clay the serial killer caught clay the serial killer caught

Despite raising a lot of suspicions early on, this call quickly faded into relative obscurity after it happened, before being brought back to the attention of internet sleuths in 2019. Woods retired less than a year later while facing the suspension of his police license, and was eventually replaced by R.J. Collins, who apparently later hired Victor Gant. The chilling moment an apparent serial killer called intoThe Howard Stern Show is going viral again on TikTok, and the clip still leaves us with more questions than answers. Ellwood was questioned regarding the murders and later booked as a suspect. One month later, in June 1995, investigators obtained a warrant asking for hair and saliva samples from Victor Gant. Rader was a pillar of his community and even worked at a security system company. He was exonerated of all charges, nevertheless. While he was only convicted of 1 murder (Cheryl Lewis), he is believed to killed upwards of 20 prostitutes during the 1990's. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/humaninterests Join the Mailing List: https://www.humaninterests.co.uk/newsletter Why serial killing rose in the 70s and fel. 6". [2] On February 5, 1994, skeletal remains were found in St. John the Baptist Parish, later determined to be a young woman between the ages of 25 and 35. Of course, this also leaves the door open for the possibility of Clay taking a few moments to craft the next portion of his fake story, but lets listen more before we jump to any further conclusions. Britton had dropped out of school shortly before her death, and was last seen in a New Orleans bar next to an unknown man. Check out today's terrifying new video that reveals the mistakes. [2] Like Williams, Filson was transsexual and worked at a nightclub under the name 'Brenda Bewitch'. He took the lives of ten people in Sedgwick County, Kansas. A death record for Weill notes that he was the son of a man named Sam Weillyoull recall Sam as being the name Eric asked to be called while masquerading as the Zodiac on Jim Dunbars television show. On January 25, the remains of 25-year-old Henry Calvin, who had gone missing months earlier from New Orleans, were found. Ellwood remains a suspect in several of the killings, but no charges have been filed against him. [2], On July 25, the body of 33-year-old Noah Filson was found in the waters of a canal near I-55. Footage of the phone call. Copyright 2023 washingtonindependent.com. 'World's Youngest Serial Killer' Had Murdered Three People By Eight Years Old; Convicted serial killer on death row explains how he feels just hours before his execution; Man Who Caught Golden State Killer Says There Are 2,000 Serial Killers In The US 'America's first female serial killer' says she 'did the right thing' in killing her victims Sanders also admitted to withholding this information, because she was a drug dealer. He first rendered his victims unconscious by giving them drugs, and then he killed them in a number of ways, most commonly by strangling or suffocation. The charges were only dropped after a series of behind-closed-doors meetings with lawyers. I say, lowbrow, not in an attempt to throw shade. Once the call ended, the saga of Clay the Serial Killer faded into relative obscurity. Richard Pennington, chief of the New Orleans police, said that a police officer was a suspect, but he refused to identify him. [8] This request was denied, whereupon Ellwood confessed to killing Lewis and Mack, but refused to be audiotaped and soon after began denying that he had confessed. [2] In a 2016 interview with HuffPost, Major C.J. The treads on her shoes definitively matched a shoeprint found next to a dead body that had been discovered only three hours earlier and only a mile awayand the victim had been Sharons best friend. Ed?". The victim is referred to as "Jane Doe No. Between 1991 and 1995, a suspected serial killer claimed the lives of multiple people in the New Orleans area. In the wake of incidents like these, its no surprise that Chief R.J. Collins seemingly had little issue with hiring a potential serial killer who ran a prostitution ring like Victor Gant to the Carver College Police Force. According to friends and acquaintances of the victims, Gant held a personal grudge against Ivester and had spoken negatively about her on multiple occasions. I never said my name was Ed" almost as if to say "How dare you get my name wrong". [2] Some of the victims have never been identified. She was an impoverished mother of three who engaged in prostitution and had several previous arrests. [2] During the investigations, it was established that Gant had an intimate relationship with one of the victims, Sharon Robinson. Is it true that "Clay the Serial Killer" from New Orleans called in livetoThe Howard Stern Show and confessed to killing 12 women? [8] No recording of this confession was taken, and Ellwood later denied ever confessing to such a murder to Camden. "Did your mom beat you? and our Except this time, no police trace reveals the caller to be a hoaxer in a mental institution. Click here to subscribe to Be. He then dumped her dead next to Louisiana's Highway LA 3160 in Hahnville. They didn't catch him? She was later identified as 28-year-old Stephanie Brown, who had no prior criminal record. - During the call, Clay claimed he was white, and that the only suspect at the time was a black cop who was romantically involved with one of the victims. 