*alleged killer calls himself clay *claims to have killed 12 women, first when he was 16 *used hammer or strangulation *killed in New Orleans and Mississippi area *says he's white, has kids never been married *seems to say most victims or at least half were black and they always approached him Robinson was almost immediately identified due to her body being found still wearing Sharons Hurrahs Hotel & Casino uniform, complete with her identification badge. Price was a drug addict, but had no history of prostitution. He later. 3". 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. No further information about him is available. According tocriminalminds.fandom.com Ellwood would live in his car from time to time when he couldn't afford to live anywhere else. Clay told Stern he took a break for a year. (1:00 mark in audio) You might notice a pattern emerging here. While on probation, Ellwood relocated to Canton, Ohio, where he started working for his brother. 2021-08-16. Gant complied, and the samples were sent to a police lab for testing against the wad of chewing tobacco found near Karen Ivesters body. In December 1965, Weill attended a San Francisco press conference for legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, asking him a series of bizarre questions. Join the news democracyWhere your votes decide the Top 100. The next day Howard says they were contacted by the FBI. On August 13, 1997, The Howard Stern Show received a call from a man who identified himself as "Clay". In another blow to Gants credibility, the serial murders of female prostitutes in the Treme and Algiers came to an abrupt stop in the wake of his questioning by police. On December 14, a fourth victim, as yet unidentified, was found near Behrman Highway, not far from where Danielle was found. Weill, a California photographer suffering from severe Bipolar Disorder, was known to be fixated on celebrities. He said it was a knife from what he was told. When questioned by investigators, Ellwood claimed he was changing the oil on his taxi and had chosen the remote location to dump the used oil without being seen. The victim is referred to as "Jane Doe No. EDIT: Glad to see this post has stirred interest in possibly unraveling a case or debunking one! Could Baton Rouge be the Jimmy Swaggart Town mentioned by Clay? Redhead Murderer, or the Bible Belt Strangler Where: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee 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. For more information, please see our Weinweir Henry, Lewis' cousin, stated that she last saw her at a hotel in Avondale with a man, whom she identified as Ellwood. The phone call starts out a bit rocky as Stern goes to the phone call and asks "Is this Ed? Victor Gant, however, did not stop himself from getting into trouble. [2] Her name has never been disclosed, and she is referred to as "Brenda" in case files. Imagine youre driving to work one morning, or youre at home making breakfast, and you turn on the radio for some background noise. [9] Ellwood was eventually convicted and ordered to spend 120 days behind bars. 13 Reasons Why season 2 ended with a monumental cliffhanger that had many viewers wondering about Clay's (Dylan Minnette) fate moving forward. The Howard Stern best-of show, Sternthology, had recently re-aired the segment for the first time during the modern internet era, inspiring the Reddit posts. I'm willing to confess to two cases and give you all the details when I return to Louisiana. [2] On October 19, the skeletal remains of a woman were found in a wooded area near a highway within the limits of Bridge City. #crime #crimetok #true911calls #911calls #911dispatcher. Cheryl Lewis' mother, in turn, admitted that her daughter was a drug addict and a prostitute, but said that she had never seen Ellwood with her daughter before. Ellwood remains a suspect in several of the killings, but no charges have been filed against him. Stern goes on to ask questions about Clay's motives behind why he kills, his methods of murder and even asks if he has any tattoos, but the caller was very cunning and careful to not incriminate himself. .zklaml-k63hep{font-weight:bold;color:undefined;}Russell Ellwood.zklaml-1p7ut1l{color:undefined;} was thought to be a serial killer. He also said he committed two of the murders in a parking garage and the rest on the side of the road. Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee told the press in 1998 that the New Orleans task force never considered the serial killings to be the work of one man. Many people believe that Russell Ellwood is "Clay the Serial Killer," the man who contacted The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and confessed to killing women in a call that was broadcast on the show. [2] According to the official investigation, the murders ceased following her death. [1] In response, Gant's attorney John Reed said that his client was innocent and the evidence was purely circumstantial.