1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,840 A note to our listeners. Today's episode contains graphic descriptions that may not be suitable 2 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:10,360 for young audiences. Listener discretion is advised. 3 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:21,240 Hi, everyone. Welcome to Dying to be Found, the podcast where we dive into the darker 4 00:00:21,240 --> 00:00:27,960 corners of true crime. I'm your host, Deb. Joining me today is the ever curious sister, 5 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:28,960 Beth. Hi, Beth. 6 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:36,040 Hi, Deb. I'm really thrilled to be here. Maybe thrilled isn't the right word, but I heard 7 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,400 you have a very interesting case today. The title when you sent it to me and it says shadows 8 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,720 of the gorilla man. I'm just so excited. 9 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:50,080 Good deal because I know you love the older storylines and that's where we're headed 10 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:54,960 today. You might see some similarities on the last case we talked about, but it kind 11 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,800 of reminded me slightly of that one, but it's a good one today. 12 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:03,840 I have no idea about this one. I hadn't heard of this guy either. It was interesting when 13 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:10,520 I was looking him up because today we're exploring the chilling story of Earl Nelson, also known 14 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:17,520 as the gorilla man. Earl was one of America's first known serial killers who was active 15 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:26,480 in the 1920s and his spree was brutal, baffling and left a very dark mark on history. Nelson 16 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:32,840 was born on May 12th, 1897 in San Francisco, California. He was an only child to James 17 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:39,680 Farrell and Francis Nelson. Earl's short life was marked by tragedy where his mother died 18 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:45,920 of syphilis when he was only 10 months old. I think that she contracted it from her husband 19 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:51,720 because Earl was eventually orphaned by the age of two when his father died of the same 20 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:57,360 disease. He was eventually raised by a very strict and deeply religious grandmother where 21 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:03,280 she instilled in her grandson that sex was dirty and often preached fire and brimstone 22 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:08,800 throughout his entire childhood. This left Earl to be somewhat quiet and submissive towards 23 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:17,500 adults. Nothing too alarming yet at this age, but by the age of seven, Earl was expelled 24 00:02:17,500 --> 00:02:23,720 from elementary school for what was considered by administrators as having socially bad behavior. 25 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:29,300 Wasn't really clear on what that behavior was, but it did seem that he was harassing 26 00:02:29,300 --> 00:02:35,680 his classmates somewhat and he also talked to invisible friends. He did quote Bible passages 27 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,000 about the great beast. I don't really find that alarming, Beth, back in the 20s if you're 28 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:44,200 raised in a religious family. To me, that's kind of normal, don't you think? 29 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:46,680 Beth Boulton Yes. They did a lot of that back then. 30 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:52,160 Well, he was also caught peeking on one of his female cousins while she was dressing. 31 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,340 I think when his grandmother died, he eventually went to go live with his aunt. So he had some 32 00:02:56,340 --> 00:03:01,360 cousins there and he had been caught peeking in on one of his female cousins while she 33 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:06,440 was getting dressed. Again, Beth, don't you think this is natural behavior as you get 34 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:11,440 a little older, maybe not at age seven, but just reaching that threshold of adolescence? 35 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:12,440 Beth Boulton Yes. 36 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:19,160 To me, again, that's somewhat normal. Not normalizing anything he did by all means, 37 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:26,120 but we'll get there. By his early teens, he did start showing signs of trouble and obsessive 38 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:31,600 behavior. He had a fascination with death and what other people would consider bizarre 39 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:38,640 conduct. When he was 10, Earl experienced a traumatic bicycle accident that some believed 40 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:45,520 caused lasting brain damage. I can see why. He was hit by a streetcar, which left a hole 41 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:47,240 in his head that never healed. 42 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,240 Beth Boulton A hole in his head? 43 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,080 Beth Boulton Yes. He got a major head injury during that. 44 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:54,080 Beth Boulton Geez. 45 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:57,440 Beth Boulton After the accident, Earl suffered from frequent 46 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:03,800 headaches and memory loss. I get it, especially if you are hit in the frontal lobe area. I 47 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:05,440 think that has a lot to do with your memory. 