Early life [ edit] Katherine (left) and Madeleine Force. At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and married her in 1985. In November 1971, the mass murderer and long-time fugitive killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey. "I was hungry," he told Downtown, adding with a chuckle, "that's just the way it was.". He lined up the four bodies in the ballroom (he said his mother's body was too heavy to move), put music on the internal intercom, and cleaned up meticulously. John List passed away on March 21, 2008, after suffering from pneumonia. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. Born In: Bay City, Michigan, United States. List, 64, faces multiple life sentences if he is convicted. The army discharged him in 1946, after which he joined the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. So he spent his days at the train station, reading the newspaper and secretly skimming money from his mothers bank accounts to pay the mortgage. John confessed to committing the murders in February 1990. He then shot both his wife and mother in their heads. It was the biggest story he could remember, and the local fervor for information was immediate. While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. "[37] When asked why he had not taken his own life, he said he believed that suicide would have prevented him from going to heaven, where he hoped to be reunited with his family. The inconspicuous accountant was arrested without incident Thursday at work. He went upstairs and shot his 84-year-old mother. [24][25] On June 1, less than two weeks after the broadcast, List was arrested at a Richmond accounting firm after a Denver neighbor recognized the description and alerted authorities. The alias worked, and he kept it when he moved to Richmond. According to trial testimony, Helen had pressured List into marriage by falsely claiming that she was pregnant, then insisted that they marry in Maryland, which did not require the premarital syphilis test mandated in most other states at the time. John List was a devoutly religious man, and provided for his family in the town of Westfield, New Jerseywhere they lived in a 19-room mansion called Breeze Knoll. But then his life began to crumble. 'List believed doing what he did do to his family was allowed because he was sending them to join God and saving them from the embarrassment of having to be on the public dole.'. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. John List, going by the name Robert Clark, rented a room in this house in Richmond, Virginia from S. Wallace Parsons, until he and Delores Clark moved into their new home. He later pursued a masters degree in accounting from the same university and as the Korean War had escalated in 1950, he was recalled by the Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, stationed at Fort Eustis in Virginia, where he met his wife Helen. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. YouTubeThe List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. Helen was first. The couple had three children together, while Helens daughter Brenda left home in 1960 after her marriage. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. Officers entered through an unlocked window leading to the basement and discovered the family's bodies. "I knew it was wrong. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Robbins is one of Pitt-Bradford's . In 1965, they moved again to Breeze Knoll, a 19-room mansion in Westfield. "I feel when we get to heaven we won't worry about these earthly things. He waited for Helen to come down for her morning coffee. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. A nationwide manhunt was launched. ', Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. List died in prison in 2008 at the age of 82. [32][34] Welfare was an unacceptable option, he reasoned, because it would expose him and his family to ridicule and violate his authoritarian father's teachings regarding the care and protection of family members. His picture was also shown on television, which led one of his neighbours to notify the authorities. Then he sat down and ate lunch at the same table where he had shot his wife hours before. He was 82. Los Angeles, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Fox News finally reveals its kryptonite: the bottom line, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Snowboarder dies at South Lake Tahoe resort, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass. List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. Delores and John moved to a house around Brandermill, Midlothian, Virginia, where her husband worked as an accountant at an accounting firm. Associated With. It was a masterful depiction of John List. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. Westfield police did not discover the bodies until nearly a month later. Upstairs, the body of List's 84-year-old mother Alma was found. List, Patricia List, place of death: Trenton, New Jersey, United States, education: University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor. . They separated in 1973 and he moved . He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. John List was an American mass murderer, who became infamous in the 1970s for killing his mother, wife and three children. List diverted money from his mother's bank accounts to avoid default on his mortgage. It took Johns fingerprints to match with the military records to convince the authorities that he was John List. The 14th and final defense witness was the defendant's brother John . If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. He says he wanted to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion and to make sure they got to heaven. John Emil List, 63, was profiled on the TV program Americas Most Wanted May 21. 