[28][29], At trial, List testified that his financial difficulties reached crisis level in 1971 when he was laid off with the closure of the Jersey City bank. FBI agents visited his unsuspecting second wife in Virginia and handcuffed the killer, who was going by the name Robert P. Clark, at his accounting office. His father-in-law had heard from the county sheriff: After nearly 18 years, List had been caught. Everything looked great on the surface. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. Then, he went to the bank to close his accounts and cash his mother's savings bonds. He lived at 431 Hillside Avenue with his wife, Helen Morris Taylor; mother, Alma Barbara Florence List; and two children: daughter Patricia, and sons Frederick and John. Flanery lived next door to John List, who was going by Robert Clark, and his second wife, Delores Clark, in Aurora, Colorado from 1985 to 1988. American Criminal John List was born John Emil List on 17th September, 1925 in Bay City, Michigan, USA and passed away on 21st Mar 2008 Trenton, New Jersey, USA aged 82. "I remember talking about funerals and cremation and burials. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. John List: The Perfect Family Man Who Killed His Perfect Family He is most remembered for Murdered his entire family in 1971. YouTubeAn aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. But then his life began to crumble. According to trial testimony, Helen had pressured List into marriage by falsely claiming that she was pregnant, then insisted that they marry in Maryland, which did not require the premarital syphilis test mandated in most other states at the time. "It was my belief that if you kill yourself, you won't go to heaven," he said. The family car was found parked at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, but police found no evidence that List had boarded a flight. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Inside the mansion's cavernous ballroom, the bodies of List's wife Helen, 46, and his three children Patricia, 16, John, 15, and Frederick, 13, were laid out on the floor on sleeping bags. However, he was not ready to disclose his incompetency to his family yet and hence, he left the house every morning, sat on the railway station and read books and newspapers all day. John List's confession to his 2nd wife revealed in new episode of 'Father Wants Us Dead' podcast Published: Jun. "I finally decided the only way to save them from that was to kill them," he said. He was 82. John List - Wikipedia Next he went upstairs, to where his 84-year-old mother was having breakfast, kissed her ("like Judas," he told Downtown), and shot her in the head. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. He gave him a ride home, then shot him in the chest. He murdered his mother, wife and three children in November 1971, due to financial distress and other issues within the family, and fled. [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. [46] Played by Joe Mantello, much of John Graff's story was identical such as his being an accountant, attending a Lutheran church, and murdering his family members and live-in mother, along with leaving music playing in the house and planning an alibi that would cause the bodies to remain undiscovered for several weeks. However, the marriage was not very good. The memory of the murders still haunts Westfield residents. Moreover, his wife was a heavy drinker and she had also contracted Syphilis from her first marriage. John List Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life & Achievements Ten days after a creepy, glass-eyed bust of John List was shown on Americas Most Wanted, Westfield residents had not heard of a single promising lead. Their faces were covered. In 2008, John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted, donated the age-progressed bust by Frank Bender that played a pivotal role in List's apprehension to a forensic science exhibit at the National Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C., whose collection was later moved to Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. John List may refer to: John A. Fast forward 18 years to 1989. "I wish I had never done what I did," he told Connie Chung in 2002. Its hard to believe the solution he arrived at would have been more acceptable to his father, but John List would later say it seemed to him the only option: the murder of his mother, wife, and children. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. He joined a Lutheran congregation and ran a car pool for shut-in church members. 07, 2022, 8:00 a.m. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. This article is about the murderer. In addition, it will contact the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Administration and Public Welfare for any possible death benefits. By then, he was assigned to the finance corps, from where he was discharged in 1952. They married in 1985. All five victims had been shot. photos, As I was doing it I knew it was wrong," he said. When they met, she led a simple life working as an Army PX clerk. But he fled to Colorado, assumed a new name and remarried, managing to elude a nationwide manhunt for 18 years. [11], Westfield, where few violent crimes had been recorded since 1963, received national attention as the site of one of the most notorious felonies in New Jersey since the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh baby. Although the destruction was officially ruled arson, it remains officially unsolved with no suspects. [12], The murders were not discovered until December 7, nearly a month later, due in part to the family's reclusive tendencies, and in part to notes sent by List to the children's schools and part-time jobs claiming that the children would be visiting their ailing maternal grandmother in North Carolina for a few weeks. "List, an unemployed accountant and devout Lutheran who shot his wife, mother and three children and disappeared for 18 years before being captured following a tip, died on Friday from massive blood clots in both lungs, authorities said. List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. List methodically murdered his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and their three childrenPatricia, 16; Frederick, 13; and John Jr., 15. He then shot his wife in the back of the head as she enjoyed her final sips, careful to ensure that her last moments were free of suspicion. Human name disambiguation pages. Alex Murdaugh trial updates: John