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. I was wondering if this story was ever validated or debunked? EDIT: Glad to see this post has stirred interest in possibly unraveling a case or debunking one! may be disturbing to some readers. [2] According to the official investigation, the murders ceased following her death. He gave details that were similar to how Cheryl Lewis' body was dumped. [4], On September 3, the body of 21-year-old Tyra Tassin was found. During his murdering rampage, Rader would taunt police by sending letters with details about his killings. [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. They say some of the details the caller talked about were things that only the killer would know. GG.exe Kylo was here Sep 6, 2005 139,195 89,282 AFL Club Other true crime sleuths who have heard recordings of Ellwoods voice insist there are no sonic similarities between him and Clay. I mean, he's a multi-millionaire and arguably the most recognized name in broadcasting, so clearly he's kind of good at his job. He then decided to become a cab driver because he couldn't afford a house and was living in his car. In addition to the two murders that have already been reported, Ellwood is thought to be responsible for at least even more deaths. "Clay" The Serial Killer. NOPD Via criminalminds.fandom.com The Son of Sal Salvatore Perrone Department of Corrections 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. Between 1991 and 1995, a suspected serial killer claimed the lives of multiple people in the New Orleans area. His father, Norman, left the family not long after the birth of Sean. How A Serial Killer Was Caught By A Plumber's Gruesome Discovery | Memories of a Murderer 26,602 views Aug 18, 2021 Dennis Nilsen's crimes were first exposed by a clogged drain. If he was responsible for the string of murders that occurred in New Orleans, Ellwood's victims were almost always prostitutes. [1] In response, Gant's attorney John Reed said that his client was innocent and the evidence was purely circumstantial.[3]. [5] One of them, Stan Hill, contacted the county prosecutor's office and claimed that Ellwood had described to him in detail how he had driven the women to outlying areas of the city, offering them large quantities of drugs that caused overdoses, then strangled and dumped their bodies. Serial Killer Calls in to Howard Stern Show, Gives Disturbing He was one of the two main suspects in a series of murders of women in New Orleans, Louisiana. Stern started asking more specific questions about Clay's' killing process and where he kills his victims. The penalty couldn't be upheld though, since Sowell died in prison in February 2021. [13], As of November 2021, all of the murders, aside from that of Cheryl Lewis, remain unsolved. This action would lead to his arrest because, in 1997, two years after the New Orleans murder task force was set up, Ellwood was named as a suspect. He was one of the two main suspects in a series of murders of women in New Orleans, Louisiana. This off-hand remark would later become one of the most interesting and controversial aspects of this story. It is currently unknown whether Gant is still employed by any law enforcement agency, but investigators within the New Orleans Police Department are hopeful that future advancements in DNA technology will bring conclusive answers regarding his possible involvement in the slayings of these young women. - The majority of known victims were sex workers. And so, when 13 Reasons Why season 3 releases (possibly later this year), there will be a lot to discuss. He took the lives of ten people in Sedgwick County, Kansas. Cheryl Lewis died from drowning, while Delores Mack died from being strangled. "Yesterday a guy called in and said that he had killed 12 prostitutes. More on that after we finish listening to the call. In 1997, 'Clay' called into the show to tell Stern and Quivers he had killed 12 sex workers. 1", was presumably strangled and found not far from Britton's body. SACRAMENTO . [7] Clay King Smith (July 25, 1970 - May 8, 2001) was an American mass murderer executed by the state of Arkansas for the March 25, 1998, murders of Misty Erwin (age 20), Shelley Sorg (24), Shelley's two children Sean Sorg (5) and Taylor Sorg (3), and babysitter Samantha Rhodes (12) at his home near Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Back in the day, The Howard Stern Show routinely received tons of insane calls from people claiming many wild things. Privacy Policy. Luckily, neither Eric Weill nor the Zodiac ever made good on their shared threat to murder school children. And while the Zodiac Killer case is still unresolved, at least this small, bizarre chapter eventually reached a tangible conclusion. In another blow to Gants credibility, the serial murders of female prostitutes in the Treme and Algiers came to an abrupt stop in the wake of his questioning by police. 