He died in the prison hospital at the age of 82, in 2008. YouTubeForensic artist Frank Bender uses photographs to sculpt an aged bust of mass murderer John List. List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. This article is about the murderer. He simply exploded.'. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. 'His wife's behavior, coupled with the loss of his job -- he was threatened with the inability to support his family as he had been trained to do from childhood. In a five-page letter to his pastor, found on the desk in his study, List claimed that he saw too much evil in the world, and he had killed his family to save their souls. New Jersey prosecutors had come up with a plan. Oct 9, 2018. He then called his childrens school to grant them leave to visit their grandmother in South Carolina. Tips came pouring in. He was not, however, willing to suffer the earthly consequences of his actions. Then he drove to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, where he left his car as a false lead and took a bus into the city. No one has stepped forward to claim the body of mass murderer John List, who died while serving a life sentence for killing his Westfield family in 1971, authorities said today. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. During his years on the run, List went by the name Robert Clark. Elijah Miller has presented testimony from witnesses, including a Lutheran pastor who knew the Lists in the early 1960s in Rochester, N.Y., to describe the troubled family. List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82. All List wanted was to reunite with his wife, mother, and children in the afterlife, where he believed there would be no pain or suffering. Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool. Westfield police did not discover the bodies until nearly a month later. John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife), See When they entered the house, music was still playing on the intercom, but List was long gone. When his daughter and youngest son came home, he shot them in the back of the head. Associated With. Next he went upstairs, to where his 84-year-old mother was having breakfast, kissed her ("like Judas," he told Downtown), and shot her in the head. 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The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. He couldnt bear to tell his family about the loss of income. He was vice president and comptroller of a nearby bank, and his family lived in an 18-room mansion with marble fireplaces and an elegant ballroom. HOW HE MET HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE John Schneider and his wife, Alicia Allain, began their journey after his divorce from his first wife of twenty-one years. photos, The first seven episodes of Father Wants Us Dead are available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can subscribe on those platforms to be alerted when new episodes drop every Tuesday through June 21. John List Sr., husband, father, son, accountant, devout Lutheran, had announced that they were going on a family trip, had stopped the paper and milk deliveries and then killed his family. The Army, realizing List's accounting skills, reassigned him to the Finance Corps. Robbins is one of Pitt-Bradford's . He then shot both his wife and mother in their heads. [24][25] On June 1, less than two weeks after the broadcast, List was arrested at a Richmond accounting firm after a Denver neighbor recognized the description and alerted authorities. I was shocked to hear about Bobs arrest and what he is charged with, the statement said. Examples include "Savior," the season 6, episode 16 of the television series Law & Order; the 1987 film The Stepfather and its 2009 remake; the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which List was portrayed by Robert Blake;[39] and the character Keyser Sze in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.[40]. His play times were replaced with gatherings around . List assumed a new identity, remarried, and eluded justice for nearly 18 years. In 1965, they moved again to Breeze Knoll, a 19-room mansion in Westfield. His mother, Alma was overprotective and dominating that would forbid him to go outside and play with the other children because he might get sick. 2023. He refused to go on welfare, as it would entail excruciating embarrassment in the community and violate the principles of self-sufficiency that he learned at his fathers knee. The FBI found his car parked at Kennedy International Airport in New York City, but they never found him. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. See the events in life of John List in Chronological Order, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_List_(mugshot).jpg, https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/john-list-10634.php. The man I know is kind, loving, a devoted husband and a dear friend. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. List diverted money from his mother's bank accounts to avoid default on his mortgage. Madeleine Talmage Astor ( ne Force; later Dick and Fiermonte; June 19, 1893 - March 27, 1940) was an American socialite and a survivor of the RMS Titanic. He murdered his mother, wife and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey on November 9, 1971. Currently, the morgue is storing the body of "Thrill Killer" Richard Biegenwald, who died March 10 while serving a murder conviction for killing five victims - two teenage girls, two young women and one man - in Monmouth County from Oct. 31, 1981, to Nov. 20, 1982. Corrections spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer said the social services unit at New Jersey State Prison, where List was an inmate, will attempt to find the nearest relative to see if that