Arthur Shawcross
Encyclopedia
Arthur John Shawcross was an American
serial killer
, also known as The Genesee River Killer in Rochester, New York
. He claimed most of his victims after being parole
d early following a conviction in the manslaughter of two children, which led to criticism of the justice system.
, Maine
, but his family moved to Watertown
in New York State when he was young.
While several later tests showed Shawcross' intelligence to be sub-normal or even "borderline retarded", he received As and Bs in his first two years of grade school. His IQ was tested to be "low-normal" (between 86 and 92) when he was in the fifth grade. Shawcross was prone to behaviors such as bullying, chronic bed wetting until at least the age of twelve, and physical violence. He dropped out of high school in 1960, and when he was 21 he was drafted by the Army, in April 1967. At this time he divorced his first wife and gave up the rights to their eighteen-month-old son, whom he never saw again.
After his tour of duty in Vietnam
ended in September 1968, Shawcross was assigned to Fort Sill
, Oklahoma as an armorer
. His second wife Linda experienced several aspects of his disturbing behavior, especially a penchant for starting fires; an Army psychiatrist told her that Art gained "sexual enjoyment" from the act. Linda Shawcross also witnessed her husband kill their six-month-old puppy in a sudden fit of rage by throwing him against a wall. Shawcross was honorably discharged in the spring of 1969.
Shawcross moved with his wife (who would soon divorce him) from Oklahoma to Clayton
, New York, and he began committing crimes such as arson and burglary. His offenses earned him a five-year sentence to be served in Attica
, but he was eventually transferred to the Auburn Correctional Facility, and would serve a total of twenty-two months. Paroled in October 1971, he returned to Watertown, eventually getting a job with the Watertown Public Works Department, and marrying for a third time. In May 1972, Shawcross sexually assaulted
and murdered 10-year-old Jack Owen Blake after luring the boy into some woods. Four months later, he rape
d and killed eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill, who was visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day
weekend.
Arrested for these crimes, Shawcross confessed to both murders. Under a plea bargain
he was to reveal where he laid Jack's body. He pled guilty to killing Hill on a charge of manslaughter
and the charges relating to Jack Blake were dropped. He was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment.
Shawcross served 14½ years in prison before he was released on parole in April 1987. He had difficulty settling down as he was chased out of homes and fired from workplaces as soon as neighbors and employers found out about his criminal record. Shawcross was first run out of Binghamton, NY, and then relocated to Delhi, NY, with his girlfriend, Rose Marie Walley. When Shawcross' presence became known in Delhi, the couple moved to nearby Fleischmans, NY, only to be run out of that town as well. Finally, Shawcross' parole officer had him relocated at night to Rochester
, New York
in late June 1987, and moved him and Walley into the Cadillac Hotel, room 314. The parole officer did not notify anyone in the Rochester law enforcement community that a child molester/killer now lived in their city. In mid-October of 1987, Shawcross and Walley found more permanent lodgings in an apartment building at 241 Alexander Street. Some reports have placed Shawcross in the Normandie Brownstone Apartments, at 253 Alexander Street. Despite the difference in the numbers, the buildings are next door to each other, which may be part of the confusion regarding Shawcross' residence on Alexander Street.
All the victims were murdered in Monroe County
, except for Gibson, who was killed in neighboring Wayne County
.
June Cicero's body was discovered by aerial surveillance on January 3, 1990.