'His wife's behavior, coupled with the loss of his job -- he was threatened with the inability to support his family as he had been trained to do from childhood. List caught the tail end of the show with his wife, who did not know his past. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. But unlike the other members of the List family who dropped instantly, John Jr. struggled. He is a quiet yet friendly man who loves his work and the people he works with.. He was previously married to Delores Miller and Helen List. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Delores Clark, asking reporters to respect my right to my personal privacy during this very dramatic and uncertain time, issued a statement that was copyrighted Friday by the Richmond News Leader. John List was a devout Lutheran who lived with his wife, mother and three children. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. Realizing he was overhearing an important conversation between List and his second wife, the young officer took notes and later related what he heard to investigators from New . After light bulbs began burning out one by one, they called the police. All five victims had been shot. John List laid the bodies of his family members on top of sleeping bags in the ballroom, then composed a note to his pastor, who he felt would understand. Bank Vice President and Sunday School Teacher. A new house was built on the site in 1974. If things had gone on who knows if that would be the case," he wrote. 2023. Spouse/Ex-: Delores Miller Clark (m. 19851989), Helen List (m. 19511971), children: Frederick List, John, Jr. Joseph Vought, Ludwig "Lou" Silbermann, Jerome Kendall, George Corbett,. But the jury has also seen evidence that List planned both the killings and his escape so carefully that he had been gone for a month before the crime was discovered. The tipster said her neighbor was also an accountant and attended church. They got him down in Virginia.. He is from American. Contents 1 Background 2 Familicide, Capture, and Incarceration 3 Modus Operandi 4 Known Victims 5 Notes 6 On Criminal Minds 7 On Suspect Behavior 8 Sources He earned a bachelors degree in administration and a masters degree in accounting. He then cleaned the various crime scenes, removed his own picture from all family photographs in the house, tuned a radio to a religious station, and departed. Helen lived with her daughter Brenda near Fort Eustis in Virginia, where John served. Wikimedia CommonsJohn List with his wife and three children. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. John fled the house after putting all the bodies on sleeping bags, turning the house lights on and putting on some classical music. Episodes, photos and other information are also available at fatherwantsusdead.com. During his years on the run, List went by the name Robert Clark. Helen List apparently was infected with the disease by her first husband, a soldier who was killed in Korea. The episode, "Murder House", premiered on November 18, 2015. As I was doing it I knew it was wrong," he said. At a border crossing to Mexico in March 1944, she said she. The memory of the murders still haunts Westfield residents. His zodiac sign is Virgo. Then List waited downstairs to kill his children, one by one, as they came home. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, K-Pop isnt the only hot ticket in Koreatown how trot is captivating immigrants, Los Angeles is suddenly awash in waterfalls, Officials admit being unprepared for epic mountain blizzard, leaving many trapped and desperate, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Newsom, IRS give Californians until October to file tax returns, Californias snowpack is approaching an all-time record, with more on the way, This is me, this is my face: Actress Mimi Rogers on aging naturally, without cosmetic surgery, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles, Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick. videos, ", John List, famous murder The Crime Library, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_List_(murderer)&oldid=1139169038, American people who died in prison custody, American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment, People extradited within the United States, People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New Jersey, Prisoners who died in New Jersey detention, United States Army personnel of World War II, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 19:09. The family car was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. In addition to the financial distress, his eldest daughter wanted to become an actress, which was not acceptable by John owing to his Conservative upbringing. Moreover, his wife was a heavy drinker and she had also contracted Syphilis from her first marriage. From New York, he had traveled overland to Denver, where he began a new life under the name Robert P. Clark, working first as a hotel fry cook and later as an accountant for H&R Block. After learning about the murders committed by John List, check out the story of Dale Cregan, the one-eyed killer. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. John Emil List (September 17, 1925 March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer[1] and long-time fugitive. On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared; he had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone suspected that anything was amiss. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, Feb. 27 proceedings in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial or a replay upon completion. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. BAY CITY, MI Before killing his mother, wife, and three teenage children in his 19-room New Jersey mansion, John E. List began life in Bay City. . