Nilsen said that three unidentified victims he had initially confessed to killingan Irishman in September 1980; a "long-haired hippy" in November or December 1980, and an English skinhead in April 1981had been invented to simply "complement the continuity of evidence". [75] Duffey, Nilsen recollected, was both exhausted and hungry, and happily accepted Nilsen's offer of a meal and a bed for the evening. [186] At least nine victims had been killed at 195 Melrose Avenue, with his final three victims being killed at 23 Cranley Gardens. Following each murder, Nilsen would perform a ritual in which he bathed and dressed the victim's body, which he retained for extended periods of time, before dissecting and disposing of the remains by burning them in a bonfire or flushing them down a toilet. Central Television challenged the Home Office ruling in court, citing sections of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and that full permission to conduct an interview with Nilsen had been granted in advance. Dennis Nilsen's murder victim's family slam 'cash - The Sun He had been on a tour of Britain when he came across Nilsen in a pub and he was taken around London. The psychiatrist also described Nilsen's association between unconscious bodies and sexual arousal; stating that Nilsen possessed narcissistic traits, an impaired sense of identity, and was able to depersonalise other people. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Kenneth Hagans (Seneca, Missouri), born in Baltimore, Maryland, who passed away on April 24, 2023, at the age of 82, leaving to mourn family and friends. According to Nilsen, he had been drinking heavily alone on the day he met Holmes before deciding in the evening that he must "at all costs" leave his flat and seek company. A fight ensued, after which Olav Jr. informed his mother that Dennis was gay. [134] He was transferred to HMP Brixton to be held on remand until his trial. A drifter and a loner, Nilsen served in the army. [103] Believing he had killed Stottor, Nilsen seated the youth in his armchair, then noted his mongrel dog, Bleep, licking Stottor's face. In an interview conducted on 10 February, Nilsen confessed there were further human remains stowed in a tea chest in his living room, with other remains inside an upturned drawer in his bathroom. Upon leaving Nilsen's residence, Stewart had reported the attack to police, who in turn questioned Nilsen. [84] To disguise the smell of the burning flesh of the six dissected bodies placed upon this pyre, Nilsen crowned the bonfire with an old car tyre. Nilsen recalled that the putrefaction of these victims' bodies made this task exceedingly vile; he recalled having to fortify his nerves with whisky and having to grab handfuls of salt with which to brush aside maggots from the remains. On 4 February 1983, Nilsen wrote a letter of complaint to estate agents complaining that the drains at Cranley Gardens were blocked, and that the situation for both himself and the other tenants at the property was intolerable. At 23 Cranley Gardens, Nilsen had no access to a garden, and as he resided in an attic flat, he was unable to stow any bodies beneath his floorboards. The two men spent the evening drinking and talking; Nilsen learned that Gallichan had recently moved to London from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, was gay, unemployed, and residing in a hostel. Quick access. Tragic story of Kenneth Ockenden and how he fell into Dennis Nilsen's depraved clutches; Read More Related Articles. Meanwhile, David Wilson, who was a prison governor while the serial killer, has recently discussed details of his encounters with Nilsen. Sinclair was last seen by acquaintances in the company of Nilsen, walking in the direction of a tube station. Four lives on BBC 1 at 9pm 3rd January - Page 12 Digital Spy At 7:30a.m. the following day, Cattran and Wheeler returned to Cranley Gardens, by which time the drain had been cleared. A new documentary recounts his vicious crimes. Nilsen's scholastic record was above average. On more than one occasion in the three months Nilsen lived in Strichen, his mother voiced her opinion as to her being more concerned with his lack of female companionship than his career path, and of her desire to see him marry and start a family. Nilsen later claimed to have opted to end his military career due to his disillusionment regarding the conduct of the British Army on. As Nilsen progressed into adolescence, he found life in Strichen increasingly stifling, with limited entertainment amenities or career