Shawcross was spotted by the surveillance team (and by an eyewitness) standing near his car, apparently urinating, on a bridge over Salmon Creek; upon whose frozen waters the body of his final victim was dumped. He was stopped in Spencerport on January 3, 1990, taken into custody and was later arrested. He eventually confessed in custody.
for the 10 murders in Monroe County. Shawcross pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with testimony from psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis
that he suffered from multiple personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder
, and possible child abuse. Shawcross, who had served in Vietnam with the 4th Supply and Transport Company of the 4th Infantry Division, had told many outlandish tales of committing gruesome crimes (including cannibalism), often perpetrated while alone in the jungle. From the time Shawcross returned from his tour of duty, he told acquaintances of seeing American soldiers "skinned from their neck to their ankles", and claimed to have decapitated two women he had victimized, "placing" their heads on poles. FBI
criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler reviewed the PTSD claim on behalf of the prosecution before the trial. Ressler wrote that "his claim of having witnessed wartime atrocities was patently outrageous and untrue." Shawcross was found guilty of 10 counts of second degree murder, and was sentenced to 250 years to life in prison for the Monroe County killings.
A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Gibson's murder. He pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence.
In 1992, true crime
author Joel Norris wrote a book about the case. The paperback came with a tape that contained "the live confessions of Arthur Shawcross and his hideous crimes!" This drew some criticism that Norris was sensationalizing the case.
in Fallsburg, New York
, until he died on November 10, 2008 at the Albany Medical Center.
In 2003, Shawcross was interviewed by a British
reporter, Katherine English, for a documentary
on cannibalism. He bragged about slicing out and eating the vagina
s of three victims, but refused to discuss his earlier claim of eating the genitals of his first victim, Jack Blake.
In 2006, he was interviewed by Columbia University
forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Stone for the Discovery Channel
series Most Evil
. In the interview, Arthur Shawcross claimed to have been sexually abused as a child by his mother, and also admitted sexually abusing his younger sister as a child. He also claimed to murder the prostitutes in revenge for supposedly having sex with an HIV-positive prostitute, and to eat the body parts in order to speed up the process of death (he had assumed he was infected). Stone agreed with the jury's conclusion and did not believe Shawcross' claims of not being in control during the prostitute murders.
Arthur Shawcross was privately cremated and his ashes are in the care of his daughter.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
, also known as The Genesee River Killer in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. He claimed most of his victims after being parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
d early following a conviction in the manslaughter of two children, which led to criticism of the justice system.
Early life
Shawcross was born in KitteryKittery, Maine
Kittery is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,543 at the 2000 census. Home to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Seavey's Island, Kittery includes Badger's Island, the seaside district of Kittery Point, and part of the Isles of Shoals...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, but his family moved to Watertown
Watertown (city), New York
Watertown is a city in the state of New York and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is situated approximately south of the Thousand Islands. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 27,023, an increase of 1.2% since 2000. The U.S...
in New York State when he was young.
While several later tests showed Shawcross' intelligence to be sub-normal or even "borderline retarded", he received As and Bs in his first two years of grade school. His IQ was tested to be "low-normal" (between 86 and 92) when he was in the fifth grade. Shawcross was prone to behaviors such as bullying, chronic bed wetting until at least the age of twelve, and physical violence. He dropped out of high school in 1960, and when he was 21 he was drafted by the Army, in April 1967. At this time he divorced his first wife and gave up the rights to their eighteen-month-old son, whom he never saw again.
After his tour of duty in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
ended in September 1968, Shawcross was assigned to Fort Sill
Fort Sill
Fort Sill is a United States Army post near Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.Today, Fort Sill remains the only active Army installation of all the forts on the South Plains built during the Indian Wars...
, Oklahoma as an armorer
Armorer
An armourer or armorer is a member of a military or police force who maintains and repairs small arms and weapons systems, with some duties resembling those of a civilian gunsmith....
. His second wife Linda experienced several aspects of his disturbing behavior, especially a penchant for starting fires; an Army psychiatrist told her that Art gained "sexual enjoyment" from the act. Linda Shawcross also witnessed her husband kill their six-month-old puppy in a sudden fit of rage by throwing him against a wall. Shawcross was honorably discharged in the spring of 1969.
Shawcross moved with his wife (who would soon divorce him) from Oklahoma to Clayton
Clayton (village), New York
Clayton is a village located in the Town of Clayton in Jefferson County, New York, USA. The population was 1,821 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the name of the town....
