A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. After finding an old 9 mm pistol he had bought as a souvenir of World War II, and a .22-caliber target pistol, he purchased new ammunition and went to a shooting range for target practice. He was previously married to Delores Miller and Helen List. List had a masters degree in accounting, but lacked social skills and had a history of losing jobs. He lost the bank job, and a succession of subsequent jobs. He has also appeared on television shows such as Your Worst Nightmare and American Justice. He believed that it was his failure as a man to be unable to provide for his family. "[38], Over the years, List and his crimes have furnished inspiration for documentaries, television dramas and feature films. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Once inside the kitchen, John Sr. shot him in the back of the head. He had been fired from all his jobs due to his cold demeanor and his inability to be social with his co-workers. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. Judge William L'E. John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. He then shot both his wife and mother in their heads. He died on March 21, 2008 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. In 1965, when List and his family moved to affluent Westfield, N.J., he seemed to be a model of suburban success and propriety. She had a young daughter from her previous marriage. [33], A court-appointed psychiatrist testified that List suffered from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, and that he saw only two solutions to his situation: accept welfare, or kill his family and send their souls to heaven. Delores Clark said that she was making her statement reluctantly and that she would have no further comment. WhenAmericas Most Wantedaired the story of the John List murders on May 21, 1989, an audience of 22 million saw Frank Benders sculpture. Ideal YouTube Profile Picture: Size, Dimensions, Tricks, and More, Reasons To Invest In A Good Gaming Laptop, Microphone Sound Recording for Live Streaming, Delores Miller Clark: Learn More about John Lists Ex-Wife, Johanna Thiebaud- All about Shania Twains Stepdaughter, What You May Not Know About Gweneth Gonzales Thomas, Richard Thomas Daughter, Linnell S. Nobori: All there is to Know about Ted Bessells Wife, Online Pharmacies Make it Easy to Compare Medicines Prices, Katya Ariel Tylo Personal Life, Net Worth, & More, Isis Rae Boykin, Personal Life and Net Worth, Finn William Leeves Coben Lifestyle and Personal Life. Following the end of the war, he resumed his studies and enrolled into the University of Michigan, from where he completed his bachelors degree in business administration. [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. All rights reserved (About Us). He later pursued a masters degree in accounting from the same university and as the Korean War had escalated in 1950, he was recalled by the Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, stationed at Fort Eustis in Virginia, where he met his wife Helen. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. He killed them to save their souls so they would go to heaven. Returning home, he made several calls to explain that the family had gone to North Carolina to visit his wife's ailing mother, and that he was planning to follow by car. [26][27] List continued to stand by his alias for several months, even after his 1989 extradition to Union County, New Jersey; finally, faced with irrefutable evidence including a fingerprint match with List's military records, as well as evidence found at the crime scene he confessed his true identity on February 16, 1990. She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. In an interview, he stated that he did not kill himself because suicide prevents one from going to heaven. He later took a job as the vice president at a bank in New Jersey, where the family finally got settled. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Eventually, he took a decently paying job with a paper company at Kalamazoo, Michigan, and settled there with his family. Born in an extremely strict Lutheran family, John was raised as a single child. He then cleaned the crime scenes, removed his pictures from all family photographs, turned the lights and the radio on, and departed. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. He says today he felt he was letting the family down. List (born 1968), American economist. One tip came from a woman in Richmond, Virginia, who thought her next-door neighbor, Robert Clark, bore a striking resemblance to the bust. "I grew up with the idea that you should provide for your family and to do that you had to be a success in the job that you had or you're a failure, and that was not a good thing to be," he said. He imposed a sentence of five terms of life imprisonment, to be served consecutively, the maximum permissible penalty at the time. John List with his wife and three children. Their faces were covered. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Delores Miller Clark lived a simple life in Denver before she met and married John List, who then went by the name Robert Peter Bob Clark. A seemingly admirable and usual American man, John List and his family lived happily in New Jersey. March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. 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. A 1996 episode of the series Forensic Files discussed the List murders. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Because this is one of the most. 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. 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. He died in the prison hospital at the age of 82, in 2008. Moreover, his wife was a heavy drinker and she had also contracted Syphilis from her first marriage. He grew up as an only child with strict German parents, he had an overly protective and domineering mother (sort of like Norman Bates). Delores Clark, asking reporters to respect my right to my personal privacy during this very dramatic and uncertain time, issued a statement that was copyrighted Friday by the Richmond News Leader. The Star-Ledger reporter, who loved to chat about the infamous murderer with the locals on his Union County beat, was grabbing a sandwich for lunch when he got a tip of his own. List saw the children off to school and then shot her in the kitchen as she sipped her customary morning coffee. The list of retirees in the second half of 2022 isn't very long, but the years of service add up into the hundreds. "So eventually I got to the point where I felt that I could kill them. Afterwards, he dragged his wifes body to the ballroom and made himself lunch and ate it. The wife of Robert P. Clark--whom the FBI says is really John List, a man who killed his family in 1971--says his arrest is unbelievable and that the alleged killer is not the man I know.. Authorities never found the cause of the fire, and a new house was built on the property years later. [28][29], At trial, List testified that his financial difficulties reached crisis level in 1971 when he was laid off with the closure of the Jersey City bank. 