Keneth Erskine
| AKA | Stockwell Strangler |
| DOB | 1 Jul 1963 (Cancer) |
| Occupation | Fairground Worker |
| Kill Total | 7 - 11 ? |
| Kill Place | London |
| Kill Date | April - July 1987 |
| M.O. | Strangulation |
| Victim | Eileem Emms, 78 Janet Cockett, 67 Valentine Gleim,84, Zbigniew Strabawa, 94 William Carmen, 84 William Downes, 74 Florence Tisdall, 83 |
At age-24 Erskine was judged to have had the mental age of an 11 year old. Abandoned by his parents, he was a loner that drifted from one school to the next. He was arrested on various occasions for burglary and had ten different bank accounts full of the proceeds from his successful thefts.
April 1986, his first murder victim was Eileen Emms, aged-78. She was strangled in her home. Less than a month later Janet Crockett, 67, went the same way.
April 1986, his first murder victim was Eileen Emms, aged-78. She was strangled in her home. Less than a month later Janet Crockett, 67, went the same way.
28th June 1986, Erskine scored a double. First he got Valentine Gleime, 84. And later in the day with 94 year old Zbigniew Stabrawa. All of these victims had been strangled with his bare hands.
He had also molested all the victims. The molested victims had all been sodomized. The police could not determine if this was done before or after death.
It was at this time that Erskine was dubbed 'The Stockwell Strangler', named because the victims all lived in this area of South-west London.
28th July 1986, , Erskine was arrested for trying to conceal one of his savings accounts from Social Security, and unluckily for him his palm print matched one found at a 'Stockwell Strangler' crime scene. He was then picked out of a line-up by a survivor of one of his attacks. When questioned about the crimes Erskine said -
"I don't remember killing anyone, I could have done it without knowing it. I am not sure if I did it."
Erskine was charged with seven murders (two more were dropped on insufficient evidence, and police have closed the book on two other murders) and was found guilty. He was given seven life terms, he comes up for parole in 2028.
February 1996, Erskine was in the news for preventing an attack on Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", by raising the alarm as a fellow inmate, Paul Wilson, attempted to strangle Sutcliffe with the flex from a pair of stereo headphones.
December 2007 Erskine has launched a new appeal. The new appeal is based on the fact that he was "Not of normal mind" at the time of the offences.
July 2009, following an appeal, Erskine's murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility
He had also molested all the victims. The molested victims had all been sodomized. The police could not determine if this was done before or after death.
It was at this time that Erskine was dubbed 'The Stockwell Strangler', named because the victims all lived in this area of South-west London.
28th July 1986, , Erskine was arrested for trying to conceal one of his savings accounts from Social Security, and unluckily for him his palm print matched one found at a 'Stockwell Strangler' crime scene. He was then picked out of a line-up by a survivor of one of his attacks. When questioned about the crimes Erskine said -
"I don't remember killing anyone, I could have done it without knowing it. I am not sure if I did it."
Erskine was charged with seven murders (two more were dropped on insufficient evidence, and police have closed the book on two other murders) and was found guilty. He was given seven life terms, he comes up for parole in 2028.
February 1996, Erskine was in the news for preventing an attack on Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", by raising the alarm as a fellow inmate, Paul Wilson, attempted to strangle Sutcliffe with the flex from a pair of stereo headphones.
December 2007 Erskine has launched a new appeal. The new appeal is based on the fact that he was "Not of normal mind" at the time of the offences.
July 2009, following an appeal, Erskine's murder convictions were reduced to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility