Westley Allan Dodd
Encyclopedia
Westley Allan Dodd was a convicted American serial killer
and child molester. He has been called "one of the most evil killers in history." His execution
on January 5, 1993, was the first legal hanging
(at his own request) in the United States since 1965.
on July 3, 1961. Unlike most serial killers, Dodd claimed he was never abused or neglected. He also reported that he grew up in a wealthy, happy family.
became increasingly violent over the years (he wrote about wanting to eat the genitals of his victims).
He killed brothers Cole and William Neer (aged 11 and 10, respectively) in Vancouver, Washington
in the fall of 1989, and torture
d, rape
d and murdered four-year-old Lee Iseli. In November 1989 he attempted to abduct a 6 year old boy from the Liberty movie theater in Camas, Washington. He was caught when the stepfather chased him down and tackled him.
He was arrested by the Camas police and interviewed by task force detectives. Portland Police Bureau Detective C. W. Jensen and Clark County
Detective Rick Buckner obtained Dodd's confession and served the search warrant
on his home. The police found a homemade torture rack in his home, as yet unused.
Several books have been written about the case, including "When The Monster Comes Out Of The Closet" by Author Lori Steinhorst who communicated with Dodd in writing and by phone almost daily for 18 months prior to his execution. Driven to Kill by true crime
author Gary C. King and Dr. Ron Turco's book about his experience during the initial investigation to assist in developing a profile
of the killer.
in 1990 for molesting and then stabbing to death Cole Neer and his brother William near a Vancouver, Washington
park in 1989, as well as for the separate rape and murder of Lee Iseli, aged 4.
Less than four years elapsed between the murders and Dodd's execution. He refused to appeal
his case or the capital sentence, stating, "I must be executed before I have an opportunity to escape or kill someone within the prison. If I do escape, I promise you I will kill prison guards if I have to and rape and enjoy every minute of it." While in court he said that, if he escaped from jail, he would immediately go back to "killing and raping kids."
Dodd was executed by hanging at 12:05 a.m. on January 5, 1993 at Washington State Penitentiary
in Walla Walla
. By Washington State law, Dodd had to choose the method of his execution, and state law gave Dodd two options: lethal injection
or hanging. Dodd chose hanging, later stating in interviews that he chose that method "because that's the way Lee Iseli [his final victim] died." He also requested that his hanging be televised, but that request was denied. His hanging was the first use of hanging for an execution in the United States since George York and James Latham
were hanged by Kansas in 1965.
His execution was witnessed by 12 members of local and regional media, prison officials, and representatives of the families of the three victims. He ate salmon and potatoes for his last meal
. His last words, spoken from the second floor of the indoor gallows, were recorded by the media witnesses as:
Dodd was pronounced dead by the prison doctor and his body transported to Seattle
for autopsy
. The King County Medical Examiner, Dr. Donald Reay, found that Dodd had died quickly and probably with little pain. He was cremated
following the autopsy, and his ashes turned over to his family.
, starring Al Pacino
. He was fictionalized as a serial killer Pacino's character caught long ago, but Pacino's description of Dodd's murder of Lee Iseli is accurate.
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...
and child molester. He has been called "one of the most evil killers in history." His execution
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
on January 5, 1993, was the first legal hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
(at his own request) in the United States since 1965.
His childhood years
Westley Allan Dodd was born in Richland, WashingtonRichland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
on July 3, 1961. Unlike most serial killers, Dodd claimed he was never abused or neglected. He also reported that he grew up in a wealthy, happy family.
Criminal history
Dodd began sexually abusing children when he was a teenager; his first victims were his own cousins. All his victims (over 50 in all) were boys below the age of 12, some of them as young as two. Dodd's sexual fantasiesSexual fantasy
A sexual fantasy, also called an erotic fantasy, is a fantasy or pattern of thoughts with the effect of creating or enhancing sexual feelings; in short, it is "almost any mental imagery that is sexually arousing or erotic to [an] individual"...
became increasingly violent over the years (he wrote about wanting to eat the genitals of his victims).
He killed brothers Cole and William Neer (aged 11 and 10, respectively) in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
in the fall of 1989, and torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d, 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 murdered four-year-old Lee Iseli. In November 1989 he attempted to abduct a 6 year old boy from the Liberty movie theater in Camas, Washington. He was caught when the stepfather chased him down and tackled him.
