Ernesto Soto

Serial Killer

Ernesto "Erno" Soto: The Suspected 'Charlie Chop-off' Serial Killer

Overview

Between 1972 and 1973, a series of brutal child murders terrorized Manhattan, New York City. The perpetrator, dubbed "Charlie Chop-off," targeted young boys, predominantly African American and Puerto Rican, subjecting them to heinous acts of violence, including genital mutilation. While the true identity of "Charlie Chop-off" remains officially unconfirmed, Ernesto "Erno" Soto emerged as the prime suspect in these chilling crimes.

Victims

• Douglas Owens
  • Age: 8
  • Date of Death: March 9, 1972
  • Location: Manhattan, New York City
  • Details: Douglas was found stabbed 38 times. His penis had been cut but not severed from his body.
• Unnamed Survivor
  • Age: Not specified
  • Date of Attack: April 20, 1972
  • Location: Manhattan, New York City
  • Details: This young boy was repeatedly stabbed, and his genitals were severed. Remarkably, he survived the attack.
• Wendell Hubbard
  • Age: 9
  • Date of Death: October 23, 1972
  • Location: East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City
  • Details: Wendell was stabbed to death on the roof of a tenement building. His penis had been severed from his body.
• Luis Ortiz
  • Age: 9
  • Date of Death: March 6, 1973
  • Location: Manhattan, New York City
  • Details: Luis was stabbed 38 times and mutilated.
• Steven Cropper
  • Age: 8
  • Date of Death: August 17, 1973
  • Location: Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City
  • Details: Steven was found on the roof of a tenement building, slashed multiple times with a razor. He bled to death from an injury to his arm, although his penis was left intact.

Investigation and Arrest

On May 15, 1974, following a failed abduction of a Puerto Rican boy, Ernesto "Erno" Soto was apprehended by the police. Soto, 33 at the time, had been an intermittent patient at the Manhattan State Hospital since 1968 and was described as an unemployed former drug addict. During interrogation, Soto confessed to the 1973 murder of Steven Cropper. However, the only surviving victim of "Charlie Chop-off" stated that while Soto resembled his attacker, he could not positively identify him. Hospital records indicated that Soto was in their custody at the time of some of the murders, but it was later confirmed that he might have escaped confinement on multiple occasions. Despite the lack of concrete evidence, investigators believed Soto was a likely suspect, especially since the murders ceased after his arrest. Due to his acute mental instability, Soto was deemed unfit for trial and was committed to a mental institution. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Douglas Owens Age: (8), Date of Death: 1972-03-09

    ...View 3 additional victims

Charlie Chop-off - Wikipedia

    ...View 7 additional sources