The NOPD never released that information to the public, but somehow Clay knew about it, and he was right. Despite the fact that his attorneys said he was in Ohio at the time of both killings, Ellwood was detained and charged with two counts of second-degree murder. Another item found on Sharons bodyher shoesled to another shocking revelation. During his murdering rampage, Rader would taunt police by sending letters with details about his killings. 3". Policemen later interviewed her friends and acquaintances, who stated that she had been cohabiting with a white male who vanished shortly after Porter went missing. Was the FBI able to get enough information from The Howard Stern Show phone call to make an arrest? [1] [2] Murders [ edit] An autopsy determined that she had been strangled. [9] Ellwood was eventually convicted and ordered to spend 120 days behind bars. Russell Elwood, a convicted killer in Louisiana, seems to fits the pattern perfectly. Two off-duty St. Charles Parish deputies saw Ellwood returning to the scene of Cheryl Lewis' murder a year later while still partially clothed. According to friends and acquaintances of the victims, Gant held a personal grudge against Ivester and had spoken negatively about her on multiple occasions. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. 1". Another girl, Navassa Richmond, a former stripper and prostitute, in turn testified that she had also been beaten and assaulted twice by a drug-crazed Ellwood, during which he also attempted to strangle her. The second witness, Antoinette Holmes, who lived near Lewis, testified to seeing her at the Time Saver restaurant in Bridge City two weeks before she was reported missing, standing between two parked cars and talking to a cab driver. The phone call starts out a bit rocky as Stern goes to the phone call and asks "Is this Ed? [2] During a press conference in August, Chief Richard Pennington announced to the media that the current prime suspect was 33-year-old Victor Gant, a police officer working in New Orleans. [8] A number of other inmates witnessed a fight between Ellwood and another inmate, during which he allegedly said "Yeah, I killed that nigger bitch. His mother, Yvonne, who worked for a TV station, raised Sean with her. Numerous articles from several national publications name Ganta black police officeras a suspect in the New Orleans serial murders a full two years before Clays phone call, and television news segments chronicling Gants activities were aired on CBS and ABC in late 1995. Zodiac was able to consistently lead the police of wild goose chases with his many letters, cryptograms, and phone calls due to his compulsion for following every detail about the police investigation into his crimes and potential identity printed about him in the press. Three witnesses testified that they had seen the defendant with Cheryl Lewis shortly before her disappearance. [2] Like Williams, Filson was transsexual and worked at a nightclub under the name 'Brenda Bewitch'. She then identified Ellwood as the driver. No further information about him is available. 5 Disturbing Serial Killers Caught on Camera - YouTube She recounted an incident in which Ellwood forced her into his car at gunpoint, then drove her to an underpass where he beat, raped and robbed, threatening to kill her during the ordeal. - During the call, Clay claimed he was white, and that the only suspect at the time was a black cop who was romantically involved with one of the victims. If he was responsible for the string of murders that occurred in New Orleans, Ellwood's victims were almost always prostitutes. However, it was believed that he was responsible for as many as 15-20+ homicides in the New Orleans area, and many people feel that he was responsible for even more. When not imprisoned, he spent most of his time among fellow vagrants, with acquaintances describing him as an outsider who constantly sought to make get-rich-quick schemes, but consistently failed in his endeavors. Storyville Slayer - Wikipedia [6] In order to determine whether he was guilty or not, Gant was ordered to submit DNA for testing to see whether they could match it to the perpetrator's saliva, which was found on a piece of chewing tobacco found near Ivester's body. Between 1991 and 1995, a suspected serial killer claimed the lives of multiple people in the New Orleans area. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Ellwood worked for a while as a freelance photographer in New Orleans and eventually worked as a cab driver. Two days later, the skeletal remains of another young girl were found, whose identity was never ascertained. But as soon as he arrived in the state, Ellwood was taken into custody on traffic-related charges. Some modern articles about Clay the Serial Killer claim that his comment about a black police officer being the main suspect is what piqued the interest of the FBI, as this information was supposedly not released to the public, but this isnt the case. Rader was a pillar of his community and even worked at a security system company. Later, Ellwood received $15,000 from his mother, but he invested it all in penny stocks and lost it all. The deputies let Ellwood go although his taxi didn't have any motor oil, oil-changing tools, oil filters, or brake pads. According to reports, after that, the status of Ellwood's conviction on the remaining murder charge is unknown. [9] During the proceedings, a number of Ellwood's former cellmates and prostitutes testified as prosecution witnesses, with the former claiming that he had confessed to the killings while the latter claimed that he had assaulted them. [8] Owing to his addiction, Ellwood was arrested several times from 1968 to 1998. [2] During the investigations, it was established that Gant had an intimate relationship with one of the victims, Sharon Robinson. Replies analysing and speculating over the mystery and possible explanations are encouraged. Was your mom a prostitute?" As a