Robert hanson biography

American serial killer (1939–2014)

For justness American double agent, see Parliamentarian Hanssen. For other people assemble similar names, see Robert Hansen (disambiguation).

Robert Christian Boes Hansen^[2] (February 15, 1939 – August 21, 2014), popularly make something difficult to see as the Butcher Baker, was an American serial assassin active in Anchorage, Alaska, 'tween 1972 and 1983.

Hansen abducted, raped and murdered at least possible seventeen women. Many of influence women abducted were released toddler Hansen into the wilderness with the addition of hunted with a Ruger Mini-14 and hunting knives. Hansen was captured in 1983 and sentenced to 461 years' imprisonment pass up the possibility of parole.^[3][4] Crystalclear died in 2014 of leading light causes at age 75.

Early life

Robert Hansen was born exclaim Estherville, Iowa, on February 15, 1939, the eldest of yoke children to an American Edna Margret Hansen (née Petersen; October 27, 1916 – Apr 24, 2005)^[5] and a Norse father, local baker Christian "Chris" Hansen (September 16, 1907 – August 12, 1983).^[6] Robert was employed at his father's workplace.

The family moved to Richmond, California, in 1942, but complementary to Iowa in 1949 explode settled in Pocahontas.^[7]

In his prepubescence, Hansen was painfully shy, difficult to understand a stutter and suffered despotic acne that left him everlastingly scarred. Throughout childhood and juvenility, he was described as well-ordered quiet loner who had grand difficult relationship with his autocratic father.

Hansen started to apply both hunting and archery, generally finding refuge in those pastimes.^[8] In 1957, he enlisted feature the United States Army Purity and served for one gathering before being discharged. He closest worked as an assistant guidance instructor at a police institution in Pocahontas. There, he began a relationship with a secondary woman, whom he married exertion the middle of 1960.

First crimes

On December 7, 1960, Hansen was arrested for burning dilute a Pocahontas County, Iowa faculty bus garage, as revenge embody his unpopularity in high school.^[1] He served twenty months extent a three-year prison sentence give it some thought Anamosa State Penitentiary.^[4] During her highness incarceration, he was diagnosed assort manic depression with periodic not have all one\'s marbles episodes.^[9] The psychiatrist who ended the diagnosis noted that Hansen had an "infantile personality" courier was obsessed with getting restrict at people he felt challenging wronged him.^[9][10] Hansen's wife filed for divorce while he was incarcerated.

Over the next scarce years, Hansen was jailed a handful times for petty theft.^[11] Pound 1967, he moved to Retreat, Alaska, with his second better half, whom he had married play a role 1963 and with whom take steps had two children. In Area, he was well liked in and out of his neighbors and set very many local hunting records.

In Dec 1971, Hansen was arrested twofold, first for abducting and attempting to rape an unidentified homemaker, then for raping an unrecognized sex worker. He pleaded clumsy contest to assault with swell deadly weapon in the find offense; the rape charge not far from the sex worker was derelict as part of a solve bargain. Hansen was sentenced cross your mind five years in prison; equate serving six months of diadem sentence, he was placed have time out a work release program vital released to a halfway house.^[12] In 1976, Hansen pleaded criminal to larceny after he was caught stealing a chainsaw getaway an Anchorage Fred Meyer storehouse.

He was sentenced to quint years in prison and constrained to receive psychiatric treatment fetch his bipolar disorder.^[13] The Alaska Supreme Court reduced his ruling, and he was released criticism time served.^[14]

Murders and capture

Hansen research paper believed to have begun butchery around 1972.^[4] His modus operandi is believed to have back number to stalk a woman style learn her habits, eventually sensitive her up in his automobile and forcing her at muzzle to his home, where prohibited would rape her; he hawthorn then have taken the eve to a secluded area current "hunted" her as if she were wild game before dangerous or stabbing her.^[3] Some domination the women Hansen murdered were sex workers; many were teenagers.

It is believed by ministry that Hansen's first murder sufferer was 18-year-old Celia van Zanten. Van Zanten was kidnapped abundance December 22, 1971, and froze to death in the wilds after escaping from her abductor; her body was discovered discontinue December 25. The abduction occurred three days after Hansen lasting his assault on the lovemaking worker for which he was imprisoned.

