UK UK - Serial killer preying on elderly couples, could be on the loose since mid-1990's

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Okay, let’s go over these cases and see where the cops went wrong.

376DACD3-EACA-4C82-A82E-D5103760C7EA.jpeg
NAMES: Howard and Beatrice Ainsworth
BODIES FOUND: April 28, 1996
DETAILS: Howard bludgeoned Beatrice with a hammer and stabbed her with a bread knife. He then suffocated himself with a plastic bag tightened by a ligature.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: A suicide note was written, but it didn’t really mention a motive. The couple had joined a right-to-die group six years earlier.
RED FLAGS: Beatrice’s body was found in a rather odd position, as if she had been moved. Only a tiny amount of blood was on her. The knife was shoved into her skull with sheer force — something that the 78-year-old Howard wouldn’t have had the strength to do. The hammer had been washed in a sink, which doesn’t make sense if he was about to kill himself. A second hammer was found at the scene, as well as another ligature. The bag on Howard’s head was covered in blood, implying that he was already wearing it when he killed his wife. A bottle of pills was left on the floor, but the medication hadn’t even been prescribed to the couple. Finally, Howard could’ve been forced to write the suicide note. These details don’t make any sense for a murder-suicide. Also, Howard and Beatrice firmly believed in dying with dignity, but the extremely gruesome crime scene contradicts this.

400522CA-70CA-4692-AAC0-CF202DEA9917.jpeg
NAMES: Donald and Auriel Ward
BODIES FOUND: November 26, 1999
DETAILS: Donald bludgeoned Auriel with a ceramic hot water bottle, stabbed her with the shards, and suffocated her with a pillow before he slit his throat and stabbed himself in the heart.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: It was concluded that Donald had a disturbed mind. He had also expressed concern over a test for prostate cancer.
RED FLAGS: Donald didn’t have a history of mental illness; there was literally nothing to indicate that he was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. He stabbed himself after he slashed his throat, which seems unlikely for a 73-year-old to do (though I guess it depends on how deep he cut it). There were also stab wounds to his groin. (Because that’s totally something I would do to myself before committing suicide. Don’t question it, guys. Just assume that I’m into *advertiser censored* and ball torture. Don’t think for maybe one second that I was murdered.)

6B639C2A-185A-4181-B859-7DA3AD340CB8.jpeg
NAMES: Michael and Violet Higgins
BODIES FOUND: February 21, 2000
DETAILS: Michael bludgeoned Violet with a rolling pin and stabbed her in the neck with a pair of scissors, then strangled himself with a coat hanger.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Reportedly, Violet had threatened to put Michael in a home due to the fact that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
RED FLAGS: Michael had Parkinson’s. It would be difficult for someone with this disease to pull off such a despicable act. There’s also the fact that he was somehow able to throttle himself to death; he would’ve passed out before he could finish himself off.

A7465523-6591-4CAD-A9AD-31A64C00C332.jpeg
NAMES: Kenneth and Eileen Martin
BODIES FOUND: November 10, 2008
DETAILS: Kenneth bludgeoned Eileen with a blunt instrument and cut her neck and wrists; he then slit his throat, slashed his wrists, and hanged himself.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Eileen suffered from dementia and Kenneth just couldn’t put up with her anymore, especially after finding out that he was now ill.
RED FLAGS: 77-year-old Kenneth cut his throat. Then his wrists. And then he hanged himself. Even if he wasn’t an old man, I’m pretty sure it’d be difficult for him to do that to himself.

845A257F-F514-4BD9-9EF2-16B89C8314A7.jpeg
NAMES: Stanley and Peggy Wilson
BODIES FOUND: February 18, 2011
DETAILS: Stanley beat Peggy, strangled her, and then stabbed her in the neck. He proceeded to stab himself in the neck.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Stanley was mentally ill and paranoid. He simply had an episode that ended tragically.
RED FLAGS: Stanley, who was 92 years old, somehow overpowered his wife and did this disturbing stuff to her.

There are probably other details that I forgot to include or got wrong. Feel free to correct me.