3". But instead, he hesitated possibly debating in his own mind whether he should divulge more details before finally admitting he used a hammer. No further information about him is available. The guy said that he was put on medication in prison and he was having nightmares and hearing all kinds of things. All things considered, these facts make Russell Ellwood a compelling suspect for Clay the Serial Killer, and it is easy to why so many articles name him as such. According tocriminalminds.fandom.com Ellwood would live in his car from time to time when he couldn't afford to live anywhere else. Russell Ellwoods preferred MO was drugging his victims to the point of overdose and then dumping them in shallow bodies of water to drown. A look at eight of Philadelphia's most notorious murder cases When he appeared in court, other prisoners who knew Ellwood gave witness accounts against him. [7] The interview with the potential serial killer caused a massive media publicity, thanks to which FBI agents allegedly went to the studio and seized audio recordings of the call to establish the caller's location and possible identity. In 1998, RussellEllwood stood trial for the 1993 murders of Cheryl Lewis, 30, of Bridge City, and Deloras Mack, 40, of Metairie. Victor Gant, however, did not stop himself from getting into trouble. 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[8] Ultimately, the murder charge for Delores Mack was dropped,[11] but on the basis of very circumstantial evidence and unreliable testimony, Ellwood was found guilty of killing Cheryl Lewis and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole on August 17, 1999. 34K 2.1M views 9 months ago How did some of the worst serial killers that have ever lived end up getting caught by the police? Could Baton Rouge be the Jimmy Swaggart Town mentioned by Clay? Ellwood, a cab driver original from Ohio, had been seen with Lewis several times prior to her death, and had aroused the suspicion of local police when he was found wandering in a state of undress near the crime scene about a year after Lewis body had been found. He ultimately got a job as a freelance photographer, but he left for an undisclosed reason. "Clay The Serial Killer"? Howard Stern Show Serial Killer [2], On July 3, the body of 32-year-old Michelle Foster, who had gone missing in New Orleans just days prior, was found. On one hand, Clays hesitation before correcting Stern seems to hint at him telling the truth. While incarcerated, authorities charged him with the murders of Lewis and Mack on March 4, 1998.[5]. Chilling phone call from 'serial killer' to Howard Stern show - indy100 The next day, Stern said on the show that the FBI came to the studio asking for a tape of the call. Ed?". The suspect has been identified in a police sketch as a large, muscular black man in his 30s. [2] Some of the victims have never been identified. Although a suspect, Gant remained at his desk job with the NOPD. Did your mom spank you? "Did your mom beat you? Ellwood's trial took place here in Lafayette, and the jury unanimously found him guilty of 2nd-degree murder. 13 Reasons Why season 2 ended with a monumental cliffhanger that had many viewers wondering about Clay's (Dylan Minnette) fate moving forward. 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. Storyville Slayer - Wikipedia 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Three witnesses testified that they had seen the defendant with Cheryl Lewis shortly before her disappearance. After his release, Ellwood returned to Canton to live with his brother, who offered him a high-paying job. Ellwood was known for keeping extensive amounts of documents that indicate his whereabouts, but the receipts regarding his supposed presence in Ohio for February 1993 had mysteriously disappeared. Clay told Stern he took a break for a year. "Clay the Serial Killer" As he has been dubbed calls into the Howard Stern Show to admit to 12 slayings of New Orleans area prostitutes. These two murders were part of a string of at least 26 prostitutes who were murdered between 1991 and 1996. [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. Click here to subscribe to Be. A Serial Killer calls into the Howard Stern Show and admits to - Reddit 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. The Zodiac vanished into quiet oblivion sometime in the mid-1970s and Weill committed suicide in 2006. 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. He was a cab driver in Nola that raped & killed prostitutes. His mother, Yvonne, who worked for a TV station, raised Sean with her. After all, my listeners who took drama club classes in high school will remember that the first rule of improv is to always say yes. Ellwood is still considered a suspect in several of the homicides, although he has not been charged in connection with any of them. 'Serial killer' called The Howard Stern Show to say he murdered 12 Sentenced to life in prison August 17, 1999. They didn't catch him? This image shows a police sketch released to the media in 1992, after one woman survived an attack and provided a description to police of the man she said choked her and left her for dead. [2], On January 22, 1995, the body of 29-year-old impoverished mother of three Wanda Ford was found in a swamp near the I-55. Lewis' murder began a series of killings of at least 26 prostitutes spanning from 1991 to 1996 that authorities believe Ellwood is responsible for. Sanders also admitted to withholding this information, because she was a drug dealer. During the conversation with host Howard Stern, which was broadcast live, "Clay" described details for more than 12 murders and gave some details about his background, indicating that he was a white resident of New Orleans. Clay hesitates for a few seconds before saying he actually used a hammer during most of his murders. I say, lowbrow, not in an attempt to throw shade. In a manner strikingly wise for a shock-jock morning radio host, Stern begins asking a series of seemingly mundane questions regarding Clays modus operandi. He dumped her body in Behrman Park, within one mile of the spot where Danielle was found. 