[3]. This further shows a pattern of narcissism inherent in many serial killers like the Zodiac obsessively following your own press. The trial began on June 8, 1999, in Lafayette. On May 1, 1995, less than 24 hours after Karen Ivesters body was found, various New Orleans police agencies formed a task force with the FBI, intent on finding the killeror killersresponsible for these horrific murders. Additionally, an associate of Ellwood's from a Florida prison gave investigators confirmation that Ellwood had once told him he liked having s*x with intoxicated people who were utterly powerless over their bodies due to the medications' side effects. Stern and Quivers asked him questions related about why he did it. Ed?". Ellwood was taken into custody on August 4, 1997, just a few days after the completion of the interrogations, for allegedly purchasing cocaine from an undercover police officer at his house near Sebring. Back in the day, The Howard Stern Show routinely received tons of insane calls from people claiming many wild things. Ellwood hoped that the second murder charge would also be dropped, but the government stood by its position. [8] Ultimately, the murder charge for Delores Mack was dropped,[11] but on the basis of very circumstantial evidence and unreliable testimony, Ellwood was found guilty of killing Cheryl Lewis and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on August 17, 1999. According to reports, after that, the status of Ellwood's conviction on the remaining murder charge is unknown. A native of New Orleans, Gant spent his childhood and youth in Algiers, where a number of the victims lived and were abducted from. In 1997, a man who called himself Clay called into the Howard Stern show. Reading comments online and on this video, it looks like I'm not alone. On August 4, 1997, Ellwood was arrested and jailed on drug charges, with his prison sentence lasting nearly three months. "Clay" goes into graphic detail about some of his alleged kills, and gives details about cases not publicly known. The details are given below, whether Russel was the culprit or not. Her cause of death was later determined to be homicidal drowning. Investigators determined that she was a transsexual, had feminine features and worked as an exotic dancer at a New Orleans nightclub. On June 2, 25-year-old George Williams' body was found in the LaBranche Wetlands area of St. Charles Parish. The guy identified himself as Clay, mentioned if he killed himself he would miss the Batman movie, says he kills with a hammer, talks about comic books. This image shows a police sketch released to the media in 1992, after one woman survived an attack and provided a description to police of the man she said choked her and left her for dead. Between 1991 and 1995, a suspected serial killer claimed the lives of multiple people in the New Orleans area. I think I just do it for the sense of power." However, it was believed that he was responsible for as many as 15-20+ homicides in the New Orleans area, and many people feel that he was responsible for even more. Delores Mack was also murdered; she was first drugged and then strangled to death. Stokes stated Ellwood bought her lunch and treated her nicely before driving her to his home, where he suggested that they use cocaine. 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. A subreddit dedicated to the unresolved mysteries of the world. 5" and "John Doe No. Los Angeles Times Exclusive. Was your mom a prostitute?" At the time, Swaggarts ministries were located in Baton Rouge, Louisianaa city whose population is still today over 50% black. Clay hesitates for a few seconds before saying he actually used a hammer during most of his murders. The key witness was supposed to be Robinson, but she was found dead on May 1, 1995. 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. Before we go any further, I want to be crystal clear about the details discussed, and the contents of the audio in this story. 1", was presumably strangled and found not far from Britton's body. [2], On January 4, 1992, the body of 29-year-old Lydia Madison, who had several arrests on charges of prostitution and drug possession, was found in a ditch under a highway overpass. Camden later testified that Ellwood also confessed to him that he had killed a black girl, whose corpse he had dumped in the canal. Actually nothing like that. He was locked up for 85 days after being arrested on August 4, 1997, on drug charges. Internal investigations were launched, and Gant was taken off his patrol beat and place on desk duty. "No. When the task force talked to him again, he admitted to dumping the body of a black woman in the water next to a country road. [7] The interview with the potential serial killer caused a massive media publicity, thanks to which FBI agents allegedly went to the studio and seized audio recordings of the call to establish the caller's location and possible identity. In 1995 New Orleans Police Officer Victor Gant was listed as the prime suspect in the murders of his girlfriend Sharon Robinson, a New Orleans casino employee, and her friend Karen Iverster, allegedly a prostitute. The Storyville Slayer is the nickname given to an American serial killer who murdered at least 24 prostitutes and drug addicts, most of whom were women, in New Orleans, Louisiana. [8] Owing to his addiction, Ellwood was arrested several times from 1968 to 1998. 