227:
Erskine was found guilty of seven murders in
January 1988 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommended minimum term of 40 years, but has since been found to have a mental disorder within the meaning of the Mental Health Act 1983. In 1988 he was transferred from prison under sections 47/49 of
263:. Sutcliffe was attacked in his room in Broadmoor Hospital's Henley Ward by Paul Wilson, a convicted robber, who asked to borrow a videotape before attempting to strangle him with the cable from a pair of stereo headphones. Erskine and convicted murderer Jamie Devitt intervened upon hearing screams.
206:
The final victim was
Florence Tisdall, an 83-year-old widow who lived on her own at Ranelagh Gardens Mansions in Fulham. She was strangled and raped. She was found dead by the caretaker on the morning of 23 July 1986. Erskine was arrested on 28 July 1986 at a social security office. Police were then
223:
It was clear to the police that all these attacks were the work of one man. There were no signs of forced entry, with every indication that the intruder had gained access through an unsecured window. In each case it appeared that the killer had knelt on the victims' chests, and then placed his left
191:
His second victim was Janet
Cockett, 67, who died on 9 June 1986 after being strangled in her flat on the Wandsworth housing estate on which she was chairwoman of the tenants' association. Her death was initially thought to have been from natural causes. She had not been sexually assaulted. A post
215:
A homeless drifter and solvent abuser, Erskine was in his early twenties when he committed the crimes. Erskine's burglary convictions before and during this killing spree meant that his fingerprints and photographs were on police record. Police had identified
Erskine as the perpetrator during his
184:, who died on 9 April 1986. Her death was initially believed to have been due to natural causes, and declared as such by her doctor on her death certificate. It was only established that she had been murdered when her home help noticed that her television set was missing from her flat. A
152:
father. Erskine has three brothers. He was abandoned by both parents during childhood and attended various special schools. His parents divorced when he was 12. On a field trip, he tried to drown his peers, and he became more violent as he grew up. He eventually became homeless.
219:
Police suspected
Erskine of four other murders. These include the murder of Wilfred Parkes (aged 81, at Stockwell, on 2 June 1986) and Trevor Thomas (aged 75, at Lambeth, on 21 July 1986), but did not find sufficient evidence to charge Erskine with these crimes.
224:
hand over their mouths whilst he used his right hand to grip their throats and strangle them to death. In addition, four of the victims had been sodomised, although there was some uncertainty as to whether this had taken place before or after death.
192:
mortem showed that she had been murdered. Erskine's palm print was found on a window at
Cockett's flat. He later broke into the residence of an elderly man, but Erskine abandoned this burglary when a noise disturbed him enough to make him flee.
207:
able to match his palm print to one left at one of the murder scenes, and he was identified in a police lineup by 74-year-old Fred
Prentice, who claimed Erskine tried to strangle him in his bed a month before police apprehended him.
203:. He stole money from Carman's flat before molesting him and strangling him in an attack on 8 July 1986. He claimed his sixth victim on 21 July 1986, when he similarly attacked 74-year-old William Downes in a Stockwell bedsit.
751:
711:
706:
741:
756:
701:
239:
A report by Horne dated 17 March 2006 refers to an assessment of
Erskine in September 2004. Horne concludes that, at the time of the assessment, Erskine had chronic
731:
686:
594:
324:
329:
199:
veteran: Valentine Gleim, 84, and
Zbigniew Strabawa, 94. Both men were sexually assaulted and strangled. Erskine's fifth victim was William Carman, 84, of
761:
766:
681:
544:
474:
621:
247:
and that this had probably been the case since March 1980. In July 2009, following an appeal, Erskine's murder convictions were reduced to
746:
429:
509:
736:
721:
696:
244:
691:
279:
232:
and has been held there since then. The trial judge's recommendation is one of the most severe ever handed out in
716:
195:
On 28 June 1986, Erskine killed his third and fourth victims at a residential home in
Stockwell, one of them a
726:
390:
165:. He was able to open ten separate bank accounts with the proceeds of his crimes. Erskine served time in
676:
216:
killing spree. He was convicted of seven murders. During his trial, he was seen to be masturbating.
