The Wrong Man

Introduction

In the early 1960s, the city of Boston was terrorized by a series of brutal murders. The victims, all women, were found strangled in their own homes. The killer was dubbed the "Boston Strangler," and the case quickly became one of the most high-profile serial murder investigations in American history.

In 1965, a man named Albert DeSalvo confessed to being the Boston Strangler. He was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life in prison. However, doubts about his guilt persisted for decades, and in 2013, new DNA evidence conclusively exonerated him of the crimes.

This is the story of the Boston Strangler and how DNA evidence finally brought justice to a man who was wrongly convicted.

The Murders

Between June 14, 1962, and January 4, 1964, thirteen women were murdered in the Boston area. All of the victims were single, white women between the ages of 19 and 85. The killer gained entry to their homes by posing as a repairman, salesman, or other type of worker.

Once inside, he would strangle them with a ligature. The crime scenes were often left in disarray, with the victim's clothes torn and items scattered about the room. There was no sign of forced entry, and no evidence of robbery or sexual assault.

The investigation into the murders was led by a task force of over 2,000 police officers. They interviewed thousands of people, analyzed fingerprints and hair samples, and even used a computer to create a composite sketch of the killer.

Despite their efforts, the killer remained elusive. There were several false leads and even a few arrests, but no one was ever charged with the murders.

The Confession

In 1965, a man named Albert DeSalvo was arrested for a series of unrelated rapes. While in custody, he began to talk about the Boston Strangler case. He claimed that he was the killer and provided details about the murders that had not been made public.

DeSalvo's confession was not without its problems. He initially claimed to have acted alone, but later said that there were two other men involved. He also said that he had committed several other murders that were not part of the Boston Strangler series.

Despite these inconsistencies, the police believed that they had their man. DeSalvo was indicted for the murders and went to trial in 1967.

The Trial

DeSalvo's trial was one of the most sensational in American history. The prosecution presented evidence linking DeSalvo to the murders, including his confession and eyewitness testimony from a woman who claimed to have seen him leaving one of the crime scenes.

The defense argued that DeSalvo's confession was coerced and that there was no physical evidence linking him to the murders. They also presented evidence that DeSalvo had a history of mental illness and that he may have been motivated to confess in order to gain notoriety.

Despite these arguments, DeSalvo was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He was never charged with the other murders he had claimed to have committed.

The Doubts

Almost immediately after DeSalvo's conviction, doubts about his guilt began to surface. Some people pointed out that there was no physical evidence linking him to the murders, and that his confession was the only evidence against him.

Others noted that DeSalvo's confession was inconsistent and that he had a history of mental illness. Still, others pointed out that the Boston Strangler case had been marked by sloppy police work and that there were other suspects who had never been fully investigated.

Over the years, these doubts only grew stronger. In the 1990s, a journalist named Susan Kelly wrote a book about the case in which she argued that DeSal vo was not the Boston Strangler. She pointed out that there were significant inconsistencies in his confession, including details that did not match the crime scenes and claims of involvement by other men that were never substantiated.

Other researchers also began to question DeSalvo's guilt. In 2000, a group of scientists conducted DNA analysis on semen found at one of the crime scenes. They compared the DNA profile to samples from DeSalvo and several other suspects, but the results were inconclusive.

Despite these doubts, DeSalvo remained behind bars until his death in 1973. The Boston Strangler case was officially closed, but the question of whether DeSalvo was truly responsible for the murders lingered for decades.

The DNA Evidence

In 2013, a breakthrough in DNA technology finally provided the answer to the question of the Boston Strangler's identity. Investigators were able to extract DNA from the semen found at the crime scene where Mary Sullivan, the last victim, was murdered.

The DNA profile was compared to samples from DeSalvo and other suspects, but once again, the results were inconclusive. However, the investigators were able to use a new technique called familial DNA testing.

Familial DNA testing involves comparing a DNA sample to other samples in a database to see if there are any close matches. In this case, the investigators were able to match the DNA from the crime scene to a relative of the suspect.

The relative was a man named Albert Henry, who had died in 1980. Henry had a criminal record and had lived in the Boston area at the time of the murders. The investigators were able to obtain a sample of Henry's DNA from his remains and compare it to the DNA from the crime scene.

The results were a perfect match. Albert Henry was conclusively identified as the Boston Strangler.

The Exoneration

With the identification of Albert Henry as the true Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo was finally exonerated of the crimes. In 2013, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office announced that DeSalvo's remains would be exhumed and subjected to DNA testing to confirm his innocence.

The DNA testing was conducted, and the results were conclusive. DeSalvo was not a match to the DNA found at the crime scenes, and he was officially cleared of the murders.

The legacy of the Boston Strangler case is complex. On one hand, it represents a triumph of modern forensic science and the power of DNA evidence to solve cold cases. On the other hand, it highlights the flaws in the criminal justice system, including the dangers of relying solely on confessions and the potential for wrongful convictions.

The case also raises questions about the role of mental illness in criminal behavior and the importance of properly investigating all potential suspects in high-profile cases.

In the end, the Boston Strangler case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of rushing to judgment and the importance of seeking the truth, no matter how long it takes. Thanks to the power of DNA evidence, justice was finally served in a case that had confounded investigators for over 50 years.