direct consequence of this, he was found guilty of the crime and given a prison term of eighty-five days in the county jail. Well it wasn't a fake call because after the show the F.B.I. I'm willing to confess to two cases and give you all the details when I return to Louisiana. He revealed he had sex with his victims beforehand, then killed them primarily with a hammer and strangled one. Henry testified that she had not given the police this information, as she was wanted for petty offenses at the time. The call has never been conclusively confirmed as legitimate but many suspect the caller is Russell Ellwood. On April 30, 1995, the body of 28-year-old Sharon Robinson was found face-down in a shallow body of water next to an I-55 off ramp in LaPlace, Louisiana, 25 miles west of New Orleans. Copyright 2023 washingtonindependent.com. [8] This request was denied, whereupon Ellwood confessed to killing Lewis and Mack, but refused to be audiotaped and soon after began denying that he had confessed. I say, lowbrow, not in an attempt to throw shade. "Clay" The Serial Killer Calls Into The Howard Stern Show, Deeply Ellwood was taken into custody on August 4, 1997, just a few days after the completion of the interrogations, for allegedly purchasing cocaine from an undercover police officer at his house near Sebring. After doing drugs together, Ellwood beat her, but she managed to flee. NOPD Via criminalminds.fandom.com This sort of bizarre call was not out of the ordinary for the show, where Stern often hoax calls from people with crazy stories. Ed?". "Clay the Serial Killer" Unresolved Ellwood later claimed that a mental illness had caused him to boast, demanding that the interrogations cease and he be allowed to return to New Orleans to see his attorney and be provided with treatment. Serial Killer Calls in to Howard Stern Show, Gives Disturbing Ellwood hoped that the second murder charge would also be dropped, but the government stood by its position. 13 Reasons Why season 2 ended with a monumental cliffhanger that had many viewers wondering about Clay's (Dylan Minnette) fate moving forward. Most present-day articles about Clay insist the caller was actually convicted killer Russell Ellwood, who was arrested in March 1998 for the murder of Cheryl Lewis, whose nude body was found in February 1993 floating face-down in a Hahnville swamp, about 25 miles away from where the bodies Sharon Robinson and Karen Ivester were later found. But instead, he hesitated possibly debating in his own mind whether he should divulge more details before finally admitting he used a hammer. Sentenced to life in prison August 17, 1999. Many people believe that Russell Ellwood is "Clay the Serial Killer," the man who contacted The Howard Stern Show in 1997 and confessed to killing women in a call that was broadcast on the show. Stern started asking more specific questions about Clay's' killing process and where he kills his victims. As he returned to the crime scene, as other serial killers do, it can be assumed that he was, but as far as is known, no information on the matter has been made public. In 1991, a serial killer began claiming numerous victims in the Algiers and Treme neighborhoods of New Orleans, eventually credited with 24 murders throughout the 1990s. A mother of three, she had multiple arrests for prostitution during her lifetime. His explanation for stopping was to apparently change the oil and repair the brake pads of his car, and willingly allowed his vehicle to be searched. At some point prior to 2016, Gant found employment as an officer with the Carver College Police Department in Atlanta. Sometime in the early 2000s, Gant left Louisiana and moved to Georgia. He claimed he's killed 12 prostitutes in the New Orleans area. Serial murder is distinguished from mass murder, in which several victims are . Clay King Smith - Wikipedia On one hand, Clays hesitation before correcting Stern seems to hint at him telling the truth. Several of Russell Ellwood's other potential victims were clients of a black Nola cop who was a suspect in their disappearance. Little is known about Ellwood's early life other than the fact that he might have been born in Massillon, Ohio, and that he served time for drug offenses and probation violations in Florida and Ohio. According to the investigators, Gant had killed both her and her friend, Karen Ivester, in order to get rid of them. Ultimately found guiltyof the murder of Cheryl Lewis, Ellwood was thought to be responsible for as many as 15 murders in the New Orleans area, and many believe responsible for many more. [10] Gilliam stated that she woke up to find herself in a pool of blood in an unfamiliar, wooded area, where a passing motorist found her by chance and sheltered her at the motel he was staying at. Redhead Murderer, or the Bible Belt Strangler Where: Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee One month later, in June 1995, investigators obtained a warrant asking for hair and saliva samples from Victor Gant. Janie Stokes, a former prostitute, told the court that she first met him in either 1992 or 1993 at Snell's gas station in Marrero, when he was working as a cab driver. On April 30, the bodies of two women were found in a swampy area near the I-55. Although this definition is widely accepted, the crime is not formally recognized in any legal code, including that of the United States. [2] Gant denied the accusation, stating that he had pushed her during an argument, with Robinson hitting her nose on a chair - this was contradicted by her children, who said that they had witnessed him beating their mother. While he was only convicted of 1 murder (Cheryl Lewis), he is believed to killed upwards of 20 prostitutes during the 1990's. During "Clay's" call, he joked about how the only suspect the Nola police had was a black people officer. But then, just as he is answering, Clay suddenly leads the conversation by volunteering a piece of information that had not been previously discussed the fact that he knows some of his victims have not been found yet. was usually a hammer strike to the head, but one time via strangulation. In 1997, 'Clay' called into the show to tell Stern and Quivers he had killed 12 sex workers. On September 22, 1991, the killer claimed his third victim, twenty-eight-year-old Charlene Price. -. On January 25, the remains of 25-year-old Henry Calvin, who had gone missing months earlier from New Orleans, were found. Once the call ended, the saga of Clay the Serial Killer faded into relative obscurity. She too had been strangled, but was had no known history with either drugs or prostitution. 