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. [2] Like Williams, Filson was transsexual and worked at a nightclub under the name 'Brenda Bewitch'. In 1997 "Clay the Serial Killer" told The Howard Stern Show that the NOPD's main suspect in serial killings was "a black police officer". Another girl, Navassa Richmond, a former stripper and prostitute, in turn testified that she had also been beaten and assaulted twice by a drug-crazed Ellwood, during which he also attempted to strangle her. Ellwoods attorneys also attempted to convince the jury that he had also been in Ohio when Lewis was killed, and that a receipt proving so had been deliberately destroyed by Lt. Sue Rushing, the former leader of the New Orleans task force. A mother of three, she had multiple arrests for prostitution during her lifetime. [2] Due to the isolated locations of the dumping sites, the victims' bodies were left in water spanning from several weeks to several years, resulting in extreme decomposition and destruction of incriminating evidence. 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. She said that she did not report the incident, due to being a prostitute with a criminal record. Acting fast, the police arranged for Jim Dunbar, the host of KGO-TVs, AM San Francisco, to have Melvin Belli join him on the air that morning, as Bailey was 3,000 miles away in Boston at the time. What do you think ? This guy is either the dumbest serial killer or this was just a jokester with a really bad sense of humor seeking attention. While he was only convicted of 1 murder (Cheryl Lewis), he is believed to killed upwards of 20 prostitutes during the 1990's. "Clay the Serial Killer" On the morning of 13 August 1997, a mysterious man called into the syndicated radio program of popular shock-jock Howard Stern. He ultimately got a job as a freelance photographer, but he left for an undisclosed reason. Ellwood was questioned regarding the murders and later booked as a suspect. They got him iirc. Obviously,one of the biggest questions here iscould this actually be real, or is "Clay" playing some sort of very sick joke? While this propelled the case to a national audience, the case remained unsolved. I'll kill you too." 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. "Did your mom beat you? As he returned to the crime scene, as other serial killers do, it can be assumed that he was, but as far as is known, no information on the matter has been made public. Despite having a defining characteristic - namely strongly protruding front teeth - she was not identified. Footage of the phone call. Howard said that's a pretty crazy story. Was the FBI able to get enough information from The Howard Stern Show phone call to make an arrest? She had been strangled. With no confession or hard evidence to charge him with, detectives had no choice but to let Gant go. When not imprisoned, he spent most of his time among fellow vagrants, with acquaintances describing him as an outsider who constantly sought to make get-rich-quick schemes, but consistently failed in his endeavors. One Suspect Is A Cop", "Police Officer Is Suspect In New Orleans Killing Spree", "Dial 911 and speak to the prime suspect", "Murder case moves to Lafayette for trial", "Investigator denies destroying evidence", "One charge against Ellwood will be dropped", "Investigation of 26 killings concludes with one sentencing", "Appeals court upholds deputy's dismissal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Storyville_Slayer&oldid=1152510708, Violence against women in the United States, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 17:38. According to his cellmates, Ellwood implicated himself in the prostitute killings back in New Orleans and its various suburbs. The deputies let Ellwood go although his taxi didn't have any motor oil, oil-changing tools, oil filters, or brake pads. He was one of the two main suspects in a series of murders of women in New Orleans, Louisiana. - During the call, Clay claimed he was white, and that the only suspect at the time was a black cop who was romantically involved with one of the victims. [5] Like the previous victims, Lewis was an impoverished mother of four and known prostitute with several arrests, and had been strangled to death. [2], On February 13, 25-year-old Stephanie Murray's body was found in a small pond near the Bonnet Carr Spillway. It should be noted that a sketch of the killer was drawn in 1992 after the first six murders; the sketch depicted a large, muscular African-American man in his 30's, which matched Gant's physical description. During "Clay's" call, he joked about how the only suspect the Nola police had was a black people officer. Here, Clay makes reference to Jimmy Swaggart, the famous Pentecostal Televangelist. During the interrogations, he admitted to frequenting black prostitutes throughout his life, claiming that he knew more than 100 girls, in addition to frequently taking drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine and LSD over the years. 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. One year later, on August 26, 1996, Gant was fired from the police force as result of the four internal investigations opened against him, with his beating of Sharon Robinson in the months before her murder being a major contributing cause. Robinson's boyfriend was a police officer called Victor Grant, who has denied any wrongdoing. Or was something even stranger going on? Macdonald, who proposed in a 1963 American Journal of Psychiatry article that future serial violence and even murder can often be predicted in children who simultaneous engage in chronic bedwetting, compulsive arson, and cruelty toward animals. He gave details that were similar to how Cheryl Lewis' body was dumped. 