The most obvious red flag in all five of these cases is the brutality. Regardless of your partner’s age, why would you choose such a slow, bloody, absolutely disgusting way to kill them and yourself? It doesn’t add up.
 
I've just been reading about a very sad case in Essex - an 80-year-old man who had some cognitive decline, and depression, became obsessed with the idea that he had dementia. So he killed his wife of 60 years, and then tried to kill himself. Not quite on topic, as there is no question about the facts, but truly sad and awful.
 
SolVic said:
Okay, let’s go over these cases and see where the cops went wrong.

View attachment 277257
NAMES: Howard and Beatrice Ainsworth
BODIES FOUND: April 28, 1996
DETAILS: Howard bludgeoned Beatrice with a hammer and stabbed her with a bread knife. He then suffocated himself with a plastic bag tightened by a ligature.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: A suicide note was written, but it didn’t really mention a motive. The couple had joined a right-to-die group six years earlier.
RED FLAGS: Beatrice’s body was found in a rather odd position, as if she had been moved. Only a tiny amount of blood was on her. The knife was shoved into her skull with sheer force — something that the 78-year-old Howard wouldn’t have had the strength to do. The hammer had been washed in a sink, which doesn’t make sense if he was about to kill himself. A second hammer was found at the scene, as well as another ligature. The bag on Howard’s head was covered in blood, implying that he was already wearing it when he killed his wife. A bottle of pills was left on the floor, but the medication hadn’t even been prescribed to the couple. Finally, Howard could’ve been forced to write the suicide note. These details don’t make any sense for a murder-suicide. Also, Howard and Beatrice firmly believed in dying with dignity, but the extremely gruesome crime scene contradicts this.

View attachment 277250
NAMES: Donald and Auriel Ward
BODIES FOUND: November 26, 1999
DETAILS: Donald bludgeoned Auriel with a ceramic hot water bottle, stabbed her with the shards, and suffocated her with a pillow before he slit his throat and stabbed himself in the heart.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: It was concluded that Donald had a disturbed mind. He had also expressed concern over a test for prostate cancer.
RED FLAGS: Donald didn’t have a history of mental illness; there was literally nothing to indicate that he was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. He stabbed himself after he slashed his throat, which seems unlikely for a 73-year-old to do (though I guess it depends on how deep he cut it). There were also stab wounds to his groin. (Because that’s totally something I would do to myself before committing suicide. Don’t question it, guys. Just assume that I’m into *advertiser censored* and ball torture. Don’t think for maybe one second that I was ******* murdered.)

View attachment 277251
NAMES: Michael and Violet Higgins
BODIES FOUND: February 21, 2000
DETAILS: Michael bludgeoned Violet with a rolling pin and stabbed her in the neck with a pair of scissors, then strangled himself with a coat hanger.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Reportedly, Violet had threatened to put Michael in a home due to the fact that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
RED FLAGS: Michael had Parkinson’s. It would be difficult for someone with this disease to pull off such a despicable act. There’s also the fact that he was somehow able to throttle himself to death; he would’ve passed out before he could finish himself off.

View attachment 277256
NAMES: Kenneth and Eileen Martin
BODIES FOUND: November 10, 2008
DETAILS: Kenneth bludgeoned Eileen with a blunt instrument and cut her neck and wrists; he then slit his throat, slashed his wrists, and hanged himself.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Eileen suffered from dementia and Kenneth just couldn’t put up with her anymore, especially after finding out that he was now ill.
RED FLAGS: 77-year-old Kenneth cut his throat. Then his wrists. And then he hanged himself. Even if he wasn’t an old man, I’m pretty sure it’d be difficult for him to do that to himself.

View attachment 277255
NAMES: Stanley and Peggy Wilson
BODIES FOUND: February 18, 2011
DETAILS: Stanley beat Peggy, strangled her, and then stabbed her in the neck. He proceeded to stab himself in the neck.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Stanley was mentally ill and paranoid. He simply had an episode that ended tragically.
RED FLAGS: Stanley, who was 92 ******* years old, somehow overpowered his wife and did this disturbing stuff to her.