'Clay' said calmly. When the task force talked to him again, he admitted to dumping the body of a black woman in the water next to a country road. [9] During the proceedings, a number of Ellwood's former cellmates and prostitutes testified as prosecution witnesses, with the former claiming that he had confessed to the killings while the latter claimed that he had assaulted them. Ellwood's trial took place here in Lafayette, and the jury unanimously found him guilty of 2nd-degree murder. Due to extreme decomposition, neither could be identified, and are referred to as "Jane Doe No. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. He was one of the two main suspects in a series of murders of women in New Orleans, Louisiana. Other true crime sleuths who have heard recordings of Ellwoods voice insist there are no sonic similarities between him and Clay. When he appeared in court, other prisoners who knew Ellwood gave witness accounts against him. After all, my listeners who took drama club classes in high school will remember that the first rule of improv is to always say yes. Destor of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed that Gant is still on the suspect list.[2]. As a result, he was convicted and sentenced to spend 85 days in the county jail. Numerous articles from several national publications name Ganta black police officeras a suspect in the New Orleans serial murders a full two years before Clays phone call, and television news segments chronicling Gants activities were aired on CBS and ABC in late 1995. One year later, on August 26, 1996, Gant was fired from the police force as result of the four internal investigations opened against him, with his beating of Sharon Robinson in the months before her murder being a major contributing cause. Below is the infamous phone call to the Howard Stern Show. "Clay" The Serial Killer. Even though he was always a suspect, he said he would move to Louisiana's New Orleans in January to clear his name and solve his cases. Russel Ellwood was a suspected serial killer who killed prostitutes (women) by drugging them and strangling them to death. He claimed he's killed 12 prostitutes in the New Orleans area. 1". Privacy Policy. [2] Autopsies determined that Ivester had been strangled, while Robinson had been beaten and strangled, but the presence of water in her lungs indicated that the cause of death had been drowning. Scan this QR code to download the app now. He was born on June 24, 1962, in Baton Rouge, Louisianna. A mother of three, she had multiple arrests for prostitution during her lifetime. The guy said that he was put on medication in prison and he was having nightmares and hearing all kinds of things. This was refuted by Ellwood's receipts, which show a puzzling two-week break in February. Cheryl Lewis on February 1, 2, and 3, 1993 (drowned; found on February 21; it is unknown if the charges against Ellwood were dropped). From the infamous Zodiac Killer who taunted the media with baffling clues about his crimes to the Cleveland Torso Murderer who beheaded and dismembered his victims, take look at these chilling serial killers who were never caught. Where have we heard this before? During interrogation, Ellwood initially denied making any such statements to the inmates, but after an audio tape of Hill's testimony was played, he admitted that he had indeed boasted to Hill. The victims were later identified as Karen Ivester and Sharon Robinson, 30 and 28, respectively. [2], In May 1995, a task force was established by the New Orleans Police Department, in conjunction with surrounding parishes and the FBI, in order to solve the killings. Russell Ellwood went on trial in 1998 for the murders that he committed in 1993 of Cheryl Lewis, age 30, from Bridge City, and Deloras Mack, age 40 . But as soon as he arrived in the state, Ellwood was taken into custody on traffic-related charges. [8] Owing to his addiction, Ellwood was arrested several times from 1968 to 1998. This experience, combined with her undergraduate degree in psychology and teaching, has equipped her with valuable skills that she employs on a daily basis in real estate negotiations, homebuyer and seller education, and successful promotion of the team's listings. Weill, a California photographer suffering from severe Bipolar Disorder, was known to be fixated on celebrities. WARNING: Disturbing Content The caller "Clay" is believed to be serial killer Russell Ellwood that was arrested in 1998 and sentenced to life in prison in 1999. [2] On the following day, the body of 39-year-old Sandra Warner was found in St. John the Baptist Parish. According to her testimony, she had boarded the car of an unknown man in Algiers sometime in July, and after having a conversation with him, the man strangled her into unconsciousness and dropped her off on the streets. - The majority of known victims were sex workers. 