Joseph Christopher

Joseph G. Christopher (July 26, 1955 – March 1, 1993) was an American serial killer, active from September 22, 1980 until his arrest on May 10, 1981. He was known as the "Midtown Slasher". It is believed that he killed at least twelve individuals and wounded numerous others, almost all African Americans, with one Hispanic male.

Murders and arrest

Christopher was born in Buffalo, New York on July 26, 1955. His homicidal rampage began on September 22, 1980, when he was 25 years old.^[1] He started his crimes by shooting African American men with a sawn-off .22 rifle while they went about their daily duties, striking in the middle of the day and into the night with sometimes more than five murders in one day. However, Christopher changed his method of killing midway through his onslaught of terror by choosing a knife as his new weapon, stabbing his victims to death and cutting the heart out of two of his victims, who were cab drivers.^[2][3]

Christopher attacked a fellow soldier, Albert Menefee, Jr., at their home station of Fort Benning, Georgia on December 31, 1980, resulting in his arrest. Menefee survived the attack. When Christopher's apartment was searched by the police in the hopes that they may have come across their serial killer by accident, the police found evidence linking Christopher to three murders. Christopher would eventually claim credit for 13 killings, angering many still seeking justice.^[4]

Christopher was convicted on three counts of murder and sentenced to 60 years to life, dying in prison of a rare form of male breast cancer in 1993, aged 37.^[5][6]

References