48 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:08,880 Beth Boulton Yeah. I'm just still thinking about that hole 49 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,160 in his head. I just wonder how it never healed. 50 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,760 Beth Boulton I know. I did see pictures. He was beat up in 51 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,880 some of them probably because of, let's just say, his behavior when he was getting the 52 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:25,520 mug shot. I did not see that hole in the head that people were talking about. I'm sure it 53 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,000 was quite evident if you're face to face with him. 54 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:33,960 Well, Earl had remained in a coma for six days during that injury, which might have 55 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:40,080 just been the tipping point to no return because clearly there were already alarming signs 56 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:46,120 of dark behavior when he was younger. Understanding mental health was minimal and a traumatic 57 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:53,080 brain injury during the 1920s were often untreated. Now, think about this. It's chilling, Beth, 58 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:57,620 how many killers that we've talked about, that we've heard about, who have a history 59 00:04:57,620 --> 00:04:58,620 of head injuries. 60 00:04:58,620 --> 00:05:00,080 Beth Boulton I didn't realize that. 61 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:05,880 Beth Boulton Yeah. Well, as Earl grew older, his behavior became more erratic. He spent 62 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:12,320 time in and out of institutions diagnosed with psychosis. But here's the twist. Despite 63 00:05:12,320 --> 00:05:17,960 his alarming behavior, he could be incredibly charming. And some accounts describe him as 64 00:05:17,960 --> 00:05:24,560 an articulate and persuasive person, which he used to gain trust of his victims. And 65 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:31,480 there's a recurring theme amongst many predators that they seem to blend in normally. So besides 66 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:37,000 the brain injury, I think there's a recurring theme amongst many predators as well. They 67 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:44,140 seem to blend in with society and act somewhat normal, even likable, charming. This is what 68 00:05:44,140 --> 00:05:50,060 makes crime so horrifying is because people like Earl Nelson gain the trust of whoever 69 00:05:50,060 --> 00:05:52,720 he's about to attack and they don't see it coming. 70 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:57,540 Beth Boulton Yeah, I see that in some of the stories we've done in the past where the men 71 00:05:57,540 --> 00:06:02,840 are charming. And oddly enough, I don't remember stories where women are charming. 72 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:08,240 Beth Boulton So true. There's definitely a difference between the two. Well, by the age 73 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:15,760 of 15, Earl began hooking up with prostitutes and went on alcoholic binges pretty regularly. 74 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:21,280 Not sure how he would access that lifestyle. Well, if he's living with his aunt, probably 75 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:25,760 by his teens, I can see maybe she might have something in the house. Definitely wouldn't 76 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,320 have been there with his grandmother. But going out and finding prostitutes, I mean, 77 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:34,080 that to me would be a little questionable about his behavior patterns for sure. 78 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,240 Beth Boulton And at age 15, gosh, I don't know if that happens even today. 79 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:45,320 Beth Boulton People grow up quicker than you think, Beth. Now, on July 25, 1915, Earl Nelson 80 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:51,640 committed a robbery where he was sentenced to a well known maximum security institution 81 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:59,320 called San Quentin State Prison at the ripe old age of 18. So he's in San Quentin. You've 82 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:00,320 heard of that, right? 83 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:01,800 Beth Boulton Oh, yes, I have. Yeah. 84 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:06,240 Beth Boulton It's one of the highest maximum security prisons out there. And today it's 85 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:11,880 called the San Quentin Rehab Center, but it's still a maximum security. So there's some 86 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:17,480 infamous people that have been at San Quentin over time. Maybe not while Earl Nelson was 87 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:23,800 there, but Charles Manson, Scott Peterson, and of all people, I know you know who Merle 88 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,200 Haggard is. Did you know he went to prison? 89 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:27,680 Beth Boulton No, who is he? 90 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,840 Beth Boulton Oh, you don't know who he is. He's a country 91 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:34,840 singer. I'm going to say probably from the 1970s, maybe the 1980s. 92 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:36,960 Beth Boulton I don't listen to country music. 