34K 2.1M views 9 months ago How did some of the worst serial killers that have ever lived end up getting caught by the police? [3], On August 4, 1991, the body of 17-year-old Danielle Britton was found in a ditch not far from where "Brenda" had been abducted. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. According to CBS, "The Cleveland Strangler" killed at least 11 women during his run, and though he wasn't arrested in the past ten years, he was convicted for those killings in 2011 and sentenced to death. Read full article on original website. I'll kill you too." - One victim, Delores Mack, was transgender and another, George Williams, was a transvestite. called and asked for tape of that call.". According tocriminalminds.fandom.com Ellwood would live in his car from time to time when he couldn't afford to live anywhere else. He gave details that were similar to how Cheryl Lewis' body was dumped. For more information, please see our On the next day, the body of 42-year-old Delores Mack was found in the waters of a canal near a highway, not far from the Lewis crime scene. A lot happens right here. Listen to ""Clay the Serial Killer"" on Spreaker. He was locked up for 85 days after being arrested on August 4, 1997, on drug charges. (1:00 mark in audio) You might notice a pattern emerging here. On one hand, Clays hesitation before correcting Stern seems to hint at him telling the truth. Cheryl Lewis' mother, in turn, admitted that her daughter was a drug addict and a prostitute, but said that she had never seen Ellwood with her daughter before. On May 4, 1995, less than a week after the formation of this task force, Gant was formally called in for questioning at the New Orleans Sheriffs Office. 5" and "John Doe No. 1", was presumably strangled and found not far from Britton's body. [5] However, while investigating her death, authorities learned that she was last seen alive on February 2, getting into the car of an unidentified white male. In addition to the two murders that have already been reported, Ellwood is thought to be responsible for at least even more deaths. Even if Clay the Serial Killer was not, in fact, Russell Ellwood, there is still a strong possibility that this caller was telling the truth. Did a notorious-a possibly uncaught-serial killer call the most popular radio show in America? [7] In the following years, the credibility of this incident was questioned, as the program regularly received numerous call from people who claimed to have done terrible things, with some alleging that Stern himself faked the call to boost his ratings. Camden later testified that Ellwood also confessed to him that he had killed a black girl, whose corpse he had dumped in the canal. Each time 'Clay' answered a question he responded in a calm, matter-of-fact manner. [2] On April 2, two sets of skeletal remains were found in the canals, later determined to be of a young woman and a young man. [12] Gant left New Orleans after his discharge from law enforcement and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he presumably still lives today. In August of 1997, "Clay the Serial Killer", a self-proclaimed serial murderer in New Orleans, Louisiana, called The Howard Stern Show and casually confessed to over 12 murders live on-air. FBI agent John Fleming told the press in November 1995, "A common thread in the victims was their membership of prostitution rings that seem to have been connected with a group of NOPD officers. Was your mom a prostitute?" The next day, Stern said on the show that the FBI came to the studio asking for a tape of the call. But what if that wasnt the case? Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [8] Ultimately, the murder charge for Delores Mack was dropped,[11] but on the basis of very circumstantial evidence and unreliable testimony, Ellwood was found guilty of killing Cheryl Lewis and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on August 17, 1999. He boasted to other prisoners about his murders in Louisiana during this period. [8] The investigators became increasingly suspicious when Ellwood started speaking about having a dream in which he was being questioned about a series of murders and later admitting to frequenting the locations where the bodies were found, but continued to reaffirm his innocence.