Bio

Arthur John Shawcross was born on June 6, 1945, at the U.S. Naval hospital in Kittery, Maine. He was born two months premature. Shortly after his birth, his mother, Bessie Shawcross, brought him to Watertown, New York, to live with her sister-in-law until his father, Arthur Roy Shawcross, finished his military service. When they moved to Watertown, the family grew, and many other relatives settled in that area, which became known as "Shawcross Corners."

As a child, Arthur struggled to fit in with the other kids. He displayed different behaviors to gain attention. He started talking like a baby even when he was six years old, and he wet the bed, which made it difficult for him to make friends. He often ran away from home to get attention, but this behavior was dismissed by family members. In school, Arthur was often teased by other children, who called him “Oddy.” He would sometimes bully younger kids and carried an iron bar with him to threaten them.

As he got older, Arthur withdrew more into himself. He fell behind in school, and by the eighth grade, he was two years behind his classmates. He had a troubled home life and often escaped to his grandmother's house. At a young age, he became preoccupied with sexual thoughts and acted out inappropriately. He claimed to have sexual relationships with his sister and cousins, although these claims are controversial. He also experienced a traumatic incident at the age of fourteen when he was picked up and assaulted by a stranger.

After high school, Arthur had various jobs, but he often got into trouble. In 1964, he married for the first time and had a son, but that marriage lasted less than four years. In 1968, Shawcross was conscripted into the army and served in the Vietnam War. His experiences there were traumatic and had a profound effect on his mental state. He later claimed to have participated in horrific acts during the war.

After returning home, he struggled with his mental health and relationships. His second marriage to Linda Neary suffered due to his violent behavior. Despite advice from a psychiatrist to seek help, Linda refused to commit him for treatment. In 1969, he set fires to local businesses, resulting in his arrest and imprisonment for arson. He served several years in prison but was released early.

Upon his release, he faced challenges in adjusting to life outside. He married again and tried to settle down, but his past continued to haunt him. Shawcross spent much of his time fishing and often interacted with local children, which set the stage for further tragedy. 

Murder Story

Arthur Shawcross murdered a total of 13 known victims between 1972 and 1990. His first two victims were children, 10-year-old Jake Blake and 8-year-old Karen Ann Hill. Shawcross was convicted of these murders in the early 1970s and served time in prison. He was released in 1987, after serving 15 years.

Once out, Shawcross began his second spree, targeting mainly women involved in prostitution in Rochester, New York. Starting in March 1988, he killed 11 women over nearly two years. His victims included Patricia Ives, Frances Brown, June Cicero, Darlene Trippi, Anne Marie Steffen, Dorothy Blackburn, Kimberly Logan, June Stotts, Marie Welch, Elizabeth Gibson, and Dorothy Keller. Most of these women were strangled or beaten, and their bodies were often found near the Genesee River.

The series of murders alarmed the local community and law enforcement. Police suspected that they were dealing with a serial killer. They began to gather evidence and formed a task force to monitor the area where the murders occurred.

In January 1990, police were conducting surveillance in hopes of capturing the killer. They observed Shawcross acting suspiciously over a creek where one of his victims had been dumped. He was arrested and later confessed to the killings during police interrogations.

Shawcross faced trial for the murders that took place in Monroe County. His trial in November 1990 was widely covered by the media and gained a large audience. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 250 years in prison.

He later pleaded guilty to the murder of Elizabeth Gibson in a separate trial and received a life sentence. Shawcross remained incarcerated until his death in 2008 from a heart attack while serving his sentence.