Tuesday 13 August 2013

The Alphabet Murders

This is an unsolved serial murder case from New York State in the early 1970`s.  The victims were three young girls from Rochester, but what made it bizarre was their names.  They all had the same initial letter on their first and last names.  They were Carmen Colon, Wanda Walkowicz and Michelle Maenza.  The press at first labelled them the "Double Initial Killings" but later changed it to the more attention grabbing "Alphabet Murders".

   The Police questioned many people but although some good suspects were worked on, nobody has ever been charged.  One such suspect committed suicide, which was at first thought of as avoiding justice.  However, in 2007, a DNA examination was carried out on the deceased man and he was officially cleared as a suspect.  Another good suspect was the uncle of one of the victims, but he too was officially cleared many years later through DNA.

    One good suspect who was living in Rochester at that time was none other than serial killer and "Hillside Strangler" Kenneth Bianchi.  Bianchi denies killing the girls, like he denies he was the "Strangler".  He murdered ten women with his cousin Angelo Buono in Los Angeles plus two other women in another city.  However, a case emerged in 2011, when New Yorker, 77 year old Joseph Naso was charged with four murders in California in the 70`s. What made it bizarre were the names of the victims.  Roxene Roggash, Pam Parsons,Tracy Tofoya, and unbelievably, another Carmen Colon!!!  There has been numerous delays in starting this trial and as of now, it still seems to be a non-starter.  Naso, like Bianchi, has not been charged over the Rochester murders.

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