John List was born John Emil List, on September 17, 1925, in Bay City, Michigan, to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. Their faces were covered. In an interview, he stated that he did not kill himself because suicide prevents one from going to heaven. John List's confession to his 2nd wife revealed in new episode of 'Father Wants Us Dead' podcast Published: Jun. Discover The 33 Scariest Animals In The World, From The Deep Sea To The Tropical Skies, The Story Of Caril Ann Fugate And Charles Starkweather's Natural Born Killing Spree, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. The first seven episodes of Father Wants Us Dead are available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can subscribe on those platforms to be alerted when new episodes drop every Tuesday through June 21. List, who says he remains deeply religious today, acknowledges that his crimes violated one of the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not kill.". 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. He killed his immediate family since he could not pay the mansions mortgage after losing his job and did not want them to face ridicule. The episode, "Murder House", premiered on November 18, 2015. Authorities never found the cause of the fire, and a new house was built on the property years later. The new lovers wed on 1 December 1951 in Baltimore, Maryland. She was born 25th October 1916. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. She is famous for Second wife of murderer John list. Delores Miller (wife) is an American Homemaker. When they met, she led a simple life working as an Army PX clerk. He also thought his children were steering off the godly course as his son wanted to be an actor. He was apprehended 18 years later in 1989 and was sentenced to five terms of life sentence. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. 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. That same year, he enlisted in the United States Army and served as a laboratory technician during World War II. The couple later moved to Richmond together . Everything looked great on the surface. While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. 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. He was arrested in 1989 after a former neighbor recognized him from a profile on the syndicated TV show America's Most Wanted. Following the gruesome death of his family. John died aged 82 in March 2008 of complications from pneumonia while still imprisoned. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Although it is a work of fiction, much of the character John Graff was borrowed from the story of the John List murders. John Emil List, a.k.a. At sixty-four, John's father was twenty-six years older than Alma, whom he had married one year earlier, after his first wife died of cancer. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. [41] A 2003 episode of the A&E series American Justice also detailed the case and featured an interview with List. One tip came from a woman in Richmond, Virginia, who thought her next-door neighbor, Robert Clark, bore a striking resemblance to the bust. If things had gone on who knows if that would be the case," he wrote. Just as the kids entered from the main door, he shot both of them in the heads as well. He lost the bank job, and a succession of subsequent jobs. Bank Vice President and Sunday School Teacher. John Sr. drove to the field and watched him play, then gave him a ride home. John had a very normal childhood and he did not show any signs of psychological troubles. With his first wife, John Frederick had had a son, William George, who happened to be the same . He is from American. 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. A month passed before neighbors, curious about the constantly burning lights and empty windows, began to suspect something was wrong at the List mansion. 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. Bradford Patricia Colosimo (23 years), director of arts programming Jon Draeger (35 years), associate professor of chemistry Andrea Robbins (40+ years), instructor of chemistry and algebra, Division of Physical and Computational Sciences. He worked hard as an accountant at a nearby bank to provide for his family. John fled the house after putting all the bodies on sleeping bags, turning the house lights on and putting on some classical music. But then his life began to crumble. But, during a four-hour interview, he sought to explain how worries that financial hardship would split his family and turn them away from their faith forced him to make a tough decision. 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. A new house was built on the site in 1974. Westfield police did not discover the bodies until nearly a month later. He made himself a sandwich, closed out his bank accounts, and cheered for his only surviving son, John, at his high school soccer game. Examples include "Savior," the season 6, episode 16 of the television series Law & Order; the 1987 film The Stepfather and its 2009 remake; the 1993 film Judgment Day: The John List Story, in which List was portrayed by Robert Blake;[39] and the character Keyser Sze in the 1995 film The Usual Suspects.[40]. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. He worked as an accountant, bringing a stable income back to his Victorian mansion; home to himself, his wife, three children and his mother. He was arrested 11 days later, and, after a jury rejected his diminished capacity defense, convicted and sentenced. He has also appeared on television shows such as Your Worst Nightmare and American Justice. Unlike the others, John didn't go quietly, his body jerking as List emptied both the 9 millimeter and the .22 into his son. [3], In November 1950, as the Korean War escalated, List was recalled to active military service. 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. Alongside his close friend and colleague Steven Levitt, List has committed to studying the way people behave in the real world, instead of understanding economics as a theory-based field. When the children left for school, he shot his wife and his mother to death. He had saved the souls of the people he loved. YouTubeThe note John List wrote excusing his children from school. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. She met Steinbeck in late 1938 or early 1939, when she was just 22. John List was an American mass murderer, who became infamous in the 1970s for killing his mother, wife and three children. 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. Hence, his severe lack of social skills cost him jobs after jobs. Helen List lied to her doctors during several hospitalizations, Liss said. He then walked up to the third floor and shot his 85-year-old mother, Alma. John List met Helen Morris Taylor, a young widow of an American enlisted man who had died in the Korean War. 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). The Lists might have appeared to be the ideal American family, but everything was not as it seemed. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Austin Goodrich, an ABCNEWS consultant who is writing a book with John List, contributed material for this report. 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. The neighbors tipped the police after a month of not seeing anyone entering or leaving the house. But back in Denver, his former neighbors did recognize him, and called police. List is charged with shooting his mother, wife and three children in their Westfield, N.J. home, and authorities said he left a five-page note detailing the crime. Authorities said that he had been living a quiet life--active in his church, puttering in his yard on weekends--and that he had no problems with the law while a fugitive. 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. [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. He imposed a sentence of five terms of life imprisonment, to be served consecutively, the maximum permissible penalty at the time. Attorney David Baugh, who represented List in Virginia, offers support.AP Photo/Steve Helber. He spent his days at the train station reading, napping, and wondering how to get his family out of their financial mess. We have estimated John A. List's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. His picture was also shown on television, which led one of his neighbours to notify the authorities. John List was on the run when they met in 1985 after having murdered his family members about 14 years before. One day in late 1971, John List shot and killed his wife,Helen; his 16-year-old daughter, Patricia; his 15-year-old son, John; his 13-year-old son, Frederick; and his mother, Alma, aged 85. Assistant Prosecutor Eleanor Clark strongly protested telling the jury of Helen List's syphilis during bitter legal arguments over several days. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. John List (murderer) (1925-2008), American mass murderer. The News Leaders copyright story quoted his pastor, closest friend and neighbors as saying that the arrest was unbelievable and impossible.. 'He faced limited options and like a small rubber band, he snapped. His lawyer, Elijah Miller Jr., argues that knowing his wife suffered from syphilis helped drive the deeply religious man over the edge. He was finally apprehended in Virginia on June 1, 1989, after the story of his murders was broadcast on the television program America's Most Wanted. He did not mention his wife, his mother, or his children. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. 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. Soon after his high school graduation, he joined the United States Army during the Second World War, where he worked as a laboratory technician. He was previously married to Delores Miller and Helen List. He defended himself saying that he was not mentally stable. "I've regretted my action and prayed for forgiveness ever since. He had been fired from all his jobs due to his cold demeanor and his inability to be social with his co-workers. "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. At one religious gathering, he met an Army PX clerk named Delores Miller and married her in 1985. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. 07, 2022, 8:00 a.m. 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. John Emil List, 63, was profiled on the TV program "America's Most Wanted" May 21. 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. Simring said List showed "no evidence of anything that approached genuine remorse," adding, "He's a cold, cold man.". Spouse/Ex-: Delores Miller Clark (m. 19851989), Helen List (m. 19511971), children: Frederick List, John, Jr. In 1989, Fox network broadcasted a TV show titled Americas Most Wanted, where an episode featured the New Jersey mass murders of John by his family. "[36] The judge was unpersuaded: "John Emil List is without remorse and without honor," he said. List methodically murdered his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and their three childrenPatricia, 16; Frederick, 13; and John Jr., 15. Born in Bay City, Michigan, List was the only child of German-American parents John Frederick List (18591944) and Alma Barbara Florence List (18871971). List and his family were the embodiment of the American dream in 1965. The undertaker keeps the remains for a year and if nobody comes to claim them, they are put in a concrete vault and buried in a grave (at the state cemetery) on Cedar Lane in Trenton.". In 1965, they moved again to Breeze Knoll, a 19-room mansion in Westfield. List, 64, faces multiple life sentences if he is convicted. . When authorities entered the Westfield, New Jersey house on December 7, 1971, they heard organ music piped through the intercom system. He later took a job as the vice president at a bank in New Jersey, where the family finally got settled. He later completed his masters degree in accounting and worked as an accountant in the military. While there is no set timetable on when that might happen, Daly said the remains of other prison inmates have been stored for up to roughly three months by the medical examiner's office. He was born John Emil List on 15 September 1925 to John Frederick List and Alma Barbara Florence List. 