While there are unkind similarities between Hansen's modus operandi and Van Zanten's abduction, concerning is no conclusive evidence link him to the attack forward he himself denied involvement.^[15]

On June 13, 1983, Hansen offered 17-year-old Cindy Paulson $200 to doing oral sex; when she got into the car, he pulled out a gun and swarm her to his home well-heeled Muldoon.

There, he held torment captive and proceeded to distribute and torture her. She following told police that after Hansen chained her by the salute to a post in ruler basement, he took a nod off on a nearby couch.^[16] While in the manner tha he awoke, he put sagacious in his car and took her to Merrill Field aerodrome, where he told her go wool-gathering he intended to "take waste away out to his cabin" (a shack in the Knik Succession area of the Matanuska-Susitna Dell accessible only by boat respectable bush plane).

Paulson, crouched reveal the back seat of grandeur car with her wrists abused in front of her entity, saw a chance to fly the coop when Hansen was busy load the cockpit of his plane, a Piper PA-18 Super Pup. While Hansen's back was beastly, Paulson crawled out of rectitude back seat, opened the driver's side door and ran be concerned with nearby Sixth Avenue.^[17]

Paulson later oral police that she had stay poised her blue sneakers on illustriousness passenger side floor of illustriousness sedan's backseat as evidence dump she had been in Hansen's car.

Hansen panicked and pursued her, but Paulson reached 6th Avenue and managed to standard down a passing truck. Nobleness driver, Robert Yount, alarmed brush aside Paulson's disheveled appearance, stopped extort picked her up. He crowd her to the Mush Breakfast, where she jumped out accuse the truck and ran sentiment. While she pleaded with class clerk to phone her lover at the Big Timber Bed, Yount continued on to job, where he called the guard to report the incident.

When Anchorage Police Department (APD) personnel arrived at the Mush B & b, they were told that Paulson had taken a cab regard the Big Timber Motel. APD officers arrived there and construct Paulson in Room 110, get done handcuffed and alone. She was taken to APD headquarters, hoop she described the perpetrator. Hansen, when questioned by APD personnel, denied Paulson's accusation, stating focus she was trying to utensil trouble for him because take action would not pay her demand demands.

This excuse became sole Hansen used on other occasions, but although he had a few prior run-ins with the protocol, Hansen's meek demeanor and unaffected occupation as a baker, far ahead with an alibi from sovereign friend John Henning, persuaded law enforcement agency not to consider him nifty serious suspect.

Detective Glenn Flothe of the Alaska State Troopers had been part of graceful team investigating the discovery care several bodies in and enclosing Anchorage, Seward and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley area. The first vacation the bodies was found overtake construction workers near Eklutna Means. The body, dubbed Eklutna Annie by investigators, has never anachronistic identified.

Later that year, integrity body of Joanna Messina was discovered in a gravel hole near Seward, and in 1982 the remains of 23-year-old Sherry Morrow were discovered in top-notch shallow grave near the Knik River.^[18] Flothe believed all pair women had been murdered near the same perpetrator.

Flothe contacted Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent John Douglas professor requested help with an wrongdoer profile based on the team a few recovered bodies.

Douglas thought nobleness killer would be an skilful hunter with low self-esteem, own a history of being excluded by women, and would force to compelled to keep "souvenirs" read his murders, such as systematic victim's jewelry. He also optional that the assailant might verbalize. Using this profile, Flothe investigated possible suspects until he reached Hansen, who fit the thumbnail and owned a plane.^[19]

Supported unreceptive Paulson's testimony and Douglas' figure, Flothe and the APD tied up certain a warrant to search Hansen's plane, vehicles and home.

Go on strike October 27, 1983, investigators uncover jewelry belonging to some present the missing women as spasm as an array of guns in a corner hideaway party Hansen's attic, which included calligraphic .223-caliberRuger Mini-14 semi-automatic rifle. As well found was an aeronautical blueprint with thirty-seven little "x" script on it, hidden behind Hansen's headboard.

Many of these businessman matched sites where bodies difficult been found (others were unconcealed later at the locations earth on Hansen's murder map).

When confronted with the evidence figure in his home, Hansen denied it as long as powder could, but he eventually began to blame the women jaunt tried to justify his bags.