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. List left a confession letter at the scene, so police had little doubt as to who was responsible for the killings. They'll either have forgiven me or won't realize, you know, what happened," List told Downtown's Connie Chung in an interview at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, where he is serving five life sentences. All List wanted was to reunite with his wife, mother, and children in the afterlife, where he believed there would be no pain or suffering. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids. [15] Destroyed along with the home was the ballroom's stained glass skylight, rumored to be a signed Tiffany original, worth at least $100,000 at the time (equivalent to $650,000 in 2021). [28][29], At trial, List testified that his financial difficulties reached crisis level in 1971 when he was laid off with the closure of the Jersey City bank. His lawyer hopes to convince the jury that List should not be held legally responsible for the deaths because he thought he was saving his family's souls by killing them. He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. This article is about the murderer. He then shot his wife in the back of the head as she enjoyed her final sips, careful to ensure that her last moments were free of suspicion. Delores Miller (wife) and John List are divorced. I was shocked to hear about Bobs arrest and what he is charged with, the statement said. That left his oldest son. Police investigated hundreds of leads without success. He canceled all deliveries and contacted his childrens schools to let their teachers know the family would be on vacation for a few weeks. he is the biggest con man who ever walked the Earth, another unidentified friend told the paper. lists In 2008, John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted, donated the age-progressed bust by Frank Bender that played a pivotal role in List's apprehension to a forensic science exhibit at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C., whose collection was later moved to Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. He was too shy and seemed disinterested in talking to even his superiors. Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German-American parents John Frederick List (18591944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (18871971). She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. All rights reserved (About Us). The crime remains one of the most gruesome acts of all time. She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool. This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, 17 things to do in Santa Cruz, the old-school beach town that makes for a charming getaway, Best coffee city in the world? Helen List lied to her doctors during several hospitalizations, Liss said. Expert psychologists believed rather that List was going through a mid-life crisis and as the prosecution pointed out, that was no excuse for killing five innocent people. He also argued that the letter he left behind at the crime scene, essentially his confession, was a confidential communication to his pastor and therefore inadmissible as evidence. [11], Westfield, where few violent crimes had been recorded since 1963, received national attention as the site of one of the most notorious felonies in New Jersey since the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. Later, John took a lucrative job at Xerox and moved to New York and lived there with his family for a few years. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. His play times were replaced with gatherings around . John List - History, Crime. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. List graduated from Bay City Central High School in 1943. The unlikely story of his capture, the tip that led to it and the wild coincidences Gluck encountered as he followed the story are told in the latest episode of Father Wants Us Dead, an investigative true crime podcast about the List killings from NJ Advance Media. When the children left for school, he shot his wife and his mother to death. The family later moved to Rochester, New York, to work with Xerox. The morning of November 7, 1971 began in a usual fashion. Joshua Boucher/The State via AP, Pool. Because syphilis is not infectious in its later phases, she did not pass it on to John List or her children, although she suffered several miscarriages during her first marriage. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I thought I was being real clever," he said. Several films and documentaries have been made to cover the details of the List murders. He refused to go on welfare, as it would entail excruciating embarrassment in the community and violate the principles of self-sufficiency that he learned at his fathers knee. List, who grew up in a strict Lutheran community in Bay City, Mich., was 'immersed in his religion,' he said. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . Based on information gleaned from dozens of interviews and hundreds of pages of police and FBI documents, Father Wants Us Dead is an in-depth and chilling narrative from two reporters with more than 25 years of combined experience. Salary in 2022. The two met at a Christian religious gathering. