Frankford Slasher
The Frankford Slasher is the name given by the media to a possible serial killer who operated in and around the neighborhood of Frankford in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1990. Leonard Christopher was convicted in the murder of one of the nine supposedly linked victims, but the others remain unsolved. All the victims were sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. Several of the victims were seen with a middle-aged white man shortly before their deaths.[1][2]
Frankford Slasher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leonard Christopher (convicted of one of the murders) |
| Criminal penalty | Life (Leonard Christopher) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 8–9 |
Span of crimes | August 19, 1985–September 6, 1990 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Frankford, Pennsylvania |
Date apprehended | May 5, 1990 (Leonard Christopher) |
Possible victims
- Helen Patent, 52, killed August 19, 1985
- Anna Carroll, 68, killed January 3, 1986
- Suzanna Olszef, 64, killed December 25, 1986
- Jeanne Durkin, 28, killed January 8, 1987
- Catherine M. Jones, 29, killed January 1987 (connection to other murders is disputed)
- Margaret Vaughan, 66, killed November 11, 1988
- Theresa Sciortino, 30, killed January 19, 1989
- Carol Dowd, 46, killed April 29, 1990 (Leonard Christopher was convicted of her death)
- Michelle Dehner, 30, killed September 6, 1990 (Occurred while Leonard Christopher was in jail)
Leonard Christopher
During the investigation into the death of Carol Dowd, Leonard Christopher, an employee at a nearby fish market, became a suspect. Despite the fact that he did not match the witness's description, and that there was no evidence to link him to any of the other eight murders, and only circumstantial evidence linking him to Dowd's murder, he was tried and convicted of one count of first degree murder on December 12, 1990, and sentenced to life in prison.[1][2]
References
- Ramsland, Katherine. "Frankford Slasher". truTV Crime Library. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.
- Swierczynski, Duane (August 25–31, 2005). "Under the El". Philadelphia citypaper. Philadelphia City Paper. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007.