John Francis Roche

Serial Killer

John Francis Roche: The "Devil of Yorkville"

Overview

John Francis "Jack" Roche was an American serial killer, rapist and burglar who terrorized the Yorkville section of Manhattan during the early 1950s. Born on September 6, 1927, in Port Chester, New York, Roche became known in the press as the "Devil of Yorkville" after investigators connected him to a succession of violent attacks committed in apartment buildings and on neighborhood streets. His confirmed murder victims ranged from a 14-year-old schoolgirl to an 85-year-old woman. Roche confessed to six killings after his arrest in June 1954. Authorities concluded that four of those confessions were supported by the evidence, while his claims concerning two additional Queens murders remained disputed. One of those disputed confessions was later withdrawn by Roche himself. He was ultimately prosecuted for the murder of Dorothy Westwater, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

Early Life and Criminal History

Roche was born to Irish immigrant parents and spent much of his childhood in New York City. Accounts of his upbringing described a deeply unstable household marked by poverty, alcoholism and domestic violence. He began committing thefts and other offenses while still a child. By approximately 13 years old, he had been sent to a reformatory, beginning a pattern of confinement and criminal activity that continued into adulthood. As Roche grew older, his crimes became more serious. He accumulated a record involving burglary and armed robbery, serving a prison sentence before returning to New York City in the early 1950s. He supported himself intermittently through manual work, including employment as a plumber's helper, while continuing to break into residences and steal property. His burglaries placed him inside the apartment buildings and hallways where several of his later attacks occurred. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Rosa Chronik Age: (85), Date of Death: 1953-11-15

John Francis Roche - Wikipedia