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. Of course, this does not immediately eliminate Clay as a legitimate suspect, but it does prove that he could have learned about Gant being under suspicion merely from picking up a newspaper or watching TV. 'World's Youngest Serial Killer' Had Murdered Three People By Eight Years Old; Convicted serial killer on death row explains how he feels just hours before his execution; Man Who Caught Golden State Killer Says There Are 2,000 Serial Killers In The US 'America's first female serial killer' says she 'did the right thing' in killing her victims Antoinette Rainey, who worked as a drug dealer in New Orleans, also appeared as a witness for the prosecution, testifying that Ellwood was a regular customer. After doing drugs together, Ellwood beat her, but she managed to flee. [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. Self-Professed New Orleans Serial Killer Once Confessed 12 Murders to Howard Stern. She was later identified as 28-year-old Stephanie Brown, who had no prior criminal record. After the call, police thought Ellwood could potentially be the "Storyville Slayer" a serial killer in New Orleans who murdered up to 24 sex workers. Almost immediately, the FBI became aware of a dirty open secret within the New Orleans Police Departmentseveral officers were involved with or straight-up leading prostitution rings while on duty. 30-year-old Karen Ivester had been strangled and her nude body was left in a swamp under I-55. Serial Killer Howard Stern serial killer interview??? - Lipstick Alley Exclusive: Detective Tries To Solve 25-Year-Old Serial Killer Cold Case Judging by what I can find, Victor Gant was never charged with any of the murders and not much is known about him today. An autopsy deduced that she had been strangled, and prior to her death, had taken a large dose of cocaine, which could have caused an overdose. 10 Dennis Rader. called and asked for tape of that call.". On April 30, the bodies of two women were found in a swampy area near the I-55. It doesnt mean they are bad officer.. Macdonald, who proposed in a 1963 American Journal of Psychiatry article that future serial violence and even murder can often be predicted in children who simultaneous engage in chronic bedwetting, compulsive arson, and cruelty toward animals. On January 16, he was stopped by traffic cops for speeding and was scheduled to appear in court, but failed to appear on time and was subsequently arrested for contempt of court. 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. If Clay was just some random radio troll calling in for attention with very little thought put into his story, he might have simply gone along with Sterns suggestion of strangulation. was thought to be a serial killer. [8] Owing to his addiction, Ellwood was arrested several times from 1968 to 1998. During her lifetime, she had been arrested multiple times for theft and was a known drug addict. Carver College has a long, troubled history of hiring disgraced police officers to patrol the Christian School. During the interrogations, he admitted to frequenting black prostitutes throughout his life, claiming that he knew more than 100 girls, in addition to frequently taking drugs such as heroin, crack cocaine and LSD over the years. [2] Her estimated age was between 25 and 35. First, youll notice Stern is continuing his line of questioning by leading the conversation with suggestions in the hopes that Clay will impulsively give in to correcting him with accurate information due to his narcissistic desire to control the narrative. Even if Clay the Serial Killer was not, in fact, Russell Ellwood, there is still a strong possibility that this caller was telling the truth. [6] In the early 1990s, Gant gained a reputation for being corrupt after a number of informants reported that he, along with a few others, were running racketeering operations against pimps and other criminals. Los Angeles Times Exclusive. [8] Officers found none of the items required for the fixes, not even a flashlight, which would be necessary to perform such repairs in an unlit area at night. Investigators determined that she was a transsexual, had feminine features and worked as an exotic dancer at a New Orleans nightclub. While the accusations had some meritthe FBI having actually ended their involvement with the task force so that they could investigate Rushings misconductthe jury was unconvinced, and in August 1999, Ellwood was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Cheryl Lewis. During her testimony, "Brenda" gave a description of her attacker, from which an identikit was created. [2] Most of them were strangled to death, while a number of others were beaten and drowned in canals and rivers, and then dumped in swamps, rivers or canals near highways bordering the western shores of Lake Pontchartrain. This subject matter may be disturbing to some readers. -The caller knew a black police officer was a suspect in the murders of two women in New Orleans (the FBI requested the recordings & got involved because of that statement due to it matching things not publicly known) & the officer remained a suspect even after Ellwood was linked to the string of murders because police believe the killings to be 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 known victims were killed