John Linley Frazier
| John Linley Frazier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
January 20, 1946 Hayward, California |
| Died |
August 13, 2009 (aged 63) Mule Creek State Prison, Ione, California |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Other names | The Killer Prophet |
| 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.
The case was the subject of a 2017 episode of Investigation Discovery's series A Crime to Remember (Season 4 Episode 7, "Killer Prophet").
Biography
John Linley Frazier was born in Ohio on 20 January 1946. He 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 and his wife, two sons, and secretary in a delusional fit, believing he was an agent of God. Before killing the two children, Frazier questioned their killing and, once again, heard this voice saying to kill everyone and burn the house down.
Four days later he was arrested, and he was sentenced to death on November 29, 1970. However, In 1972 the death penalty was abolished in California; 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. He later shaved his head completely.
Death
In mid-2009, Frazier hanged himself in Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California.[1]
See also
Trivia
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
Music
- Doom Metal band Church of Misery, released a track in 2013 called "All Hollow's Eve" about Frazier on their album, Thy Kingdom Scum.[2]
References
- ↑ Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hung himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on August 16, 2010 (English). Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed August 16, 2010 (English). Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed August 17, 2010 (English)
- ↑ http://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/church-of-misery-thy-kingdom-scum/
- Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hanged himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on August 16, 2010 (English).
- Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed August 16, 2010 (English).
- Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed August 17, 2010 (English)