Vaughn Greenwood

Vaughn Greenwood
Background information
Also known as Skid Row Slasher
Killings
Number of victims: 11 murdered, 1 survivor
Span of killings 1964–1975
Country United States
State(s) California
Date apprehended February 3, 1975

Vaughn Orrin Greenwood is an American serial killer known by the nickname the "Skid Row Slasher."

Crimes

The first attacks occurred in 1964 as Greenwood killed two transients in November 1964. A ten-year gap period between murders occurred due to Greenwood being convicted and sentenced to a knifing assault in Chicago in 1966. He spent five and a half years in jail for this conviction before returning to California. Greenwood continued his murder spree in December 1974 and murdered nine victims between December 1974 and February 1975.

Greenwood was convicted of nine counts of murder, including eight of the "Skid Row Slasher" killings in Southern California. The "Slasher" victims had their throats cut from ear to ear. There was evidence that the killer drank the blood of the victims.[1][2] Greenwood left cups of blood and rings of salt around the corpses. The items left around the bodies have caused some to believe the murders to be liked to Satanism. This is disputed by K.V. Lanning.[3]

Victims

These are the Skid Row Slasher's known victims in chronological order of attack:[4]

Number Name Sex Age Body found
1 Russell, DavidDavid Russell M N/A 01964-11-13 November 13, 1964
2 Hornberg, BenjaminBenjamin Hornberg M 67 01964-11-14 November 14, 1964
3 Jackson, CharlesCharles Jackson M 46 01974-12-01 December 1, 1974
4 Yakanac, MosesMoses Yakanac M 47 01974-12-08 December 8, 1974
5 Dahlstedt, ArthurArthur Dahlstedt M 54 01974-12-11 December 11, 1974
6 Perez, DavidDavid Perez M 42 01974-12-22 December 22, 1974
7 Strawinski, CasimirCasimir Strawinski M 58 01975-01-09 January 9, 1975
8 Shannahan, RobertRobert Shannahan M 46 01975-01-17 January 17, 1975
9 Suarez, SamuelSamuel Suarez M 49 01975-01 January 1975
10 Frias, GeorgeGeorge Frias M 45 01975-01-29 January 29, 1975
11 Hays, ClydeClyde Hays M 34 01975-01-31 January 31, 1975
12 Graham, WilliamWilliam Graham M N/A Survived

References

  1. ^ "'Slasher' jury finds man guilty", The Spokesman Review, December 29, 1976 http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19761229&id=a-QRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=q-0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3464,5899411
  2. ^ "Vaughn Orrin Greenwood, 'The Skid Row Slasher' " http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Greenwood,%20Vaughn%20-%20fall,%202006.pdf
  3. ^ Lester, David, PhD (1995). Serial Killers. Philadelphia: The Charles Press, Publishers. p. 167. ISBN 0-914783777. 
  4. ^ "Vaughn Greenwood". skcentral.com. http://www.skcentral.com/articles.php?article_id=602. Retrieved 2011-10-05.