opportunities. He met Nilsen at a pub in the West End of London on December 3, 1979. Most victims had died by strangulation;[127] on several occasions, he had drowned the victims once they had been strangled into unconsciousness. His victims would be lured to these addresses through deception and killed by strangulation, sometimes accompanied by drowning. [44] At his workplace, Nilsen was known to be a quiet, conscientious employee who was active in the trade union movement. The Canadian student was one of the few of Nilsen's victims ever reported missing Malcolm Barlow, 23. In December, Nilsen resigned from the police. [105], On 26 January 1983, Nilsen killed his final victim, 20-year-old Stephen Sinclair. [98] There, both Nilsen and Howlett drank as they watched a film, before Howlett walked into Nilsen's front room and fell asleep in his bed (which was located in the front room at this time). The fact Nilsen had selected a university student as a potential victim was at odds with the prosecution's claim that Nilsen intentionally selected rootless males whose disappearance was unlikely to be noted. On occasions when Nilsen disinterred victims from beneath the floorboards, he noted that the bodies were covered with pupae and infested with maggots; some victims' heads had maggots crawling out of eye sockets and mouths. Albert's parents had married on 6 October 1872 in St Matthews Church, Croydon. [5] All three of the couple's childrenOlav Jr., Dennis and Sylviahad been conceived on their father's brief visits to their mother's household. Investigators recovered over 1,000 fragments of bone from the garden behind Melrose Avenue, many of them blackened and charred by fire. No sexual activity had occurred, but this incident fuelled Nilsen's sexual fantasies, which initially involved his sexual partnerinvariably a young, slender malebeing completely passive. The first of these, Paul Nobbs, provided testimony which the prosecution asserted was evidence of Nilsen's self-control and ability to refrain from homicidal impulses. Nilsen's murders were first discovered by a Dyno-Rod employee, Michael Cattran, who responded to the plumbing complaints made by both Nilsen and other tenants of Cranley Gardens on 8 February 1983. [163], In 2003, Nilsen was again transferred to HMP Full Sutton, where he remained incarcerated as a Category A prisoner. In December 1983, Nilsen was cut on the face and chest with a razor blade by an inmate named Albert Moffatt, resulting in injuries requiring eighty-nine stitches. Next he killed Kenneth Ockenden on December 3, 1979, a 23-year-old Canadian student. Noting a skull was still intact, he smashed it to pieces with his rake. On approximately four occasions over the following fortnight, Nilsen disinterred Ockenden's body from beneath his floorboards and seated the body upon his armchair alongside him as he himself watched television and drank alcohol. While stationed at Aldershot, Nilsen's latent feelings began to stir, but he kept his sexual orientation well hidden from his colleagues. I stripped myself naked and carried him into the bathroom and washed the body. Who was Dennis Nilsen? Sadistic Scots serial killer who had sex with The dismembered body parts were the bodies of three men, all of whom he had killed by strangulationusually with a necktie. [175] Formal identification was confirmed via a combination of circumstantial evidence and by Nilsen identifying a photograph of the youth shown to him by police (all bone fragments found at Melrose Avenue had been destroyed). This included the cooking pot in which Nilsen had boiled the heads of the three victims killed at Cranley Gardens, the cutting board he had used to dissect John Howlett, and several rusted catering knives which had formerly belonged to victim Martyn Duffey. Ockenden. Cattran reported his suspicions to his supervisor, Gary Wheeler. [145] Nobbs had not reported the attack to police for fear of his sexuality being discovered. In response to prosecution contention that, in attributing an unspecified disorder to Nilsen, MacKeith was undecided in his conclusions,[152] MacKeith contended that this unspecified personality disorder was severe enough to substantially reduce Nilsen's responsibility.