, New York, and he began committing crimes such as arson and burglary. His offenses earned him a five-year sentence to be served in Attica
Attica Correctional Facility
The Attica Correctional Facility is a maximum penitentiary in the town of Attica, New York, operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services. After it was constructed in the 1930s, it held many of the most dangerous criminals of the time. A tear gas system is installed in the mess...
, but he was eventually transferred to the Auburn Correctional Facility, and would serve a total of twenty-two months. Paroled in October 1971, he returned to Watertown, eventually getting a job with the Watertown Public Works Department, and marrying for a third time. In May 1972, Shawcross sexually assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
and murdered 10-year-old Jack Owen Blake after luring the boy into some woods. Four months later, he rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d and killed eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill, who was visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
weekend.
Arrested for these crimes, Shawcross confessed to both murders. Under a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
he was to reveal where he laid Jack's body. He pled guilty to killing Hill on a charge of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
and the charges relating to Jack Blake were dropped. He was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment.
Shawcross served 14½ years in prison before he was released on parole in April 1987. He had difficulty settling down as he was chased out of homes and fired from workplaces as soon as neighbors and employers found out about his criminal record. Shawcross was first run out of Binghamton, NY, and then relocated to Delhi, NY, with his girlfriend, Rose Marie Walley. When Shawcross' presence became known in Delhi, the couple moved to nearby Fleischmans, NY, only to be run out of that town as well. Finally, Shawcross' parole officer had him relocated at night to Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in late June 1987, and moved him and Walley into the Cadillac Hotel, room 314. The parole officer did not notify anyone in the Rochester law enforcement community that a child molester/killer now lived in their city. In mid-October of 1987, Shawcross and Walley found more permanent lodgings in an apartment building at 241 Alexander Street. Some reports have placed Shawcross in the Normandie Brownstone Apartments, at 253 Alexander Street. Despite the difference in the numbers, the buildings are next door to each other, which may be part of the confusion regarding Shawcross' residence on Alexander Street.
Second series of murders
In March 1988, Shawcross began murdering again, primarily prostitutes in the area, before his capture less than two years later. He was convicted of 11 murders, with a 12th not officially charged to him. The victims were:| # | Name | Age | Disappeared | Found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dorothy "Dotsie" Blackburn | 27 | March 18, 1988 | March 24, 1988 |
| 2. | Anna Marie Steffen | 28 | July 9, 1988 | September 11, 1988 |
| 3. | Dorothy Keeler | 59 | July 29, 1989 | October 21, 1989 |
| 4. | Patricia "Patty" Ives | 25 | September 29, 1989 | October 27, 1989 |
| 5. | June Stotts | 30 | October 23, 1989 | November 23, 1989 |
| 6. | Marie Welch | 22 | November 5, 1989 | January 5, 1990 |
| 7. | Frances "Franny" Brown | 22 | November 11, 1989 | November 15, 1989 |
| 8. | Kimberly Logan | 30 | November 15, 1989 | November 15, 1989 |
| 9. | Elizabeth "Liz" Gibson | 29 | November 25, 1989 | November 27, 1989 |
| 10. | Darlene Trippi | 32 | December 15, 1989 | January 5, 1990 |
| 11. | June Cicero | 34 | December 17, 1989 | January 3, 1990 |
| 12. | Felicia Stephens | 20 | December 28, 1989 | December 31, 1989 |
All the victims were murdered in Monroe County
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, except for Gibson, who was killed in neighboring Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
.
June Cicero's body was discovered by aerial surveillance on January 3, 1990.
Shawcross was spotted by the surveillance team (and by an eyewitness) standing near his car, apparently urinating, on a bridge over Salmon Creek; upon whose frozen waters the body of his final victim was dumped. He was stopped in Spencerport on January 3, 1990, taken into custody and was later arrested. He eventually confessed in custody.
