The Boston Strangler

This is John Cameron Swayze in Boston.

A turnout of Bostonians unsurpassed in numbers and enthusiasm...

...roars its welcome for Al Shepard followed by Gus Grissom...

...sharing the popular tribute with their fellow astronauts of Project Mercury.

There's Johnny Glenn.

Joy in this usually reserved city of Boston is unconfined.

Recognizing Glenn's morale-boosting feat...

...that proved three men will have their say in space when the chips are down.

There's a pandemonium of pride as the Mercury astronaut arrives at City Hall...

...to be welcomed by the mayor and other privileged dignitaries...

...a moment long to be remembered by all who witness this stirring event.

Leaving the municipal center, the tempo is stepped up...

...and the triumphal motorcade is cheered by additional city multitudes.

At the Hilton, where the luncheon in honor of Glenn...

...and his astronaut associates will be held...

...a thousand notables are seated to supplement the public tribute...

...as Boston toasts another "well done" for Al Shepard and Johnny Glenn.

Come in. We're all finished.

- How long has she been dead? - Four or five hours.

Rape?

There's no semen, but she's been mauled and bitten.

All these taxes, and they still can't deliver the mail on time.

They're too busy blowing everything up with money.

Well, I heard on TV that they're cleaning up some African jungle.

Imagine, with parts of Boston the way they look.

I guess Mara's stuck at the hospital with another case.

No, she's home. I heard her take the milk in.

Did I ever tell you, when I was nursing, about Mr. Peavis?

- He was from Worcester, and I... - You told me.

If... If she was home, she'd come out and get her mail.

Mr. Harris, did you see Mrs. Edwards go out this morning?

Nope.

The only thing he ever hears is the racetrack reports.

Maybe she's sick.

You know she gets those terrible migraines.

Mara? Are you there?

She wouldn't leave her door open.

Mr. Harris!

Mr. Harris!

Usually in a homicide where nothing's stolen...

...it's a personal enmity, a grudge killing.

Two cases of personal enmity against two harmless old ladies...

...in the same neighborhood in one week?

Come on, captain. Looks like a nut's loose.

Nuts don't ransack apartments.

Nothing was stolen. Was there?

Oh, let him have his story.

Maybe the nut was looking for something imaginary.

- Uh-huh. Like what? How do I know?

A fire engine he thinks someone stole from him...

...when he was 3. Don't you watch television?

You know what that's called?

Double-square knot. Surgeon's knot.

Not a very commonly used knot, is it?

So the women were strangled with a double-square knot.

What are you trying to tell us, that it was a doctor or an Eagle Scout?

Okay.

What about the sex? What did he actually do to them?

- What's the difference? - People like to read about it.

Let them read paperbacks. We withhold till we check out confessions.

- Do you have any? - We have a group we rely on...

...to confess to any homicide committed in greater Boston.

I'll see you later.

Thanks, captain. Gentlemen.

Teletype from the Lynn Police.

They found a 68-year-old retired nurse by the name of Louise Penny...

...strangled.

Was she raped?

With a wine bottle.

We've got a full-blown maniac on our hands.

I've got him all set up for you.

Now, this regular, the one in the bar, his name's Arnie Carr, isn't straight.

I don't have any real straight ones, but he is special.

How special?

Well, what he does is...

...he talks the whole thing in dirty words, you know, until he's ready.

That's not so unusual.

You're telling me.

But when he's ready, nothing happens...

...until he gets his hands on my throat and squeezes.

- That's 20 bucks I gave you! - Well, all right. Just wait a minute.

Saturday, when that nurse got it, he was supposed to come around.

He didn't show.

And before, the day Mrs. Hodak was killed, the same thing.

Now, that's never happened before.

He's never broken an appointment. He's always exactly on the button.

He's the kind.

I'll try and talk to him.

Is he smart enough to know he doesn't have to?

Hm. He's married. He's scared to death.

Mr. Carr, I'm Det. DiNatale.

I have some questions for you.

