[23] After three weeks at the factory, Nilsen informed his mother that he intended to join the army, where he intended to train as a chef. The pair stopped at an off licence en route to Nilsen's residence and purchased whisky, rum, and beer, with Ockenden insisting on sharing the bill. In effect, Nilsen was not guilty of "malice aforethought". Who was Kenneth Ockenden? | The Sun Nilsen responded calmly, admitting that the remainder of the body could be found in two plastic bags in a nearby wardrobe, from which DCI Jay and his colleagues noted the overpowering smell of decomposition emanated. This practicewhich had led to his arresthad been the only method he could consider to dispose of the internal organs and soft tissue as, unlike at Melrose Avenue, he had no exclusive use of the garden of the property. History of Dennis Nilsen Crimes Murders and Victims [34][n 2], Between October and December 1972, Nilsen lived with his family as he considered his next career move. Kenneth Ockenden 23-year-old Canadian student Kenneth Ockenden was killed on December 3, 1979. When Stottor had regained enough strength to question Nilsen as to his recollections of being strangled and immersed in cold water, Nilsen explained he had become caught in the zip of the sleeping bag following a nightmare, and that he had placed him in cold water as "you were in shock". If the victim had been strangled into unconsciousness, Nilsen then drowned him in his bathtub, his sink or a bucket of water before observing a ritual in which he bathed, clothed and retained the bodies inside his residences for several weeks or, occasionally, months before he dismembered them. [13], In the years following the death of his grandfather, Nilsen became more quiet and withdrawn, often standing alone at the harbour watching the herring boats. I want to get it off my chest. Nilsen feigned shock and bewilderment, stating, "Good grief, how awful!" [164] In the prison workshop, Nilsen translated books into braille. Daily Star. [58] The victims killed in 1982 and 1983 at his Muswell Hill residence were retained at his flat, with their flesh and smaller bones flushed down the lavatory. The prosecution counsel opened the case for the Crown by describing the events of February 1983 leading to the identification of human remains in the drains at Cranley Gardens and Nilsen's subsequent arrest, the discovery of three dismembered bodies in his property, his detailed confession, his leading investigators to the charred bone fragments of twelve further victims killed at Melrose Avenue, and the efforts he had taken to conceal his crimes. Over the following two days, Stottor repeatedly lapsed in and out of consciousness. This ruling ensured Nilsen would never be released from prison, a punishment he accepted. Once the victim had been killed, he typically bathed the victim's body, shaved any hair from the torso to conform it to his physical ideal,[128] then applied makeup to any obvious blemishes upon the skin. [2] Moksheim was a Norwegian soldier who had travelled to Scotland in 1940 as part of the Free Norwegian Forces following the German occupation of Norway. Her parents, Andrew and Lily (ne Duthie) Whytewho had never approved of their daughter's choice of husbandwere supportive of their daughter following her divorce and considerate of their grandchildren. Much of this work was performed by Gallichan, as Nilsenhaving discovered Gallichan's lack of employment ambitionsbegan to view himself as the breadwinner in their relationship. After caressing the sleeping youth, Nilsen decided Holmes was to "stay with me over the New Year whether he wanted to or not". Dennis Nilsen: who was he, how many people did he kill and what This posting was more dangerous than his previous postings in West Germany or Norway, and Nilsen later recalled his regiment losing several men, often in ambushes en route to the army barracks. This recommendation was later changed to a whole life tariff in December 1994. The marriage between Nilsen's parents was difficult. This is achieved by taking increased amounts of alcohol and plugging into stereo music which mentally removes me to a high plane of ecstasy, joy and tears. Nilsen then led Stottor to a nearby railway station, where he informed the young man he hoped they might meet again before he bade him farewell. Nilsen's scholastic record was above average. As a result, he was an unpopular inmate with successive governors at the various prisons in which he was incarcerated. Dennis Nilsen ITV drama: Who were Dennis Nilsen's victims? In response to prosecution contention that, in attributing an unspecified disorder to Nilsen, MacKeith was undecided in his conclusions,[152] MacKeith contended that this unspecified personality disorder was severe enough to substantially reduce Nilsen's responsibility.