Ernesto Soto

Serial Killer

Ernesto "Erno" Soto and the Unsolved Charlie Chop-Off Murders

Important Distinction

Ernesto "Erno" Soto was the principal suspect in a horrifying series of child murders committed in Manhattan during the early 1970s, but he was never convicted of the killings. The unidentified offender became known in newspapers and police discussions as "Charlie Chop-Off," "the Mad Barber," and "the Pied Piper of Manhattan." Four young boys were murdered between March 1972 and August 1973, and another boy survived a nearly fatal attack. Although Soto confessed to one of the murders, the evidence against him was inconclusive, he was found mentally unfit to stand trial, and the complete series officially remains unsolved. The attacks occurred in different parts of Manhattan, particularly Harlem, East Harlem, and the Lower East Side. Each victim was a young boy, and most were stabbed repeatedly before being subjected to severe genital injuries. The brutality and unusual similarities among the crimes convinced investigators that several of the attacks were probably committed by the same person. Fear spread among families as police struggled to determine how the killer selected and approached his victims.

The First Known Murder

The series began on March 9, 1972, with the murder of eight-year-old Douglas Owens. Douglas was discovered in a basement stairwell in Harlem after being stabbed dozens of times. Investigators reported that he had suffered approximately 38 stab wounds. His genital area had also been cut, although the injury was not a complete amputation. The number of wounds suggested an intensely violent and sustained attack rather than a brief confrontation. Because the victim was a small child and was found in a location where an attacker could remain concealed, police considered the possibility that Douglas had been persuaded, forced, or carried into the building before he was killed. At that time, detectives did not yet know that the murder would become the first recognized death in a larger series. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

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

Charlie Chop-off - Wikipedia