Between 1978 and 1983, Dennis Andrew Nilsen, a Scottish serial killer and necrophile, killed at least twelve young men and boys. He would lure his victims through deception and kill them by strangulation, sometimes accompanied by drowning.
The authorities learned about Dennis Nilsen when a plumber opened the drain cover in Cranley Gardens. Upon opening the drain, he discovered a flesh-like substance and several human bones packed within. The tenants immediately called the police, who then searched Nilsen’s apartment. He was arrested and taken into custody.
Nilsen, aka O Superman Killer, confessed to the murders and was found guilty on all the charges. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment. During his sentence, Dennis Nilsen had an operation but later suffered a blood clot. The serial killer died of a pulmonary embolism and retroperitoneal haemorrhage linked to the ruptured aneurysm. He was 72.
O Superman serial Dennis Nilsen’s case explored
Dennis Nilsen began his crime spree in 1978 and went on to kill several young men in five years. Reportedly, after each murder, Nilsen would ritually bathe and dress the victim’s body. He kept the bodies for extended periods before dissecting and disposing of the remains, either by burning them in a bonfire or flushing them down a toilet.
Dennis Nilsen primarily lured men back to his home and strangled or drowned them. Even though he confessed, authorities still weren’t able to identify some of his victims, and very few people reported them missing at the time. During his trial, investigators disclosed that they found three bodies at his Muswell Hill address. Meanwhile, investigators uncovered bones from eight victims at his address in Melrose, Cricklewood, north-west London.
The investigators also pointed out that Nilsen showed them where he kept the bodies and expressed his desire to disclose everything about his actions. Despite his plea of not guilty, authorities convicted Dennis Nilsen of the murders of six men and two attempted murders. On November 4, 1983, authorities sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The Netflix documentary Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes explores the twisted mind of the notorious serial killer Dennis Nilsen.