person would claim the body. From New York, he had traveled overland to Denver, where he began a new life under the name Robert P. Clark, working first as a hotel fry cook and later as an accountant for H&R Block. List graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1943. "There has been no communication from any family member of John List. He also argued that the letter he left behind at the crime scene, essentially his confession, was a confidential communication to his pastor and therefore inadmissible as evidence. He then walked up to the third floor and shot his 85-year-old mother, Alma. One friend, unidentified by the newspaper, said that List had told Delores Clark he had been married before to an alcoholic who died of cancer. Helen had turned into an alcoholic, which caused them to engage in a lot of fights. John Emil List was born in Bay City, Michigan, on September 17, 1925, to John Frederick and Alma Marie List. [32][34] Welfare was an unacceptable option, he reasoned, because it would expose him and his family to ridicule and violate his authoritarian father's teachings regarding the care and protection of family members. The list of retirees in the second half of 2022 isn't very long, but the years of service add up into the hundreds. and more from FamousFix.com. On November 9, 1971, John List put his plan into action. Attempts to reach List's former wife, Delores, whom he married in Denver while a fugitive and later moved with to Richmond, Va., where he was apprehended, have been unsuccessful. [10] While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. Edward Saresky told the jury Thursday that he heard Helen List taunting her husband by telling him that if he was 'half the man her first husband was the family wouldn't have the troubles they were having. In 1971, John List lost his job at the bank at age 46. He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. The family car was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. [15][16], In 1971, as the FBI later discovered, List had traveled by train from New Jersey to Michigan and then to Colorado. She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. For the economist, see, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, Dupont de Ligonns murders and disappearance, "Wanted: A Killer Disappears Into Another Life", "John List, famous murderer The Crime Library", "Breeze Knoll: The John List Murder House", "John E. List, 82, Killer of 5 Family Members, Dies", "In Hiding for 18 Years, a Wanted Man Is Caught by the FBI and a TV Posse", "Prosaic Life of Suspect in '71 New Jersey Murders", "Real Estate Assessment Data for 13919 Sagewood Trace", "Notorious AMW Fugitive John List Dead at 82", "Frank Bender, 'Recomposer' of Faces of the Dead, Dies at 70", "John List Bust Remembered as Sculptor Faces Death", "The List Murders Stun Westfield In 1971", "Slaying Suspect Saw 2 Choices, Doctor Testifies", "I Know That What Has Been Done Is Wrong", "Killer of Family Gets 5 Life Terms: Court: Judge sentences accountant who murdered his mother, wife and children 18 years ago to the maximum sentence", "Judge Sentences Family Killer to Life in Prison", "The boogeyman of Westfield, a ghost story that won't end", "How Profitable Sequels Succeed: They Just Bring 'em Back Alive", "The Watcher's Grisly John Graff Murder Sequence Is Based on True Story of a Family Massacre. Additionally, the financial burden on the family was increasing, causing him severe psychological distress. His lawyer, Elijah Miller Jr., argues that knowing his wife suffered from syphilis helped drive the deeply religious man over the edge. John Emil List (September 17, 1925 March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer[1] and long-time fugitive. The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, Feb. 27 proceedings in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial or a replay upon completion. ', 'List was being bombarded by stresses,' the doctor added. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. A nationwide manhunt was launched. He had been fired from all his jobs due to his cold demeanor and his inability to be social with his co-workers. The New Jersey mansion he inhabited with his mother, wife, and three children had 19 rooms, including a ballroom, marble fireplaces, and a Tiffany skylight. On April 12, 1990 he was found guilty on five . John was arrested and extradited to New Jersey. Interview statement on List's confession to his second wife. [17] From 1979 to 1986, he was the comptroller at a paper box manufacturer outside Denver. I ask all affected by this for their forgiveness, understanding and prayer. His lawyer hopes to convince the jury that List should not be held legally responsible for the deaths because he thought he was saving his family's souls by killing them. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. Under Review. 07, 2022, 8:00 a.m. Details of Delores life before she married John List are unavailable. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). He settled in Denver in early 1972 and took an accounting job under the name Robert Peter "Bob" Clark, one of his college classmates (although the real Bob Clark later asserted that he had never known List). Spouse/Ex-: Delores Miller Clark (m. 19851989), Helen List (m. 19511971), children: Frederick List, John, Jr. [30] As the year progressed, the family's financial problems became more strained; List encouraged his children to seek part-time work, ostensibly to teach them maturity and responsibility, but in actuality to help keep the family financially solvent. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot. On November 9, 1971, after the children left for school, List shot his wife Helen in the back of the head as she was drinking her coffee. Authorities never found the cause of the fire, and a new house was built on the property years later. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. He waited for Helen to come down for her morning coffee. List left a confession letter at the scene, so police had little doubt as to who was responsible for the killings. List caught the tail end of the show with his wife, who did not know his past. [12] Alma's body was flown to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and interred at the Saint Lorenz Lutheran Cemetery. When the children left for school, he shot his wife and his mother to death. John List is a revolutionary experimenter whose unique methods and ideas have changed how the field of economics functions. [23][16] The segment featured an age-progressed clay bust, sculpted by forensic artist Frank Bender, which turned out to bear a close resemblance to List's actual appearance. The suspect denied he is List but the FBI said a positive link had been made through fingerprints. "I feel when we get to heaven we won't worry about these earthly things. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. He went upstairs and shot his 84-year-old mother. ", John List, famous murder The Crime Library, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_List_(murderer)&oldid=1139169038, American people who died in prison custody, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, People extradited within the United States, People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New Jersey, Prisoners who died in New Jersey detention, United States Army personnel of World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 19:09. If things had gone on who knows if that would be the case," he wrote. I thought I was being real clever," he said. Delores and John moved to a house around Brandermill, Midlothian, Virginia, where her husband worked as an accountant at an accounting firm. She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. They got married in December 1951. "I knew it was wrong. However, he was not ready to disclose his incompetency to his family yet and hence, he left the house every morning, sat on the railway station and read books and newspapers all day. Following the gruesome death of his family. List methodically murdered his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and their three childrenPatricia, 16; Frederick, 13; and John Jr., 15. Those who knew List, including in his second life: Kathleen "Kay" Ciarfello, Randy Mitchell, Les Wingfield, the Rev. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. But his defence was rejected and he was imprisoned at the New Jersey State Prison. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. YouTubeAn aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . [13] List also stopped milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. John Emil List, a.k.a. Later, John took a lucrative job at Xerox and moved to New York and lived there with his family for a few years. One night after dinner, he even asked his family what should be done with their bodies after they died. [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling. After driving John Frederick home, List shot him repeatedly because, as misfire evidence showed, his son attempted to defend himself. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. Forensic artist Frank Bender uses photographs to sculpt an aged bust of mass murderer John List. On November 9, 1971, John Emil List murdered his mother, his wife, and their three children at their Westfield, New Jersey home using his 9mm Steyr 1912 semi-automatic handgun and his. They married in 1985. List gave critical financial problems, as well as his perception that his family members were straying from their religious faith, as his motivations for the murders. Then, he went up to the third floor and murdered his mother in her bed. To avoid sharing this humiliating development with his family, List engaged in the same routine and dress as when employed, leaving home each morning on schedule and spending the day at job interviews or at the Westfield train station, reading newspapers until it was time to come home. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. The bodies of John Lists wife and three teenage children were found laid out on sleeping bags in the ballroom. They attended church each week with List's mother, a strict Lutheran who lived with them. He described a woman whose brain was deteriorating and who was going blind, who was addicted to tranquilizers and drank four or five glasses of Scotch a day, who remained in bed because she was afraid of falls but who retained enough social skill to act normally in casual relationships. [31] Though her health progressively deteriorated, she said nothing to List or her physicians until 1969, when a thorough workup revealed the condition. John was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder and five terms of life imprisonment. All rights reserved (About Us). The arrest followed Foxs Americas Most Wanted, featuring a sculpted clay bust of Johns age-progressed face. Delores and John divorced in 1989, probably following his arrest on 1 June. However, he was a loner who was not socially active and had very few friends in school and his locality. Liss testified after a judgeruled that information on Helen List's medical condition could be given to the jury that must decide whether List is guilty of murder. Want more true crime? The tipster said her neighbor was also an accountant and attended church. ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Accused family-killer John Emil List, who had always looked to his religious faith for answers, was so overwrought over the discovery that his wife had advanced syphilis.

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