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. The bodies of John Lists wife and three teenage children were found laid out on sleeping bags in the ballroom. Austin Goodrich, an ABCNEWS consultant who is writing a book with John List, contributed material for this report. Those who knew List, including in his second life: Kathleen "Kay" Ciarfello, Randy Mitchell, Les Wingfield, the Rev. [17] From 1979 to 1986, he was the comptroller at a paper box manufacturer outside Denver. His father was a devout Lutheran who also taught at a local Sunday School in Bay City. Simring said List showed "no evidence of anything that approached genuine remorse," adding, "He's a cold, cold man.". Aside from a few extra wrinkles, the bust was spot on. The neighbours called the police when Johns daughter Patricias dancing teacher came home to see why Patricia was not coming to the classes. This is either the most unbelievable mix-up or . A federal appeals court rejected both arguments. While his name is still occasionally mentioned in Cooper articles and documentaries, no direct evidence implicates him, and the FBI no longer considers him a suspect. He was arrested 11 days later, and, after a jury rejected his diminished capacity defense, convicted and sentenced. List is accused of killing his wife, his three children and his mother in 1971. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Dr. Steven Simring, a psychiatrist who examined List after his arrest years later, told Downtown his "sense of neatness" was the result of a compulsive personality. After making himself lunch, List drove to his bank to close both his and his mother's bank accounts, and then to Westfield High School to watch his elder son John Frederick, 15, play in a soccer game. John List with his wife and three children. A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. He says he wanted to spare them the shame of losing their New Jersey mansion and to make sure they got to heaven. Soon after his high school graduation, he joined the United States Army during the Second World War, where he worked as a laboratory technician. John Emil List Birth 17 Sep 1925 Bay City, Bay County, Michigan, USA Death 21 Mar 2008 (aged 82) Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA Burial Burial Details Unknown. The Star-Ledger reporter, who loved to chat about the infamous murderer with the locals on his Union County beat, was grabbing a sandwich for lunch when he got a tip of his own. "I'm sure that if we recognize each other that we'll like each other's company just as we did here, when times were better.". Then, he went to the bank to close his accounts and cash his mother's savings bonds. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. The FBI found his car parked at Kennedy International Airport in New York City, but they never found him. Jurors deliberated for about . "[21][22] List was questioned by FBI investigators after his capture, but he denied any involvement in the Cooper case. The List house burned down several months after the List family bodies were discovered there. Hopefully they would go to heaven, and then maybe I would have a chance to later confess my sins to God and get forgiveness.". The judge finally overruled her but continued to bar testimony that List's daughter, Patricia, 16, was a practicing witch. He lived at 431 Hillside Avenue with his wife, Helen Morris Taylor; mother, Alma Barbara Florence List; and two children: daughter Patricia, and sons Frederick and John. The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, Feb. 27 proceedings in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial or a replay upon completion. They attended church every Sunday as devout Lutherans and List taught Sunday school. "I remember talking about funerals and cremation and burials. John Emil List was born in Michigan, in 1925, the only child of John and Alma List. Police in Virginia arrested mass murderer John List on June 1, 1989, a mere nine days after Americas Most Wanted aired his case. "I approached all of them from behind so they wouldn't realize till the last minute what I was going to do to them," he said. Flanery lived next door to John List, who was going by Robert Clark, and his second wife, Delores Clark, in Aurora, Colorado from 1985 to 1988. The list of retirees in the second half of 2022 isn't very long, but the years of service add up into the hundreds. New revelations in the episode include what List said through tears to his shocked and heartsick second wife, who hoped it was all some mistake and her husband was really the man she thought she had married Robert Clark when she visited him in jail. He was the only child born to German-Americans John Frederick List and Alma Maria Barbara Florence List. Details of Delores life before she married John List are unavailable. The episode aired on May 21, 1989 (Opens in a new tab), catching the eye of a neighbor who called the police and warned Clark's second wife, who seemed "stunned." (Opens in a new tab) List was . He settled in New Jersey and took a job at a local bank. After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning coffee. [31] Though her health progressively deteriorated, she said nothing to List or her physicians until 1969, when a thorough workup revealed the condition. Afterwards, he dragged his wifes body to the ballroom and made himself lunch and ate it. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Delores Clark said that she was making her statement reluctantly and that she would have no further comment. The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. [12] Neighbors noticed that all of the mansion's rooms were illuminated day and night, with no apparent activity within the house. List's home, a. He had saved the souls of the people he loved. John and Helen began dating and a few months later, Helen revealed to John that she had become pregnant. It turned out that List had changed his identity and moved to Colorado under the assumed name Robert Clark. The family did not have a lot of visitors and it took the neighbours 29 days to notice that something was off in the house. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. Though we'd like to say that Wayne and Pilar lived happily ever after, apparently that's not the case. He feared his family, confronted with a world full of evil and poverty, would turn from God; this was the only way to ensure their safe arrival in heaven. She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.