between 1991-1995, with a gap lasting almost exactly one year in between February 1993 and February 1994. Due to extreme decomposition, neither could be identified, and are referred to as "Jane Doe No. .zklaml-1whqzut{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;line-height:100%;top:2px;position:relative;}.zklaml-1whqzut svg{fill:#000;}.zklaml-1mmyqhz{padding:0 8px;top:4px;position:relative;}.zklaml-1mmyqhz svg{fill:#626262;}.zklaml-pr0334{font-family:adobe-garamond-pro,serif;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant-numeric:lining-nums;line-height:1.45;overflow-wrap:break-word;color:black;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:inline-block;cursor:pointer;font-variant:all-small-caps;color:#626262;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:16px;}.zklaml-pr0334:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.zklaml-pr0334:hover{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;color:#000;}OthersSociety. [5] A partially undressed Ellwood was forced out of his car and told to show his driver's license. "Clay the Serial Killer" On the morning of 13 August 1997, a mysterious man called into the syndicated radio program of popular shock-jock Howard Stern. [8] Based on Hill's testimony, the task force tracked him down and re-interviewed in the presence of Ron Camden, a 27-year veteran of the Cincinnati Police Department's Homicide Unit. "Clay the Serial Killer" Unresolved His unemotional attitude while describing how he kills these girls with a hammer in parking garages & swamps. He was exonerated of all charges, nevertheless. He indicated that he had "dreamed" of the moment that he was questioned by a task force looking into serial killers. Eventually, Ellwood was released again, and in January 1998, he returned to New Orleans. List of serial killers in the United States, "Police officer suspected in New Orleans killings", "Exclusive: Detective Tries To Solve 25-Year-Old Serial Killer Cold Case. He then dumped her dead next to Louisiana's Highway LA 3160 in Hahnville. Another item found on Sharons bodyher shoesled to another shocking revelation. Gant was cooperative with the investigators questions but refused a lie detector test. Of course, Clay never explicitly mentions Baton Rouge as being Jimmy Swaggart town, but this is an issue worth questioning. Louisiana Serial Killer Confesses Live on The Howard Stern Show - 97.3 The chilling moment an apparent serial killer called intoThe Howard Stern Show is going viral again on TikTok, and the clip still leaves us with more questions than answers. Listen to ""Clay the Serial Killer"" on Spreaker. One Suspect Is A Cop", "Police Officer Is Suspect In New Orleans Killing Spree", "Dial 911 and speak to the prime suspect", "Murder case moves to Lafayette for trial", "Investigator denies destroying evidence", "One charge against Ellwood will be dropped", "Investigation of 26 killings concludes with one sentencing", "Appeals court upholds deputy's dismissal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Storyville_Slayer&oldid=1152510708, Violence against women in the United States, CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 30 April 2023, at 17:38. You can read the details Ellwood's trial over at lobservateur.com. [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. Suspected California serial killer Wesley Brownlee caught while on Ellwood hoped that the second murder charge would also be dropped, but the government stood by its position. Every Serial Killer Caught In The Past 10 Years - Grunge [2], On March 24, police found more skeletal remains under an overpass in Tangipahoa Parish. The witness, like Gilliam, did not report the incident because she was a drug addict. At this point, nothing has been disclosed of Gant's fate afterward; whether or not there was a DNA match to the two aforementioned murders and/or the other 22 victims of the serial killer is unknown. [10] According to the testimony of Denise Sanders, who was Lewis' best friend, she had seen her with Ellwood three days prior, who was out driving his cab. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. In addition he sounds surprised when he learns that he was actually speaking to Howard. Here, Clay makes reference to Jimmy Swaggart, the famous Pentecostal Televangelist. If youll recall from earlier in this episode, Clay the Serial Killer called into Sterns show on August 13, 1997over one week after Ellwood was jailed. The call has never been conclusively confirmed as legitimate but many suspect the caller is Russell Ellwood. Discretion is advised. But as the conversation progressed, it became clear to Stern and listeners that this one sounded deadly serious. Powered by RedCircle. By Michael Dot Scott. Stern then launches into a flurry of questions, asking Clay why he kills women, how he kills them, if he has sex with them, and more. The similarities between Clays phone call and the New Orleans murders of the early 1990s were listed as follows . All Rights Reserved. Howard asked Lee what he used to cut the head off. The Macdonald Triad has been criticized in recent years as an urban legend, as the three key factors cited in Macdonalds theory are more often linked to childhood abuse and neglect rather than some serial killer crystal ball, but nonetheless, but the time of this late-90s radio broadcast, the triad had become cemented as a key element of serial killer culture. 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.