned a bachelors degree in administration and a masters degree in accounting. He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. After driving John Frederick home, List shot him repeatedly because, as misfire evidence showed, his son attempted to defend himself. His zodiac sign is Virgo. Madeleine Talmage Astor ( ne Force; later Dick and Fiermonte; June 19, 1893 - March 27, 1940) was an American socialite and a survivor of the RMS Titanic. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. He has also appeared on television shows such as Your Worst Nightmare and American Justice. But back in Denver, his former neighbors did recognize him, and called police. John List was a devout Lutheran who lived with his wife, mother and three children. [32][34] Welfare was an unacceptable option, he reasoned, because it would expose him and his family to ridicule and violate his authoritarian father's teachings regarding the care and protection of family members. An aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. Upstairs, the body of List's 84-year-old mother Alma was found. Oct 9, 2018. After seeing all his children off to school, John List set his plan in motion. He lost the bank job, and a succession of subsequent jobs. A seemingly admirable and usual American man, John List and his family lived happily in New Jersey. It was the biggest story he could remember, and the local fervor for information was immediate. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dr. Sheldon Miller, who examined List after his arrest last year, described him Friday as a man who had already been hit by the loss of his job and then learned that his wife had deceived him for years about her medical condition. Just as the kids entered from the main door, he shot both of them in the heads as well. Then, he went up to the third floor and murdered his mother in her bed. The trail went cold. The FBI found his car parked at Kennedy International Airport in New York City, but they never found him. His lawyer, Elijah Miller Jr., argues that knowing his wife suffered from syphilis helped drive the deeply religious man over the edge. Westfield police did not discover the bodies until nearly a month later. The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. ', Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. In 1965, they moved again to Breeze Knoll, a 19-room mansion in Westfield. 'It's as if you're on a race track going around and around with no way out,' Miller told the jury in Union County Superior Court. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. By the late 1950s, the family was in a good financial situation as John had been promoted to the position of a general supervisor in the company. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. He then cleaned the various crime scenes, removed his own picture from all family photographs in the house, tuned a radio to a religious station, and departed. The judge finally overruled her but continued to bar testimony that List's daughter, Patricia, 16, was a practicing witch. "I knew it was wrong. Joseph Vought, Ludwig "Lou" Silbermann, Jerome Kendall, George Corbett,. The family car was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. Bender gave him a hawk nose, grizzled eyebrows, and horn-rimmed glasses. FBI agents visited his unsuspecting second wife in Virginia and handcuffed the killer, who was going by the name Robert P. Clark, at his accounting office. Her story put an end to the 18-year-long mystery. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling. [12], He was also dealing with his wife's alcoholism and her untreated tertiary syphilis, contracted from her first husband and concealed for 18 years. Then he made a sandwich, drove to the bank, and disappeared for 18 years. John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. He believed that it was his failure as a man to be unable to provide for his family. . Later, John took a lucrative job at Xerox and moved to New York and lived there with his family for a few years. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. The army discharged him in 1946, after which he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. [12] Alma's body was flown to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and interred at the Saint Lorenz Lutheran Cemetery. "[21][22] List was questioned by FBI investigators after his capture, but he denied any involvement in the Cooper case. Although it is a work of fiction, much of the character John Graff was borrowed from the story of the John List murders. List gave critical financial problems, as well as his perception that his family members were straying from their religious faith, as his motivations for the murders. ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Accused family-killer John Emil List, who had always looked to his religious faith for answers, was so overwrought over the discovery that his wife had advanced syphilis that 'like a small rubber band, he snapped,' a psychiatrist said. WhenAmericas Most Wantedaired the story of the John List murders on May 21, 1989, an audience of 22 million saw Frank Benders sculpture. 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. [42] In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. John died aged 82 in March 2008 of complications from pneumonia while still imprisoned. He watched John Jr. play soccer at school, then drove him home and killed him, too. American Criminal John List was born John Emil List on 17th September, 1925 in Bay City, Michigan, USA and passed away on 21st Mar 2008 Trenton, New Jersey, USA aged 82. Helen lived with her daughter Brenda near Fort Eustis in Virginia, where John served. He is a quiet yet friendly man who loves his work and the people he works with.. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. At his trial in 1990, defense lawyers argued that List suffered from PTSD from his military service in World War II and Korea. [41] A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. He made himself a sandwich, closed out his bank accounts, and cheered for his only surviving son, John, at his high school soccer game. John List laid the bodies of his family members on top of sleeping bags in the ballroom, then composed a note to his pastor, who he felt would understand. [13] List also stopped milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. So he spent his days at the train station, reading the newspaper and secretly skimming money from his mothers bank accounts to pay the mortgage. That left his oldest son. Then he went downstairs, dragged his wife's body into the ballroom and began scrubbing up the blood so the children would not realize what was going on when they got back from school. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. After extradition to New Jersey, he was convicted on five counts of first degree murder and sentenced to five consecutive terms of life imprisonment, making him ineligible for parole for nearly 75 years.[2]. It rippled through the county and state: John List, the man who had meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids in their Westfield mansion and disappeared without a trace, was in custody. American Criminal John List was born John Emil List on 17th September, 1925 in Bay City, Michigan, USA and passed away on 21st Mar 2008 Trenton, New Jersey, USA aged 82. Salary in 2021. HOW HE MET HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE John Schneider and his wife, Alicia Allain, began their journey after his divorce from his first wife of twenty-one years. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Help keep John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife) profile up to date. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. "After 18 years, five months and 22 days, it is now time for the voices of Helen, Alma, Patricia, Frederick and John F. List to rise from the grave." He simply exploded.'.