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). 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. He canceled all deliveries and contacted his childrens schools to let their teachers know the family would be on vacation for a few weeks. John had first moved to Michigan, and then to Colorado, where he took an accounting job in Denver. Delores Miller (wife) and John List are divorced. A new house was built on the site in 1974. He married Helen and raised three children with her, while working as an accountant in many places, such as New York and New Jersey. Dr. Steven Simring, a psychiatrist who examined List after his arrest years later, told Downtown his "sense of neatness" was the result of a compulsive personality. We have estimated John A. List's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. YouTubeThe bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. In 1989, Fox network broadcasted a TV show titled Americas Most Wanted, where an episode featured the New Jersey mass murders of John by his family. 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. [42] In 2015, the story was covered in the season 2, episode 2 of the Investigation Discovery TV series Your Worst Nightmare. Interview statement on List's confession to his second wife. He killed his immediate family since he could not pay the mansions mortgage after losing his job and did not want them to face ridicule. "List, an unemployed accountant and devout Lutheran who shot his wife, mother and three children and disappeared for 18 years before being captured following a tip, died on Friday from massive blood clots in both lungs, authorities said. Bradford Patricia Colosimo (23 years), director of arts programming Jon Draeger (35 years), associate professor of chemistry Andrea Robbins (40+ years), instructor of chemistry and algebra, Division of Physical and Computational Sciences. Aside from a few extra wrinkles, the bust was spot on. He worked as an accountant, bringing a stable income back to his Victorian mansion; home to himself, his wife, three children and his mother. The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. YouTubeThe note John List wrote excusing his children from school. She was born 25th October 1916. [35] At his sentencing hearing, he denied direct responsibility for his actions: "I feel that because of my mental state at the time, I was unaccountable for what happened. John List died in prison in 2008 at age 82. But what led Delores husband to commit such a chilling crime? A month passed before neighbors, curious about the constantly burning lights and empty windows, began to suspect something was wrong at the List mansion. He was born as the only child in the highly religious German-American household. Then he made a sandwich, drove to the bank, and disappeared for 18 years. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. At his trial in 1990, defense lawyers argued that List suffered from PTSD from his military service in World War II and Korea. He gave him a ride home, then shot him in the chest. 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. John List met Helen Morris Taylor, a young widow of an American enlisted man who had died in the Korean War. [16] In reporting his death, the New Jersey Star-Ledger referred to him as "The Boogeyman of Westfield. List's home, a. [32], On April 12, 1990, List was convicted of five counts of first degree murder. He feared his family, confronted with a world full of evil and poverty, would turn from God; this was the only way to ensure their safe arrival in heaven. Helen lived with her daughter Brenda near Fort Eustis in Virginia, where John served. Spouse/Ex-: Delores Miller Clark (m. 19851989), Helen List (m. 19511971), children: Frederick List, John, Jr. John List passed away on March 21, 2008, after suffering from pneumonia. He made himself a sandwich, closed out his bank accounts, and cheered for his only surviving son, John, at his high school soccer game. On Nov. 9, 1971, after sending his children off to school, List took his two handguns out to the car to load them, then walked into the kitchen and shot his wife from behind as she was drinking coffee. Delores kept a low profile after Johns arrest, and it is unclear what happened to her. It rippled through the county and state: John List, the man who had meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids in their Westfield mansion and disappeared without a trace, was in custody. His picture was also shown on television, which led one of his neighbours to notify the authorities. Several films and documentaries have been made to cover the details of the List murders. Associated With. Bank Vice President and Sunday School Teacher. When they met, she led a simple life working as an Army PX clerk. After learning about the murders committed by John List, check out the story of Dale Cregan, the one-eyed killer. He was sentenced to five consecutive life prison terms. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He joined a Lutheran congregation and ran a car pool for shut-in church members. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. Feb. 20, 2002 -- Thirty years ago, accountant John List methodically murdered his whole family his mother, his wife, and their three children. 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. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Following his high school graduation, he enlisted into the American military and worked as a lab technician. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Human name disambiguation pages. John Emil List was born in Michigan, in 1925, the only child of John and Alma List. He then cleaned the various crime scenes, removed his own picture from all family photographs in the house, tuned a radio to a religious station, and departed. List assumed a new identity, remarried, and eluded justice for nearly 18 years. "I'm sure that if we recognize each other that we'll like each other's company just as we did here, when times were better.". John List and his family were the definition of the American Dream in 1965; they seemed to have it all. 