There are probably other details that I forgot to include or got wrong. Feel free to correct me.

The most obvious red flag in all five of these cases is the brutality. Regardless of your partner’s age, why would you choose such a slow, bloody, absolutely disgusting way to kill them and yourself? It doesn’t add up.
Click to expand...
Interesting hypothesis. Superficial similarities for sure, in the progression and nature of the incidents.

Devil's Advocate:
(1) I'd suggest you could strangle yourself with a coat hanger, twist and tighten, then leave it in place.
(2) "77-year-old Kenneth cut his throat. Then his wrists. And then he hanged himself." If the first two cuts were ineffective (blunt knife, shallow cuts), the hanging then doesn't seem quite so unlikely.

Do you have the geographical locations for these crimes? Pointers to finer points of case details?
 
Jenesaisquoi said:
Coroner suspended over claim serial killer murdered elderly couples
Senior coroner is suspended over her suggestion a serial killer murdered elderly couples | Daily Mail Online
Click to expand...
Ha, well that indicates panic! They don't want the truth getting out, so they suspend the coroner and make it look like she's crazy.

The police and CPS are scary. THEY want to be in charge and THEY want to run the narrative. If anyone challenges them, they'll get their henchmen in to deal with things.
 
If I remember correctly, articles say that Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth’s family never believed it was a murder-suicide. They always thought that was a double homicide. I don’t know if I’m remembering that right, though. But if they did believe it was a double homicide, then that only makes it all the more tragic and frustrating.

Imagine, you’re the victims’ child, and since 1996, you’re just waiting for someone to notice the glaringly obvious red flags in your parents’ deaths. You suffer every single day, wondering how the investigators didn’t seem to spot anything out of the ordinary. Then when a coroner finally notices and decides to look into it, you’re relieved. You hear that similar cases have been happening, and there’s also some loser in prison who’s a prime suspect. But suddenly, the police label the coroner as crazy, treat her like she committed a crime, and act like they’ve been right about your parents’ deaths all along.
 
I'm trying to be open-minded about all this. But aren't coroners meant to give their opinions? Otherwise why have them? And this lady is a Senior Coroner, not some learner. Was she meant to lie, to say something that she had doubts about? I believe that there is serious doubt about murder-suicide in at least some of these cases. My husband's elderly uncle and aunt killed themselves in a suicide pact - but there was no violence involved at all. They did it to spare each other suffering. I find it hard to believe that a spouse wishing to spare him/herself and partner from further suffering would inflict so much violence on theirself and their partner, that just doesn't make sense. And I'm not going to say MOO. I would think it's obvious.
 
Okay, I’m bored. Let’s profile this guy.

Like most serial killers, the perpetrator is probably a man and had an awful childhood. The amount of violence inflicted upon his victims shows that he clearly has a hatred towards old people, most likely from being abused by his grandparents or some other elderly relatives or family friends. And of course, he possibly witnessed said grandparents/relatives/friends commit a murder-suicide when he was a young boy.

He’s not exactly a criminal mastermind. While he certainly has the strength to overpower his victims, he seems to have been disorganized, especially concerning the Ainsworths. For example, he made Howard write a suicide note, but not the other four men. And we know that’s not the only mistake he made.

He probably doesn’t have a connection to any of his victims. However, he may have observed the last three couples carefully so he could at least make it seem like there was a motive, as he hadn’t done that with the first two and thus left behind questions.

His strength indicates that he was probably in his late teens to early 30s when he began his murders, so I’d place his year of birth at 1966-1978.
 
Last edited:
March 2021
Dying of Old Age—or Murder?
''Some “natural deaths” are not natural at all. While we tend to think of serial killers as preying on young men and women, there is a significant minority who either aren’t picky when it comes to the age of their victims or specifically target the elderly. On January 21, 2021, for example, 66-year-old Kevin Gavin was charged with the violent murders of three elderly women living in the same Brooklyn apartment complex over the past six years.

