Privacy Policy. Weinweir Henry, Lewis' cousin, stated that she last saw her at a hotel in Avondale with a man, whom she identified as Ellwood. While the accusations had some meritthe FBI having actually ended their involvement with the task force so that they could investigate Rushings misconductthe jury was unconvinced, and in August 1999, Ellwood was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Cheryl Lewis. The call has never been conclusively confirmed as legitimate but many suspect the caller is Russell Ellwood. 'Clay' said calmly. A lot happens right here. According to some online reports, the FBI paid Stern a visit at his studio the following day to obtain copies of the recorded call, and Stern never publicly mentioned the incident again. Ellwood hoped that the second murder charge would also be dropped, but the government stood by its position. These two murders were part of a string of at least 26 prostitutes who were murdered between 1991 and 1996. Was your mom a prostitute?" Between 1991 and 1995, a suspected serial killer claimed the lives of multiple people in the New Orleans area. [6] In the early 1990s, Gant gained a reputation for being corrupt after a number of informants reported that he, along with a few others, were running racketeering operations against pimps and other criminals. According to the investigators, Gant had killed both her and her friend, Karen Ivester, in order to get rid of them. V C September 13, 2021. List of serial killers in the United States, "Police officer suspected in New Orleans killings", "Exclusive: Detective Tries To Solve 25-Year-Old Serial Killer Cold Case. Discretion is advised. He first rendered his victims unconscious by giving them drugs, and then he killed them in a number of ways, most commonly by strangling or suffocation. All Rights Reserved. Discretion is advised. This action would lead to his arrest because, in 1997, two years after the New Orleans murder task force was set up, Ellwood was named as a suspect. At some point prior to 2016, Gant found employment as an officer with the Carver College Police Department in Atlanta. [2] Eighteen days later, the body of 28-year-old Charlene Price was found in a New Orleans park, just one mile from where Britton was found. A mother of three, she had multiple arrests for prostitution during her lifetime. Serial murder | Definition, Characteristics, Types, & Facts Serial Killer Howard Stern serial killer interview??? - Lipstick Alley Clay told Stern he took a break for a year. The entire call is unnerving, but there are parts of the call that are absolutely terrifyingand this guy was stalking and killing people right down I-10 only a couple of hours away. In this video 5 disturbing and shocking serial killer moments caught on video are looked at in all their frightful detail. A serial killer sending clues to baffle people and supposedly calling a media personalitys live show to confess his evil deeds? NOPD Via criminalminds.fandom.com [2] On February 5, 1994, skeletal remains were found in St. John the Baptist Parish, later determined to be a young woman between the ages of 25 and 35. She had been beaten and strangled. I'm willing to confess to two cases and give you all the details when I return to Louisiana. Jaya's clients often characterize her as meticulous, proactive, and enjoyable to be around. Another inmate, Stephen Michael Busser, also told police that Ellwood had boasted of being wanted for more than 60 murders within the state of Louisiana, and had even described to him in detail one of them. During the conversation with host Howard Stern, which was broadcast live, "Clay" described details for more than 12 murders and gave some details about his background, indicating that he was a white resident of New Orleans. After the call, police thought Ellwood could potentially be the "Storyville Slayer" a serial killer in New Orleans who murdered up to 24 sex workers. This sort of bizarre call was not out of the ordinary for the show, where Stern often hoax calls from people with crazy stories. Even though he was always a suspect, he said he would move to Louisiana's New Orleans in January to clear his name and solve his cases. Users on the Websleuths message board began compiling data on these killings in November 2016, which Stern fans took notice of three years later. Well it wasn't a fake call because after the show the F.B.I. Suspected California serial killer Wesley Brownlee caught while on 1. [1] In response, Gant's attorney John Reed said that his client was innocent and the evidence was purely circumstantial.