Alfred Andrew Knapp

Serial Killer

Alfred Andrew Knapp: The Hamilton Strangler

Overview

Alfred Andrew Knapp was an American serial killer who murdered at least five women and girls in Ohio and Indiana between 1894 and 1902. Frequently called the Hamilton Strangler, the Ohio Strangler, and the Indianapolis Wife Strangler, Knapp preyed upon both strangers and women within his own family. His preferred method was strangulation, often carried out suddenly and with little warning before he concealed or abandoned the victim's body. Knapp's crimes remained unconnected for years. Several of the deaths occurred in crowded urban neighborhoods where investigators had little physical evidence and no clear suspect. Knapp eventually exposed the extent of his violence after he was arrested in connection with the disappearance of his third wife. During questioning, he confessed not only to killing her but also to four earlier murders that had puzzled authorities for years.

Early Life and Criminal Behavior

Alfred Andrew Knapp was born in 1863 in Terre Haute, Indiana, to Cyrus and Susannah Knapp. Details about his childhood are limited, but his adult life was repeatedly interrupted by arrests and imprisonment. Long before he was publicly identified as a murderer, he had developed a record of violent behavior toward women and girls. He spent substantial periods in prisons in Ohio and Indiana for assaults and other offenses. Knapp was often described as quiet, pleasant, or ordinary in appearance. This outwardly unthreatening manner allowed him to move through working-class neighborhoods without attracting immediate suspicion. He held temporary jobs, traveled between cities, and married several times. He also briefly presented himself as religious and respectable, joining a church and participating in a Christian social organization. Beneath that carefully maintained appearance, however, he was capable of impulsive and deadly violence. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Hannah Knapp , Date of Death: December 21, 1903

Alfred Knapp - Wikipedia