Questions?

Know a girl named Cloe?

- I don't know any hookers. - I didn't say she was a hooker.

You broke two dates with her last week.

Yeah. Well, I went out of town.

- Where? - Hyannis, Providence.

- What do you do, Mr. Carr? - I sell paint.

Can anyone place you in Providence and Hyannis...

...prove that you were up there?

Well, I don't know. I'd have to think.

Think.

I don't understand why it's so important if I broke a couple of dates with a girl.

- Is that a crime? - Adultery is.

I bet your wife would think so.

You leave my wife out of this.

Listen, is the girl in any kind of trouble?

If you want anything from me, as long as it's off the record...

...I'll give it to you. - The girl's not in any trouble.

I want to know why you get turned on by putting your hands around her throat.

- I don't hurt her. - Then why do you do it?

I... I don't know.

Do you like to think about women being frightened?

They know I don't mean it.

You pay them to pretend to be frightened?

They get plenty out of me for it.

Now, you write down for me where you were...

...and who you talked to on these two dates.

I want the names, the places and the time...

...anything that you can remember.

- Who is it? The plumber.

The owner told me to come over to look at your sink and your toilet.

- He said you might get new ones. - They never said anything to me about it.

I don't know about that, lady, but you're on my list.

I'll phone them. Maybe you could come back.

I don't know when I'll get back.

But it's okay with me if you don't want to be bothered.

No. No, it's all right.

So long as you're here, you should look.

Well, you know, you can't be too careful these days.

Emma Hodak, Mara Edwards, Louise Penny, Bertha Blum...

...all highly respectable women...

...innocently admitted this deranged man to their homes.

Allow no strangers to enter your home under any pretext.

An emergency telephone number, RI2-1818...

...has been established.

This line is open 24 hours a day.

Do not be embarrassed nor afraid to report any person...

...no matter how insignificant you may feel your suspicions are.

Thank you.

All right.

I hope you've all got the picture.

Each of you is getting a list of known sex offenders.

Bring in the people you usually ignore: peepers, the men's-room queens...

...the exhibitionists, subway jostlers, the dirty-word specialists.

I know it isn't easy to question habitual sex offenders and certified nuts...

...but nail them and talk to them. You don't have to have an ironclad case.

We're not interested in misdemeanor convictions...

...only homicide suspects.

Now, let's get with this.

If we don't find this man, I'm afraid this is going to keep happening.

That's it.

All right. Everybody out! Get out of here!

Make a straight line. Get over there.

- Come on. Get out of there. Come on. Let's go.

Go on. Get out of here.

Get out of here! Line up over here! Come on!

- All right, everybody out. Let's go.

Make a straight line. Come on, get out.

All right, baby. Come on.

I called you 15 minutes ago and they still aren't here.

I told you before, I'm a nurse.

Three of those women were nurses.

This man has been here three nights in a row, peeking.

Please. Thank you.

At it again.

All right, pal, let's go.

I love you.

Hello?

Is this Mae?

- This is she. - How are you tonight, Mae?

Oh, it's you. Uh, I'm fine.

- I didn't recognize your voice. - Why not?

Sergeant, this is Grace Lockwood at 73 Grove.

We have him on the phone again.

She'll try and hold him as long as she can.

You'll sit on a chair, and I'll sit across the room.

You wear panties, Mae?

Sometimes.

What color?

Black.

Knit or solid?

Knit.

Then we'll have a drink, Mae.

What do you drink?

Martinis.

It's on group two, terminal 94.

I like a sweet drink. Maybe Kahlúa.

Do you know why, Mae?

No, why?

Because I got a special way of...

I'd rather not say at this time.

There certainly seems to be a little similarity.

Do the similarities appear to be striking? Are there more than just one?

Yes. There are several factors involved...

...which appear to be similar in all of the cases.

This is the Cambridge police chief now.

Chief... Chief, could we talk with you for a moment? Chief?

- Can you give us anything more on this? - What else is there?