[3]. It was revealed that these phone calls were coming from Napa State Hospital and had been made by a young man named Eric Philips Weill. SACRAMENTO . Stern then launches into a flurry of questions, asking Clay why he kills women, how he kills them, if he has sex with them, and more. He speaks very nonchalantly, something seems genuine about him. .zklaml-syj27z{font-family:adobe-garamond-pro,serif;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant-numeric:lining-nums;line-height:1.45;overflow-wrap:break-word;color:black;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:inline-block;cursor:pointer;color:white!important;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;}.zklaml-syj27z:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.zklaml-syj27z:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | twi.news@washingtonindependent.com | dmca@washingtonindependent.com. In December 1965, Weill attended a San Francisco press conference for legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, asking him a series of bizarre questions. Except this time, no police trace reveals the caller to be a hoaxer in a mental institution. [5] One of them, Stan Hill, contacted the county prosecutor's office and claimed that Ellwood had described to him in detail how he had driven the women to outlying areas of the city, offering them large quantities of drugs that caused overdoses, then strangled and dumped their bodies. Cheryl Lewis died from drowning, while Delores Mack died from being strangled. A native of Massillon, Ohio, Ellwood moved to New Orleans in 1968 after graduating high school. Did your mom spank you? This was refuted by Ellwood's receipts, which show a puzzling two-week break in February. You can read the details Ellwood's trial over at lobservateur.com. [9] Ellwood was eventually convicted and ordered to spend 120 days behind bars. Ellwood himself denied knowing any of the victims or committing any murders, although he could not provide an alibi. On May 4, 1995, less than a week after the formation of this task force, Gant was formally called in for questioning at the New Orleans Sheriffs Office. Almost immediately, the FBI became aware of a dirty open secret within the New Orleans Police Departmentseveral officers were involved with or straight-up leading prostitution rings while on duty. He was born on June 24, 1962, in Baton Rouge, Louisianna. There was one that rang in to radio a while back, I think it was the 'Weepy Voiced Killer' and he confessed. Footage of the phone call. One of the people Collins gave a second chance to was Steven Wayne Turner, a Georgia police officer who had been fired for exposing his penis to a woman he had pulled over while working for the Lithonia Police Department. Well, thats exactly what happened on the morning of Wednesday, August 13, 1997, during a live broadcast of WXRKs landmark radio program, The Howard Stern Show. While he was only convicted of 1 murder (Cheryl Lewis), he is believed to killed upwards of 20 prostitutes during the 1990's. During "Clay's" call, he joked about how the only suspect the Nola police had was a black people officer. [2] Like Williams, Filson was transsexual and worked at a nightclub under the name 'Brenda Bewitch'. In addition to Gant, another resident of New Orleans, Russell Ellwood, soon came under police suspicion. The caller told the operator that he wanted Bailey to appear on a local television talk show so that he could call in and chat with Bailey. Russell Ellwood is the man many believe to be "Clay the Serial Killer", the man who called The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and confessed to killing 12 women. EDIT: Glad to see this post has stirred interest in possibly unraveling a case or debunking one! This policy was apparently the work of Carver College PD's first chief, Joseph L. Woods, who had been fired from five different police departments before finding work at the school in 2006. In the end, Ellwood was found guilty of the murder of Cheryl Lewis. New Orleans Serial Killer | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom With the 29th Pick in the NFL Draft, The Saints Select Bryan Bresee, Nate Diaz, Former UFC Fighter, Chokes Out Logan Paul Look-A-Like on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, The Worlds Largest Bounce House Heading to New Orleans April 21-23, Reopening Date Announced for Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, 2023 New Orleans Jazz Fest is Going Cashless, Recall of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell Falls Short, Official Numbers Show, Company Behind Popular Mobile Games Opens Hub in New Orleans, Louisiana, LSU Wide Receiver Malik Nabers Arrested in New Orleans on a Weapons Charge, New Orleans, Louisiana Accounts for 5 Percent of Mass Shootings Nationwide in 2023. According to her testimony, she had boarded the car of an unknown man in Algiers sometime in July, and after having a conversation with him, the man strangled her into unconsciousness and dropped her off on the streets. His father, Norman, left the family not long after the birth of Sean. 2021-08-16. Listen to ""Clay the Serial Killer"" on Spreaker. This experience, combined with her undergraduate degree in psychology and teaching, has equipped her with valuable skills that she employs on a daily basis in real estate negotiations, homebuyer and seller education, and successful promotion of the team's listings. Antoinette Rainey, who worked as a drug dealer in New Orleans, also appeared as a witness for the prosecution, testifying that Ellwood was a regular