Bruce Alan Davis

Serial Killer

Bruce Alan Davis

Biography & Background

Bruce Alan Davis (September 3, 1948 – December 12, 1988) was an American serial killer. Born in Toledo, Ohio, his family relocated to rural West Virginia in the early 1950s. At age 13 he suffered a sexual assault, which fueled a deep hatred toward homosexuals and pedophiles. Dropping out of school, Davis moved to Manhattan in the mid‑1960s to pursue singing, eventually earning a night‑school diploma in 1968. Failing to launch a career, he became a drifting ex‑musician surviving through odd jobs, petty theft, and opportunistic predation. While incarcerated, he hanged himself in 1988 at Menard Correctional Center in Illinois.

Confirmed Crimes & Convictions

Davis was convicted of three murders across Illinois and Washington, D.C. between 1971 and 1982. He also confessed to up to 33 additional killings spanning numerous states, though most were never confirmed. His known crimes include:

• June 29, 1971Reverend Carlo Barlassina: A 44‑year‑old Barnabite priest staying in a Chicago hotel. He was strangled and robbed; Davis pleaded guilty after his 1972 extradition to Illinois and received 25–45 years.
• February 1972James Earl Hammer: A Washington, D.C. businessman and Davis’s acquaintance. Charged with murder but convicted of involuntary manslaughter in D.C., he received 5–15 years with parole eligibility after five.
• October 24, 1982Joseph Cushman: A 52‑year‑old prison foreman at Menard in Chester, Illinois. Davis used an axe during his escape attempt, killing Cushman. He was later convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

Escape & Confessions

On October 24, 1982, Davis cut through a fence at Menard, killed guard Cushman with an axe, stole his truck and fled. He was captured a week later in Smithers, West Virginia, on auto theft charges. During intense interrogation, he confessed to 33 murders committed between 1969–1971 across locations including D.C., New York, Reno, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Arlington (VA), New Jersey, Kentucky, and New Hampshire. He claimed most victims were affluent professional gay men whom he seduced, robbed, mutilated, and dumped—reportedly writing “Death to all queers” on some bodies. Confirmations were made for at least a dozen of the murders he described. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (3)

James Earl Hammer , Date of Death: 1972-02

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Bruce Alan Davis - Wikipedia

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