William Dean Christensen - Serial Killer

It is staggering the amount of serial killers that have roamed the streets of this world, yet, most are unknown names.  They are not part of what might be termed the "celebrity" clique.  This means Bundy, Gacy, Dahmer, Shawcross, etc in the USA.  But these lesser known killers, are as deadly as anybody else.  Another name that comes into this category, is William Christensen.  It is not clear just exactly how many lives he snuffed out, but there is no doubt he was an absolutely remorseless and sadistic killer. No doubt the usual excuses were put forward for this man`s acts of pure evil - abusive childhood, neglect, isolation, not allowed to watch Andy Hardy films - but thankfully he has been incarcerated for coming on 30 years.  Rest assured, he will have been shown more compassion than all his victims were ever shown.

    Christensen was born in Bethseda, Maryland, in 1945.  He acquired his first major conviction in 1969, and it set a pattern for more than ten years.  He had stabbed a young girl in Washington, DC, but did not receive a serious sentence because two years later, in 1971, he raped a go-go dancer in Maryland and was put away for nine years.  He served the full sentence was because he was released in 1980.  Christensen then moved to Montreal in Canada, using an alias, "Richard Owen" and he was soon back in jail, in April 1981, for an indecent assault.  He was released a year later and now Christensen exploded.  No sooner was he out, than an horrifically dismembered body, that of Sylvie Trudel, 27, was found in a Montreal apartment.  The room had been rented to "Richard Owen."   Then Police, 50 miles away, discovered another dismembered body in bin bags, at Mille-Isles.  The victim was 26 year old Murielle Guay.  Was there a connection between this murder and the Montreal murder?  Initially, Police were cautious about saying so, but within days, warrants for murder were issued for Christensen.

    Christensen did not hang around in Canada and made his way back across the border, visited his parents in Pennsylvania, got money from them, then he travelled through seven states, drifting.  His killings did not end.  In Scranton, he murdered Michelle Angiers on September 13th 1982.  Michelle was knifed to death.  The following year, in Trenton, New Jersey, two men were shot and wounded by Christensen in a bar.  Then in December 1883, he had another altercation in a bar.  This time it was in Philadelphia, and his ensuing fight with 51 year old Jeff Schrader, left the elder man dead.  Police arrested him, and searched his apartment.  They found blood, hair and a blood stained hacksaw.  Whose blood and hair was it?  He was convicted of killing Mr Schrader and given life without parole.

    After exhaustive checks of his history, Canadian Police closed the files on the two murders, convinced Christensen had committed them.  He was a suspect in two other murders, committed in a similar fashion.   Authorities in both the States and Canada believe Christensen could have been responsible for at least thirty murders.  Given the fact that killing, and even in the most gruesome fashion, did not bother him in the slightest, does make this possible.