He was arrested by the Camas police and interviewed by task force detectives. Portland Police Bureau Detective C. W. Jensen and Clark County
Clark County, Washington
Clark County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Washington, across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon.Clark County was the first county of Washington, named after William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
Detective Rick Buckner obtained Dodd's confession and served the search warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
on his home. The police found a homemade torture rack in his home, as yet unused.
Several books have been written about the case, including "When The Monster Comes Out Of The Closet" by Author Lori Steinhorst who communicated with Dodd in writing and by phone almost daily for 18 months prior to his execution. Driven to Kill by true crime
True crime
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 Gary C. King and Dr. Ron Turco's book about his experience during the initial investigation to assist in developing a profile
Offender profiling
Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is a behavioral and investigative tool that is intended to help investigators to profile unknown criminal subjects or offenders. Offender profiling is also known as criminal profiling, criminal personality profiling, criminological profiling,...
of the killer.
Arrest and trials
Dodd was sentenced to deathCapital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in 1990 for molesting and then stabbing to death Cole Neer and his brother William near a Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
park in 1989, as well as for the separate rape and murder of Lee Iseli, aged 4.
Less than four years elapsed between the murders and Dodd's execution. He refused to appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
his case or the capital sentence, stating, "I must be executed before I have an opportunity to escape or kill someone within the prison. If I do escape, I promise you I will kill prison guards if I have to and rape and enjoy every minute of it." While in court he said that, if he escaped from jail, he would immediately go back to "killing and raping kids."
Dodd was executed by hanging at 12:05 a.m. on January 5, 1993 at Washington State Penitentiary
Washington State Penitentiary
Washington State Penitentiary is a Washington State Department of Corrections men's prison located in Walla Walla, Washington...
in Walla Walla
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
. By Washington State law, Dodd had to choose the method of his execution, and state law gave Dodd two options: lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
or hanging. Dodd chose hanging, later stating in interviews that he chose that method "because that's the way Lee Iseli [his final victim] died." He also requested that his hanging be televised, but that request was denied. His hanging was the first use of hanging for an execution in the United States since George York and James Latham
George York and James Latham
George Ronald York and James Douglas Latham were an American spree killer team who are the most recent individuals executed by the U.S. state of Kansas.-Killing spree:...
were hanged by Kansas in 1965.
His execution was witnessed by 12 members of local and regional media, prison officials, and representatives of the families of the three victims. He ate salmon and potatoes for his last meal
Last meal
The last meal is a customary part of a condemned prisoner's last day. Often, the day of, or before, the appointed time of execution, the prisoner receives a last meal, as well as religious rites, if they desire. In the United States, inmates generally may not ask for an alcoholic drink...
. His last words, spoken from the second floor of the indoor gallows, were recorded by the media witnesses as:
Dodd was pronounced dead by the prison doctor and his body transported to Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
for autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
. The King County Medical Examiner, Dr. Donald Reay, found that Dodd had died quickly and probably with little pain. He was cremated
Cremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
following the autopsy, and his ashes turned over to his family.
In Popular Culture
Dodd was mentioned in the 2002 film, InsomniaInsomnia
Insomnia is most often defined by an individual's report of sleeping difficulties. While the term is sometimes used in sleep literature to describe a disorder demonstrated by polysomnographic evidence of disturbed sleep, insomnia is often defined as a positive response to either of two questions:...
, starring Al Pacino
Al Pacino
Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an American film and stage actor and director. He is famous for playing mobsters, including Michael Corleone in The Godfather trilogy, Tony Montana in Scarface, Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice in Dick Tracy and Carlito Brigante in Carlito's Way, though he has also appeared...
. He was fictionalized as a serial killer Pacino's character caught long ago, but Pacino's description of Dodd's murder of Lee Iseli is accurate.
Further reading
- Shirley Lynn Scott. Westley Allan Dodd: Diary of a Child Predator. Crime Library. Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
- Carol M. Ostrom, Jack Broom. Westley Dodd: A Long, Steady Slide Into Dark Desperation. The Seattle Times (1993-01-03). Retrieved on 2007-11-10.
- Gary C. King. Driven to Kill. Gary C. King works. Retrieved on 2009-08-16.