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. John and Helen married on December 1, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, the family moving to northern California. [14] All reliable photographs of List had been destroyed. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran family, single child John List was a fairly shy, odd and obsessed with military books child from Michigan. His father-in-law had heard from the county sheriff: After nearly 18 years, List had been caught. 07, 2022, 8:00 a.m. It turned out that List had changed his identity and moved to Colorado under the assumed name Robert Clark. His play times were replaced with gatherings around . List left the bodies of his wife, his mother, Alma, 84, and his children, Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, and several confessions and apologies in his Westfield home in November 1971 and disappeared for 17 years. photos, The 54-year-old attorney is standing trial on two counts of murder in the shootings of his wife and son at their . List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. If you take gaming seriously, you shouldn't accept anything less than the greatest. Upstairs, the body of List's 84-year-old mother Alma was found. He was caught after the television show "America's Most Wanted" air a segment on the murders. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. The mansion in New Jersey where John List lived with his family burned down several months after the murders. They did not have any children together. 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. "I remember talking about funerals and cremation and burials. The family were devout Lutherans. John seemingly grew up without incident, reporting a normal childhood with the exception of his stringently religious upbringing, with which he identified wholeheartedly. John List's confession to his 2nd wife revealed in new episode of 'Father Wants Us Dead' podcast Published: Jun. He murdered his mother, wife and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey on November 9, 1971. The unlikely story of his capture, the tip that led to it and the wild coincidences Gluck encountered as he followed the story are told in the latest episode of Father Wants Us Dead, an investigative true crime podcast about the List killings from NJ Advance Media. Then, he went to the bank to close his accounts and cash his mother's savings bonds. 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. In 1950, John List was recalled to active military service. YouTubeAn aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. Net Worth in 2021. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot. They attended church each week with List's mother, a strict Lutheran who lived with them. [4], After completion of his second tour in 1952, List worked for an accounting firm in Detroit, and then as an audit supervisor at a paper company in Kalamazoo, where his three children were born. 'List believed doing what he did do to his family was allowed because he was sending them to join God and saving them from the embarrassment of having to be on the public dole.'. List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. New revelations in the episode include what List said through tears to his shocked and heartsick second wife, who hoped it was all some mistake and her husband was really the man she thought she had married Robert Clark when she visited him in jail. The two met at a Christian religious gathering. List, 64, faces multiple life sentences if he is convicted. Additionally, the financial burden on the family was increasing, causing him severe psychological distress. March 3 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts library said a book was recently returned with a note apologizing for the tome being 56 years overdue. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. He joined a local Lutheran church and, in 1985, married a widow named Delores Clark, with whom he moved to Richmond, Va. There, he eventually became director of accounting services. It took Johns fingerprints to match with the military records to convince the authorities that he was John List. The trail went cold. Then, he went up to the third floor and murdered his mother in her bed. John List was born John Emil List, on September 17, 1925, in Bay City, Michigan, to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. He placed the bodies of his wife and . John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife) - Dating, Gossip, News, Photos list. But back in Denver, his former neighbors did recognize him, and called police. He says he wanted to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion and to make sure they got to heaven. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. The army discharged him in 1946, after which he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He settled in New Jersey and took a job at a local bank. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. John packed off his children to school and loaded both of his handguns. YouTubeForensic artist Frank Bender uses photographs to sculpt an aged bust of mass murderer John List. He simply exploded.'. He waited for Helen to come down for her morning coffee. Help us build our profile of John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife)! At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and married her in 1985. The jury finally found John List guilty and a judge sentenced him to five life terms in a New Jersey prison. "I approached all of them from behind so they wouldn't realize till the last minute what I was going to do to them," he said. A former Denver neighbor alerted the police, who made the arrest later. [18][19][20], In 1972, List was proposed as a suspect in the D. B. Cooper air piracy case because of the timing of his disappearance (two weeks prior to the airline hijacking), multiple matches to the hijacker's description, and the reasoning that "a fugitive accused of mass murder has nothing to lose. In an interview in 2008, parents told a reporter in New Jersey that children will not walk past that property, nor do they even want to live on the same street. 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. After List's discharge in 1946, List enrolled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting, and was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC. $1 Million - $5 Million. John List, going by the name Robert Clark, rented a room in this house in Richmond, Virginia from S. Wallace Parsons, until he and Delores Clark moved into their new home. After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning. List, Patricia List, place of death: Trenton, New Jersey, United States, education: University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor.