The Denver Strangler: The Unidentified Killer Who Terrorized Denver's Market Street
Overview
The Denver Strangler was the name given to an unidentified killer associated with a series of strangulation murders in Denver, Colorado, during the 1890s. The strongest part of the series consists of three women killed within approximately ten weeks in 1894. All three deaths occurred in Denver's notorious Market Street red-light district, an area that became so closely associated with the crimes that contemporary newspapers referred to it as "Strangler's Row."
The killer was never conclusively identified. Numerous men were arrested, questioned, or publicly accused, and one prominent suspect was eventually tried for murder, but no conviction resulted. The deaths of Lena Tapper, Marie Contassoit and Kiku Oyama form the core of the Denver Strangler case. Two later Denver strangulation murders, those of Julia Voght in 1898 and Mabel Brown in 1903, have also been attributed to the same unidentified offender, although those connections remain speculative.
Denver's Market Street and the Beginning of the Murders
During the late nineteenth century, Market Street was the center of Denver's red-light district. Brothels, saloons, lodging houses and small rooms occupied by women working in prostitution lined portions of the street. Violence, robbery and exploitation were recurring dangers. Against that background, the strangulation murders of 1894 created unusual fear because of their similarities and their concentration within a very small geographic area.
The first killing generally associated with the series occurred in September 1894. Two more women were strangled during the following ten weeks. The repeated method of attack, the proximity of the victims' residences and the absence of a successful prosecution convinced much of the public that a single killer was operating in Denver.
The Murder of Lena Tapper
Lena Tapper was found dead at her residence at 1911 Market Street on September 3, 1894. Denver Police records identify September 3 as the date of the murder case, although accounts indicate that the fatal attack may have occurred during the preceding night or early morning hours.
Tapper was a French immigrant who was living with Richard Demady, a man who immediately became important to the investigation. Her death was violent. She had been strangled, and contemporary descriptions reported evidence that she had also suffered injuries to her face and head. A piece of cloth or clothing had reportedly been tightened around her neck after the initial assault.
Demady said that he had been away from the residence and discovered Tapper when he returned. Police detained him and members of his family while detectives attempted to reconstruct Tapper's final hours. Investigators also received information that an unidentified man had been seen leaving the vicinity of her residence around the time of the killing.
Demady's relationship with Tapper made him an obvious suspect, but the investigation quickly became complicated by conflicting statements, neighborhood rumors and the social environment surrounding Market Street. Some contemporary reports also connected people in Tapper's circle with a French group described as the Macquereaux or Les Cavaliers d'Amour. Historical accounts differ considerably concerning the nature of this organization, so claims about its involvement in the murders remain uncertain.
The Murder of Marie Contassoit
Approximately eight weeks later, another woman was found strangled only a short distance away. Marie Contassoit, whose surname appears with several different spellings in nineteenth-century newspapers, was found dead on October 28, 1894, at a Market Street residence commonly reported as 1925 Market Street.
Contassoit was discovered lying on a bed in her nightclothes. Examination of her body showed unmistakable evidence of strangulation. Contemporary descriptions reported marks around her throat consistent with pressure from both hands and a narrow cord. There were also injuries and discoloration around her face.
The condition of the room raised the possibility that robbery played a role. Contassoit was believed to have possessed more money than was found after her death. Police therefore considered whether the killer had entered the residence intending to steal from her or whether robbery was used to disguise another motive.
Her killing intensified fears that Tapper's murder had not been an isolated crime. The two women lived only doors apart, both were associated with Denver's prostitution district, both were attacked in their residences and both had been strangled. Police began arresting men who had disputes with Contassoit or connections to people in the neighborhood, but none of those early arrests produced a conviction.
The Murder of Kiku Oyama
The third murder occurred during the early morning hours of November 13, 1894. Kiku Oyama, a Japanese immigrant reported in contemporary accounts as 24 years old, was attacked at a Market Street residence. Period reporting placed the crime at approximately 1:15 a.m.
Oyama had come to the United States during the period of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago before eventually settling in Denver. Her murder differed in some details from the earlier crimes but was strikingly similar in its central feature: strangulation inside a residence in the same neighborhood.
A towel had been tightened around Oyama's neck. Evidence inside the room suggested that a struggle had taken place. Investigators reported bruising and marks around her throat, disturbed bedding and indications that someone had searched portions of the room. A partially burned cigar was among the objects reportedly examined by detectives, and doors leading toward the rear of the property were found open. Investigators also examined footprints discovered in the alley.
Oyama's death transformed the investigation into what was unmistakably viewed by the public as a series. Three women had now been strangled in a small section of Market Street between September and November. Newspapers compared the fear in Denver with the panic caused by the Jack the Ripper murders in London several years earlier.