Eventually confessing to each resemblance of evidence as it was presented to him, he common to a spree of attacks against Alaskan women starting adjust 1971. Hansen's earliest victims were girls or young women, customarily between ages 16 and 19 and not sex workers, opposite from some of the victims who led to his discovery.^[20]

Victims

Hansen assessment known to have raped take assaulted over thirty Alaskan squadron and to have murdered package least seventeen, ranging in addendum from 16 to 41, notwithstanding based on evidence, law fulfilment suspect that Hansen killed motionless least twenty-one female victims.^[21] Blue blood the gentry following is a list put a stop to Hansen's known victims and many other additional women who own been mentioned as possible chumps.

Of these eighteen women, Hansen was only formally charged knapsack the murders of four: Sherry Morrow, Joanna Messina, Eklutna Annie and Paula Goulding. He was also charged with the sexual assault and rape of Cindy Paulson.

• Celia Beth van Zanten, after that 18 years old, was representative home with two of afflict three older brothers on Dec 22, 1971.

  The three befit them shared a house extensive Knik Avenue in south Covert, close to Northern Lights Lane, with their older brother existing cousin. Her parents resided satisfy a different home in Metropolis. In the late evening, Beth left her house and walked a few blocks to representation nearby BI-LO supermarket. The BI-LO closed at 9:00 p.m., and she left at 8:30.

  Between 8:45 and 9:00 p.m., a witness dappled Beth go to the BI-LO.^[22] At around 9:00 p.m., a march claimed to have spotted disgruntlement on Northern Lights Boulevard. She never reached the BI-LO. Back up disappearance was reported two stage later. On December 25, 1971, her body was discovered hit out at Chugach State Park, close merriment Anchorage.

  Her chest had back number sliced with a knife, topmost she had been bound nearby subjected to a sexual transgress abuse. She had been dumped, placid alive, into a deep cleft before dying from exposure. According to forensic evidence, she attempted to climb back up decency slope but was unable standing do so due to bodyguard bindings. Hansen has been culprit of killing her because take possession of an "x" on his even map but he denied field for both her death deed other women's homicides who were not involved in sex work.^[23]

• Megan Siobhan Emerick, then 17, misplaced on July 7, 1973, birth Seward, Alaska.

  She was latest spotted leaving a dorm wash room while attending the departure school Seward Skill Center. She has not been seen strength heard from since. Megan omitted behind all of her out-of-the-way items, including her identification.^[24] Beforehand contacting the police, her roomie conducted a three-day search rep her.

  Hansen denied killing round out to authorities, but he sincere admit he was in Politico on the day Megan mislaid. Due to an "x" encourage his aircraft map in significance Seward region, he is esteem to be responsible. Apparently, Hansen admitted to a former occupier that he transported Megan forth a cabin in the Pol region that was only accessible by boat, where he join and buried her.^[25]

• On July 5, 1975, Mary Kathleen Thill, elderly 22, disappeared from Seward, Alaska.

  Her husband was away running on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline remarkable she lived on Lower Shortcoming Road. She was driven talk of town by a friend, who then dropped her off submit a local bakery.^[26] Between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m., a different greet saw her by a chute on Lowell Point Road. She has not been seen rout heard from since.

  Hansen obvious being in Seward on glory day Thill vanished but denied killing her. An "x" television his aviation chart in illustriousness vicinity of Resurrection Bay accumulated suspicions about him. Hansen famous to killing her and riddance her body in Resurrection Niche, according to a former prisoner.^[27]

• The remains of Eklutna Annie were discovered buried next to clean up power line in a woody area, one mile south detail South Eklutna Lake Road access Eklutna, Anchorage, Alaska on July 21, 1980.^[28] Hansen admitted do as you are told stabbing her in the return to after she made an take pains to flee from his motor car.

  She was either a alien dancer or a prostitute, according to Hansen, who also alleged that she was his be foremost murder victim.^[29] Despite his make ground that Eklutna Annie might control come from Kodiak, Alaska, troopers think she might have disembarked in Alaska via California.

  Need body had already been remarkably consumed by wildlife when pass was found in a skindeep grave near Eklutna Lake Road.^[30]

• Local topless dancer 24-year-old Joanna Messina went out to dinner channel of communication Hansen on May 19, 1980, while she was working layer Seward, Alaska.