According to police, his modus operandi was to run errands and do chores for them, earning their trust and gaining access to their apartments. At some point in time, he murdered them, stealing money, bank cards, and benefit cards. The first victim’s death in 2015, that of 82-year-old Myrtle McKinney, was initially chalked up to congestive heart failure in spite of the fact that she had a stab wound in her neck (apparently noticed only by the funeral director), $800 disappeared from her bank account shortly after her death, and her apartment keys were missing.''

''Whatever the truth, one thing stands out; this killer did not use subtle methods to kill his victims. Imagine how long he might have gotten away with it if he’d been sneakier in his approach.''

''Let me introduce you to Billy Chemirmir, a 48-year-old Nigerian immigrant living in Dallas who has been charged with murdering 22 seniors (and suspected of murdering more) since 2016. His ruses allegedly involved posing as either a home healthcare aide or maintenance man to con his way into assisted living facilities. Finding his victims alone, he would smother them with a pillow and then steal any valuables he could find, before sneaking out again. All of the death certificates listed “natural” as the cause of death.''
Police Thought Deaths of 22 Seniors Were from Natural Causes — But Now They Suspect a Serial Killer
 
A serial killer of elderly women: analysis of a multi-victim homicide investigation - PubMed
''Between 1995 and 1997, in the territories of Southern Italy, there were fifteen murders of elderly women over the age of 70 years old. Initially, however, not all the murders were attributed to a single serial killer. The majority of the victims were stabbed multiple times in the neck, except for three cases in which the cause of death was manual strangulation. There was evidence of sexual assault in only one of the cases. All the victims were discovered in their own apartments, which were located on the ground level, with no signs of forced entry. In most of the cases, the offender stole money and/or jewellery. A multi-disciplinary team reviewed the cases during the investigation and created a profile of the killer. The team determined that the method of operation was completely unusual for the local criminal element. They suggested that the perpetrator could be an immigrant, who committed the murders for sexual motivation and who may have been arrested previously for sex-related incidents. On 15th September 1997, a suspect was arrested. He was identified as Ben Mohamed Ezzedine Sebai, a 35-year-old white male, originally from Tunisia. He was charged and convicted of four of the murders and was given a life sentence. In 2005, Sebai confessed to the murders of four additional elderly women, for which nine other people had already been previously tried and convicted, among them, a man who committed suicide in jail. In 2007, Sebai finally confessed to committing fifteen murders that occurred between 1995 and 1997. Sebai also admitted to experiencing sexual gratification at every homicide scene, even though there was no physical proof at most of the crime scenes. The goal of this article is to illustrate a little-known but noteworthy case concerning a serial sexual killer of elderly women that occurred in Southern Italy, highlighting the method of operation, the victim selection process, and the injuries inflicted. The article will also discuss his motivation, the mental health history of the offender, his clinical diagnosis, and his self-reported childhood abuse.''

“Gray Murder”: Characteristics of Elderly Compared With Nonelderly Homicide Victims in New York City
''Results. Nonelderly homicide victims were significantly more likely to be male, non-White, to have been shot in the city streets, and to have evidence of illicit drug or alcohol use. Elderly victims were more likely to be female, White, to have been killed by nonfirearm injuries, and to have been killed in their own homes''
 
SolVic said:
Okay, let’s go over these cases and see where the cops went wrong.

View attachment 277257
NAMES: Howard and Beatrice Ainsworth
BODIES FOUND: April 28, 1996
DETAILS: Howard bludgeoned Beatrice with a hammer and stabbed her with a bread knife. He then suffocated himself with a plastic bag tightened by a ligature.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: A suicide note was written, but it didn’t really mention a motive. The couple had joined a right-to-die group six years earlier.
RED FLAGS: Beatrice’s body was found in a rather odd position, as if she had been moved. Only a tiny amount of blood was on her. The knife was shoved into her skull with sheer force — something that the 78-year-old Howard wouldn’t have had the strength to do. The hammer had been washed in a sink, which doesn’t make sense if he was about to kill himself. A second hammer was found at the scene, as well as another ligature. The bag on Howard’s head was covered in blood, implying that he was already wearing it when he killed his wife. A bottle of pills was left on the floor, but the medication hadn’t even been prescribed to the couple. Finally, Howard could’ve been forced to write the suicide note. These details don’t make any sense for a murder-suicide. Also, Howard and Beatrice firmly believed in dying with dignity, but the extremely gruesome crime scene contradicts this.