93 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,520 Beth Boulton I don't listen to that twangy stuff either. I listen to new country, but 94 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,040 not that old twangy stuff. No way. Yeah, he had been sent there on robbery charges. So 95 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:51,440 he spent a little bit of time at San Quentin. Now upon his release from San Quentin, Earl 96 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:56,880 Nelson enlisted in the army. And I'm thinking maybe this might be an attempt to straighten 97 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,400 himself out. That's what people did back then. 98 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:01,840 Beth Boulton Yeah, that sounds like it could be. 99 00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:04,960 Beth Boulton Well, it didn't because Earl was released only 100 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:11,960 a few months into his enlistment for multiple AWOL offenses. And in case anybody does not 101 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:17,480 know what AWOL is, that's Absent Without Leave. He also joined the Navy, but was never searched 102 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:24,080 for when he also went AWOL there. Naval officials cited mental illness for the reason for discharging 103 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:29,920 him. So at this point in time, things aren't really working out for Earl. He's going nowhere 104 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:36,920 fast and he turns to the life of crime that he was soon known for as we go on with the 105 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:42,480 story, Beth. Now this little tidbit reminds me of our second episode from this season, 106 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,840 The Boston Strangler, also known as The Green Man. Earl Nelson earned the name The Gorilla 107 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:54,240 Man. He began gaining access to his victims homes by pretending to be a plumber. Doesn't 108 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:55,240 that sound familiar? 109 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:56,240 Beth Boulton Yes. 110 00:08:56,240 --> 00:09:02,680 In his very first attempt to commit sexual assault, which was against a 12-year-old girl, 111 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:08,240 he had entered a family home pretending to be that plumber. And as he entered the basement, 112 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,320 he saw a little girl down there playing with her dolls. When the girl's brother heard her 113 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:18,860 screaming because she had just been attacked, he had come to her aid. Nelson fled but was 114 00:09:18,860 --> 00:09:23,800 picked up rather quickly on the same day. Good for them for catching up with him fast. 115 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:30,420 Yes. Yes. He was sent to Napa State Hospital and diagnosed with being in a constitutional 116 00:09:30,420 --> 00:09:35,240 psychopathic state. And in layman terms, Beth, that's another word for being insane. 117 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:36,240 Okay. 118 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:42,460 During his stay, Nelson said he heard voices and firmly believed that someone was trying 119 00:09:42,460 --> 00:09:47,600 to poison him. He would often threaten the staff who recommended that he stay at the 120 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,840 institution permanently. I mean, I kind of think that's rather sad. He's leading such 121 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,360 a sad life right now, but I agree if he's hearing voices. 122 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:02,100 I agree too. When you hear voices, that's usually when you're in the state of being 123 00:10:02,100 --> 00:10:05,640 really bad and he certainly needs treatment. 124 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:11,000 Well, he didn't stay at the institution for very long because he broke out of the state 125 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:16,320 hospital and disappeared back into society. Now that's scary knowing that somebody out 126 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:21,000 there is living amongst us like Earl Nelson in the general public. 127 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,280 Exactly. That would... 128 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:28,760 Well, the big wigs at Napa State Hospital felt that it would be best to discharge Earl 129 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,760 rather than having to keep close tabs on him. 130 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:32,760 What? 131 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:38,960 Yeah. They decided to just... Okay. He's going to escape and he is known for escaping a lot 132 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:44,400 of different places. So instead of dealing with that, they just said, we're just going 133 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,400 to discharge him. Let somebody else deal with him. 134 00:10:46,400 --> 00:10:47,400 Geez. 135 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:48,400 Isn't that crazy? 136 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:49,400 Yeah. 137 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:54,640 So Earl was free and it was during this time period that Earl found his true love and actually 138 00:10:54,640 --> 00:11:00,080 got married to a 58 year old woman who resembled his grandmother. 139 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:01,440 And how old was he then? 140 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,440 I would say that he was probably in his mid twenties. 141 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,440 Oh my gosh. 142 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:07,440 I know, right? 143 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:08,440 Mm-hmm. 144 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:13,520 Well, that marriage only lasted six months and here's why. Earl couldn't hold a job 145 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:20,440 for more than a few days. So as most responsible husbands would do, he would leave to jot off 146 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,800 in the middle of the night to look for work. 147 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,480 Really? In the middle of the night to look for work? 148 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:27,640 Yeah. We know what he was up to. 149 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:32,080 Well, I had mentioned that Earl had suffered from headaches likely due to that bicycle 150 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:38,280 accident as a child. One day Earl was on a ladder when he suffered a severe migraine. 151 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:43,520 Now I've had migraines. They're nothing to write home about for sure. I would get up 152 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:48,280 in the mornings when I was a kid and literally fall to the ground. That's how severe the 153 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:49,360 headache was. 154 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,080 How old would you have been? I didn't know that you had them. 155 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,600 I was pretty young. I would say maybe around nine, 10, 11. 156 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:56,600 Are you kidding? 157 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:57,600 Mm-hmm. 158 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,160 Wow. I need fall to the ground. 159 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:05,800 I would literally get up out of bed and fall to the ground in severe pain. Earl passed 160 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:12,320 out, fell off that ladder and of all things, Beth, he landed on his head. 161 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,000 Ouch. 162 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:19,960 After this accident, Earl began to leave the house wearing one outfit but would return 163 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:26,000 in another. He actually had an obsession about changing his clothes and not just to change 164 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:31,040 clothes now. He would dress in something completely acceptable, walk out of the house like he 165 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,780 was just going to maybe run an errand, but then he would show up hours later wearing 166 00:12:35,780 --> 00:12:42,020 something completely filthy or borderline inappropriate. Sometimes he'd come home wearing 167 00:12:42,020 --> 00:12:48,840 a golf outfit, a sailor suit, or even his wife's dresses that he had tailored to make 168 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:49,840 as his own. 169 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,000 It's like a split personality maybe. 170 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,680 Almost. And then I'm wondering, hmm, where did these outfits come from and what was he 171 00:12:56,680 --> 00:12:58,960 doing? That's scary. 172 00:12:58,960 --> 00:12:59,960 Yeah. 173 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:05,640 Sometimes Earl would be gone for days, but he insisted to his wife that he had been there 174 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:11,080 the whole time and never left the house in the first place. Okay. So he's got to be in 175 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:16,160 a psychotic state. Unfortunately, I don't know what medications were out there at the 176 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:22,240 time. Interesting, I'm listening to a True Crime podcast and it's about this man called 177 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:27,840 the Ice Pick Doctor. He was known for all those lobotomies that were really popular 178 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:28,840 around this time. 179 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,840 Oh yeah. Those horrible things. 180 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,200 I don't know if that would have done him any good, but then again, they didn't really have 181 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,520 a lot of medications either at the time. 182 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:38,520 No. 183 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,320 It was just too new. 184 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:45,200 While he was recovering from his new brain injury, and I'm assuming he had received another 185 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:50,560 one because Nelson simply walked out of the hospital from that injury he had when he fell 186 00:13:50,560 --> 00:13:56,880 off the ladder, his head was still bandaged. And this is when he apparently began to hear 187 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:02,520 voices again in his head and his murderous behavior began. I don't know. I think with 188 00:14:02,520 --> 00:14:07,620 him coming home in those outfits, I think the murderous behavior probably began a little 189 00:14:07,620 --> 00:14:08,620 sooner than this. 190 00:14:08,620 --> 00:14:15,360 Well, I just think he's troubled and he's troubled and he probably hears voices continuously, 191 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:22,040 especially not being on medication. So those voices do tell often to kill. 192 