  According to Hansen, before Messina offered him coition in exchange for cash, nature was going smoothly. Hansen refused to pay and refused quick release her, so he swarm her and her dog resting on a distant place by representation Snow River. He hit jettison with a .22 caliber heater before shooting her twice squeeze the dog once.

  He misuse Messina's body to a raspy pit nearby and dumped doggedness over her body. The go after and Messina's belongings were fearful into the woods, and nobility gun was thrown into character Snow River. On July 8, 1980, her severely decomposed protest was found after it challenging been eviscerated by wildlife.

• On June 28, 1980, Roxane Easland, exploitation 24 years old, vanished.^[31] She had been residing at dignity Budget Motel on Spenard Limit in Anchorage, Alaska, with an added boyfriend for the previous digit weeks.

  On that day, she was scheduled to meet fraudster unnamed man downtown on Quaternary Avenue. She has not bent seen or heard from because. Although Hansen admitted to insult her, her body was not at any time discovered.^[32]

• At the nightclub she specious at in Anchorage, Lisa Futrell met and was subsequently seize by Hansen on September 6, 1980.

  When the 41-year-old unsuccessful to return home following rebuff September 7 shift at class club, her two younger housemates reported her missing. Her target was discovered on May 9, 1984, buried next to span gravel pit south of rendering former Knik Arm Bridge.

• Sherry Morrow, a 23-year-old topless dancer, pick up friends she was meeting boss photographer who had promised grouping $300 for nude images meeting November 17, 1981.

  She was never seen again. A flimsy grave was discovered by hunters on the banks of honourableness Knik River, which borders Refuge, on September 12, 1982. Day-spring, who was reported missing tidy year earlier, was identified outlandish the remains. She had customary three gunshot wounds to rendering back, and cartridges discovered side to the body revealed focus a .223 Ruger Mini-14 inquiry rifle had been used let down deliver the shots.

  An strange feature was that although distinction body was found fully should prefer to, there were no bullet holes in the clothing, suggesting ramble Sherry had been naked just as shot, and had been redressed after death before being buried.

• At 11:00 p.m. on December 2, 1981, Andrea Mona "Fish" Altiery, 24, was last seen boarding natty taxi to go to honesty Boniface Mall in Anchorage, Alaska.

  She intended to meet brush up unnamed male for a snap shoot and to perform unfamiliar dances. She has not antiquated seen or heard from owing to. When authorities searched Hansen's give you an idea about, several of Altiery's possessions, with her fish necklace, were disclosed. Hansen claimed that after recognized met her, he threatened junk with a gun and abducted her, blindfolding and handcuffing coffee break.

  Near the Knik Arm Go over, they took a car take advantage of a service road off Wayfarer Highway. He unbound her nearly and abused her sexually. Subside killed her with a .22 Browning automatic pistol after she retaliated. He then stole Altiery's necklace, weighted a duffel shopping bag with gravel, tied it be adjacent to the dead woman and threw her off the bridge contemporary into the Knik River.

  Irregular body was never found.^[33]

• Sue Luna, a 23-year-old exotic dancer, willingly agreed to a $300 print shoot offer with a club patron. On May 26, 1982, she met Hansen in on the rocks diner parking lot in City, Alaska. The following day, Luna was reported missing. Hansen abstruse abducted and killed her, mistreatment buried her in the Knik River.

  She was discovered constitution April 24, 1984. According snip Hansen, he had her run off into the forest while “hunting” her like an animal one-time she was stripped naked. Luna had been shot to death.

• The partial skeletal remains of Robin Pelkey,^[34] 19, were found first acquaintance April 25, 1984, in Pilgrim, Alaska, close to Horseshoe Repository.

  It was determined that she had been stabbed and bullet. It is unknown if that victim was involved in rumpy-pumpy work. In October 2021, rightful genealogy was used to adjudge her identity, having been publicize by the moniker "Horseshoe Harriet" before she was identified. Inappropriate in the 1980s, Pelkey resided in Anchorage, Alaska, and she vanished on July 19, 1983.^[35]

• DeLynne "Sugar" Renee Frey, a 22-year-old former resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was last seen sometime look March 1983 but was cry immediately reported missing.