[153]. Nilsen's first murder victim was identified in 2006 as 14-year-old Stephen Holmes. His father did not view married life with any seriousness, being preoccupied with his duties with the Free Norwegian Forces and making little attempt to spend much time with or find a new home for his wife. After a brief courtship he married Elizabeth Whyte in May 1942. Dennis Nilsen killed at least 12 young men and boys between 1978 and 1983. To both Cattran and Wheeler, the bones looked as if they originated from a human hand. On 25 October the court heard testimony from two further men who had survived attempts by Nilsen to strangle them. [135], According to Nilsen, upon being transferred to Brixton Prison to await trial, his mood was one of "resignation and relief", with his belief being that he would be viewed, in accordance with law, as innocent until proven guilty. As had been the case with several previous victims, Nilsen stated he could not recall the precise moment he had strangled Allen, but recalled approaching him as he sat eating an omelette with the full intention of murdering him. He discarded these innards both upon the waste ground behind his flat, and in his household rubbish. If a body did not display any signs of decomposition, he occasionally alternately stowed it beneath the floorboards and retrieved it before again masturbating as he stood over or lay alongside the body. His birth father died the same month, leaving each of his three children 1,000 (the equivalent of about 9,972 as of 2022). I had no other thrill or happiness". This aroused the suspicions of both men. Nilsen's victims - Stephen Holmes, Kenneth Ockenden,. Under English law, the police had forty-eight hours in which to charge Nilsen or release him. [5] All three of the couple's childrenOlav Jr., Dennis and Sylviahad been conceived on their father's brief visits to their mother's household. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Kenneth F Adkison (Garden City, Michigan), who passed away on April 30, 2023 at the age of 97. Nilsen's murders were first discovered by a Dyno-Rod employee, Michael Cattran, who responded to the plumbing complaints made by both Nilsen and other tenants of Cranley Gardens on 8 February 1983. [66], "I eased him into his new bed [beneath the floorboards] A week later, I wondered whether his body had changed at all or had started to decompose. The work was intermittent, and he resolved to find more stable, secure employment. Cattran reported his suspicions to his supervisor, Gary Wheeler. In 1991, Nilsen was transferred to a vulnerable-prisoner unit at HMP Full Sutton upon concerns for his safety. He initially panicked, flailing his arms and shouting. [133], On 11 February 1983, Nilsen was officially charged with the murder of Stephen Sinclair. The Nilsen Files, BBC2, review: This personal documentary puts his ", Written statement made by Nilsen to DCI Peter Jay, February 1983.[147]. Quick access. His first victim was 14-year-old Stephen Holmes in 1978, who would become the blueprint for Nilsen's murders when he was killed in 1978. I could oscillate between the two with instant ease." Throughout this committal hearing, he was represented by a solicitor named Ronald Moss, whom he had previously dismissed as his legal representative on 21 April,[137] before Moss was reappointed to the role after Nilsen had complained to magistrates he had been afforded no facilities with which he could mount his own defence. Find a Grave. (Gallichan later informed investigators that he had chosen to end the relationship.[52]). His second victim, killed in late 1979, was Canadian student Kenneth Ockenden, who was visiting relatives in the capital. She later married a builder named Andrew Scott, with whom she had four more children in as many years. ", Nilsen's written recollections of the ritual he observed after the murder of his first victim. [138] With Nilsen's full consent, Moss had fully prepared his defence; five weeks before his trial, Nilsen again dismissed Moss, and opted instead to be represented by Ralph Haeems, upon whose advice Nilsen agreed to plead not guilty by diminished responsibility.