Trial and conviction
In November 1990, Shawcross was tried by Monroe County First Assistant District Attorney Charles J. SiragusaCharles J. Siragusa
Charles J. Siragusa is a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York in Rochester.- Education :Siragusa received his bachelor's degree from Le Moyne College in 1969 and his Juris Doctor degree in 1976 from Albany Law School.- Legal career :Siragusa served as an Assistant...
for the 10 murders in Monroe County. Shawcross pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with testimony from psychiatrist Dorothy Lewis
Dorothy Lewis
Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis is an American psychiatrist specializing in the study of serial killers and people with Dissociative Identity Disorders , formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Dr...
that he suffered from multiple personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Posttraumaticstress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. This event may involve the threat of death to oneself or to someone else, or to one's own or someone else's physical, sexual, or psychological integrity,...
, and possible child abuse. Shawcross, who had served in Vietnam with the 4th Supply and Transport Company of the 4th Infantry Division, had told many outlandish tales of committing gruesome crimes (including cannibalism), often perpetrated while alone in the jungle. From the time Shawcross returned from his tour of duty, he told acquaintances of seeing American soldiers "skinned from their neck to their ankles", and claimed to have decapitated two women he had victimized, "placing" their heads on poles. FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
criminal profiler Robert K. Ressler reviewed the PTSD claim on behalf of the prosecution before the trial. Ressler wrote that "his claim of having witnessed wartime atrocities was patently outrageous and untrue." Shawcross was found guilty of 10 counts of second degree murder, and was sentenced to 250 years to life in prison for the Monroe County killings.
A few months later, Shawcross was taken to Wayne County to be tried for Gibson's murder. He pleaded guilty and was given a life sentence.
In 1992, true crime
True crime (genre)
True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...
author Joel Norris wrote a book about the case. The paperback came with a tape that contained "the live confessions of Arthur Shawcross and his hideous crimes!" This drew some criticism that Norris was sensationalizing the case.
Imprisonment
Shawcross was held at the Sullivan Correctional FacilitySullivan Correctional Facility
Sullivan Correctional Facility is a New York State correctional facility located in Fallsburg, New York. It is operated by the New York State Department of Correctional Services...
in Fallsburg, New York
Fallsburg, New York
Fallsburg is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The town is in the eastern part of the county. The population was 12,234 at the 2000 census. The town takes its name from a waterfall on the Neversink River...
, until he died on November 10, 2008 at the Albany Medical Center.
In 2003, Shawcross was interviewed by a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
reporter, Katherine English, for a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
on cannibalism. He bragged about slicing out and eating the vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
s of three victims, but refused to discuss his earlier claim of eating the genitals of his first victim, Jack Blake.
In 2006, he was interviewed by Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Stone for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
series Most Evil
Most Evil
Most Evil is an American forensics television program on Investigation Discovery presented by forensic psychiatrist Michael Stone of Columbia University. On the show, Stone rates murderers on a scale of evil that he has developed...
. In the interview, Arthur Shawcross claimed to have been sexually abused as a child by his mother, and also admitted sexually abusing his younger sister as a child. He also claimed to murder the prostitutes in revenge for supposedly having sex with an HIV-positive prostitute, and to eat the body parts in order to speed up the process of death (he had assumed he was infected). Stone agreed with the jury's conclusion and did not believe Shawcross' claims of not being in control during the prostitute murders.
Death
Officials said Shawcross complained of a pain in his leg on the afternoon of November 10, 2008, his date of death. He was taken to the Albany Medical Center, where he went into cardiac arrest and died at 9:50 p.m.Arthur Shawcross was privately cremated and his ashes are in the care of his daughter.
Further reading and External links
- Norris, Joel. (1992) Arthur Shawcross: The Genesee River Killer, Pinnacle Books, ISBN 1-55817-578-4
- Crime Library article on Arthur Shawcross