  She was abducted and killed by Hansen. She was buried as "Jane Doe" in an Anchorage necropolis after her body was unconcealed on a Knik River barricade by a pilot trying anguish new tires on August 20, 1985. It was not unfinished 1989 that she was purposeful when an Alaska State Soldier recognised her jewelry in pure case file photo.

• Paula Goulding, 30,^[36] was a dancer in Destination when, on April 25, 1983, Hansen offered her money formerly kidnapping her.

  He drove throw away to his aircraft and in the old days they reached a remote dimness, she fought with him tell attempted to get away, according to Hansen. She fled, point of view he fired a .223 pillage at her, killing her. Brains September 2, 1983, she was discovered on the Knik Tributary, buried in a shallow scratch.

  She had been wounded deception the back, but because pretty up clothing was undamaged, it decay possible that she was ball while still naked and verification clothed before being buried.

• Cindy Paulson, 17, met Hansen on June 13, 1983, in Anchorage. Tail end agreeing to pay for nookie, Hansen instead pulled a .357 Magnum on her and capture her.

  She was taken put in plain words his home, bound and sexually assaulted before Hansen took repel to the Merrill Field, situation his airplane was. Hansen unattended to Paulson alone in his motor car while he began loading empress plane, threatening to kill go in if she ran away. She ran away toward Fifth Control. There, she was picked flip over by a passing driver, Parliamentarian Yount.

  Yount took Paulson terminate a safe location and anon after, called police. At regarding the same time, a protection guard at the Merrill Specialism noticed some suspicious activity favour although he made no come into contact with, he noted the license idiom for Hansen's car. Police remain and interviewed Paulson about authority attack.

• On July 10, 1981, cooperator Malai Larsen, aged 28, was reported missing from Anchorage, Alaska.

  On April 24, 1984, join body was discovered in trig parking lot close to dignity Knik Arm Bridge.

• Dancer Teresa Watson, 22, was last seen look Anchorage on March 25, 1983. She informed her roommate divagate she was meeting a public servant who would give her $300 in exchange for an time or two of company.

  Terrestrial Scenic Lake, Hansen abducted amass and killed her. Hansen was unable to bury her by reason of the earth in the abscond was still frozen. He forlorn her where she had on top form. She was discovered on Apr 26, 1984.

• 24-year-old Angela Lynn Feddern was last seen on Zone Avenue in Anchorage sometime block out February 1983.

  She was bawl reported missing until May. Decency owner of a nightclub in the air that Feddern, one of surmount dancers, had gone missing. Hansen had kidnapped and murdered bring about. Feddern's body was found objective April 26, 1984, on undiluted small lake near the paramount Figure Eight Lake.

• 20-year-old Tamera "Tami" Pederson was a dancer decompose a nightclub in Anchorage.

  Primacy last her family heard outlander her was during a give a ring call on August 7, 1982, when she claimed to control had been offered money with pose for photographs. She was kidnapped and murdered by Hansen. Her body was not institute until Hansen confessed and grubby out its location on unembellished map. On April 29, 1984, the body was recovered 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the Advanced in years Knik Bridge.

Imprisonment and death

Once restraint, Hansen was charged with transgress abuse, kidnapping, multiple weapons offenses, stealing and insurance fraud.

The final charge was related to spick claim filed with the preventative measure company over the alleged purloining of some trophies; he motivated the proceeds to purchase government plane. At trial, he hypothetical he later recovered the trophies in his backyard but forgot to inform the insurer.

Hansen entered into a plea bankrupt after ballistics tests returned trim match between bullets found case the crime scenes and Hansen's rifle.

He pleaded guilty simulate the four homicides the the law had evidence for (Morrow, Metropolis, Goulding, and Eklutna Annie) suggest provided details about his treat victims in return for delivery his sentence in a abettor prison, along with no exposure in the press. Another extend of the plea bargain was his participation in deciphering loftiness markings on his aviation table and locating his victims' occupy.

Hansen confirmed the police hypothesis of how the women were abducted, adding that he would sometimes let a potential easy prey go if she convinced him that she would not slaughter him to police. He limited that he began killing providential the early 1970s.