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:28,200 Well, on March 10th, 1925, Earl felt that it was time for a change of scenery and he 193 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:35,000 made his way from California to Pennsylvania. This is where Earl's crime spree began several 194 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:41,920 months later. On October 18th, 1925, Earl went on a killing spree where he strangled 195 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:48,000 three women over the next three and a half weeks. It's probably those voices in the head. 196 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:52,840 Police put out an all points bulletin for the public to be on the lookout for a dark 197 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:59,920 complected man, approximately 5'6 to 5'7, with sandy hair that was long on top and short 198 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:04,640 on the sides. And honestly, Beth, I had told you I had seen some pictures of him. I hate 199 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:09,720 to say that these criminals are good looking, but he could probably be compared to maybe 200 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,680 Stephen Baldwin, one of the Baldwin brothers. 201 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:14,320 Oh, yes. 202 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:18,720 He did have that lighter hair color than the rest of the Baldwin brothers. So that's kind 203 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:25,720 of what reminded me of him. Well, Earl began moving around, making his way from Pennsylvania 204 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:32,160 to Missouri, back to California, over to Oregon and Washington State, where he went on a little 205 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:37,960 bit of a rampage and raped and murdered at least 14 other women in 1926. 206 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,520 Wow. That's a lot of women in such a short span of time. 207 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:49,160 It is. And he financed his journey with the money that he stole from all of his victims. 208 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,640 Let's talk about how Earl Nelson earned the nickname Gorilla Man. 209 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:56,320 Yes, let's do. I'm very anxious to hear this. 210 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:01,680 Well, it's kind of disturbing, Beth. Earl was called the Gorilla Man because, although 211 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:07,640 he was considered to be a small stature, I told you he was 5'6 or 5'7, he developed 212 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:14,680 rather large hands and had incredible upper body strength, which was clearly used in his 213 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:21,480 brutal attacks. He often strangled his victims with his bare hands and witnesses described 214 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:28,880 his hunched posture and almost animalistic movements. Imagine seeing somebody talking 215 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:34,920 to themselves, hearing voices out in public and using animalistic movements. That is kind 216 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:36,400 of creepy. Very. 217 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:43,640 Well, his first known murders did begin in 1926, but it didn't stop there. By 1927, 218 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:50,280 Earl was now 30 years old and not showing any signs of slowing down. Over the next year, 219 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:57,080 he claimed at least 22 victims across the United States, mainly in the Midwest and also 220 00:16:57,080 --> 00:17:03,680 Beth coming into Canada. Wow. He targeted landlady's where he posed as a prospective 221 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:09,940 renter, and also carried a Bible that helped gain trust. Then he would charm his way into 222 00:17:09,940 --> 00:17:15,120 their homes, and he was always polite. Okay, so I'm thinking a little bit narcissistic 223 00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:21,480 here. He would also talk mostly about his deep faith in Christian beliefs, and then, 224 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:27,540 well, Beth, he'd strike. His ability to move across the state and national borders made 225 00:17:27,540 --> 00:17:33,560 him especially difficult to catch. Law enforcement in the 1920s didn't really have that communication 226 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:39,360 system like we do today, so each case seemed to be isolated at first. Nobody was talking 227 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:46,120 to each other. They were just investigating something locally. On June 28, 1927, Earl 228 00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:51,840 Nelson crossed the border into Canada for the last time, making his way to Winnipeg, 229 00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:58,920 Manitoba. It wasn't until his distinctive MO, the strangulation and specific targeting 230 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:05,440 of landlady's, became clear that police started connecting the dots. Even with the patterns 231 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,720 emerging Beth, Earl managed to stay one step ahead. And he seemed to you because he was 232 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:18,880 an escape artist. His downfall though came in 1927 after murdering a woman in Winnipeg. 