Nathaniel Bar-Jonah
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Benjamin Levi Bar-Jonah (February 15, 1957 – April 13, 2008), born David Paul Brown, was a convicted felon
and alleged cannibal who was serving a 130-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole in Montana
after being convicted of kidnapping
, aggravated assault, and sexual assault
of various children. He was born in Worcester
, Massachusetts
.
ing an eight-year-old boy, for which he received one year of probation
. In 1977, Brown was convicted of the kidnapping and attempted murder
of two boys and was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison. He was strangling the two boys while one managed to escape and find help.
While in prison he was transferred to the Bridgewater State Hospital
. In 1991, he changed his name to Nathaniel Benjamin Levi Bar-Jonah because he wanted to know what it was like to be discriminated against and persecuted as a Jew. Later in the same year, Superior Court
Judge
Walter E. Steele ruled that Massachusetts had failed to prove that Bar-Jonah was dangerous and he was released before moving to Great Falls
, Montana
.
and sexual assault
, as well as the kidnapping and sexual assault of three other boys.
Jonah had evidence against him and was going to be tried for the murder and cannibalism of young Zachary Ramsay. There was also evidence that Bar-Jonah cooked the child up and served him to unexpected guests and neighbors. However, the mother of this child refused to cooperate with the police authorities on the belief that it was not her son and he was still alive.
The charges involving the other three boys, on the other hand, were carried out and Bar-Jonah was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual assault, including charges that he had tortured one of the boys and hung him from the ceiling. Bar-Jonah was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual assault. He was given a 130-year prison sentence. He maintained his innocence up until his death. Montana authorities were unaware of Bar-Jonah's past trouble in Massachusetts, a fact that was cited by activists campaigning to force former sex offender
s to register.
In December, 2004, the Montana Supreme Court turned down Bar-Jonah’s appeals and upheld the conviction and 130-year prison sentence. Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was found unresponsive early Sunday April 13, 2008. He had been in poor health. His post mortem found significant levels of LDL in his arteries and myocardial infarction
was the determined cause of death.
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
and alleged cannibal who was serving a 130-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
after being convicted of kidnapping
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
, aggravated assault, and sexual assault
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
of various children. He was born in Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Massachusetts years
In 1974 he pleaded guilty to impersonating a policeman and assaultAssault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
ing an eight-year-old boy, for which he received one year of probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
. In 1977, Brown was convicted of the kidnapping and 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...
of two boys and was sentenced to 18 to 20 years in prison. He was strangling the two boys while one managed to escape and find help.
While in prison he was transferred to the Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater State Hospital
Bridgewater State Hospital, located in southeastern Massachusetts, is a state facility housing the criminally insane and those whose sanity is being evaluated for the criminal justice system. It was established in 1855 as an almshouse. It was then used as a workhouse for inmates with short...
. In 1991, he changed his name to Nathaniel Benjamin Levi Bar-Jonah because he wanted to know what it was like to be discriminated against and persecuted as a Jew. Later in the same year, Superior Court
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
Judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
Walter E. Steele ruled that Massachusetts had failed to prove that Bar-Jonah was dangerous and he was released before moving to Great Falls
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
.
Montana years
Bar-Jonah was arrested in 1999, again and initially for impersonating a police officer. After searching his home and finding, among other things, many pictures of young children cut out of magazines and a bone that was identified as belonging to an unknown young male, Montana police charged Bar-Jonah with kidnappingKidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and sexual assault
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....
, as well as the kidnapping and sexual assault of three other boys.
Jonah had evidence against him and was going to be tried for the murder and cannibalism of young Zachary Ramsay. There was also evidence that Bar-Jonah cooked the child up and served him to unexpected guests and neighbors. However, the mother of this child refused to cooperate with the police authorities on the belief that it was not her son and he was still alive.
The charges involving the other three boys, on the other hand, were carried out and Bar-Jonah was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual assault, including charges that he had tortured one of the boys and hung him from the ceiling. Bar-Jonah was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated assault, and sexual assault. He was given a 130-year prison sentence. He maintained his innocence up until his death. Montana authorities were unaware of Bar-Jonah's past trouble in Massachusetts, a fact that was cited by activists campaigning to force former sex offender
Sex offender
A sex offender is a person who has committed a sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and by legal jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions compile their laws into sections such as traffic, assault, sexual, etc. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convictions for crimes of a...
s to register.
In December, 2004, the Montana Supreme Court turned down Bar-Jonah’s appeals and upheld the conviction and 130-year prison sentence. Nathaniel Bar-Jonah was found unresponsive early Sunday April 13, 2008. He had been in poor health. His post mortem found significant levels of LDL in his arteries and myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
was the determined cause of death.