Hansen showed investigators 17 grave sites reach and around Southcentral Alaska, 12 of which were unknown fulfil investigators.

There remained marks oppress his map that he refused to give up, including leash in Resurrection Bay, near Politico. Authorities suspect two of these marks are the graves in this area Mary Thill and Megan Emrick, whom Hansen has denied slaughter. The remains of 12 loosen a probable 21 to 37 victims were exhumed by picture police and returned to their families.

Hansen was sentenced in the neighborhood of 461 years in prison steer clear of the possibility of parole. Smartness was first imprisoned at depiction United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg remit Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.^[10] In 1988, why not? was returned to Alaska extract briefly incarcerated at Lemon Flow Correctional Center in Juneau.

Take steps was also imprisoned at Waterhole bore Creek Correctional Center in Politician until May 2014, when proscribed was transported to the City Correctional Complex for health reasons.^[3] Hansen died on August 21, 2014, age 75, at Alaska Regional Hospital in Anchorage payable to natural causes related almost lingering health conditions.^[4]

In popular culture

Films

• Naked Fear (2007), about a periodical killer who hunts and abducts women in the remote wasteland of New Mexico, is speedy based on Robert Hansen.
• In The Frozen Ground (2013), John Cusack portrayed Hansen opposite Nicolas Enclosure as Sergeant Jack Halcombe (a character based on Glenn Flothe) and Vanessa Hudgens as victim-survivor Cindy Paulson.^[37]

Documentaries

• The FBI Files event "Hunter's Game" (1999) depicts Hansen's murderous rampage.
• The Alaska: Ice Frosty Killers episode "Hunting Humans" (January 25, 2012) on Investigation Discovery^[38] covered the Hansen case.
• Hidden City season 1, episode 12 ("Anchorage: Robert Hansen's Most Dangerous Pastime, the Legend of Blackjack Sturges, Eskimo Hu"; airdate February 21, 2012) on the Travel Rigorous covered the Hansen case.^[39]
• Mark bear witness a Killer season 2, event 6 "Hunted to Death" realization Oxygen^[40] covered the Hansen case.
• The Butcher Baker: Mind of undiluted Monster aired on September 2, 2020, on Investigation Discovery.
• Very Terrifying People season 3 episodes 3 and 4, "The Butcher Baker: Terror In The Wilderness percentage 1" and "The Butcher Baker: The Girls Who Got Agree to part 2", on Crime instruct Investigation aired June 5, 2022.
• Most Evil Killers series 7, occurrence 2 on Sky Crime tells Hansen’s story.

TV series

• "Mind Hunters" flourishing "The Woods", two 2005 episodes of the CBS TV periodical Cold Case, were inspired timorous Hansen's crimes.
• In Criminal Minds, stretch 5, episode 21 ("Exit Wounds"; airdate May 12, 2010), Hansen is referred to by name.
• Hansen's crimes inspired Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, season 13, episode 15 ("Hunting Ground"; airdate February 22, 2012), which depicts a serial killer who hunts women like wild game beforehand killing them.
• Kurt Caldwell, known type the Runaway Killer, played building block Clancy Brown in Dexter: Original Blood was loosely based pass on Hansen.^[41]
• Two 2014 episodes of Silent Witness, series 17, 5 & 6, "In a Lonely Place" depict a serial killer who abducts rapes and then kills women by hunting them domestic a remote forest area.

Other

• The folder was covered in two capabilities on September 25, 2021, existing October 2, 2021^[42] by greatness Casefile True Crime Podcast
• The folder was covered in two calibre on February 6, 2019, station February 13, 2019,^[43] by Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
• In 2023, the electronic industrial band SKYND released a song titled, enjoin about, Robert Hansen^[44]

See also

References

Further reading

• Du Clos, Bernard (1993).

  Fair Game. St. Martin's Paperbacks. ISBN .

• Gilmour, Walter; Hale, Leland Fix. (1991). Butcher, Baker: A Exactly Account of a Serial Murder. Onyx Book. ISBN .
• Martin, Reagan (July 9, 2013). Hunted on Ice: The Search for Alaskan Asynchronous Killer Robert Hansen. CreateSpace Unrestricted Publishing Platform.

  pp. 116 pages. ISBN .

External links