When people think of America’s most infamous killers, names like Bundy, Dahmer, and Gacy dominate the conversation. But decades before the FBI coined the term serial killer, one man terrorized cities across the United States and Canada with a string of murders so brutal that newspapers dubbed him “The Gorilla Man” and “The Dark Strangler.”
That man was Earle Leonard Nelson—a drifter whose crimes in the 1920s left at least 22 women dead, and whose case forced law enforcement and the public to confront a new kind of predator.
Early Life: Trauma and Instability
Born: 1897, San Francisco, California
Parents: Both died of syphilis before he turned two
Upbringing: Raised by a deeply religious grandmother
Head Injury: At age 10, Nelson suffered a severe bicycle accident that left him with lasting neurological and behavioral issues
From childhood, Nelson displayed disturbing traits: obsessive religiosity, erratic mood swings, and a fascination with death. He spent time in psychiatric institutions, diagnosed with psychosis and sexual deviance, but was repeatedly released. In hindsight, his profile fits what criminologists now recognize as early markers of violent pathology.
The Murders: A Pattern of Deception
Nelson’s killing spree began in San Francisco in 1926. His victims were often landladies—women who rented out rooms in their homes. His method was chillingly consistent:
He posed as a polite, well-dressed tenant.
Once inside, he strangled his victims, often sexually assaulting them post-mortem.
He left bodies hidden in closets, under beds, or in vacant rooms.
Over the next year, Nelson traveled widely, leaving bodies in California, Oregon, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, and beyond. His mobility made him difficult to track in an era before centralized databases or interstate cooperation.
By 1927, Nelson had fled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where his crimes escalated.
Emily Patterson, 35, was found strangled in her home.
Lola Cowan, just 14, was discovered stuffed inside a vacant house.
The brutality of these murders shocked Canada and triggered one of the largest manhunts in the nation’s history. Nelson was captured on June 16, 1927, after locals recognized him from police descriptions.
Trial and Execution
Nelson’s trial in Winnipeg drew massive crowds. His defense argued insanity, citing his long psychiatric history, but the jury was unconvinced.
On January 13, 1928, Nelson was executed by hanging at Winnipeg’s Vaughan Street Jail. He was 30 years old. Authorities linked him to at least 22 murders, though some estimates suggest as many as 29.
Earle Leonard Nelson’s crimes predated the modern understanding of serial homicide. His case highlighted:
The limits of early psychiatry in identifying and treating violent offenders
The vulnerability of women living alone in urban boarding houses
The challenges of interstate policing in the 1920s
Though overshadowed by later killers, Nelson’s spree remains a chilling early example of the serial predator archetype.
For true crime historians, Nelson’s case is a bridge between Victorian-era notions of “mad killers” and the modern study of criminal psychology. His story underscores how society struggled to understand—and contain—men who killed not for money or revenge, but for compulsion.
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