233 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:24,040 He left behind a critical piece of evidence, which was a distinctive belt that belonged 234 00:18:24,040 --> 00:18:30,360 to him. Witnesses and surviving victims helped to identify him through that belt, and he 235 00:18:30,360 --> 00:18:36,880 was captured shortly thereafter. Wow, a belt of all things. Yeah, I mean, if it was distinct, 236 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,040 if they were handmade back in the day, not everybody's going to have the exact same 237 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:47,560 belt. True. During their investigation, police searched Earl's home and discovered one of 238 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:53,680 his victims under his bed. I know, and he had slept on that bed too. Not only that, 239 00:18:53,680 --> 00:19:01,040 Beth, he had mutilated his victim in the same fashion as Jack the Ripper. Oh my gosh. Now, 240 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:05,460 I mean, we do have an episode out there that if you're listening, you should go listen 241 00:19:05,460 --> 00:19:13,500 to that. It's episode 69 from July 2023. Police quickly arrested Earl, but what special 242 00:19:13,500 --> 00:19:18,320 talent have I been saying over and over again once he's been locked up? Well, he's a good 243 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:24,080 escape artist. That's right. And nothing's changed here because Canadian authorities 244 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:30,120 posted Earl's picture along numerous towns bordering the US, assuming that Nelson would 245 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,320 make his way back into the States. So I'm envisioning this pretty well because when 246 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,800 I was up in Canada with you, we just looked across the river and there was America. So 247 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:44,440 I could see how easy that would be back in the 20s to probably bounce between the two 248 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:51,040 countries pretty easily. But it wasn't long before a man fitting Earl Nelson's description 249 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:58,000 entered a general store in Killarney, Manitoba, which was just five miles from the US border. 250 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:03,240 The clerk recognized Earl as the guerrilla man from the flyers that had been passed out 251 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:11,360 and discreetly called the police. Wow. I know. Good for him. Yes. Earl was quickly arrested, 252 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:16,040 but he told authorities at this time that his name was not Earl Nelson. It was Virgil 253 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:21,940 Wilson and he stuck to that story for a while. Virgil was so relaxed and cooperative when 254 00:20:21,940 --> 00:20:26,920 the police arrested him that the authorities thought they had arrested the wrong guy. There's 255 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:32,960 his charming persona. Yeah. Well, they did not arrest the wrong guy. They actually had 256 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:38,840 the right guy. And while the authorities left this Virgil Wilson handcuffed in his cell 257 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:44,560 to go speak with the police chief, they returned to find him gone in the handcuffs dangling 258 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:50,680 from the bars. What? Yeah. He had found a rusty nail on the floor inside the cell and 259 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:56,800 used it to free himself out of those handcuffs. Oh my gosh. A rusty nail. A rusty nail within 260 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:05,840 reach. He's a smart guy. Well, they say these criminals have high IQs. I never saw anything 261 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:12,080 about that, but clearly I think he's probably up there. Of course, panic spread quickly 262 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:18,580 and the town went on red alert for this escaped convict who we really know is Earl Nelson, 263 00:21:18,580 --> 00:21:23,680 but he had actually laid low until the very next morning where he had attempted to get 264 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:30,720 out of Dodge and catch a train he thought was headed back to the US. Only it wasn't. 265 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:35,640 Authorities caught up with Earl a few hours later in a neighboring town inside Canada, 266 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:42,320 which would have been his last attempt to evade the police. Officials and local townspeople 267 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:48,340 caught sight of Earl trying to hide behind a nearby grain elevator and they all closed 268 00:21:48,340 --> 00:21:53,720 in on him. So the mob came a running. Good, good. Yeah, very good. Strengthen numbers 269 00:21:53,720 --> 00:22:01,340 for sure. Nelson's trial was swift. He was identified by numerous eyewitnesses in his 270 00:22:01,340 --> 00:22:08,360 pending charges with more than 40 people identifying him as the gorilla man in police photographs 271 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:16,280 or police lineups. Earl was eventually convicted on November 4th, 1927 of killing 22 women, 272 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:22,620 although authorities believed this number to be much, much higher. Oh wow. It took the 273 00:22:22,620 --> 00:22:29,120 jury only 48 minutes to find Earl guilty of all charges where he was sentenced to death. 