229:
174:
445:
470:
425:
302:
166:
464:
419:
169:. During 1986, Erskine murdered at least seven elderly people, breaking into their homes and
260:
351:
556:
291:
670:
319:
276:
240:
125:
466:
The World's Twenty Worst Crimes - True Stories of 10 Killers and Their 3000 Victims
248:
196:
577:
306:
185:
145:
47:
657:
522:
181:
170:
200:
162:
149:
55:
133:
51:
648:
259:
On 23 February 1996, Erskine saved the life of fellow serial killer
78:
Detention at Broadmoor Hospital but moved to Thornford Park Hospital
271:
Erskine's crimes have been the subject of multiple documentaries:
752:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales
188:
examination revealed that she had been raped and strangled.
301:
aired which focused on Erskine. It was presented by former
233:
622:"CBS Reality Original Series: New Scotland Yard Files"
132:. He committed the murders of 7–11 senior citizens in
286:
documented Erskine's crimes. The episode was titled
524:
Strange answers to the psychopath test - Jon Ronson
228:the Mental Health Act 1983 to the maximum security
105:
95:
87:
82:
74:
62:
30:
23:
161:Erskine's criminal career began with a number of
712:English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
413:
411:
707:English people of Antigua and Barbuda descent
510:"Hunting Britons and Their Victims 1960-2006"
251:on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
8:
325:List of serial killers in the United Kingdom
742:People with antisocial personality disorder
330:List of serial killers by number of victims
757:Violence against men in the United Kingdom
20:
702:English people convicted of manslaughter
346:
344:
180:His first victim was Nancy Emms, 78, of
391:"The OAP Killer: First Kill, Last Kill"
340:
148:on 1 July 1963 to a British mother and
385:
305:detective Peter Bleksley and aired on
732:People detained at Broadmoor Hospital
469:. John Blake Publishing. p. 74.
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
373:
371:
369:
367:
365:
275:On 8 May 2014, an episode of eminent
7:
687:British people convicted of burglary
418:Newton, Michael (21 February 2006).
177:. The crimes took place in London.
555:. 30 November 2007. Archived from
498:The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
421:The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
14:
762:Violence against women in England
446:"Snaring the Stockwell Strangler"
352:"'Strangler' wins murders appeal"
297:On 12 August 2021, an episode of
767:English people with disabilities
124:(born 1 July 1963) is a British
620:Macleod, Dave (30 March 2020).
245:antisocial personality disorder
101:9 April – 28 July 1986
682:20th-century English criminals
1:
136:between April and July 1986.
578:"Attacks on Peter Sutcliffe"
500:, Facts on File, 1999, p. 68
553:Her Majesty's Court Service
173:them; most often they were
783:
463:Kate Kray (31 July 2007).
747:People with schizophrenia
595:"New Scotland Yard Files"
434:– via Google Books.
115:
70:
737:People from Hammersmith
660:New Scotland Yard Files
424:. Infobase Publishing.
299:New Scotland Yard Files
211:Investigation and trial
130:The Stockwell Strangler
66:The Stockwell Strangler
722:English serial killers
697:English male criminals
662:documentary on Erskine
653:documentary on Erskine
692:Criminals from London
16:British serial killer
651:First Kill/Last Kill
582:The Yorkshire Ripper
284:First Kill/Last Kill
144:Erskine was born in
128:who became known as
559:on 18 February 2011
547:R v Kenneth Erskine
512:, David Wilson, p72
97:Span of crimes
230:Broadmoor Hospital
175:sexually assaulted
476:978-1-78418-436-0
303:New Scotland Yard
290:and was shown on
167:HM Prison Feltham
119:
118:
774:
637:
636:
634:
632:
617:
611:
610:
608:
606:
591:
585:
575:
569:
568:
566:
564:
541:
535:
534:
533:
531:
519:
513:
507:
501:
496:Michael Newton,
494:
488:
487:
485:
483:
460:
454:
453:
442:
436:
435:
415:
406:
405:
403:
401:
387:
360:
359:
348:
107:Date apprehended
75:Criminal penalty
63:Other names
44:
40:
38:
21:
782:
781:
777:
776:
775:
773:
772:
771:
717:English rapists
667:
666:
645:
640:
630:
628:
619:
618:
614:
604:
602:
593:
592:
588:
576:
572:
562:
560:
543:
542:
538:
529:
527:
521:
520:
516:
508:
504:
495:
491:
481:
479:
477:
462:
461:
457:
452:. 14 July 2009.
