Disclaimer: The article has mentions of killing.
Notoriously called the Boston Strangler, Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murder and assault of 13 women in the 1960s. However, the confession was just one part of the mystery as DNA could not prove his connection to the murders.
Only the last murder connected him to the case through DNA. Beyond that, investigators speculated that others might have been involved, as differences in victims’ ages and circumstances fueled theories of multiple killers.
Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said, “That confession has been the subject of skepticism and controversy from almost the moment it was given.” This led to a re-examination of the case, particularly after the release of the show The Boston Strangler: Unheard Confessions, which has been airing for a year.
DeSalvo did show troubling behavior as a kid, such as torturing animals and even getting arrested for theft and battery at just 12 years old. He married and lived a seemingly normal life while serving in the U.S. Army, but returned to crime after his discharge. His first murder may have been in 1962 when he killed 55-year-old Anna Elza Slesers in Boston.
Between 1962 and 1964, the Boston area was terrorized by the “Boston Strangler,” who assaulted and strangled 13 women, ages 19 to 85, in their homes.
The killer often gained entry by posing as a repairman or using charm to exploit the victims’ trust.
Albert DeSalvo later… pic.twitter.com/ye7bAUVzTT
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) February 8, 2025
Speculation resurfaced when the last victim’s nephew came forward, claiming that DeSalvo may not have been the Boston Strangler. He just wanted the fame of it. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ames Robey said, “Albert became the Boston Strangler because he wanted so much to be the Boston Strangler … For somebody that felt all his life that he was a nobody, all of a sudden he could become world-renowned.”
Despite the discrepancies in evidence, DeSalvo was sentenced to prison in 1967 even though his confession was untested. After 6 years of serving his sentence, DeSalvo was stabbed to death, with many calling his murder a planned one.
This happened a few days after he wanted to withdraw his confession and was fearful that he might die. It hasn’t been confirmed if he worked alone or if someone else was his accomplice. Since the method of murder was different, it was attributed to different killer profiles. Moreover, if he had planned to recant his confession, there may be someone else involved trying to get away from the allegations.
Prison psychiatrist Robey somewhat agreed to the possibility of different killers, “You’re putting together so many different patterns … that it’s inconceivable behaviorally that all these could fit one individual.” In another theory, George Nassar may have coached DeSalvo to give murder scene details; however, he denied the allegations.