Confirmed and Suspected Victims
- Lena Tapper — September 3, 1894 — 1911 Market Street, Denver, Colorado. Tapper was found dead in her bedroom after being strangled. She had also suffered injuries to her head and face. Her companion Richard Demady became the principal suspect in her murder and was later tried but acquitted.
- Marie Contassoit — October 28, 1894 — approximately 1925 Market Street, Denver, Colorado. Contassoit was discovered dead on a bed in her residence. She had been strangled, apparently through a combination of manual pressure and a cord. Her murder occurred only a short distance from Tapper's residence.
- Kiku Oyama — November 13, 1894 — Market Street, Denver, Colorado. Oyama, reported as 24 years old in contemporary newspaper coverage, was strangled with a towel. Evidence in the room suggested a struggle and possible searching or attempted robbery. Her death was immediately connected publicly with the previous Market Street murders.
- Julia Voght — October 1898 — Champa Street, Denver, Colorado — suspected victim. Voght, whose name also appears in historical accounts with variant spellings such as Voight or Vought, was found strangled in her apartment with a towel tightly tied around her neck. Later accounts disagree by approximately a day concerning whether she was discovered on October 7 or October 8, so the exact date is not stated here as certain. Her murder was linked to the Denver Strangler largely because of the method and an extraordinary connection she reportedly had to the earlier investigation.
- Mabel Brown — 1903 — Market Street, Denver, Colorado — suspected victim. Brown was found dead in her room with evidence of strangulation. Her hands had reportedly been restrained with suspenders and a handkerchief had been placed in her mouth. Historical sources establish the murder in 1903 but provide conflicting or insufficiently supported exact dates, so an exact day should not be treated as verified. Her killing occurred years after the original three murders and remains only a suspected Denver Strangler case.
The Fear on "Strangler's Row"
Following Oyama's murder, fear spread throughout the Market Street district. Women who lived and worked there reportedly took additional precautions, including keeping weapons nearby and refusing unfamiliar visitors. Some establishments temporarily reduced their hours or closed. For women who could not afford to stop working, however, leaving the neighborhood or refusing customers was often impossible.
The murderer appeared to benefit from an environment in which people constantly entered and left rooms, saloons and houses at nearly every hour. Witness statements were inconsistent, and police lacked the forensic methods that investigators would possess generations later. Fingerprint identification was not yet routinely available to Denver detectives, and techniques involving DNA, modern trace evidence and computerized case comparison were unimaginable.
Richard Demady
Richard Demady became the most significant suspect in the Denver Strangler investigation because of his relationship with Lena Tapper. Police believed there were circumstances surrounding his movements and statements that required further investigation. He was eventually formally prosecuted for Tapper's murder.
The case against Demady, however, was largely circumstantial. Witnesses gave testimony concerning his movements and behavior, and prosecutors attempted to establish that he had both opportunity and a personal connection to the victim. The proceedings attracted enormous public attention because authorities hoped that convicting Demady would solve at least one of the Market Street murders.
Demady was tried in 1895 and acquitted. Whatever suspicions investigators continued to hold, the verdict meant that he could not legally be treated as Tapper's convicted murderer. No reliable evidence ever established that he murdered Contassoit or Oyama either. Later theories have continued to focus on Demady and people associated with him, but those theories remain unproven.
Other Suspects
Police investigated numerous other men as fear and pressure mounted. John Callaghan, a miner who reportedly had a financial dispute with Marie Contassoit, was questioned after her murder. Charles Chaloup was also detained, although his connection appears to have been based primarily on associations with people in Contassoit's circle.
Two Frenchmen were later arrested amid allegations concerning the Contassoit murder, but the case against them did not result in a successful prosecution. Another unusual episode involved Victor Monchereaux and Alphonse Lemaire. Accusations passed between the men, with sensational claims that one of them knew the identity of the strangler. Police investigated the allegations but apparently found no evidence strong enough to establish that either man committed the murders.
An Italian man identified in newspapers as H. Meller or Moeller also drew attention after attacking a woman named Marie Vendres in November 1894. He reportedly attempted to strangle her during an altercation before she escaped and summoned help. Despite the obvious similarity in method, Denver police were reportedly unconvinced that Meller was responsible for the three murders.
The Murder of Clairvoyant Julia Voght
Several years after the Market Street murders, the strangulation of Julia Voght revived memories of the Denver Strangler. Voght lived on Champa Street, several blocks from the original murder locations. She was known as a clairvoyant or spiritual medium and had an unusual connection to the 1894 investigation.
During the original panic, Voght reportedly told authorities that while in a trance she had received a description of the murderer. Whether detectives took her claims seriously is uncertain, but newspapers remembered the story after she herself was killed.
In October 1898, Voght was found strangled inside her apartment. A towel had been tied tightly around her neck. The similarity to the ligatures used in the earlier murders immediately produced speculation that the Denver Strangler had returned.