customer. Ellwood, however, was eventually cleared in Macks murder after his attorneys proved he had been in Ohio at the time of her death. He boasted to other prisoners about his murders in Louisiana during this period. Russell Ellwoodis the man many believe to be "Clay the Serial Killer", the man who called The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and confessed to killing 12 women. After all, my listeners who took drama club classes in high school will remember that the first rule of improv is to always say yes. Did a notorious-a possibly uncaught-serial killer call the most popular radio show in America? Ellwood was eventually charged with one murder and received life imprisonment in 1999. [7] - The known victims were killed between 1991-1995, with a gap lasting almost exactly one year in between February 1993 and February 1994. With no confession or hard evidence to charge him with, detectives had no choice but to let Gant go. During her lifetime, she had been arrested multiple times for theft and was a known drug addict. More on that after we finish listening to the call. Ellwood remains a suspect in several of the killings, but no charges have been filed against him. [2], On November 21, the body of 37-year-old Regina Oko was discovered. This clue became one of the most significant in this entire saga. On December 14, a fourth victim, as yet unidentified, was found near Behrman Highway, not far from where Danielle was found. While they were somewhat skeptical that this caller was indeed the Zodiac Killer, the San Francisco Police were eager to set up this unconventional television broadcast in the hopes that a call could be traced to rule out or confirm this individual as a legitimate suspect, as the Zodiac had struck in their city only two weeks prior, murdering cab driver Paul Stine in cold blood before fleeing into the night. [2] During a press conference in August, Chief Richard Pennington announced to the media that the current prime suspect was 33-year-old Victor Gant, a police officer working in New Orleans. Gant was cooperative with the investigators questions but refused a lie detector test. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Clay King Smith - Wikipedia FBI agent John Fleming told the press in November 1995, "A common thread in the victims was their membership of prostitution rings that seem to have been connected with a group of NOPD officers. They say some of the details the caller talked about were things that only the killer would know. Wesley Brownlee is suspected of killing six men and wounding a woman in the string of shootings. [2], On May 6, the body of 39-year-old Sandra Williams, who had been strangled, was found on a boulevard in New Orleans. The case against Victor Gant was now at a virtual standstill. Sharons boyfriend33-year-old Victor Gantwas a known user of chewing tobacco. [8] The investigators became increasingly suspicious when Ellwood started speaking about having a dream in which he was being questioned about a series of murders and later admitting to frequenting the locations where the bodies were found, but continued to reaffirm his innocence.[8]. But what if that wasnt the case? [1] Through the course of the investigation, two separate suspects were considered, one of whom was convicted of one murder, leading investigators to believe that multiple killers are responsible. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. [5] However, while investigating her death, authorities learned that she was last seen alive on February 2, getting into the car of an unidentified white male. [8] Ellwood's attorneys then filed a motion for a polygraph test to be performed on Sue Rushing, then-head of the task force, which was granted. Five days later, more skeletal remains were found, this time to a girl whose age is estimated to be around 15 to 17. "Clay The Serial Killer"? Howard Stern Show Serial Killer His unemotional attitude while describing how he kills these girls with a hammer in parking garages & swamps. Here, Clay makes reference to Jimmy Swaggart, the famous Pentecostal Televangelist. Instead of firing Turner, Collins allowed him to quietly resign. The dramatic arrest in 2018 of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. was all the more astounding because of how detectives said they caught . During the hearing, members of the disciplinary committee reviewed the testimony of the prosecution's witnesses. Two off-duty St. Charles Parish deputies saw Ellwood returning to the scene of Cheryl Lewis' murder a year later while still partially clothed. [2] According to the official investigation, the murders ceased following her death. As a direct consequence of this, he was found guilty of the crime and given a prison term of eighty-five days in the county jail. On October 21, 1992, Unsolved Mysteries aired a profile of the unidentified New Orleans serial murders while the killeror killerswere still active. [3], On August 4, 1991, the body of 17-year-old Danielle Britton was found in a ditch not far from where "Brenda" had been abducted. Assuming