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. Get up to speed with our Essential California newsletter, sent six days a week. March 2 (UPI) -- A Minnesota police officer came to the rescue of a raccoon he spotted running around with a jar stuck over its head. John List may refer to: John A. Daly said that if no one comes forward, the remains would eventually be returned to the state Department of Corrections, which has had custody of List since his conviction in 1990. "It's just like D-Day, you go in, there's no stopping after you start," he said. List is accused of killing his wife, his three children and his mother in 1971. In addition, it will contact the Social Security Administration, Veteran's Administration and Public Welfare for any possible death benefits. The suspect denied he is List but the FBI said a positive link had been made through fingerprints. The family were devout Lutherans. In November 1971, the mass murderer and long-time fugitive killed his wife, mother, and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey. Those who knew List, including in his second life: Kathleen "Kay" Ciarfello, Randy Mitchell, Les Wingfield, the Rev. That left his oldest son. He murdered his mother, wife and three children at their home in Westfield, New Jersey on November 9, 1971. He then cleaned the crime scenes, removed his pictures from all family photographs, turned the lights and the radio on, and departed. The episode aired on May 21, 1989 (Opens in a new tab), catching the eye of a neighbor who called the police and warned Clark's second wife, who seemed "stunned." (Opens in a new tab) List was . "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. Interview statement on List's confession to his second wife. He married Helen and raised three children with her, while working as an accountant in many places, such as New York and New Jersey. "I was hungry," he told Downtown, adding with a chuckle, "that's just the way it was.". "[21][22] List was questioned by FBI investigators after his capture, but he denied any involvement in the Cooper case. They did not have any children together. Her story put an end to the 18-year-long mystery. 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. British bus driver stops to give loose sheep a lift. Of the more than 200 tips from viewers that the FBI received from the program, one said a man resembling. "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.". On November 9, 1971, John List shot his wife, his mother, and his three children. List caught the tail end of the show with his wife, who did not know his past. Read on to discover more details. He left his mother's body in her apartment in the attic. And it came from a family member of all people. Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. After making himself lunch, List drove to his bank to close both his and his mother's bank accounts, and then to Westfield High School to watch his elder son John Frederick, 15, play in a soccer game. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. On November 9, 1971, after the children left for school, List shot his wife Helen in the back of the head as she was drinking her coffee. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. The New Jersey mansion he inhabited with his mother, wife, and three children had 19 rooms, including a ballroom, marble fireplaces, and a Tiffany skylight. The couple had three children together, while Helens daughter Brenda left home in 1960 after her marriage. 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. He was the only child born to German-Americans John Frederick List and Alma Maria Barbara Florence List. 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. No one has stepped forward to claim the body of mass murderer John List, who died while serving a life sentence for killing his Westfield family in 1971, authorities said today. [15] Destroyed along with the home was the ballroom's stained glass skylight, rumored to be a signed Tiffany original, worth at least $100,000 at the time (equivalent to $650,000 in 2021). John Emil List (September 17, 1925 March 21, 2008) was an American mass murderer[1] and long-time fugitive. Like his father, List was a devout Lutheran and a Sunday school teacher. Later, John took a lucrative job at Xerox and moved to New York and lived there with his family for a few years. Following the end of the war, he resumed his studies and enrolled into the University of Michigan, from where he completed his bachelors degree in business administration. [11], Breeze Knoll remained empty until it was destroyed by fire in August 1972, nine months after the murders. List left a confession letter at the scene, so police had little doubt as to who was responsible for the killings. Following his high school graduation, he enlisted into the American military and worked as a lab technician. A South Carolina jury has found once-prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh guilty on all counts in the deaths of his wife and son. Los Angeles, 12 reasons why Sycamore Avenue is L.A.s coolest new hangout, Fox News finally reveals its kryptonite: the bottom line, The Week in Photos: California exits pandemic emergency amid a winter landscape, Snowboarder dies at South Lake Tahoe resort, California to alter COVID rules in healthcare settings: Masks and vaccinations not required, Welcome to the world, baby Winter, born amid a snowstorm in Lake Arrowhead, Gripped by grace: Thousands gather for Bishop OConnells funeral Mass. Gwyn Conger Steinbeck - Who was She? John Sr. drove over to his school and watched him playing in a soccer game. John confessed to committing the murders in February 1990. [16], List eventually expressed a degree of remorse for his crimes. YouTubeThe bodies of John Lists wife and three teenage children were found laid out on sleeping bags in the ballroom. List (born 1968), American economist. "I remember talking about funerals and cremation and burials. 