In June 2001, the authorities arrested a serial killer named Paul Runge, who murdered and sexually assaulted seven women between 1995 and 1997. As per reports, he killed two of his victims by promising them employment opportunities. Season 7 Episode 8 of World’s Most Evil Killers, titled “Paul Runge,” elaborates on the same.
However, this was not the first time Runge had been taken into custody for his crimes. As per The New York Times, the police apprehended Runge for abducting and raping a 14-year-old girl in 1987. The outlet also revealed that Runge was only 17 when he committed the aforementioned crime. In May 1994, Runge got out on parole. However, the authorities arrested him again in 1994 for the violation of his parole. Meanwhile, Oxygen reported that he found his victims through the “classified ads” they posted for selling their items and homes.
Authorities commenced questioning Paul Runge following the identification of his DNA. As reported by The New York Times, law enforcement found that it corresponded to DNA evidence found on one of the deceased women. Consequently, Runge quickly confessed to all the killings, divulging details about how he had murdered multiple women. Citing the investigators, the outlet said, “He conned his way into women’s homes or duped them into trusting him. He then raped and murdered them.”
Where is Paul Runge now?
Paul Runge confessed to all seven homicide cases. According to The New York Times, the authorities charged him in Cook County with five counts of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and sexual assault. Meanwhile, the investigating agency in DuPage County charged Runge for the murder and sexual assault of two young women that took place in 1995.
While presenting the details, the police noted that Runge sexually assaulted all of his victims before killing them. It also indicated that he set fire to the homes of four victims. In February 2006, the jury convicted Paul Runge of first-degree murder that happened in 1997, per Chicago Tribune. As a result, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment without any possibility of parole.
According to Illinois’s Department of Corrections, Paul Runge is serving his sentence in Pontiac Correctional Center, Illinois.