Marvin faults SLED, doesn't believe Soon after his high school graduation, he joined the United States Army during the Second World War, where he worked as a laboratory technician. news, In 1965, they moved again to Breeze Knoll, a 19-room mansion in Westfield. John List Killed His Family In Cold Blood, Then Disappeared For 18 Years [12] Alma's body was flown to Frankenmuth, Michigan, and interred at the Saint Lorenz Lutheran Cemetery. Though we'd like to say that Wayne and Pilar lived happily ever after, apparently that's not the case. The Twisted Mind of Family Annihilator John List - America's Most Haunted She was born 25th October 1916. Following the gruesome death of his family. [35], List filed an appeal of his convictions on grounds that his judgment had been impaired by post-traumatic stress disorder due to his military service. The arrest followed Foxs Americas Most Wanted, featuring a sculpted clay bust of Johns age-progressed face. He defended himself saying that he was not mentally stable. If no one claims List's body, Fedekenheuer said, "we call the local funeral director, and that person will have the body cremated. Helen was first. "I approached all of them from behind so they wouldn't realize till the last minute what I was going to do to them," he said. John and Helen married on December 1, 1951, in Baltimore, Maryland, the family moving to northern California. After making the decision, List says, there was no turning back. But the jury has also seen evidence that List planned both the killings and his escape so carefully that he had been gone for a month before the crime was discovered. John Emil List, 63, was profiled on the TV program Americas Most Wanted May 21. John Emil List was born in Michigan, in 1925, the only child of John and Alma List. [12] Neighbors noticed that all of the mansion's rooms were illuminated day and night, with no apparent activity within the house. John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife) ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Accused family-killer John Emil List, who had always looked to his religious faith for answers, was so overwrought over the discovery that his wife had advanced syphilis that 'like a small rubber band, he snapped,' a psychiatrist said. Helen List apparently was infected with the disease by her first husband, a soldier who was killed in Korea. They did not have any children together. In a three-sentence statement to the court, he said he was sorry for "the tragedy that happened in 1971." John List: He Committed the (Almost) Perfect Murder On November 9, 1971, he killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey, and then disappeared; he had planned the murders so meticulously that nearly a month passed before anyone suspected that anything was amiss. John confessed to committing the murders in February 1990. After the June 7, 2021, killings of Maggie . Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. Police investigated hundreds of leads without success. "I'm sure that if we recognize each other that we'll like each other's company just as we did here, when times were better.". He later took a job as the vice president at a bank in New Jersey, where the family finally got settled. . See the events in life of John List in Chronological Order, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_List_(mugshot).jpg, https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/john-list-10634.php. It rippled through the county and state: John List, the man who had meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids in their Westfield mansion and disappeared without a trace, was in custody. Austin Goodrich, an ABCNEWS consultant who is writing a book with John List, contributed material for this report. The inconspicuous accountant was arrested without incident Thursday at work. Then he sat down and wrote a confession letter to his pastor explaining his financial problems. Oct 9, 2018. In an effort to baffle the police, he cleaned the crime scenes and used scissors to remove his image from every photo in the mansion. Financial troubles combined with his discontentment with his family over many issues caused severe depression to John, who then decided to take a drastic step to end everything once and for all. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. John List appeared to be the perfect son, husband, and father. March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, 17 things to do in Santa Cruz, the old-school beach town that makes for a charming getaway, Best coffee city in the world? The Star-Ledger reporter, who loved to chat about the infamous murderer with the locals on his Union County beat, was grabbing a sandwich for lunch when he got a tip of his own. . It turned out that List had changed his identity and moved to Colorado under the assumed name Robert Clark. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling List lived at a Midlothian address under the name Robert Clark, FBI Agent Tom ODonnell said. Realizing he was overhearing an important conversation between List and his second wife, the young officer took notes and later related what he heard to investigators from New . The Lists might have appeared to be the ideal American family, but everything was not as it seemed. Under Review. Finally, with the prospect of foreclosure threatening to expose his financial failure, List made his terrible decision to kill his family but not himself. His lawyer, Elijah Miller Jr., argues that knowing his wife suffered from syphilis helped drive the deeply religious man over the edge. YouTubeThe note John List wrote excusing his children from school. He was arrested in 1989 after a former neighbor recognized him from a profile on the syndicated TV show America's Most Wanted. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Body of killer John List remains unclaimed - nj.com Helen had turned into an alcoholic, which caused them to engage in a lot of fights. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). John Emil List Birth 17 Sep 1925 Bay City, Bay County, Michigan, USA Death 21 Mar 2008 (aged 82) Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey, USA Burial Burial Details Unknown. He earned a bachelors degree in administration and a masters degree in accounting. [16], List died of complications from pneumonia aged 82 on March 21, 2008, while imprisoned at St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. This is either the most unbelievable mix-up or . To avoid sharing this humiliating development with his family, List engaged in the same routine and dress as when employed, leaving home each morning on schedule and spending the day at job interviews or at the Westfield train station, reading newspapers until it was time to come home. He first shot his wife, then his mother, waited for his children to get home, and murdered them. The day after the killings, List scoured the house for family photographs, tearing his image out of them so police would have nothing to use in Wanted posters. List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. He went upstairs and shot his 84-year-old mother. John enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 and was a laboratory technician during World War II. John was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder and five terms of life imprisonment. . The video above will play a live video stream of the Monday, Feb. 27 proceedings in the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial or a replay upon completion. Hopefully they would go to heaven, and then maybe I would have a chance to later confess my sins to God and get forgiveness.". All rights reserved (About Us). Aside from a few extra wrinkles, the bust was spot on. John Emil List (1925-2008) - Find a Grave Memorial He waited for Helen to come down for her morning coffee. When police officers entered the home on Dec. 7, 1971, they heard organ music on an intercom system and found the bodies of Mr. List's wife, Helen, 46; his daughter, Patricia, 16; his sons. John List is a revolutionary experimenter whose unique methods and ideas have changed how the field of economics functions. "It's just like D-Day, you go in, there's no stopping after you start," he said. Delores Miller Clark lived a simple life in Denver before she met and married John List, who then went by the name Robert Peter Bob Clark. John Sr. shot him nine more times before dragging him into the ballroom with the rest of his family. During his years on the run, List went by the name Robert Clark. It was a masterful depiction of John List. He later pursued a masters degree in accounting from the same university and as the Korean War had escalated in 1950, he was recalled by the Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, stationed at Fort Eustis in Virginia, where he met his wife Helen. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, meticulously murdered his mother, wife and three kids. Judge William L'E. Delores Miller Clark: Learn More about John List's Ex-Wife Ideal YouTube Profile Picture: Size, Dimensions, Tricks, and More, Reasons To Invest In A Good Gaming Laptop, Microphone Sound Recording for Live Streaming, Delores Miller Clark: Learn More about John Lists Ex-Wife, Johanna Thiebaud- All about Shania Twains Stepdaughter, What You May Not Know About Gweneth Gonzales Thomas, Richard Thomas Daughter, Linnell S. Nobori: All there is to Know about Ted Bessells Wife, Online Pharmacies Make it Easy to Compare Medicines Prices, Katya Ariel Tylo Personal Life, Net Worth, & More, Isis Rae Boykin, Personal Life and Net Worth, Finn William Leeves Coben Lifestyle and Personal Life. The bust created of John List, right, next to the real John List, left. It took 18 years for John List to be arrested. In the afternoon, he killed his children as they came home first his daughter Patty, a budding actress at 16; then his youngest, 13-year-old Frederic; and finally 15-year-old John, his namesake and his favorite. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? If you take gaming seriously, you shouldn't accept anything less than the greatest. As his daughter Patricia, 16, and younger son Frederick, 13, arrived home from school, List shot each of them in the back of the head. After finding an old 9 mm pistol he had bought as a souvenir of World War II, and a .22-caliber target pistol, he purchased new ammunition and went to a shooting range for target practice. They attended church every Sunday as devout Lutherans and List taught Sunday school. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 'To find his wife having a veneral disease was morally, ethically and religiously a very hard thing for him to accept,' the psychiatrist said. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. John List laid the bodies of his family members on top of sleeping bags in the ballroom, then composed a note to his pastor, who he felt would understand. "I grew up with the idea that you should provide for your family and to do that you had to be a success in the job that you had or you're a failure, and that was not a good thing to be," he said. Like his father, List was a devout Lutheran and a Sunday school teacher. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. After seeing his daughter and two sons off to school, List walked into the kitchen of his 19-room HIllside Avenue mansion on Nov. 9, 1971, and shot his wife, Helen, as she sipped her morning coffee. Joseph Vought, Ludwig "Lou" Silbermann, Jerome Kendall, George Corbett,. Additionally, the financial burden on the family was increasing, causing him severe psychological distress. 2023. Judgment Day: The John List Story (TV Movie 1993) - IMDb Later, John took a lucrative job at Xerox and moved to New York and lived there with his family for a few years. Simring said List showed "no evidence of anything that approached genuine remorse," adding, "He's a cold, cold man.". She had a young daughter from her previous marriage. He then called his childrens school to grant them leave to visit their grandmother in South Carolina. Edward Saresky told the jury Thursday that he heard Helen List taunting her husband by telling him that if he was 'half the man her first husband was the family wouldn't have the troubles they were having. The tipster said her neighbor was also an accountant and attended church. He was born as the only child in the highly religious German-American household. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. John died aged 82 in March 2008 of complications from pneumonia while still imprisoned. In an interview in 2008, parents told a reporter in New Jersey that children will not walk past that property, nor do they even want to live on the same street. [26][27] List continued to stand by his alias for several months, even after his 1989 extradition to Union County, New Jersey; finally, faced with irrefutable evidence including a fingerprint match with List's military records, as well as evidence found at the crime scene he confessed his true identity on February 16, 1990.