He was arrested in 1989 after a former neighbor recognized him from a profile on the syndicated TV show America's Most Wanted. The mass murderer was an active member of his local Lutheran church and married his second wife Delores in 1985. 'America's Most Wanted' killer John List remains infamous - mlive "I grew up with the idea that you should provide for your family and to do that you had to be a success in the job that you had or you're a failure, and that was not a good thing to be," he said. Inside the mansion's cavernous ballroom, the bodies of List's wife Helen, 46, and his three children Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, were laid out on the floor on sleeping bags. news, John List was an American mass murderer, who became infamous in the 1970s for killing his mother, wife and three children. He settled in New Jersey and took a job at a local bank. Finally, with the prospect of foreclosure threatening to expose his financial failure, List made his terrible decision to kill his family but not himself. John Emil List (September 17, 1925 March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer[1] and long-time fugitive. [16], List died of complications from pneumonia aged 82 on March 21, 2008, while imprisoned at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. John List Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements His mother, Alma was overprotective and dominating that would forbid him to go outside and play with the other children because he might get sick. Though we'd like to say that Wayne and Pilar lived happily ever after, apparently that's not the case. [7] In 1965, List accepted a position as vice president and comptroller at a bank in Jersey City, New Jersey, and moved with his wife, children, and mother into Breeze Knoll, a 19-room Victorian mansion at 431 Hillside Avenue in Westfield. 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. John Emil List (1925-2008) - Find a Grave Memorial In an interview in 2008, parents told a reporter in New Jersey that children will not walk past that property, nor do they even want to live on the same street. The Truth About John Wayne's Wives - Grunge "I'm sure that if we recognize each other that we'll like each other's company just as we did here, when times were better.". 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. Death Sentence: The Inside Story of the John List Murders The suspect denied he is List but the FBI said a positive link had been made through fingerprints. The first seven episodes of Father Wants Us Dead are available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can subscribe on those platforms to be alerted when new episodes drop every Tuesday through June 21. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck - Who was She? In 1965, when List and his family moved to affluent Westfield, N.J., he seemed to be a model of suburban success and propriety. Financial troubles combined with his discontentment with his family over many issues caused severe depression to John, who then decided to take a drastic step to end everything once and for all. All five victims had been shot. All List wanted was to reunite with his wife, mother, and children in the afterlife, where he believed there would be no pain or suffering. List, 64, faces multiple life sentences if he is convicted. John Emil List Birth 17 Sep 1925 Bay City, Bay County, Michigan, USA Death 21 Mar 2008 (aged 82) Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA Burial Burial Details Unknown. At sixty-four, John's father was twenty-six years older than Alma, whom he had married one year earlier, after his first wife died of cancer. The Case of John List. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran | by After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . List's home, a. On November 9, 1971, John List put his plan into action. 'The Watcher's John Graff is based on grim true story of family Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. The family later moved to Rochester, New York, to work with Xerox. List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82. John List - Wikipedia "I remember talking about funerals and cremation and burials. He murdered his mother, wife and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey on November 9, 1971. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Delores and John divorced in 1989, probably following his arrest on 1 June. 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. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. John and Helen married on December 1, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, the family moving to northern California. After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning. He said they were going to North Carolina to visit an ailing relative. [18][19][20], In 1972, List was proposed as a suspect in the D. B. Cooper air piracy case because of the timing of his disappearance (two weeks prior to the airline hijacking), multiple matches to the hijacker's description, and the reasoning that "a fugitive accused of mass murder has nothing to lose. My Life With John Steinbeck - Gwen Gonger - The Forgotten Wife List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. He then shot both his wife and mother in their heads. He killed his immediate family since he could not pay the mansions mortgage after losing his job and did not want them to face ridicule. ', 'List was being bombarded by stresses,' the doctor added. 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. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German-American parents John Frederick List (18591944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (18871971). The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. "[38], Over the years, List and his crimes have furnished inspiration for documentaries, television dramas and feature films. [35], List filed an appeal of his convictions on grounds that his judgment had been impaired by post-traumatic stress disorder due to his military service. Net Worth in 2021. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Alex Murdaugh trial updates: John Marvin faults SLED, doesn't believe Examples include "Savior," the season 6, episode 16 of the television series Law & Order; the 1987 film The Stepfather and its 2009 remake; the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which List was portrayed by Robert Blake;[39] and the character Keyser Sze in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.[40]. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. Now, in his first-ever public comments about the 1971 crime, the 76-year-old former Sunday school teacher says he is waiting to be reunited with them in the hereafter. 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. John was convicted of five counts of first degree murder in April 1990 and was imprisoned with five terms of consecutive life imprisonment. Salary in 2021. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. Subsequent jobs didnt pan out. Gallery - Father Wants Us Dead: A True Crime Podcast From NJ 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. See who retired from Pitt in the second half of 2022 Net Worth in 2022. Ideal YouTube Profile Picture: Size, Dimensions, Tricks, and More, Reasons To Invest In A Good Gaming Laptop, Microphone Sound Recording for Live Streaming, Delores Miller Clark: Learn More about John Lists Ex-Wife, Johanna Thiebaud- All about Shania Twains Stepdaughter, What You May Not Know About Gweneth Gonzales Thomas, Richard Thomas Daughter, Linnell S. Nobori: All there is to Know about Ted Bessells Wife, Online Pharmacies Make it Easy to Compare Medicines Prices, Katya Ariel Tylo Personal Life, Net Worth, & More, Isis Rae Boykin, Personal Life and Net Worth, Finn William Leeves Coben Lifestyle and Personal Life. That left his oldest son. . He couldnt bear to tell his family about the loss of income. Westfield police did not discover the bodies until nearly a month later. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. Body of killer John List remains unclaimed - nj.com The inconspicuous accountant was arrested without incident Thursday at work. A former Denver neighbor alerted the police, who made the arrest later. He believed that killing them would assure their souls a place in Heaven, where he hoped to eventually join them. He simply exploded.'. His middle son, John Jr. who was also his favorite suffered the most brutal death. "I approached all of them from behind so they wouldn't realize till the last minute what I was going to do to them," he said. The News Leaders copyright story quoted his pastor, closest friend and neighbors as saying that the arrest was unbelievable and impossible.. As I was doing it I knew it was wrong," he said. Pending. 'To find his wife having a veneral disease was morally, ethically and religiously a very hard thing for him to accept,' the psychiatrist said. [6] In 1960, his stepdaughter Brenda married and left the household, and List moved with the remainder of his family to Rochester, New York, to take a job with Xerox. "I finally decided the only way to save them from that was to kill them," he said. Then he sat down and wrote a confession letter to his pastor explaining his financial problems. On April 12, 1990 he was found guilty on five . [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. [42] In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. No one has stepped forward to claim the body of mass murderer John List, who died while serving a life sentence for killing his Westfield family in 1971, authorities said today. Read on to discover more details. New revelations in the episode include what List said through tears to his shocked and heartsick second wife, who hoped it was all some mistake and her husband was really the man she thought she had married Robert Clark when she visited him in jail. He did not mention his wife, his mother, or his children. Dr. Steven Simring, a psychiatrist who examined List after his arrest years later, told Downtown his "sense of neatness" was the result of a compulsive personality. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. [16] In reporting his death, the New Jersey Star-Ledger referred to him as "The Boogeyman of Westfield. He told her she went through a slow, agonizing death, the friend said. At a border crossing to Mexico in March 1944, she said she. "The body is still at the Mercer County Medical Examiner's Office," said county spokesman Pete Daly. 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. John Emil List, 63, was profiled on the TV program "America's Most Wanted" May 21. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Liss summarized Helen List's medical reports for the jury. In 1950, John List was recalled to active military service. This article is about the murderer. A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. The Star-Ledger reporter, who loved to chat about the infamous murderer with the locals on his Union County beat, was grabbing a sandwich for lunch when he got a tip of his own. 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. He gave him a ride home, then shot him in the chest. The bodies of John Lists wife and three teenage children were found laid out on sleeping bags in the ballroom. John confessed to committing the murders in February 1990. Ten days after a creepy, glass-eyed bust of John List was shown on Americas Most Wanted, Westfield residents had not heard of a single promising lead. The episode, "Murder House", premiered on November 18, 2015. But he fled to Colorado, assumed a new name and remarried, managing to elude a nationwide manhunt for 18 years. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling. Those who knew List, including in his second life: Kathleen "Kay" Ciarfello, Randy Mitchell, Les Wingfield, the Rev. Alex Murdaugh murder trial: The jury finds him guilty on all counts : NPR His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife), See He was portrayed in the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story by actor Robert Blake, who, ironically, was later convicted of killing his own wife. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. Discover The 33 Scariest Animals In The World, From The Deep Sea To The Tropical Skies, The Story Of Caril Ann Fugate And Charles Starkweather's Natural Born Killing Spree, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. In a five-page letter to his pastor, found on the desk in his study, List claimed that he saw too much evil in the world, and he had killed his family to save their souls. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. Following his high school graduation, he enlisted into the American military and worked as a lab technician. But after doctors at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York concluded that her symptoms might be caused by syphilis, she admitted that she had suffered from the disease since the 1940s and had been treated for it at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington. Judgment Day: The John List Story (TV Movie 1993) - IMDb He placed the bodies of his wife and . Under Review. Feb. 20, 2002 -- Thirty years ago, accountant John List methodically murdered his whole family his mother, his wife, and their three children. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. The mansion in New Jersey where John List lived with his family burned down several months after the murders. If you take gaming seriously, you shouldn't accept anything less than the greatest. The note John List wrote excusing his children from school. 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. Assistant Prosecutor Eleanor Clark strongly protested telling the jury of Helen List's syphilis during bitter legal arguments over several days. Wikimedia CommonsJohn List with his wife and three children. After learning about the murders committed by John List, check out the story of Dale Cregan, the one-eyed killer. Authorities walk John List to a plane in Richmond, Virginia in 1989 before transporting him to New Jersey to stand trial.Steve Helber/AP. 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. [15][16], In 1971, as the FBI later discovered, List had traveled by train from New Jersey to Michigan and then to Colorado. The 14th and final defense witness was the defendant's brother John . All rights reserved (About Us). He was 82 years old at the time of his demise. She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. [41] A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. In 2008, John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted, donated the age-progressed bust by Frank Bender that played a pivotal role in List's apprehension to a forensic science exhibit at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C., whose collection was later moved to Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The John List Murders - Historic Newspapers Specifically: I am a member of St Lorenz Lutheran Church with access to burial records. He then walked up to the third floor and shot his 85-year-old mother, Alma. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. John Emil List, a.k.a. Attempts to reach List's former wife, Delores, whom he married in Denver while a fugitive and later moved with to Richmond, Va., where he was apprehended, have been unsuccessful. Helen and her three children were buried at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield. He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. He slept in the mansion where his family lay dead, then walked out the door the next morning and wasnt seen again for 18 years. In addition, it will contact the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Administration and Public Welfare for any possible death benefits. Wanted - The Lives They Lived - Obituaries - The New York Times John Sr. drove to the field and watched him play, then gave him a ride home. He is from American. This is not the man I know. On 9 November 1971, John murdered his wife, mother, and three children by shooting them. Delores Miller Clark lived a simple life in Denver before she met and married John List, who then went by the name Robert Peter Bob Clark. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. Following the end of the war, he resumed his studies and enrolled into the University of Michigan, from where he completed his bachelors degree in business administration. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. The neighbours called the police when Johns daughter Patricias dancing teacher came home to see why Patricia was not coming to the classes. They married in 1985. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He. Helen lived with her daughter Brenda near Fort Eustis in Virginia, where John served. He married his second wife Delores in 1985. . Born in an extremely strict Lutheran family, John was raised as a single child. List graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1943. He later took a job as the vice president at a bank in New Jersey, where the family finally got settled. He took a new identity and also joined a Lutheran church, where he met his second wife, Delores Miller. 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. [5] By 1959, List had risen to general supervisor of the company's accounting department; but Helen, an alcoholic, had become increasingly unstable. He was 82. Bender gave him a hawk nose, grizzled eyebrows, and horn-rimmed glasses. While his name is still occasionally mentioned in Cooper articles and documentaries, no direct evidence implicates him, and the FBI no longer considers him a suspect. Several films and documentaries have been made to cover the details of the List murders. John List (murderer) - Wikipedia In a three-sentence statement to the court, he said he was sorry for "the tragedy that happened in 1971." 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Her story put an end to the 18-year-long mystery. He spent his days at the train station reading, napping, and wondering how to get his family out of their financial mess. He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. John List - Trivia, Family, Bio | Famous Birthdays 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.