[8]. But as the conversation progressed, it became clear to Stern and listeners that this one sounded deadly serious. The call remained virtually absent from public discourseand even the internetuntil 2019, when fans of Stern began posting about the segment on Reddit, reigniting interest in the incident. Eventually, Ellwood was released again, and in January 1998, he returned to New Orleans. But instead, he hesitated possibly debating in his own mind whether he should divulge more details before finally admitting he used a hammer. [1] [2] Murders [ edit] Henry testified that she had not given the police this information, as she was wanted for petty offenses at the time. This image shows a police sketch released to the media in 1992, after one woman survived an attack and provided a description to police of the man she said choked her and left her for dead. At some point prior to 2016, Gant found employment as an officer with the Carver College Police Department in Atlanta. The single biggest issue, however, is thisClays self-professed favorite mode of murder was bludgeoning his victims to death with a hammer. Rainey was able to escape, but did not report the attack due to her criminal lifestyle. I'll look it up later. According to multiple reports, what grabbed the FBI's attention during the phone call on The Howard Stern Show was that the caller revealed information about his murders that authorities say they never made public. The trial began on June 8, 1999, in Lafayette. Powered by RedCircle. Three witnesses testified that they had seen the defendant with Cheryl Lewis shortly before her disappearance. Photo Credit: Myotus / Wikimedia Commons. Or was something even stranger going on? Sharons boyfriend33-year-old Victor Gantwas a known user of chewing tobacco. [2] Her name has never been disclosed, and she is referred to as "Brenda" in case files. All Rights Reserved. True crime aficionados quickly picked up on the similarities between Clays story and an unsolved cluster of homicides that had made headlines and hit TV screens all around America nearly three decades prior. Lewis' murder began a series of killings of at least 26 prostitutes spanning from 1991 to 1996 that authorities believe Ellwood is responsible for. [1] Through the course of the investigation, two separate suspects were considered, one of whom was convicted of one murder, leading investigators to believe that multiple killers are responsible. "Clay the Serial Killer" As he has been dubbed calls into the Howard Stern Show to admit to 12 slayings of New Orleans area prostitutes. He was also ordered to perform forced labor. Discretion is advised. I mean, he's a multi-millionaire and arguably the most recognized name in broadcasting, so clearly he's kind of good at his job. [2] The cause of her death was also declared as strangulation. This sort of bizarre call was not out of the ordinary for the show, where Stern often hoax calls from people with crazy stories. Users on the Websleuths message board began compiling data on these killings in November 2016, which Stern fans took notice of three years later. Russell Ellwoodis the man many believe to be "Clay the Serial Killer", the man who called The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and confessed to killing 12 women. COPYRIGHT_WI: Published on https://washingtonindependent.com/russell-ellwood/ by Jaya Mckeown on 2022-07-18T05:09:07.471Z. While they were somewhat skeptical that this caller was indeed the Zodiac Killer, the San Francisco Police were eager to set up this unconventional television broadcast in the hopes that a call could be traced to rule out or confirm this individual as a legitimate suspect, as the Zodiac had struck in their city only two weeks prior, murdering cab driver Paul Stine in cold blood before fleeing into the night. -The caller knew a black police officer was a suspect in the murders of two women in New Orleans (the FBI requested the recordings & got involved because of that statement due to it matching things not publicly known) & the officer remained a suspect even after Ellwood was linked to the string of murders because police believe the killings to be On August 4, 1997, Ellwood was arrested and jailed on drug charges, with his prison sentence lasting nearly three months. In 1997, 'Clay' called into the show to tell Stern and Quivers he had killed 12 sex workers. Robinson's boyfriend was a police officer called Victor Grant, who has denied any wrongdoing. [7] How A Serial Killer Was Caught By A Plumber's Gruesome Discovery | Memories of a Murderer 26,602 views Aug 18, 2021 Dennis Nilsen's crimes were first exposed by a clogged drain. Between the years of 1974 and 1991, serial killer Dennis "BTK Killer" Rader was at large. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. The second witness, Antoinette Holmes, who lived near Lewis, testified to seeing her at the Time Saver restaurant in Bridge City two weeks before she was reported missing, standing between two parked cars and talking to a cab driver. Antoinette Rainey, who worked as a drug dealer in New Orleans, also appeared as a witness for the prosecution, testifying that Ellwood was a regular customer. The Serial Killers Who Invented America. Price was a drug addict, but had no history of prostitution. And while the Zodiac Killer case is still unresolved, at least this small, bizarre chapter eventually reached a tangible conclusion.