274 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:36,340 On July 13th, 1928, Earl Nelson was hung in Winnipeg, Manitoba. But even in his final 275 00:22:36,340 --> 00:22:43,040 moments eyewitness reports stated that Earl had shown no remorse, insisting until the 276 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:49,480 very end that he was innocent of all these charges. Now, isn't it eerie though Earl's 277 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:55,980 case forces us to confront the terrifying reality of human nature. He wasn't a shadowy 278 00:22:55,980 --> 00:23:02,560 figure lurking in alleyways, Beth. He walked amongst his victims. He smiled at them, made 279 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:08,760 eye contact, had conversations and gained trust with them. And that's what makes stories 280 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:14,520 like this so unsettling. They're a reminder that even evil isn't always obvious. That's 281 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:20,620 right. Now, before we wrap up, you know, you don't get a ton of information from cases 282 00:23:20,620 --> 00:23:26,760 like this way back a hundred years ago. Well, I have one thought. I think his case underscores 283 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:31,440 the importance of mental health awareness and better systems for identifying and treating 284 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:37,160 those with violent tendencies. If someone had intervened earlier in his life, maybe 285 00:23:37,160 --> 00:23:42,720 things would be more different. Absolutely. That's a very good point, which leads me to 286 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,840 our teachable moment today. I'm actually going to tell you before you have to ask. Good. 287 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:53,840 Mental health is the cornerstone of a safe and thriving society. And ever since COVID 288 00:23:53,840 --> 00:24:00,220 Beth, I think mental health awareness has increased and it's become a more talkable 289 00:24:00,220 --> 00:24:04,040 problem that people are dealing with. And I think that's very good. There's lots of 290 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:10,200 different resources out there for people, but mental health professionals play a vital 291 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:16,360 role in ensuring that individuals struggling with severe psychological challenges receive 292 00:24:16,360 --> 00:24:23,560 the care they need. One critical aspect that I found that this responsibility is determining 293 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:30,040 when a patient is truly ready to reenter society safely. Unfortunately, especially in this 294 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:37,160 case, premature discharge from inpatient settings can place individuals and those around them 295 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:42,120 at risk. Like when the state hospital just gave up on Earl and said, okay, we're not 296 00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:46,440 going to deal with him escaping from our facility anymore. Let's just let him go back out into 297 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:52,880 society. That would be negligence in today's terms. For sure. Yeah. So clearly medical 298 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:58,600 professionals found it extremely difficult to keep tabs on Earl while he was committed 299 00:24:58,600 --> 00:25:04,060 to Napa State Hospital. But this is a great example to say that it is essential to recognize 300 00:25:04,060 --> 00:25:10,720 that mental health recovery is not a one size fits all process. Keeping patients in inpatient 301 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:16,860 care until professionals are confident that they can function safely benefits everyone. 302 00:25:16,860 --> 00:25:22,880 And this approach allows for accurate assessments, the development of coping mechanisms and the 303 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:28,680 implementation of proper support systems. By ensuring patients have reached a stable 304 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:33,880 and healthy state before discharge, we do reduce the risk of harm towards others. This 305 00:25:33,880 --> 00:25:38,760 isn't really about restricting freedom, Beth. That's not really what I'm talking about here. 306 00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:44,300 It's about prioritizing care, safety and long term recovery. And that's my teachable moment. 307 00:25:44,300 --> 00:25:49,280 That was really good. I think it's important to state again that this isn't about restricting 308 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:55,840 freedom. Not at all. People have to be looked after and yeah, I've always said mental health 309 00:25:55,840 --> 00:26:01,580 definitely is an illness. You can physically see when somebody has physical illnesses, 310 00:26:01,580 --> 00:26:06,080 you cannot see mental illness. It is something within mental health professionals. They're 311 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:10,640 doing a good job out there, especially in today's society, but they definitely need 312 00:26:10,640 --> 00:26:15,760 to really take their job seriously and give those people the help they need until they 313 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:21,280 can function in society. Agreed. Okay. Well, that is the story of Earl 314 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:26,640 Nelson. We would love to receive feedback from our listeners on this storyline or any 315 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:31,840 of our other episodes. If you have a storyline you would like to hear, email us at dying 316 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:38,400 the number two, the letter be found at gmail.com. Look for more content at dying to be found.com 317 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:44,560 plus find us on Instagram and Tik TOK along with our other socials at dying to be found. 318 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:49,440 Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review. Thanks for listening to dying to be found 319 00:26:49,440 --> 00:27:17,440 True Crime Podcast. And that's a wrap. That is a wrap. Talk to you soon. Bye. 320 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,440 Bye.