July 22 - July 28: Serial killer, cannibal and necrophile Jeffrey Dahmer is arrested after a would be victim escapes - Infant girl Viola Cooper is the first of many victims poisoned by Della Sorenson - and an anonymous diary entry describes strange, hairy, wild men in the Australian bush and forests.
July 22, 1991
Jeffrey Dahmer Tracy Edwards ran through the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin until two police officers spotted him. Edwards told the officers how he had been lured to a man’s home, who then attempted to handcuff him and threatened him with a knife. Luckily Edwards was able to overpower the man and make a run for it.
The officers thought the story was a little bit out there, but took Edwards back to the man’s home. On arrival they were met with quite a friendly young man who explained that the matter was a misunderstanding, and that everything was fine. The officers almost left, but Edwards remembered that there was a large knife in the bathroom. As one of the officers went to take a look, they saw Polaroids of dead and dismembered bodies stuck to the walls, and a large blue barrel with an incredibly bad small emanating from it.
The man was arrested, his name was Jeffrey Dahmer. Further investigation of the apartment revealed severed heads, severed hands and penises, and human remains in the fridge and freezer. The barrel contained bodies that were slowly dissolving in acid.
The 31 year old was one of America's worst serial killers, cannibals and necrophiliacs.
The remains of 11 victims were found about his apartment, including the skull of a 14 year old boy who had been returned to Dahmer by police only 2 months earlier after he explained the bloody, drugged and naked boy was in fact his 19 year old boyfriend, and they had only been arguing. The police believed him.
Dahmer confessed to 17 murders and was convicted for 15 of them. He received 15 life sentences, but was killed in prison after being severely beaten by another prison inmate on November 28, 1994. The apartment building he was living in has been demolished.
The officers thought the story was a little bit out there, but took Edwards back to the man’s home. On arrival they were met with quite a friendly young man who explained that the matter was a misunderstanding, and that everything was fine. The officers almost left, but Edwards remembered that there was a large knife in the bathroom. As one of the officers went to take a look, they saw Polaroids of dead and dismembered bodies stuck to the walls, and a large blue barrel with an incredibly bad small emanating from it.
The man was arrested, his name was Jeffrey Dahmer. Further investigation of the apartment revealed severed heads, severed hands and penises, and human remains in the fridge and freezer. The barrel contained bodies that were slowly dissolving in acid.
The 31 year old was one of America's worst serial killers, cannibals and necrophiliacs.
The remains of 11 victims were found about his apartment, including the skull of a 14 year old boy who had been returned to Dahmer by police only 2 months earlier after he explained the bloody, drugged and naked boy was in fact his 19 year old boyfriend, and they had only been arguing. The police believed him.
Dahmer confessed to 17 murders and was convicted for 15 of them. He received 15 life sentences, but was killed in prison after being severely beaten by another prison inmate on November 28, 1994. The apartment building he was living in has been demolished.
July 23, 1918
Della Sorenson Viola Cooper, an infant girl in rural Nebraska was poisoned to death. The killer was her aunty Della Sorenson, and she killed again and again.
Sorenson's mother in law was the next to die, also poisoned. Sorenson then killed her daughter and husband. After this she killed another of her nieces with a poisoned piece of candy, then attempted to kill her last niece (all nieces to the one mother, her sister in law).
1923, five years after her first kill, she killed another of her daughters, Delia, who was only one year old, and then her friend’s infant daughter suffered the same fate. Sorenson attempted to poison her second husband, but instead left him very sick. It was at this point that officials realised all these deaths had a common factor – Della Sorenson.
It took another two years before Della was caught red handed feeding poisoned cookies to children in her neighbourhood. She confessed to her crimes and was admitted to an 'insane asylum'.
As for why she killed so many people, so many children?
"I like to attend funerals. I'm happy when someone is dying."
Sorenson's mother in law was the next to die, also poisoned. Sorenson then killed her daughter and husband. After this she killed another of her nieces with a poisoned piece of candy, then attempted to kill her last niece (all nieces to the one mother, her sister in law).
1923, five years after her first kill, she killed another of her daughters, Delia, who was only one year old, and then her friend’s infant daughter suffered the same fate. Sorenson attempted to poison her second husband, but instead left him very sick. It was at this point that officials realised all these deaths had a common factor – Della Sorenson.
It took another two years before Della was caught red handed feeding poisoned cookies to children in her neighbourhood. She confessed to her crimes and was admitted to an 'insane asylum'.
As for why she killed so many people, so many children?
"I like to attend funerals. I'm happy when someone is dying."
July 25, 1851
Classic Yowie Illustration In the Cannondale region of south east Queensland, an anonymous diary entry made reference to strange 'hairy wild men':
"They are short, stout and of very muscular appearance. They are covered in thick black hair...Their hair and beards are long...They are completely naked...the stench of their body is unbearable...great hunters of the forests and jungles...They come and go without being seen. They can hide in the undergrowth in such a manner that one can be touched or struck without their person being visible. I am to wonder if these are the same people...who take people away when they dare enter the forests and jungles...the women made grunt-like expression during contact...the child hung to its mother on the breast in the manner of an ape. These were the Woningityan/Won-ingee-tyan - the shadow men creatures of the jungles and forests..."
"They are short, stout and of very muscular appearance. They are covered in thick black hair...Their hair and beards are long...They are completely naked...the stench of their body is unbearable...great hunters of the forests and jungles...They come and go without being seen. They can hide in the undergrowth in such a manner that one can be touched or struck without their person being visible. I am to wonder if these are the same people...who take people away when they dare enter the forests and jungles...the women made grunt-like expression during contact...the child hung to its mother on the breast in the manner of an ape. These were the Woningityan/Won-ingee-tyan - the shadow men creatures of the jungles and forests..."
Ashley Hall 2013
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