Arthur Shawcross, a serial killer, terrorized Rochester in New York from 1972 to 1989. Shawcross was initially guilty of manslaughter in the murders of two Watertown victims. However, it is claimed that Shawcross continued his crimes while on parole. A&E’s “First Blood” chronicles Arthur Shawcross’ crimes and shows how the law caught up to him. We have the answers to your questions about Shawcross’s murders.
Who was Arthur Shawcross?
Arthur Shawcross was born in Kittery in Maine but spent most of his childhood years in Watertown in New York. The show claims that Shawcross had a difficult childhood and was considered a bully at school. Shawcross graduated high school and joined the United States Army at 21. He even served in Vietnam.
Shawcross was already divorcing his first wife by this point. He also had a son with her, but he cut all contact with him. Shawcross married Linda after he returned from Vietnam. But even that marriage didn’t last. Shawcross began to live a life of petty crime after Linda left. He was convicted and released from prison in 1971. After that, he returned home to Watertown.
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Shawcross also killed his first victims in the next year. They were Jack Owen Blake, 10, and Karen Ann Hill, 8, respectively. Shawcross was later found guilty of manslaughter by investigators and sentenced to 25-year imprisonment. Shawcross escaped jail in 1987 on parole, which allowed him to go on a murder spree in Monroe County and Wayne counties. Shawcross was unable to integrate into society after his murder spree. People refused to live in the same area as him. Shawcross and Rose Marie Walley, his ex-girlfriend, moved from one place to another until they settled in Rochester.
Shawcross killed 11 people in Monroe and Gibson Counties between March 1988 and December 1989. Shawcross targeted mostly sex workers, but most of his victims were raped before their deaths. Shawcross even ended up mutilating their bodies. However, Shawcross was also accused of cannibalism in testimony during his murder trial.
Shawcross was eventually arrested on January 5, 1990, after being spotted at a location where authorities had found the body of one of his victims. The show mentions a 12th victim but is not connected to the serial killer.
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Is Arthur Shawcross still alive or dead?
When presented to the court, Shawcross pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity and claimed he suffered brain damage. He also claimed that Shawcross’s childhood abuses and experiences as a Vietnam soldier led to his crimes. The jury convicted Shawcross of 11 murders and sentenced him to 250-year imprisonment in 1990. Shawcross was in prison when he complained about leg pains on November 8, 2010. Shawcross died at the age of 63 after being admitted to hospital.