[153]. [108][n 8]. On 31 October, the prosecution called Paul Bowden to testify in rebuttal of the psychiatrists who had testified for the defence. Who was Kenneth Ockenden? | The Sun This autobiography was published on 21 January 2021. [n 3], Initially, Nilsen experienced domestic contentment with Gallichan, but within a year of their moving to Melrose Avenue, the superficial relationship between the two men began to show signs of strain. Nilsen then fell asleep alongside the body. The Scottish killer's second victim was Canadian tourist Kenneth Ockenden. Kenneth Ockenden was a Canadian student visiting relatives in Britain when he encountered Dennis Nilsen. [38], In April 1973, Nilsen completed his police training and was posted to Willesden Green. What happened to Dennis Nilsen and how he was caught [135], According to Nilsen, upon being transferred to Brixton Prison to await trial, his mood was one of "resignation and relief", with his belief being that he would be viewed, in accordance with law, as innocent until proven guilty. Family tree. Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is due to play one of Britain's. Nilsen's first murder victim was identified in 2006 as 14-year-old Stephen Holmes. But the real revelation comes when Ogden uncovers an untold story about the murder of Canadian tourist, Kenneth Ockenden, who disappeared in December 1979. Nilsen asked why the police were interested in his drains and also whether or not the two officers present with Jay were health inspectors. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Kenneth Ockenden was murdered by Dennis Nilsen when he was 23 years old, Kenneth Ockenden was one of his first victims, Nilsen was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). ", Nilsen's written recollections of the ritual he observed after the murder of his first victim. Holmes encountered Nilsen in the Cricklewood Arms pub, where Holmes had unsuccessfully attempted to purchase alcohol. Daily Star. Prior to their dissection, Nilsen removed their internal organs,[57] which he disposed of either beside a fence behind his flat or close to Gladstone Park. On 25 October the court heard testimony from two further men who had survived attempts by Nilsen to strangle them. Also, actor Rupert Everett has now made a shock claim that he could have been one of the sick murderers victims, here is what he said. [74], The following day, Nilsen purchased a Polaroid camera and photographed Ockenden's body in various suggestive positions. The newlyweds moved into her parents' house.[3]. He further emphasised that, when feeling low, seizing an opportunity to satisfy the sexual fantasies he had developed in which the victim is the young, attractive and passive partner, and he the older active partner, temporarily relieved him of a general feeling of inadequacy. [91] The following day, Barlow was released from hospital and returned to Nilsen's home, apparently to thank him. On the way home, they stopped off at an off licence store and purchased whisky, rum and beer. There was practically no discoloration and his skin was pale white. 1270. After Nilsen and this victim had consumed several beverages, Nilsen strangled him with a tie and subsequently placed the body beneath the floorboards. After briefly succeeding in raising his head above the water, Stottor gasped the words, "No more, please! [158] As a Category A prisoner, he was assigned his own cell and could mix freely with other inmates. When Nilsen returned home, DCI Jay introduced himself and his colleagues, explaining they had come to enquire about the blockage in the drains from his flat. [111] The following day, he refused to allow an acquaintance to enter his property, the reason being he had begun to dismember Sinclair's body on the floor of his kitchen. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Kenneth . Allen accepted Nilsen's offer to accompany him to Cranley Gardens for a meal. Stottor's voice frequently quavered with emotion as he recounted how Nilsen had repeatedly attempted to drown him in his bathtub as he pleaded in vain for his life to be spared, and how he later awoke to find Nilsen's mongrel dog licking his face; on several occasions, the judge had to allow Stottor time to regain his composure. [70], Two months after the attempted murder of Ho, on 3 December 1979, Nilsen encountered a 23-year-old Canadian student named Kenneth Ockenden,[71] who had been on a tour of England visiting relatives. [88], The final victim to be murdered at Melrose Avenue was 23-year-old Malcolm Barlow,[90] whom Nilsen discovered slumped against a wall outside his home on 17 September 1981. How did Dennis Nilsen die? Cannibal serial killer met his end in jail On three occasions over the following ten minutes, Nilsen unsuccessfully attempted to kill this victim after noting he had resumed breathing, before deciding to fill his bathtub with water and drown him. An