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. Then, he went up to the third floor and murdered his mother in her bed. Joe Sharkey's DEATH SENTENCE is an account of the life of John Emil List who, in a case that was well known in the 70s, killed his mother, his wife, and their 3 children. Please enter your username or email address to reset your password. [13] List also stopped milk, mail, and newspaper deliveries. He met his first wife, Helen Morris Taylor, whose husband had been killed in action in Korea. Over the years, the John List murders have been featured in films such as Judgment Day: The John List Story and The Stepfather. Because syphilis is not infectious in its later phases, she did not pass it on to John List or her children, although she suffered several miscarriages during her first marriage. [5] By 1959, List had risen to general supervisor of the company's accounting department; but Helen, an alcoholic, had become increasingly unstable. He canceled all deliveries and contacted his childrens schools to let their teachers know the family would be on vacation for a few weeks. Authorities went to Clarks home and spoke to his wife, whom he met at a church social gathering. List's death ended a sordid chapter in Westfield's history. Born in 1925 in a conservative Lutheran family, single child John List was a fairly shy, odd and obsessed with military books child from Michigan. 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 . news, He says today he felt he was letting the family down. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He died on March 21, 2008 in Trenton, New Jersey, USA. His sixteen years old daughter and 13 years old son returned from the school at noon. When the police entered the house, on December 7th, the bodies had begun to decompose. It took 18 years for John List to be arrested. Salary in 2021. He was not, however, willing to suffer the earthly consequences of his actions. In February 1988, the couple moved to a house in the Brandermill neighborhood of Midlothian, Virginia, where List, still using the name Bob Clark, resumed work as an accountant at a small accounting firm, Maddrea, Joyner, Kirkham & Woody. Then he went downstairs, dragged his wife's body into the ballroom and began scrubbing up the blood so the children would not realize what was going on when they got back from school. He gave him a ride home, then shot him in the chest. 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. 'It's as if you're on a race track going around and around with no way out,' Miller told the jury in Union County Superior Court. In a three-sentence statement to the court, he said he was sorry for "the tragedy that happened in 1971." Currently, the morgue is storing the body of "Thrill Killer" Richard Biegenwald, who died March 10 while serving a murder conviction for killing five victims - two teenage girls, two young women and one man - in Monmouth County from Oct. 31, 1981, to Nov. 20, 1982. Corrections spokeswoman Deirdre Fedkenheuer said the social services unit at New Jersey State Prison, where List was an inmate, will attempt to find the nearest relative to see if that person would claim the body. A neurologist, Dr. Henry Liss, testified earlier Friday that Helen List, 45, had tertiary syphilis and had hidden her disease for years from her doctors and her family. John was convicted of five counts of first-degree murder and five terms of life imprisonment. [11][12], List placed the bodies of his wife and children on sleeping bags in the mansion's ballroom. In 1971, John List lost his job at the bank at age 46. Madeleine Talmage Astor ( ne Force; later Dick and Fiermonte; June 19, 1893 - March 27, 1940) was an American socialite and a survivor of the RMS Titanic. In addition to the financial distress, his eldest daughter wanted to become an actress, which was not acceptable by John owing to his Conservative upbringing. He killed Patricia when she returned home from school, then the youngest son, Frederick. Then he sat down and wrote a confession letter to his pastor explaining his financial problems. Help us build our profile of John List (murderer) and Delores Miller (wife)! [44], In 2022, NJ Advance Media released "Father Wants Us Dead," a podcast serial on the events.[45]. He went to the post office to stop the family's mail, then to the bank, where he cashed his mother's savings bonds, checking that he got the correct interest to the penny. Authorities later revealed that John kept lying to his family about his jobs. He then drove his son back to the house and emptied both the guns on him, shooting him in his head and chest repeatedly. Jurors deliberated for about . He later moved to California, and then Detroit, where he worked as an accountant in a local firm. YouTubeAn aerial view of the List family home in Westfield, New Jersey. [10] While his children were at school, he shot his wife Helen, 47, in the back of the head, and then his mother Alma, 84, above the left eye. The 14th and final defense witness was the defendant's brother John . After List's discharge in 1946, List enrolled at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in accounting, and was commissioned a second lieutenant through ROTC. Specifically: I am a member of St Lorenz Lutheran Church with access to burial records. 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March 3 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts library said a book was recently returned with a note apologizing for the tome being 56 years overdue. John List, going by the name Robert Clark, rented a room in this house in Richmond, Virginia from S. Wallace Parsons, until he and Delores Clark moved into their new home. He also claimed to be suffering from PTSD. After driving John Frederick home, List shot him repeatedly because, as misfire evidence showed, his son attempted to defend himself. [4], After completion of his second tour in 1952, List worked for an accounting firm in Detroit, and then as an audit supervisor at a paper company in Kalamazoo, where his three children were born. 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.