A dramatic theory developed that Voght had actually learned something about the killer during the earlier investigation and had therefore been silenced. Another version suggested that a superstitious murderer might have believed her claims of supernatural knowledge and regarded her as a threat. There is no evidence proving either theory. Voght's death remains intriguing because of the method used and her connection to the earlier investigation, but she cannot be conclusively identified as a victim of the same offender.
The 1903 Murder of Mabel Brown
In 1903, another strangulation on Market Street again produced comparisons with the old Denver Strangler murders. Mabel Brown was discovered dead in her room. Her hands had reportedly been tied with suspenders, a handkerchief was placed in her mouth and marks around her throat indicated strangulation.
The location was especially significant. Nearly nine years had passed since Tapper, Contassoit and Oyama were killed, but Brown had died in the same district where the original panic occurred. Her position on a bed also resembled aspects of earlier crime scenes.
The long interval makes Brown's inclusion in the series uncertain. A murderer from 1894 could still have been active in 1903, but strangulation was not sufficiently unique to establish that the crimes shared an offender. No physical evidence has emerged that conclusively joins Brown to the original three killings.
Possible Murders Outside Denver
Nineteenth-century newspapers sometimes speculated that the Denver murderer might have been part of a much broader series of strangulation killings occurring across the United States. Reporters compared the Denver cases with the deaths of women including Minnie Weldt in New York, Josie Bennett in Buffalo and Mary Eckert in Cincinnati.
Those theories should be treated cautiously. Similar strangulation murders occurring in different cities encouraged newspapers to imagine a traveling American counterpart to Jack the Ripper, but geographic movement and similarities in killing methods did not prove a common offender. Mary Eckert's murder, for example, was ultimately attributed to convicted serial murderer Alfred Knapp, substantially weakening the theory that every strangulation reported by newspapers during this period was connected.
Was There Really One Denver Strangler?
Even the fundamental assumption behind the case remains open to debate. The three 1894 murders were close together geographically and temporally and shared important characteristics, making a single offender a reasonable possibility. Nevertheless, no surviving forensic evidence conclusively demonstrates that the same person committed all three murders.
There are other possible explanations. Multiple attackers could have operated within the violent environment surrounding Denver's red-light district. Robbery may have motivated one or more killings. Personal relationships or conflicts could have played roles that were obscured when newspapers grouped every strangulation under the frightening Denver Strangler name.
The later Voght and Brown murders are even more uncertain. Although both contain similarities to the original crimes, years separated them from the 1894 series. They should therefore be described as suspected Denver Strangler victims rather than confirmed members of the series.
An Investigation Without Modern Forensics
The Denver Strangler investigation demonstrates the enormous difficulties facing homicide detectives during the 1890s. Detectives could question witnesses, compare stories, examine injuries, search rooms for obvious evidence and investigate relationships, but many modern investigative tools simply did not exist.
Crime scenes were also vulnerable to contamination. Numerous residents, police officers, doctors and curious observers could enter an area before evidence had been carefully preserved. Investigators could not recover a genetic profile from biological material or search fingerprints against modern databases. Once witnesses disappeared and memories faded, much of the evidence disappeared with them.
The surviving historical record creates additional difficulties. Victims' names were frequently misspelled, ages were inconsistently reported and newspapers occasionally gave contradictory dates or addresses. Sensational journalism also encouraged exaggerated claims. For that reason, later retellings of the Denver Strangler story sometimes present disputed information as established fact.
An Unsolved Identity
No person was ever convicted as the Denver Strangler. Richard Demady came closest to facing legal responsibility for one of the murders, but his acquittal left Lena Tapper's death officially unresolved. Investigations into the deaths of Marie Contassoit and Kiku Oyama similarly failed to identify a killer who could be successfully prosecuted.
The identity of the murderer therefore remains unknown. It is possible that the killer was one of the numerous men questioned during the investigation. It is equally possible that the responsible person was never seriously considered by police. More than a century later, surviving records provide theories but no definitive solution.
Legacy of the Denver Strangler
The Denver Strangler murders occupy an unusual place in the history of American serial crime. They occurred only a few years after the Whitechapel murders made Jack the Ripper internationally notorious, and Denver newspapers naturally compared the mysterious Market Street strangler with London's unidentified killer. The comparison helped turn three local murders into one of Colorado's earliest widely recognized serial-killer mysteries.
Behind the nickname, however, were individual women whose deaths were never satisfactorily resolved. Lena Tapper, Marie Contassoit and Kiku Oyama were killed within a remarkably short period in 1894. Julia Voght and Mabel Brown later died under circumstances similar enough to keep speculation alive, but their inclusion in the series remains uncertain.
The Denver Strangler case ultimately remains defined by uncertainty: an unknown offender, competing suspects, contradictory historical reporting and murders committed before modern forensic science could preserve the evidence necessary to identify a killer. The three closely linked Market Street murders remain unsolved, leaving the identity of the person remembered as the Denver Strangler one of Denver's oldest enduring homicide mysteries.