investigation into the disappearance of one of his earliest victims, Canadian backpacker Kenneth Ockenden, was stymied by a reluctance among police to acknowledge that Ockenden was a gay. Des: Police reveal what show got right and wrong about investigation [46] Nilsen engaged Stottor in conversation, discovering he was depressed following a failed relationship. Both men immediately called the police who, upon closer inspection, discovered further small bones and scraps of what looked to the naked eye like either human or animal flesh in the same pipe. The 23-year-old was due to fly home to Canada the following day. ", Duffey's body was first placed upon a kitchen chair, then upon the bed on which he had been strangled. The autobiography, based upon the 6,000 pages of typewritten notes Nilsen authored while incarcerated, examines his life and crimes, and is edited by Austin, who became a pen pal of Nilsen's in the years prior to his death and who exchanged more than 800 letters with him. Dennis Nilsen: who was he, how many people did he kill and what When Nilsen awoke, he found himself on the floor of the German youth's flat. His limbs were more relaxed than when I had put him down there. [67], Reflecting on his killing spree in 1983, Nilsen stated that, having killed Holmes: "I caused dreams which caused death this is my crime,"[68] adding that he had "started down the avenue of death and possession of a new kind of flatmate". He murdered Martyn Duffey, 16, on May 17, 1980 and William Sutherland, 26, the following August. His final victim was 20-year-old Stephen Sinclair, who went back to. [36] Nilsen never spoke to his older brother again, and maintained only sporadic written contact with his mother, stepfather and younger siblings. Although Nilsen initially resented his stepfather (whom he viewed as an unfair disciplinarian) he gradually came to grudgingly respect him. He was invited in and, after eating a meal, began drinking rum and coke before falling asleep on the sofa. Nilsen manually strangled Barlow as he slept, before stowing his body beneath his kitchen sink the following morning.[92]. [16] Shortly after this incident, Nilsen's mother moved out of his grandparents' home and into a flat with her three children. Nilsen grew to resent what he saw as the unfair amount of attention his mother, grandmother and later, stepfather displayed towards his older brother and younger sister. This ruling ensured Nilsen would never be released from prison, a punishment he accepted. [10] His body was brought ashore and returned to the Whyte family home prior to burial. The officers did not open the cupboard, but asked Nilsen whether there were any other body parts to be found, to which Nilsen replied: "It's a long story; it goes back a long time. Following the closing arguments of both prosecution and defence, the jury retired to consider their verdict on 3 November 1983. Nilsen was brought to trial on 24 October 1983, charged with six counts of murder and two of attempted murder. During the summer and autumn of 1973, Nilsen began frequenting gay pubs and engaged in several casual liaisons with men. Kenneth Donnan Lawson Obituary (1941 - 2023) - Echovita Gallichan later informed police that he was sexually "uninterested" in Nilsen. Nilsen never showered in the company of his fellow soldiers for fear of developing an erection in their presence; instead opting to bathe alone in the bathroom, which also afforded him the privacy to masturbate without discovery. England & Wales Births, GRO Indexes, 1911 - 1954 Kenneth J. Ockenden, born 1953 Kenneth J. Ockenden was born in month 1953, at birth place, to Jefferys. He viewed these encounters as "soul-destroying" liaisons in which he "would only lend" his partner his body in a "vain search for inner peace"[40] as he sought a lasting relationship. His final three victims were killed at 23 Cranley Gardens. Nilsen repeatedly engaged in sexual relations with an Arab youth while previously stationed in Aden. Months later, the regiment was transferred to West Berlin, where, the same year, Nilsen had his first sexual experience with a female: a prostitute whose services he solicited. [167] A four-minute section of this interview, in which Nilsen frankly discussed his crimes, was initially scheduled to be broadcast on 19 January 1993; the Home Office sought to ban the interview from being broadcast[168] on the grounds that they had not granted permission for Central to conduct interviews with Nilsen which were later broadcast to the public, and claimed ownership of copyrighted material.