Joseph Baldi

Serial Killer

Joseph Baldi: The Queens Creeper

Early Life and Background

Joseph Baldi was born on January 16, 1941, in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, New York. From a young age, he engaged in petty crimes, primarily involving burglary. His escalating criminal behavior was accompanied by signs of mental illness, leading to his admission to Creedmoor State Hospital in April 1962. During his time there, which lasted until January 1967, Baldi received treatment and studied carpentry in the institution's workshop.

The Murder of Areti Koularmanis

On September 19, 1970, Baldi's criminal activities took a deadly turn. While searching for an apartment to burglarize at 144-96 88th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, he entered through a back alley window into the bedroom of 23-year-old Areti Koularmanis. Koularmanis, a Greek-Canadian, was visiting her in-laws with her children. To silence her, Baldi stabbed her in the throat. Despite her efforts to alert her husband, she succumbed to her injuries at Mary Immaculate Hospital. Baldi managed to escape, and the police were unable to identify the perpetrator at that time.

Attempted Murder and Brief Incarceration

Continuing his pattern of breaking into ground-floor apartments in the Richmond Hill and Woodhaven areas, Baldi was spotted on September 5, 1971, by a Woodhaven resident while attempting to enter a neighbor's window. Officers John Hamberger and Frank Mobileo responded to the call and confronted Baldi. During the encounter, Baldi drew a .22 caliber revolver and attempted to shoot Officer Hamberger, but the gun misfired. The officers subdued and arrested him. A search revealed a stolen driver's license belonging to a local woman whose apartment had been burglarized that night. Baldi was charged with attempted murder, burglary, theft, and illegal possession of a firearm. Due to his mental health history, he was remanded to Mid-Hudson Psychiatric Hospital and later transferred back to Creedmoor State Hospital. In a bureaucratic oversight, Baldi was released from Creedmoor on January 21, 1972, without the knowledge of the district attorney's office. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Areti Koularmanis Age: (23), Date of Death: 1970-09-19

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Survivors:

John Hamberger , Date of Attack: 1971-09-05

Frank Mobileo , Date of Attack: 1971-09-05

Joseph Baldi - Wikipedia

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