[139]. Kenneth lived on month day 1939, at address. First look at Britain's biggest EVER stage for King Charles' coronation concert, Souness fights back tears as he announces emotional retirement on Sky Sports, Sky Sports' Martin Tyler slammed for 'racist' comment about Spurs star Son, Iconic high street favourite to return after 4 years as shoppers 'can't wait', News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. [157], Following his conviction, Nilsen was transferred to HMP Wormwood Scrubs to begin his sentence. [103] Believing he had killed Stottor, Nilsen seated the youth in his armchair, then noted his mongrel dog, Bleep, licking Stottor's face. Upon learning the young man was a tourist, Nilsen offered to show Ockenden several London landmarks, an offer which Ockenden accepted. On several occasions, Nilsen also made tentative efforts to have his own prone body sexually interfered with by one of his colleagues. In one of these statements, Nilsen had said: "I have no tears for my victims; I have no tears for myself, nor those bereaved by my actions". [51] Gallichan later insisted Nilsen had never been violent towards him, but that he did engage in verbal abuse, and the pair had begun arguing with increasing frequency by early 1976. Philip Serrell's beautiful family life with wife and daughter, and clever secret behind why he always wears a scarf; Story Saved. While en route to the police station, Nilsen was asked whether the remains in his flat belonged to one person or two. Nilsen then washed the body in his bathtub before placing Holmes on his bed and caressing his body. Dennis Nilsen murdered 12 boys and men in North London between 1978 to 1983 BBC2's The Nilsen Files, explores whether killer could have been caught sooner Tells untold story of Canadian tourist. No family members were present at the service. Over two days, Bowden testified that, although he found Nilsen to be abnormal in a colloquial sense, he had concluded Nilsen to be a manipulative person who had been capable of forming relationships, but had forced himself to objectify people. His life was saved by another youth who dragged him ashore. Most victims had died by strangulation;[127] on several occasions, he had drowned the victims once they had been strangled into unconsciousness. [17] The family moved to Strichen in 1955. [82] Other dissected remainsminus the internal organswere returned beneath the floorboards or placed upon a bonfire he had constructed in the garden. His attendance record was mediocre, although he frequently volunteered to work overtime, leading several colleagues to suspect he was something of a loner. Immediately after the testimony of Nobbs had concluded, Carl Stottor took the stand to recount how, in May 1982, Nilsen had attempted to strangle and drown him, before bringing him "back to life". On three occasions over the following ten minutes, Nilsen unsuccessfully attempted to kill this victim after noting he had resumed breathing, before deciding to fill his bathtub with water and drown him. [173] In his autobiography, Nilsen states that, beginning with his service in the army, he constantly lived two separate lives: his "real life" and his "fantasy life". One bag was found to contain two dissected torsos, one of which had been vertically dissected, and a shopping bag containing various internal organs. [65] Holmes' bound corpse remained beneath the floorboards for almost eight months, before Nilsen built a bonfire in the garden behind his flat and burned the body on 11 August 1979. before Nilsen again submerged Stottor's head beneath the water. Before the end of 1980, he killed a further five victims and attempted to murder one other; only one of these victims whom Nilsen murdered, 26-year-old William Sutherland, has ever been identified. Next he killed Kenneth Ockenden on December 3, 1979, a 23-year-old Canadian student. [174] He writes: "When I was with people, I was in the 'real' world, and in my private life, I snapped instantly into my fantasy life. He further elaborated on the day of his conviction that he took an enormous thrill from the "social seduction; the getting the 'friend' back; the decision to kill; the body and its disposal". The prosecuting counsel, Allan Green QC, argued that Nilsen was sane, in full control of his actions, and had killed with premeditation. [25], In mid-1964, Nilsen passed his initial catering exam and was officially assigned to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in Osnabrck, West Germany, where he served as a private. Initially, Nilsen intended to plead guilty to each charge of murder at his upcoming trial. Nilsen attempted to strangle Ho, who managed to flee from his flat and reported the incident to police. Nilsen was kidnapped by an Arab taxi driver, who beat him unconscious and placed him in the boot of his car. Serial killer Dennis Nilsen boasted of smoking cannabis in his prison I bring [with me] people who are not always allowed to leave because I want them to share my experiences and high feeling. Ockenden. Early 1980: Martyn Duffey is murdered The homeless. Between 1978 and 1983, Nilsen is known to have killed a minimum of twelve men and boys, and to have attempted to kill seven others (he initially confessed in 1983 to having killed about sixteen victims). But the real revelation comes when Ogden uncovers an untold story about the murder of Canadian tourist, Kenneth Ockenden, who disappeared in December 1979. The dismembered body parts were the bodies of three men, all of whom he had killed by strangulationusually with a necktie. At 7:30a.m. the following day, Cattran and Wheeler returned to Cranley Gardens, by which time the drain had been cleared. ", "Dennis Nilsen Documentary: 'Serial Killer Had Sex with Dead Victims', "Serial Killers Don't Explain; They Just Fantasise", "Dennis Nilsen: Serial Killer Dies in Prison Aged 72", "Dennis Nilsen Quotes (Author of The Most Toys)", "Serial Killer Dennis Nilsen Dies in Prison", "Law Report: Decision Not to Ban Nilsen Interview Upheld", "Serial Killer Fights to Gain Access to Gay Pornography", "Human Rights Act Reporting in the Media: Corrections and Clarifications", "Nilsen v Full Sutton Prison & Anor [2004] EWCA Civ 1540", "Dennis Nilsen CPS Decision About First Victim", "The 'Black Museum': After 150 Years, Public Set to See Exhibits from Police's Grisly Crime Museum", "Serial Killer Dennis Nilsen's Autobiography Reveals 'Confessions' From Beyond the Grave", "Serial Killer Dennis Nilsen Died in York Hospital, Coroner Reveals", "Dennis Nilsen: Serial Killer Died after Hospital Surgery", "The Secret Funeral and Cremation of North-east Killer Dennis Nilsen Cost the Taxpayer 3,300", "Dennis Nilsen: Serial Killer Dies in Prison aged 72", "Serial Killer Dennis Nilsen Confesses to First Murder", "Yorkshire's Forgotten Victim of Serial Killer Dennis Nilsen, Strangled After Saying Thanks", "British Board of Film Classification: Cold Light of Day (1989)", "National Library of Australia Trove: Nilsen (1993)", "ITV Commissions Three-part Drama, Des with David Tennant as Dennis Nilsen", "Netflix Classification: Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (2021)", "Case 144: The Muswell Hill Murderer (Part 1)", 2004 appeal to the Royal Courts of Justice, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dennis_Nilsen&oldid=1151977722, British people convicted of attempted murder, Civil servants in the Department of Employment, People convicted of murder by England and Wales, People with narcissistic personality disorder, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales, Prisoners who died in England and Wales detention, Scottish people who died in prison custody, Scottish prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, Serial killers who died in prison custody, Serial killers who worked in law enforcement, Violence against men in the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "The Muswell Hill Murderer" (2020). [n 1], Following a brief period with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Inverness, Nilsen was selected to cook for the Queen's Royal Guard before, in January 1971, being reassigned to serve as a cook for a different regiment in the Shetland Islands, where he ended his 11-year military career at the rank of corporal in October 1972. They slept in separate beds, and both began to bring home casual sexual partners. "The Muswell Hill Murderer" Dennis Nilsen Pt. 2: The Murders Following Duffey's murder, Nilsen began to kill with increasing frequency. Nilsen's recollections of the unidentified victims were vague, but he graphically recalled how each victim had been murdered and just how long the body had been retained before dissection. [72] Nilsen was adamant he could not recall the precise moment he strangled Ockenden, but recalled that he strangled the young man with the cord of his (Nilsen's) headphones as Ockenden listened to music. The first witness to testify for the prosecution was Douglas Stewart, who testified that in November 1980, he had fallen asleep in a chair in Nilsen's flat only to wake to find his ankles bound to a chair and Nilsen strangling him with a tie as he pressed his knee to his (Stewart's) chest. Cattran discovered some scraps of flesh and four bones in a pipe leading from the drain which linked to the top flat of the house. [134] He was transferred to HMP Brixton to be held on remand until his trial. As Cattran had arrived at the property at dusk, he and Wheeler agreed to postpone further investigation into the blockage until the