Allan Patterson Newman

Serial Killer

Allan Patterson Newman: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life and Background

Allan Patterson Newman was born on February 22, 1951, in Wheaton, Maryland. Little is known about his early life and upbringing. He attended Virginia Tech in the 1970s and 1980s but failed to earn a degree, earning money as a self-employed house painter. In 1978, after a girlfriend ended their relationship, he attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head and chest with a .22 caliber handgun. Later, while working as an insurance claim adjuster, he began a relationship with a woman from Rockville, but she too ended the relationship in early 1982. Following this, Allan began spying on her. On March 21, 1982, he stalked the woman and a man she was dating, using shortcuts to arrive at her house. He snuck in, and when he heard the couple arrive, grabbed two butcher knives and hid under the bed. The woman came into the room and found him, at which point Newman lunged at her and attempted to choke her. Her date then entered the room and was immediately stabbed twice in the back. The two managed to temporarily hold off Newman and call the police, but he fled through a bedroom window, cutting off the telephone cord with the knives and re-entering by smashing through the kitchen door. Again, the woman's date was stabbed in the face and chest but miraculously survived the ordeal. Newman was later arrested and charged with 13 crimes, including attempted murder. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with his lawyer, Thomas Heeney, claiming that his client was suffering from delusions and paranoia. As part of a plea bargain, Allan pleaded guilty to two charges of battery and was given mandatory psychiatric counseling and five years probation, as well as a restraining order. He later wrote an apology letter to the woman, claiming that he was sorry and wanted to change for the better. In early 1985, he requested an early termination of his probation, which was denied. After living in Falls Church, Virginia, for several years, Newman moved to an apartment building near the Wheaton Metro Station. He was described as a regular-looking and quiet tenant but was often behind on rent.

Crime Spree

Newman's criminal activities escalated significantly between 1991 and 1992, spanning across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. His crimes included multiple murders, carjackings, and bank robberies.

Detailed Account of Crimes

• February 20, 1991: Stole a 1987 Nissan Sentra in Rockville, Maryland, shooting the owner in the arm. The following day, a bank in Fairfax, Virginia, was robbed using the same car.
• November 13, 1991: Attempted to burgle an automobile dealership in Silver Spring, Maryland, but was intercepted by two maintenance workers:
  • José Escobar, 30
  • Maura Portillo, 39
  Newman shot and killed both workers using his .357 Magnum and fled the scene.
• November 25, 1991: Carjacked a red Toyota Supra in Rockville, Maryland, which he used to rob a Signet Jewelers bank in Ellicott City, Maryland, the next day.
• January 15, 1992: Shot and killed José Ramos, 31, during a robbery at a parking lot outside his Wheaton apartment.
• February 24, 1992: While searching for another car, Newman encountered Dr. Shahin Hashtroudi, 45, an Iranian-born professor at George Washington University, who was leaving her Bethesda, Maryland, office. He shot her once in the head, leaving her to die from her injuries before stealing her white 1987 Toyota Camry. Hashtroudi's car was later used for robbing the Central Fidelity Bank in Chantilly, Virginia, on March 5, with Newman ditching the vehicle five days later.
• April 9, 1992: Carjacked a man in Falls Church, Virginia, and the day after, used it as an escape vehicle after robbing the Citizens Bank of Maryland in Bethesda.
• October 9, 1992: Donning either a ski mask or undergarments to cover his face, he threatened two teenage girls with a handgun in Woodlawn, Maryland, telling them to hand over their car, a black 1983 Honda Civic belonging to one of the girls' mothers. At that moment, off-duty police officer Thomas J. Fenwick of the Baltimore Police Department encountered him, and the two men exchanged gunshots before Newman fled with the car.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

José Escobar Age: (30), Date of Death: 1991-11-13

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Survivors:

Nissan Sentra owner , Date of Attack: 1991-02-20

Allan Patterson Newman - Wikipedia

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