Reason First: When Compassion is Omitted- The Boston Strangler Case

Mystery once abounded in the case of the “Boston Strangler” during the early 1960’s. Around the time of the crimes, authorities lacked any physical evidence linking the crime to Albert DeSalvo, the killer they ultimately convicted. He didn’t even fit the name. Monikers like “The Green Man” and “The Measuring Man” applied to him. So, there was still a cloud of uncertainty hanging over a case involving the deaths of thirteen women. Imagine the terror these women faced right before DeSalvo snuffed out their lives. DeSalvo’s level of irrationality must have been high. To not think about anything beyond extinguishing the very lives he held in his hands, made him an animal.

In an update in the twenty-first century on whether DeSalvo actually committed the horrific crimes, officials determined that DNA from the scene where Mary Sullivan perished matched DeSalvo’s but evidence remained muddy as to whether he carried out the other murders. In the summer of 2013, the exhumation of DeSalvo’s body only provided an exact match to Miss Sullivan. Questions still remained in relation to the demise of the twelve other women.

So what does this mean? Is there a possible suspect still alive and lingering in one of the most famous cities in the country? The facts point to DeSalvo who also confessed to a fellow inmate, George Nasser while in prison. With this confession, the DNA evidence, and conclusions related to a different court case, it would appear DeSalvo was, in fact, the “Stocking Strangler.”

DNA and other properties have led to people being taken out of prison or cleared of going or caused them to remain behind bars. Or, decades later, can solidify a case that had once been shrouded in clouds of doubt.

What does it take for someone to hit that switch in their minds marked “immoral and murderous?” Not much it seems. All someone has to do is jettison any rational ideation. That descent into the irrational and the gravely unethical can happen to any human, it requires evasion. One must ignore or reject the idea that innocent human life is precious. For the individual who can do that, the transition to brute becomes an afterthought.

Since DeSalvo wasn’t considered a prime suspect at first, rumors and legends swirled regarding the possibility of multiple stranglers creeping around the city. And this brings up another question...should suspects in murder cases be stripped of their right to elect to be cremated? If the authorities had not dug up a corpse, would there have been much damning evidence against DeSalvo?

Thirteen women saw violent ends by a man who abandoned empathy. His capacity for empathy wasn’t broken, he chose to lower himself to the level of a savage. What leads someone to this vicious point? Is it society? No. The term sociopath is a misnomer. Society is but a construct. It is a collection of individuals living in a specific geographic area. Psychopathy is more likely the case, but even that may not explain why someone “snaps” and goes on a killing spree. It is the difference between choosing disregard for the life of an innocent over empathy. Had DeSalvo just used his mind rationally, he could have not only been a productive member of society but productive, period.

From the Christian myth of Cain and Abel to now, murder has always been a famous subject, and remains to be a constant problem in cultures all around theglobe. The DeSalvos of the world may always be a disgusting problem, however, violent crimes and other crimes have dropped in most regions of the earth over the past few decades.