Earle Leonard Nelson

Serial Killer

Earle Leonard Nelson: The "Gorilla Man" and "Dark Strangler"

Introduction

Earle Leonard Nelson was an American serial killer whose crimes spread across the United States and into Canada during 1926 and 1927. Newspapers called him the "Gorilla Man," the "Gorilla Killer," and the "Dark Strangler," nicknames inspired by his unusual physical strength and his repeated use of strangulation. He is generally linked to at least 22 murders, although investigators and later researchers have suggested that the true number may have been higher. Nelson primarily targeted women who rented rooms or managed boardinghouses. He frequently found them through newspaper advertisements, approached them while pretending to need lodging, and presented himself as a quiet, polite, religious man. Once alone with a prospective landlady, he attacked without warning. Many of his victims were sexually assaulted, sometimes after death, and their bodies were concealed beneath beds, inside closets, behind furnaces, in attics, or within trunks.

Early Life and Institutionalization

Nelson was born Earle Leonard Ferral in San Francisco, California, on May 12, 1897. Both of his parents died when he was very young, and he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Jennie Nelson. His upbringing was intensely religious, and biblical language remained a prominent part of his speech and behavior throughout his life. When Nelson was approximately ten years old, he suffered a serious head injury after colliding with a streetcar while riding a bicycle. He reportedly remained unconscious for several days. Family members later described noticeable changes in his personality, including unpredictable behavior, memory problems, hallucinations, obsessive religious thinking, and periods of confusion. As a young man, Nelson accumulated arrests for burglary, theft, escape, and other offenses. He served time in San Quentin State Prison and was repeatedly committed to Napa State Hospital. Doctors recorded hallucinations, paranoid ideas, and disturbed behavior, although assessments of his mental condition varied. He escaped from institutions several times and became known among hospital personnel for his ability to disappear. In 1921, Nelson entered a San Francisco residence while posing as a plumber and attempted to assault a 12-year-old girl. Her screams attracted help, and he was arrested. He was again declared dangerous and returned to Napa State Hospital. Despite his record and continuing instability, he was eventually discharged in 1925. ...

Confirmed Victims: (11)

Clara Newman , Date of Death: 1926-02-20

Earle Nelson - Wikipedia