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John Oertel

Case from East-saint-louis, IL dated May 12, 1979

Victim Details

John George Oertel

Male

White / Caucasian

East-saint-louis

IL

1979-05-12

84

John

Oertel

07/10/2026

Case Description

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John Oertel, an 84-year-old man from East St. Louis, Illinois, was tragically murdered on May 12, 1979. His death was part of a series of violent crimes committed by Girvies Davis and Richard Holman, who were known as "The .22 Caliber Killers". The pair were involved in a series of robberies and murders in the late 1970s, targeting elderly victims.

On the day of Oertel's murder, Davis and Holman broke into Oertel's residence and shot him during the robbery. The motive behind these crimes ...
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Links to Additional Sources (2)

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  • Girvies Davis and Richard Holman - Wikipedia
  • John George Oertel, age 84 - National Gun Violence Memorial

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    Forum Posts (3)

    I was reading about the disturbing case of John Oertel's murder and couldn't help but feel a mixture... ...Read More
    01/13/2025
    I recently stumbled upon the harrowing case of John Oertel and couldn't help but think about the tra... ...Read More
    07/10/2024
    I've been reading up on the tragic case of John Oertel, and something that sticks out to me is the f... ...Read More
    05/13/2023
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