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. [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. This sort of bizarre call was not out of the ordinary for the show, where Stern often hoax calls from people with crazy stories. A serial killer sending clues to baffle people and supposedly calling a media personalitys live show to confess his evil deeds? When Colonel Walter T. Gorman and other members of the task force met Ellwood in Sebring, Florida, they said he was friendly and willing to help. serial murder, also called serial killing, the unlawful homicide of at least two people carried out by the same person (or persons) in separate events occurring at different times. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBRAY3N3FXw. Zodiac was able to consistently lead the police of wild goose chases with his many letters, cryptograms, and phone calls due to his compulsion for following every detail about the police investigation into his crimes and potential identity printed about him in the press. Rainey was able to escape, but did not report the attack due to her criminal lifestyle. He dumped her body in Behrman Park, within one mile of the spot where Danielle was found. Do you think "Clay the Serial Killer" is Russell Ellwood? But as the conversation progressed, it became clear to Stern and listeners that this one sounded deadly serious. 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - Show. On April 30, the bodies of two women were found in a swampy area near the I-55. Howard Stern then asks Clay how many prostitutes he's killed. The video, posted by true911calls, replays the call between host Howard Stern, co-host Robin Quivers, and the caller, so-called 'Clay.'. 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. -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 Howard asked Lee what he used to cut the head off. His unemotional attitude while describing how he kills these girls with a hammer in parking garages & swamps. Dennis Rader, also known as the BTK killer, murdered 10 people during his 16-year killing spree. The charges were only dropped after a series of behind-closed-doors meetings with lawyers. Shortly after 2 AM on the morning of October 22, 1969, a man claiming to be the Zodiac Killer called the Oakland, California Police Department, demanding to speak with famed attorney F. Lee Bailey. 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. In the end, Ellwood was found guilty of the murder of Cheryl Lewis. 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. On September 22, 1991, the killer claimed his third victim, twenty-eight-year-old Charlene Price. Bus. [2] On the following day, the body of 39-year-old Sandra Warner was found in St. John the Baptist Parish. Dec. 8, 2020 5 AM PT. Russell Ellwood was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole, probation, or a sentence suspension on August 17, 1999. The case against Victor Gant was now at a virtual standstill. When confronted by reporters from Huffington Post in 2016 regarding their hiring of a suspect in a series of serial killings as an officer assigned to protect college students, Carver College Police Chief R.J. Collins tried denying Gant had ever worked theredespite Gant appearing in full uniform on the Police Departments website and in photos shared on Facebook. When Clay answers in the affirmative, this now gives investigators motivation for look for biological evidence that might link a series of cold cases together, in this instance, semen or body hairs left behind by the killer. [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. - The majority of known victims were sex workers. But then, just as he is answering, Clay suddenly leads the conversation by volunteering a piece of information that had not been previously discussed the fact that he knows some of his victims have not been found yet. During her lifetime, she had been arrested multiple times for theft and was a known drug addict. Ultimate Unexplained. While the remains were determined to be female, authorities were unable to identify the victim, and she is listed as "Jane Doe No. Numerous articles from several national publications name Ganta black police officeras a suspect in the New Orleans serial murders a full two years before Clays phone call, and television news segments chronicling Gants activities were aired on CBS and ABC in late 1995. She had been beaten and strangled. During the hearing, members of the disciplinary committee reviewed the testimony of the prosecution's witnesses. Ellwood is still considered a suspect in several of the homicides, although he has not been charged in connection with any of them. [2], On November 21, the body of 37-year-old Regina Oko was discovered. Check out today's terrifying new video that reveals the mistakes. 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. He speaks very nonchalantly, something seems genuine about him. COPYRIGHT_WI: Published on https://washingtonindependent.com/russell-ellwood/ by Jaya Mckeown on 2022-07-18T05:09:07.471Z.

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clay the serial killer caught