The Twisted Tale of John Martin Scripps: The Tourist From Hell Serial Killer

In the world of tourism, there are the occasional nuisances: the drunk reveller, the loud partygoer, or the entitled traveller who demands everyone speak English. However, among these, none can match the chilling malevolence of John Martin Scripps, a tourist who embarked on vacations with a sinister purpose—to take innocent lives.

Born in 1959 in the quintessentially British-sounding town of Letchworth, Hertfordshire, Scripps had a troubled upbringing. Frequent travels accompanied his childhood, as his father worked as a truck driver. Tragedy struck when Scripps was just nine years old, as his father took his own life. This dark event marked the beginning of a tumultuous journey through life for Scripps.

As a teenager, Scripps dropped out of school and set off on a journey around the world. He took up odd jobs to sustain himself, living a life that was, in some ways, an early precursor to the modern nomadic traveller influencer. However, Scripps' travels were far from idyllic wanderlust. Instead, they were marred by criminal activities.

Scripps' first encounter with the law occurred in May 1974, when, at the age of 15, he was charged with burglary. Due to his minor status, he received a conditional discharge, contingent upon not committing another crime within the following year. Despite this warning, Scripps proceeded to commit three more thefts over the next two years.

Throughout his life, Scripps lived as a vagabond, traversing the globe and occasionally resorting to criminal endeavours to sustain himself. His criminal record grew steadily, leading him into a life of incarceration.

In an ironic twist, Scripps married a local woman from Cancun named Maria Pilar Arellanos when he was just 21 years old. Together, they embraced a nomadic existence, akin to the popular van life trend seen today. However, their partnership was short-lived, as Scripps found himself incarcerated once again, this time for theft, burglary, and resisting arrest. His imprisonment marked the end of their adventurous journey together, as Maria preferred a husband who was not behind bars.

Upon his release, Scripps remained steadfast in his wanderlust. However, his criminal knowledge led him to an even darker path: heroin trafficking between Asia and Europe. This illegal endeavour brought him under the scrutiny of the authorities. During a search at Heathrow Airport, Scripps was found in possession of a significant quantity of heroin, leading to his imprisonment in various locations throughout the UK.

Remarkably, Scripps managed to escape from custody not once but twice. During "home leave," a period in which he could temporarily leave prison and return home, he made his getaway. His mother, aware of his criminal tendencies, had pleaded with prison authorities not to grant him such privileges. She even provided him with 200 pounds to help him evade capture after his last escape.

Scripps, under the alias Simon James Davis, fled abroad, highlighting the glaring flaws in the UK prison system. Unbeknownst to authorities, this escape marked the beginning of a gruesome killing spree that would take the lives of multiple innocent travellers.

The precise motivations behind Scripps' transformation into a serial killer remain a mystery, but his criminal history and prison experiences likely played a role in his descent into darkness. He had even acquired macabre skills while incarcerated, working as a butcher and learning to dismember and bone animals. Unfortunately, he would soon apply these horrifying skills to human victims.

Scripps committed his first confirmed murder in Singapore on March 8, 1995. His victim, Gerard Lowe, a chemical engineer on a business trip, was lured into a hotel room, incapacitated with an electroshock weapon, and brutally killed with a hammer. Scripps then dismembered Lowe's body in the bathroom, horrifyingly mirroring his prison job as a butcher.

His modus operandi involved befriending fellow travellers, sharing accommodations with them, and subsequently murdering them. He continued this gruesome pattern with Sheila Mae Damude and her son, Darin Jon Damude, Canadian citizens, in Thailand. After killing them, Scripps maintained a chilling routine, lingering near the crime scenes and using the victims' credit cards and bank accounts.

Scripps' reign of terror came to an end on March 19, 1995, when he was apprehended at Changi Airport in Singapore. Astonishingly, he carried a mountain of evidence against himself, including the victims' credit cards, passports, and even the murder weapons. Authorities also discovered his peculiar habit of staying near the scenes of his crimes for days after committing them.

In a swift legal process, Singapore sentenced Scripps to death by hanging. Despite his attempts to defend himself by claiming self-defence and his experience as a butcher, the overwhelming evidence led to his conviction.

Scripps' execution in Changi prison on April 19, 1996, marked a significant chapter in Singapore's criminal history. While he was executed for Lowe's murder, authorities suspect that Scripps may have been responsible for more victims. The true extent of his crimes may never be known.

John Martin Scripps, The Tourist From Hell Serial Killer, serves as a chilling reminder that the world of travel can harbour far more sinister individuals than the occasional annoying fellow raveler. His gruesome acts will forever be a dark stain on the history of tourism.