John Linley Frazier
| John Linley Frazier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | January 20, 1946 |
| Died |
August 13, 2009 Mule Creek State Prison, Ione, California |
Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
Criminal penalty | Death commuted to Life |
| Killings | |
| Date | October 19, 1970 |
| Location(s) | Santa Cruz, California |
| Killed | 5 |
| Weapons | .38 revolver |
John Linley Frazier, known as The Killer Prophet (January 20, 1946 – August 13, 2009), was an American mass murderer who killed five people in Santa Cruz, California.
Biography
Frazier was a religious fanatic who spent days with his Bible and believed the voice of God was telling him to commit homicides.
On October 19, 1970, he murdered the ophthalmologist Victor Ohta, his wife, two sons and a secretary in a delusional fit, believing he was an agent of God. Before killing the two children of Dr. Ohta, Frazier questioned the killing of innocent children and, once again, heard this voice saying to kill everyone and burn the house down.
Four days later he was arrested and sentenced on November 29, 1970 by a grand jury to death by gas. However, In 1972 the death penalty was banned in California so his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
On the first day of the trial, he appeared in court with a new look representing the two sides of a hippie. One side had long hair and a long beard and the other side was totally bald with no beard. This look was heavily criticized by the media. As a result, Frazier abandoned the look and shaved his head totally bald.
Death
In mid-2009, Frazier hung himself in the state prison in Ione, California.[1]
See also
Literature
- Ward Damio: Urge to Kill. Pinnacle Books, 1974, ISBN 0-523-00380-3.
- David Everitt: Human Monsters. Contemporary Books, New York 1993 ISBN 9780809239948
- Donald T. Lunde: Murder and Madness. San Francisco Book Co., San Francisco, CA 1976 ISBN 9780913374320
References
- ↑ Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hanged himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on 16 August 2010 (English). Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed 16 August 2010 (English). Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed 17 August 2010 (English)
- Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hanged himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on 16 August 2010 (English).
- Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed 16 August 2010 (English).
- Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed 17 August 2010 (English)