View attachment 277250
NAMES: Donald and Auriel Ward
BODIES FOUND: November 26, 1999
DETAILS: Donald bludgeoned Auriel with a ceramic hot water bottle, stabbed her with the shards, and suffocated her with a pillow before he slit his throat and stabbed himself in the heart.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: It was concluded that Donald had a disturbed mind. He had also expressed concern over a test for prostate cancer.
RED FLAGS: Donald didn’t have a history of mental illness; there was literally nothing to indicate that he was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off. He stabbed himself after he slashed his throat, which seems unlikely for a 73-year-old to do (though I guess it depends on how deep he cut it). There were also stab wounds to his groin. (Because that’s totally something I would do to myself before committing suicide. Don’t question it, guys. Just assume that I’m into *advertiser censored* and ball torture. Don’t think for maybe one second that I was ******* murdered.)

View attachment 277251
NAMES: Michael and Violet Higgins
BODIES FOUND: February 21, 2000
DETAILS: Michael bludgeoned Violet with a rolling pin and stabbed her in the neck with a pair of scissors, then strangled himself with a coat hanger.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Reportedly, Violet had threatened to put Michael in a home due to the fact that he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
RED FLAGS: Michael had Parkinson’s. It would be difficult for someone with this disease to pull off such a despicable act. There’s also the fact that he was somehow able to throttle himself to death; he would’ve passed out before he could finish himself off.

View attachment 277256
NAMES: Kenneth and Eileen Martin
BODIES FOUND: November 10, 2008
DETAILS: Kenneth bludgeoned Eileen with a blunt instrument and cut her neck and wrists; he then slit his throat, slashed his wrists, and hanged himself.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Eileen suffered from dementia and Kenneth just couldn’t put up with her anymore, especially after finding out that he was now ill.
RED FLAGS: 77-year-old Kenneth cut his throat. Then his wrists. And then he hanged himself. Even if he wasn’t an old man, I’m pretty sure it’d be difficult for him to do that to himself.

View attachment 277255
NAMES: Stanley and Peggy Wilson
BODIES FOUND: February 18, 2011
DETAILS: Stanley beat Peggy, strangled her, and then stabbed her in the neck. He proceeded to stab himself in the neck.
ALLEGED MOTIVE: Stanley was mentally ill and paranoid. He simply had an episode that ended tragically.
RED FLAGS: Stanley, who was 92 ******* years old, somehow overpowered his wife and did this disturbing stuff to her.

There are probably other details that I forgot to include or got wrong. Feel free to correct me.

The most obvious red flag in all five of these cases is the brutality. Regardless of your partner’s age, why would you choose such a slow, bloody, absolutely disgusting way to kill them and yourself? It doesn’t add up.
Click to expand...
SolVic said:
Okay, I’m bored. Let’s profile this guy.

Like most serial killers, the perpetrator is probably a man and had an awful childhood. The amount of violence inflicted upon his victims shows that he clearly has a hatred towards old people, most likely from being abused by his grandparents or some other elderly relatives or family friends. And of course, he possibly witnessed said grandparents/relatives/friends commit a murder-suicide when he was a young boy.

He’s not exactly a criminal mastermind. While he certainly has the strength to overpower his victims, he seems to have been disorganized, especially concerning the Ainsworths. For example, he made Howard write a suicide note, but not the other four men. And we know that’s not the only mistake he made.

He probably doesn’t have a connection to any of his victims. However, he may have observed the last three couples carefully so he could at least make it seem like there was a motive, as he hadn’t done that with the first two and thus left behind questions.

His strength indicates that he was probably in his late teens to early 30s when he began his murders, so I’d place his year of birth at 1966-1978.
Click to expand...
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