444:
443:
439:
432:
417:
416:
409:
399:
397:
389:
388:
363:
358:. 14 July 2009.
350:
349:
342:
338:
316:
269:
261:Peter Sutcliffe
257:
236:legal history.
213:
159:
142:
122:Kenneth Erskine
108:
98:
58:
45:
42:
36:
34:
26:
25:Kenneth Erskine
17:
12:
11:
5:
780:
778:
770:
769:
764:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
669:
668:
665:
664:
655:
644:
643:External links
641:
639:
638:
612:
586:
570:
536:
514:
502:
489:
475:
455:
437:
430:
407:
361:
339:
337:
334:
333:
332:
327:
322:
315:
312:
311:
310:
295:
288:The OAP Killer
280:David Wilson's
268:
265:
256:
253:
212:
209:
158:
155:
141:
138:
117:
116:
113:
112:
109:
106:
103:
102:
99:
96:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
80:
79:
76:
72:
71:
68:
67:
64:
60:
59:
46:
32:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
779:
768:
765:
763:
760:
758:
755:
753:
750:
748:
745:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
727:Living people
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
695:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
674:
672:
663:
661:
656:
654:
652:
647:
646:
642:
627:
623:
616:
613:
600:
596:
590:
587:
583:
579:
574:
571:
558:
554:
550:
548:
540:
537:
526:
525:
518:
515:
511:
506:
503:
499:
493:
490:
478:
472:
468:
467:
459:
456:
451:
447:
441:
438:
433:
431:9780816069873
427:
423:
422:
414:
412:
408:
396:
392:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
374:
372:
370:
368:
366:
362:
357:
353:
347:
345:
341:
335:
331:
328:
326:
323:
321:
320:Gerontophilia
318:
317:
313:
308:
304:
300:
296:
293:
289:
285:
281:
278:
277:criminologist
274:
273:
272:
267:Documentaries
266:
264:
262:
255:Incarceration
254:
252:
250:
246:
242:
241:schizophrenia
237:
235:
231:
225:
221:
217:
210:
208:
204:
202:
198:
193:
189:
187:
183:
178:
176:
172:
168:
164:
156:
154:
151:
147:
139:
137:
135:
131:
127:
126:serial killer
123:
114:
110:
104:
100:
94:
90:
86:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
43:(age 61)
33:
29:
22:
19:
659:
650:
629:. Retrieved
625:
615:
603:. Retrieved
598:
589:
581:
573:
561:. Retrieved
557:the original
552:
546:
539:
528:, retrieved
523:
517:
505:
497:
492:
480:. Retrieved
465:
458:
449:
440:
420:
398:. Retrieved
394:
355:
298:
287:
283:
270:
258:
249:manslaughter
238:
226:
222:
218:
214:
205:
197:World War II
194:
190:
179:
160:
143:
129:
121:
120:
111:28 July 1986
18:
677:1963 births
626:CBS Reality
599:Prime Video
482:19 February
307:CBS Reality
186:post mortem
146:Hammersmith
48:Hammersmith
41:1 July 1963
671:Categories
530:1 November
336:References
182:Wandsworth
171:strangling
163:burglaries
140:Early life
37:1963-07-01
563:2 January
292:Channel 5
201:Islington
601:. Amazon
450:BBC News
356:BBC News
314:See also
150:Antiguan
395:TheTVDB
282:series
234:British
88:Victims
83:Details
56:England
473:
428:
157:Crimes
134:London
52:London
658:2021
649:2014
631:1 May
605:1 May
400:1 May
633:2022
607:2022
565:2013
532:2020
484:2016
471:ISBN
426:ISBN
402:2022
243:and
91:7–11
31:Born
673::
624:.
597:.
580:,
551:.
448:.
410:^
393:.
364:^
354:.
343:^
54:,
50:,
39:)
635:.
609:.
584:.
567:.
549:"
545:"
486:.
404:.
309:.
294:.
35:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.