this wasnt some radio prank, how else would Clay know that some of his victims were never found, unless he took special notice of their identities and the locations where he left their bodies so that he could scour media reports for their discovery later? Reading comments online and on this video, it looks like I'm not alone. Ellwood was questioned regarding the murders and later booked as a suspect. The witness, like Gilliam, did not report the incident because she was a drug addict. Gant also had a violent history of abusing Sharon, sometimes beating her so bad that she required hospitalization. Russel Ellwood was a suspected serial killer who killed prostitutes (women) by drugging them and strangling them to death. In 1997, 'Clay' called into the show to tell Stern and Quivers he had killed 12 sex workers. She had been strangled. Internal investigations were launched, and Gant was taken off his patrol beat and place on desk duty. Despite having a defining characteristic - namely strongly protruding front teeth - she was not identified. -The caller knew a black police officer was a suspect in the murders of two women in New Orleans (the FBI requested the recordings & got involved because of that statement due to it matching things not publicly known) & the officer remained a suspect even after Ellwood was linked to the string of murders because police believe the killings to be Despite the fact that no oil changing supplies were found in his vehicle, the police let Ellwood go, but not without keeping an eye on him. Ellwood later claimed that a mental illness had caused him to boast, demanding that the interrogations cease and he be allowed to return to New Orleans to see his attorney and be provided with treatment. Exclusive: Detective Tries To Solve 25-Year-Old Serial Killer Cold Case Once the call ended, the saga of Clay the Serial Killer faded into relative obscurity. To me, that's definitely a red flag as to what kind of guy we're talking about here. He was also ordered to perform forced labor. They didn't catch him? and our Powered by RedCircle. During "Clay's" call, he joked about how the only suspect the Nola police had was a black people officer. Is it true that "Clay the Serial Killer" from New Orleans called in livetoThe Howard Stern Show and confessed to killing 12 women? At this point, nothing has been disclosed of Gant's fate afterward; whether or not there was a DNA match to the two aforementioned murders and/or the other 22 victims of the serial killer is unknown. [5], During this period, according to investigators, the killer(s) committed several other murders, but due to various circumstances, the bodies of the victims were found only in early 1994. Three other sheriffs from the now-disbanded task force told the same reporter that at least four other suspects were on their radar. But that all changes a couple of minutes into this strange and disturbing phone call. His mother, Yvonne, who worked for a TV station, raised Sean with her. Ellwood, a cab driver original from Ohio, had been seen with Lewis several times prior to her death, and had aroused the suspicion of local police when he was found wandering in a state of undress near the crime scene about a year after Lewis body had been found. To some, these questions might seem like the kinds of things all of us might ask if given the opportunity to interview a serial killer, but Stern makes some key maneuvers less than a minute into this conversation. According to reports, after that, the status of Ellwood's conviction on the remaining murder charge is unknown. -. He was a cab driver in Nola that raped & killed prostitutes. This off-hand remark would later become one of the most interesting and controversial aspects of this story. The Son of Sal Salvatore Perrone Department of Corrections An autopsy determined that she had been strangled. On January 16, he was stopped by traffic cops for speeding and was scheduled to appear in court, but failed to appear on time and was subsequently arrested for contempt of court. Ellwood first came under police scrutiny in 1994, after he was allegedly found masturbating in his car by police, which had been parked by the road, near where Cheryl Lewis and Delores Mack's bodies were found. Stern started asking more specific questions about Clay's' killing process and where he kills his victims. He was one of the two main suspects in a series of murders of women in New Orleans, Louisiana. Russell Elwood, a convicted killer in Louisiana, seems to fits the pattern perfectly. After the task force was formed, Col. Walter T. Gorman of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and other task force members travelled to Sebring, Florida on July 23, 1997, so they could question Ellwood, who was living with his elderly father. As a result, he was convicted and sentenced to spend 85 days in the county jail. [10] According to the testimony of Denise Sanders, who was Lewis' best friend, she had seen her with Ellwood three days prior, who was out driving his cab.
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