When the "gorilla man" came knocking

Have you ever met someone that seemed destined to fail? These are the people with a pessimistic temperament and never get anything right. To call Earle Leonard Nelson a born loser wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination.

The future serial killer was born in 1897 in San Francisco. Both his parents died from syphilis before he was two. Afterward, his maternal grandparents raised him. They weren’t the loving grandparent types that bake cookies and go to amusement parks with their grandchildren. They were religious, rigid, and raised their grandson to consider sex dirty and disgusting.

When he became 10, his life took a dramatic turn. While riding his bike, he crashed into a streetcar. He remained unconscious for nearly a week. Although he recovered, Nelson’s head injury caused memory loss and headaches. He also began talking to invisible people.

The incident would lead to a life of crime. When Nelson was 18, authorities arrested him for breaking into a cabin. He received a full expense paid trip to San Quentin prison for his troubles. In 1921, he claimed to be a plumber and gained entry into a home. Nelson attempted to rape a 12-year-old girl. Fortunately, her brother rescued his sister by beating Nelson and holding him for authorities.

After authorities arrested Nelson, they sent him to the Napa State Hospital for a mental evaluation. Had they sent him to prison, it could have saved at least 20 women from being brutally murdered. While in the hospital, psychiatrist William Pritchard examined Nelson.

Somehow, the doctor didn’t find him violent or dangerous. Nelson said he heard music and thought people wanted to kill him. He escaped three times. The hospital tired of recapturing him and released him in 1925. Once back on the streets, he roamed the streets for victims. He began searching classifieds for available rooms for rent.

He would inquire about a room and then murder the woman who showed him the room. After murdering the women, he had sex with their corpses and stole their valuables. He even carried a Bible to give himself the appearance of a good Christian man.

His first known victim was an elderly woman in San Francisco. He strangled her after asking to see a room. Two weeks later, he murdered another woman.

He became known as the “gorilla man” because of his physical appearance. A witness described him as “a dark, stocky man, with long arms and large hands.” He began hitchhiking across the country and then into Canada. He left a long trail of dead women behind him.

The gorilla man left a trail of dead bodies

By June 1927, he had traveled to Winnipeg. After finding a room for rent, he lured a 14-year-old flower girl into his room. He moved into a different room after strangling the teenager. He then killed Emily Patterson after she agreed to rent him a room in exchange for maintenance work.

Once Canadian authorities connected the killings, they realized he was the infamous gorilla man. After authorities realized he would try to return to the United States, they alerted border patrols to watch for Nelson. Canadian authorities arrested him in Wakopa, Manitoba.

After his arrest, he escaped. Authorities recaptured him after sneaking onto a train with several Winnipeg police officers. It’s believed he killed at least 22 people and most of them were landladies. After his arrest, he told reporters he only killed his women on Saturdays. He later recanted his statement and claimed his innocence.

Canadian authorities tried him in November 1927. Witnesses from America and Canada testified. He was convicted and then hanged on January 13, 1928 in Winnipeg. His final words were “I forgive those who have wronged me."

If nothing else, the gorilla man proved that you can’t always judge a person by their personal appearance. Even a well-spoken person carrying a Bible can be dangerous.