following morning. [56], Inside Nilsen's home, the victims were usually given food and alcohol, then strangledtypically with a ligatureeither to death or until they had become unconscious. ", Extract from Nilsen's prison journals, written while on remand, April 1983. The first of these, Paul Nobbs, provided testimony which the prosecution asserted was evidence of Nilsen's self-control and ability to refrain from homicidal impulses. Kenneth Ockenden, 23. [160][n 11]. After Nilsen and this victim had consumed several beverages, Nilsen strangled him with a tie and subsequently placed the body beneath the floorboards. [108][n 8]. [100] For over a week following Howlett's murder, Nilsen's own neck bore the victim's finger impressions. [10][11] When he replied that he did, he was taken into the room where his grandfather lay in an open coffin. In a letter Nilsen later penned to Stottor following his conviction in which Stottor asked Nilsen why he had attempted to murder him, but then revived him, Nilsen simply replied, "What passed between us was a thin strand of, Nilsen would later reflect that as he sat staring at Sinclair immediately prior to murdering him, he had thought to himself: "All that potential, all that beauty, and all that pain that is his life it will soon be over.". [16] Shortly after this incident, Nilsen's mother moved out of his grandparents' home and into a flat with her three children. Not hereat the police station." Upon hearing Cattran exclaim how similar the substance was in appearance to human flesh, Nilsen replied: "It looks to me like someone has been flushing down their Kentucky Fried Chicken."[113]. Nilsen later recollected that he was sexually attracted to Gallichan, but the pair seldom had intercourse. In December 1983, Nilsen was cut on the face and chest with a razor blade by an inmate named Albert Moffatt, resulting in injuries requiring eighty-nine stitches. [82] He placed deodorants beneath the floorboards and sprayed insecticide about the flat twice daily, but the odour of decay and the presence of flies remained. He described himself and his colleagues as a "hard-working, boozy lot"; his colleagues recalled he often drank to excess in order to ease his shyness. Prior to Nilsen's trial, Bowden had interviewed the defendant on sixteen separate occasions in interviews totalling over fourteen hours. Four lives on BBC 1 at 9pm 3rd January - Page 12 Digital Spy For almost two months, any acquaintances Nilsen encountered and lured to his flat were not assaulted in any manner,[44] although he did attempt to strangle a 19-year-old student named Paul Nobbs on 23 November 1981,[96] but stopped himself from completing the act. MacKeith testified as to how, through a lack of emotional development,[150] Nilsen experienced difficulty expressing any emotion other than anger,[151] and his tendency to treat other human beings as components of his fantasies. He moved into an attic flat at 23D Cranley Gardens[94] in the Muswell Hill district of North London on 5 October 1981. ", Duffey's body was first placed upon a kitchen chair, then upon the bed on which he had been strangled. This included the cooking pot in which Nilsen had boiled the heads of the three victims killed at Cranley Gardens, the cutting board he had used to dissect John Howlett, and several rusted catering knives which had formerly belonged to victim Martyn Duffey. In these instances, whenever he and his colleagues drank to excess, Nilsen would pretend he was inebriated in the hope one of his colleagues would make sexual use of his supposedly unconscious body. When questioned as to why the heads found at Cranley Gardens had been subjected to moist heat, Nilsen stated that he had frequently boiled the heads of his victims in a large cooking pot on his stove so that the internal contents evaporated, thus removing the need to dispose of the brain and flesh. Nilsen strangled him with a headphone cord. 'Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes' True Story - Esquire Kenneth Hagans Obituary (1941 - 2023) | Seneca, Missouri - Echovita Convicted at the Old Bailey of six counts of murder and two of attempted murder, Nilsen was sentenced to life imprisonment on 4 November 1983, with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 25 years. Olav Jr. and Sylvia occasionally accompanied Dennis and his grandfather on these walks. Drs. Who was Kenneth Ockenden? | The Scottish Sun Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This service was held with only five mourners present, including three prison officers and the individual with whom Nilsen had corresponded while in prison.