John list

John List, born in September 1925, murdered his wife, mother, and three children. On one hand, List wanted to put an end to the family's financial troubles, and on the other hand, he hoped to protect their souls from a future godless life. It took nearly 18 years before he was caught.

THE LIST FAMILY

John List and his wife Helen were living the American dream. John, a successful accountant, was able to provide his family with a luxurious lifestyle. Their estate in Westfield, New Jersey, had 19 rooms and even a ballroom. As devout Lutherans, the family attended church every Sunday, where John also taught Sunday school. No one could have suspected that this family happiness was merely a facade.

THE DREAM SHATTERS

In 1971, the once-successful accountant John List lost his job. He didn't tell his family about it. Every day, he pretended to go to work, but in reality, he spent his time in cafes and train station waiting halls. He repeatedly went to the bank to secretly withdraw money from his mother's account, just so he could at least pay the mortgage for the family estate. He pushed his children, Patricia, 16, and Frederick, 13, to get jobs while still in school, under the guise of wanting to teach them responsibility and money management. In reality, he wanted them to finance the household expenses. Applying for unemployment benefits and welfare was not an option for List because he didn't want to face that disgrace. He saw only one way out: he decided to kill his family.

NOVEMBER 9, 1971

On November 9, 1971, List grabbed his semi-automatic 9mm gun and a .22 caliber revolver to shoot his entire family.

He first killed his wife, Helen, while she was having her morning coffee, shooting her in the back of the head. According to List's later statements, he blamed her for the family's financial ruin, as her long-standing syphilis infection and the associated treatments were expensive. He also resented her for deceiving him into marriage by falsely claiming to be pregnant. However, it turned out to be a lie. Additionally, he blamed her excessive alcohol consumption.

After killing his wife, List shot his 85-year-old mother, who was still sleeping in her upstairs apartment. When his children Patricia, 16, and Frederick, 13, returned home from school, he also shot them.

After making himself a sandwich and stopping at the local bank to close his and his mother's accounts, he calmly drove to his 15-year-old son John Frederick's soccer game. He cheered him on, only to shoot him in the chest afterwards. Unlike the other family members, John Frederick apparently resisted. However, he couldn't prevent his own death.

While List laid the bodies of his children and wife on sleeping bags in the ballroom of the estate, he left his mother's lifeless body in the attic. He then set about cleaning the crime scene, removing all photos in the house featuring himself. He left a letter to his pastor, justifying his actions by stating that he would rather send his family to heaven now than subject them to the godless evil that awaited them. Before leaving the next day, he turned on a religious radio station and left all the lights in the house on.

It would take nearly a month for the List family's bodies to be discovered. List had already informed the school about the children's absence, claiming they were on vacation for a few weeks. It was only when the neighbors noticed the constantly illuminated house without signs of life inside that they alerted the police.

John List parked the family car at John F. Kennedy Airport but ultimately traveled to Denver by train, where he assumed the identity of Robert Clark.

List would lead a quiet life until 1989 when he would finally be held accountable for his crimes.

NOT A COLD CASE

The FBI didn't let the case rest. Since there were no photos of John List, in early 1989, the investigators enlisted the help of forensic artist Frank Bender to create a bust of the killer. Using all known features and characteristics, a remarkable likeness of List was produced. The officers placed on the bust the same style of glasses List had worn in his younger years, theorizing that he still wore them to remind himself of better times.

In May 1989, this bust was featured in an episode of the true-crime series "America's Most Wanted" that focused on the List family case. One of List's neighbors recognized him and contacted the police. She stated that her neighbor, Robert Clark, was also an accountant and very religious. On June 1, 1989, John List aka Robert Clark was arrested.

Although List was confronted with indisputable evidence, it took him months to admit to his true identity.

TRIAL

In April 1990, List was sentenced to life in prison for the five murders. The FBI also tried to connect him to the elusive D. B. Cooper, who hijacked an airplane in 1971 and remains unidentified to this day, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82.

What List learned behind bars was that the ballroom of the family mansion had a skylight, most likely designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Its value at the time would have been around $100,000 (approximately $650,000 today). This would have more than paid off the Lists' debts. However, it could no longer be determined if it was an original piece by the designer, as the estate burned down in August 1972.