Michael Lupo
Encyclopedia
Michael Lupo was a homosexual
serial killer
originally from Italy
, operating in Britain. He was based at the YSL boutique in Brompton Road, London during the 1980s
.
ed in a derelict flat in Kensington
, London
. The investigation did not make much progress because there were no obvious ties between killer and victim.
On April 6 that same year, Anthony Connolly, 24, was found murdered on a railway embankment in Brixton
. He had been strangled to death with his own scarf. Because Connolly had been sharing a flat with a man who was HIV positive, there was a long delay between the discovery of the body and the post mortem because the coroner
wanted to make sure Connolly was not himself infected with HIV. This created serious tensions between the authorities and the gay
community, the latter accusing the former of dragging their heels and not taking the death of a gay man seriously enough.
, was originally from Italy and was a former soldier. He apparently called himself "The Wolf Man" ("lupo" means "wolf" in Italian) and boasted of having had 4,000 lovers.
On May 21, Lupo was charged with two other recent killings, those of a young hospital worker named Damien McClusky, who had been strangled in West London
, and an unidentified man, who was murdered near Hungerford Bridge
over the Thames. In addition to these four murders, Lupo was charged with two attempted murder
s .
In 1987, at the Old Bailey
, Lupo pleaded guilty to all charges and was given four life sentences, plus 14 years. There were investigations from a number of cities Lupo had visited in the early 1980s, such as New York
, Berlin
and Los Angeles
, to see if he was responsible for unsolved homicides in those areas, although no such evidence of any further crimes committed by Lupo in these or any other locations came to light.
In February 1995, Lupo died in Frankland Prison, Co Durham from an AIDS
related illness. He had contracted the disease shortly before his killing spree and he claimed that finding this out was what had set him off on his rampage.
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
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...
originally from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, operating in Britain. He was based at the YSL boutique in Brompton Road, London during the 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
.
History
On March 15, 1986, a 37-year-old man named Alex Kasson was found murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed in a derelict flat in Kensington
Kensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The investigation did not make much progress because there were no obvious ties between killer and victim.
On April 6 that same year, Anthony Connolly, 24, was found murdered on a railway embankment in Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
. He had been strangled to death with his own scarf. Because Connolly had been sharing a flat with a man who was HIV positive, there was a long delay between the discovery of the body and the post mortem because the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
wanted to make sure Connolly was not himself infected with HIV. This created serious tensions between the authorities and the gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community, the latter accusing the former of dragging their heels and not taking the death of a gay man seriously enough.
Trial and imprisonment
Six weeks later, on May 18, Michele de Marco Lupo was arrested and charged with the murders of Connolly and Burns. Lupo, who ran a flower shop in ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, was originally from Italy and was a former soldier. He apparently called himself "The Wolf Man" ("lupo" means "wolf" in Italian) and boasted of having had 4,000 lovers.
On May 21, Lupo was charged with two other recent killings, those of a young hospital worker named Damien McClusky, who had been strangled in West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and an unidentified man, who was murdered near Hungerford Bridge
Hungerford Bridge
The Hungerford Bridge crosses the River Thames in London, and lies between Waterloo Bridge and Westminster Bridge. It is a steel truss railway bridge—sometimes known as the Charing Cross Bridge—flanked by two more recent, cable-stayed, pedestrian bridges that share the railway bridge's...
over the Thames. In addition to these four murders, Lupo was charged with two attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
s .
In 1987, at the Old Bailey
Old Bailey
The Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
, Lupo pleaded guilty to all charges and was given four life sentences, plus 14 years. There were investigations from a number of cities Lupo had visited in the early 1980s, such as 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...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, to see if he was responsible for unsolved homicides in those areas, although no such evidence of any further crimes committed by Lupo in these or any other locations came to light.
In February 1995, Lupo died in Frankland Prison, Co Durham from an AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
related illness. He had contracted the disease shortly before his killing spree and he claimed that finding this out was what had set him off on his rampage.
External links
- The New Encyclopedia Of Serial Killers, Brian Lane and Wilfred Gregg (Revised Edition 1996), Headline Book Publishing ISDN 0747253617
- The Independent obituary