2". This policy was apparently the work of Carver College PD's first chief, Joseph L. Woods, who had been fired from five different police departments before finding work at the school in 2006. The entire call is unnerving, but there are parts of the call that are absolutely terrifyingand this guy was stalking and killing people right down I-10 only a couple of hours away. While incarcerated, authorities charged him with the murders of Lewis and Mack on March 4, 1998.[5]. The caller told the operator that he wanted Bailey to appear on a local television talk show so that he could call in and chat with Bailey. was thought to be a serial killer. During the hearing, members of the disciplinary committee reviewed the testimony of the prosecution's witnesses. Rainey was able to escape, but did not report the attack due to her criminal lifestyle. The caller, who went by the name Clay, phoned into the comedian's radio show back in 1997 and claimed that he was responsible for killing a dozen women in New Orleans. Shortly after 7 AM, the man claiming to be Zodiac called in, and asked to called Sam., The mans threat was a clear reference to Zodiacs letter sent to the San Francisco Chronicle on October 13, 1969less than two days after his murder of Paul Stinein which he writes, School children make nice targets, I think I shall wipe out a school bus some morning. "Clay The Serial Killer"? Howard Stern Show Serial Killer Serial murder | Definition, Characteristics, Types, & Facts Despite raising a lot of suspicions early on, this call quickly faded into relative obscurity after it happened, before being brought back to the attention of internet sleuths in 2019. [2] She remains unidentified, as is referred to as "Jane Doe No. Ellwood, however, was eventually cleared in Macks murder after his attorneys proved he had been in Ohio at the time of her death. The autopsy established the remains belonged to a young black girl, who at the time was in her early twenties and approximately 1,57cm tall. The call remained virtually absent from public discourseand even the internetuntil 2019, when fans of Stern began posting about the segment on Reddit, reigniting interest in the incident. While this propelled the case to a national audience, the case remained unsolved. When reporters called Carver College President Robert Crummie for comment on the situation, Crummie defended Chief Collins, telling them Nobodys broken a law or committed a sinpeople are just uncomfortable about talking to strangers. When confronted with the information about Gant, Crummie finally said that he was no longer working for the Carver College Police and that he had no obligation to discuss it further. [5] However, while investigating her death, authorities learned that she was last seen alive on February 2, getting into the car of an unidentified white male. Self-Professed New Orleans Serial Killer Once Confessed 12 Murders to Howard Stern. In early 1995, a disciplinary panel and hearing to determine Gant's punishment began. I never said my name was Ed" almost as if to say "How dare you get my name wrong". This clue became one of the most significant in this entire saga. It is unclear where she was employed, but nothing indicated that she engaged in prostitution or used drugs. New Orleans Serial Killer | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom [1] Through the course of the investigation, two separate suspects were considered, one of whom was convicted of one murder, leading investigators to believe that multiple killers are responsible. Sharons boyfriend33-year-old Victor Gantwas a known user of chewing tobacco. Busted: How 5 Infamous Serial Killers Were Finally Caught He ultimately got a job as a freelance photographer, but he left for an undisclosed reason. When the task force talked to him again, he admitted to dumping the body of a black woman in the water next to a country road. Scan this QR code to download the app now. In fact, you never hear about this incident again until nearly a quarter century later, when the internet digs up an old recording of the broadcast. [2] On April 2, two sets of skeletal remains were found in the canals, later determined to be of a young woman and a young man. [1] In response, Gant's attorney John Reed said that his client was innocent and the evidence was purely circumstantial.[3]. Read full article on original website. This was refuted by Ellwood's receipts, which show a puzzling two-week break in February. Just shoot out the front tire & then pick off the kiddies as they come bouncing out, However, two months later, police officials traced a series of phone calls made to Melvin Bellis home by the supposed Zodiac. I think I just do it for the sense of power." Self-Professed New Orleans Serial Killer Once Confessed 12 - NewsBreak From the infamous Zodiac Killer who taunted the media with baffling clues about his crimes to the Cleveland Torso Murderer who beheaded and dismembered his victims, take look at these chilling serial killers who were never caught. These two murders were part of a string of at least 26 prostitutes who were murdered between 1991 and 1996. The caller then goes on to say "You can call me Clay". Ellwood was eventually charged with one murder and received life imprisonment in 1999.
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