Delaware public prosecutor Charles Orley approved a police search warrant of the panel van, while at the same time searching for other offences they could arrest Pennell. "It was quite an eerie place because it's in the middle of nowhere, and it's just crazy how everything has been left on display. two others on October 30, 1991. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. According to our Database, She has no children. Steven Brian Pennell Biography, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Her body was discovered partially clothed with remnants of duct tape in her hair. A jury found Rivers guiltyof two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, first-degree conspiracy and first-degree criminal solicitation after a three-week trial. Taschner was on the lookout now for a blue Ford van and one did eventually stop for her. Mrs. C.. more. Shirley Ellis and Catherine DiMauro were both strangled and bludgeoned to death with a Not much is known of Pennell's childhood except that for the most apart, "The boyfriend was driving. Pennell was known to find his "I had no idea who he was but he was Delaware's only known serial killer and this was apparently where he killed one or two of his victims. Pennell broke his wifes arm once, which was never reported to the police. A fifth victimbelieved to have been his work decomposed too badly to offer evidence. Investigators found rolls of duct tape and a buck knife. Delaware. they were bound with tape, tortured and Delaware conducted an object for good measure. There were no signs of sexual assault, but she had been seriously abused, with her killer tying a string around her neck and hitting her head with a hammer before she died. Witnesses say the driver was a white male. Meyer once DNA evidence linked him to the case. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. "She, like the others,had been brutally tortured while she was bound," Kathy Jennings, from the Delaware Attorney General's Office, told producers. While searching the vehicle, prints matching the blood and hair of the victims, as well as the same adhesive tape used in the DiMauro killing, were located. , money, salary, income, and assets. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. "We noticed there was mutilation in the breastarea partial nipple removal.". However, Pennell left later that night for another cruise along Route 40. Local officers were aware they were ill-equipped to handle a massive hunt for a serial killer, so they created a task force and Steven Brian Pennells income source is mostly from being a successful Killer. ). Following this, officers raided his home and further searched his van. Pennell maintained his innocence until deathbut said he wanted to spare his family the pain of his imprisonment. The publication points out that those in this industry are at a greater risk for violence and are often seen as targets by serial killers. Something went wrong, please try again later. As a freelance writer, he spends his time writing about true crime. WebMarlene Simm, the mother of one of Mr. Pennell's victims, Michelle Gordon, was among a crowd of 40 death-penalty supporters and opponents gathered on the prison grounds. There was one key difference between the victims, however: DiMauro was covered head to toe in blue carpet fibers. 0 cemeteries found in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, USA. GREAT NEWS! DiMauro's autopsy did reveal more than just a similar murder method, though. be automatically appealed to the Delaware This browser does not support getting your location. Steven Pennell was While they waited for weeks for the testing to be completed, investigators did spot surveillance of Steve Pennell, and found nothing interesting. After moving to a place on Route 40 that wasn't as brightly lit, the blue van stopped, its driver encouraging Renee Taschner to climb aboard. Delaware Department of JusticeSteven Pennells blue van, in which he tortured and killed his victims. Tragically, yet another victimthen turned up in the meantime. Halloween of 1991, Steven Brian Pennell was sentenced to die by lethal The blue fibers were sent to a lab for testing. The dolls were still dressed up, but now covered in dust and faded by the sun next to an aged Bible. Minutes later, inside the The Incredible True Story Of The World War 1 Christmas Truce, A 91-Year-Old Civil Rights Leader Just Survived Being Stabbed Five Times By Fighting Back, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. testing (blue fibers from an automobile had been found on one of the Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. Fortunately, the Pennells had no children. She had been turning over a new leaf, however, her family said. Both were imprisoned. Discover Steven Brian Pennells Biography, Age, Height, Suspicious enough to note the license plate, he didnt share the information at the time and Meyers body was never found. Like Ellis, she was killed by hammer blows and strangulation, but unlike the first murder, DiMauro's body was covered in blue fibers. A number of witnesses had seen her enter a blue Ford driven by a white male near Route 13. Add to your scrapbook. "It was actually a body.". victim's breasts and cut off her nipples. In any event, all of his applications were rejected for still alive), and in another case he used the pliers to squeeze the executed by lethal injection on March 15, 1992. Shirley Ellis and Catherine DiMauro were both strangled and bludgeoned to death with a hammer to the head. Pennell argued for the death penalty in front of this five-person court, which granted his wishes. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. ", But a judge in New Castle The medical examiner did, however, state that it was a homicide. Mary Elizabeth followed her a day later on Aug. 12. I want to take away their pain, but I cannot.". had a prisoner like Mr. Pennell. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Though married with two children and a seemingly normal electrician by day, Pennell drove Delawares Route 40 by night, torturing and killing five women throughout the late 1980s. A video has emerged showing inside a house of horrors which was once owned by one of the most notorious serial killers in America. was the chief suspect in the murder of a fifth Wikimedia Commons Route 40 Killer Steven Brian Pennells mugshot. One of the key pieces of evidence was the blue fibers from his van that matched the fibers found on DiMauro's body. The execution, performed by Blue fiber evidence in the Steven Pennell case. State and county police collaborated with the FBI to identify and About two months later, Cohen was arrested in a suburb of New Orleans and charged with mugging an elderly woman and cheating a cab driver out of a fare. and simple. cemeteries found in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. He checked them into the Comfort Inn, which later changed its name to the Roadway Inn before it closed its doors after being declared a nuisance property. It was unclear if Dimauro, a sex worker, was working that night when approached by a blue van. Steven Brian Pennell would travel up and down the Route 40 highway in Delaware for victims to torture and kill using a twisted torture kit he kept in his car. View more cases in this series here. "The hardest part is seeing how much pain Christopher Rivers has caused my father, my mother, my brother, my children. to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really Renee Taschner and other undercover officers had begun working an operation along Route 40 shortly after the discovery of DiMauro's body. On August 22, sex worker Margaret Lynn Finner vanished from Route 13. Steven Brian Pennell was born on Nov. 22, 1957, in Wilmington, Delaware. The killer's case has long since been a source of morbid curiosity after the depraved killer was found to have hidden 29 of his victims beneath its floor. injecting him with lethal drugs. It was a candy boxcontaining a handkerchief, chocolate creams and a small slip of paper that said: With love to yourself and baby. The news comes after the home of serial killer John Wayne Gacy was shown in the new Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes. I'd never really seen that type ofdamage to a victim," Swiski told producers. Search above to list available cemeteries. Pennell's wife, Kathy, made desperate efforts to Steven Brian Pennell abducted most of his victims off Route 40 in Delaware. Finally caught in November 1988, the married electrician and dad-of-two was convicted of abducting and murdering two women whilst being suspected of killing three others. Inside the After the Lutz killing, Cohen made his way back east hitching rides and jumping freight trains, eventually landing in New Orleans a few days before Mardi Gras in 1990. She said she was pleased by the execution. He was the only one in Delaware's legal history to represent himself before the Supreme Court, and the only convicted to willingly seek the death penalty. Hair and blood from his victims were also recovered from his van. executed, Mr. Pennell pleaded no contest to the On September 23rd, 26-year-old Kathleen Anne Meyer, of Brookmont Farms, disappeared. Steve Mardigan (Douglas testified against Pennell at his 1989 trial). 2 (Podcast Episode 2023) Parents Guide and Certifications from around the world. the Murderpedia project stay alive. He reopened the Discover Steven Brian Pennell's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. The second victim was 31-year-old divorced prostitute Catherine A. DiMauro. lifetime prison term for the murder of two women Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. in Delaware since 1946, but the state had rarely Due to the police's inexperience with serial murder, the FBI had agreed Web"The Route 40 Killer" Steven Brian Pennell Pt. executed in Delaware since 1976 when the death penalty SMYRNA, Del. The other four people survived. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. hooker, Pennell would coerce the unsuspecting woman into his van and Sign up to the Daily Star's newsletter. Explore Steven Brian Pennell net worth, bio, age, height, family, wiki, birthday, career, salary [Last Update 2021]! according to a 2020 Delaware Today article. experience with other serial killers, the FBI was able to make an The driver wanted her to get in, but instead she feigned interest in his van, asking him to turn on the interior light. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232112375/steven-brian-pennell. Once again there was no evidence of sexual assault; her body had been tortured and bludgeoned with work tools, and there was evidence of strangulation by ligature. Family members claimed that Ellis was used to hitchhiking, and they believed that she was doing this near Route 40. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Joseph and Olga Connell died in front of theirPaladin Club condominium in the Fox Point area on Sept. 22, 2013. Pennell was pulled over for a routine traffic violation on September 30. Wired for evidential audio, the officers had instructions not to enter any vehicles stopping for them. Mr. Pennell was a serial killer who prosecutors say lured women into his van with a promise of money for sex. A couple seeking privacy off the highway found her body lying on a road near a construction site. Also, Cohen said, he saw the murder of his parents profiled on the television show America's Most Wanted and feared Lutz would recognize him. The driver was a white male, but the friend couldn't recognize any other distinguishing features. This is a carousel with slides. Their disappearances are also less likely to be immediately noticed. Listen to Anthony Todt, Gary Betzner, and Steven Brian Pennell by Bizarre & Fascinating Details instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. 20, 1988, and the other was Kathleen Meyer, 26, This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Finner had been last seen getting into a blue Ford van. She said she was pleased by the execution. beginning of the strange and terrible tale of Steven Brian Pennell's As he was taken to court to pay his fine, a listening device was installed in his van. He wasthe Route 40 Killer, recognized as Delaware's only known serial killer. The explorer, who posts as @places_forgotten said: "I do a lot of photography of abandoned houses in the States. I think it's been left alone because people don't want to think about history. Her death was caused by a combination of strangulation and blunt force trauma after being hit in the head repeatedly by a hammer-like instrument (via Justia). Court in 1976 allowed resumption of capital Officers ran the vans license plate, RV 2059, and found it was registered to Steven Brian Pennell, a Delaware electrician. Previously sponsored memorials or famous memorials will not have this option. On June 28, 1988, Catherine DiMauro was snatched from route 40 at around 11:30 p.m, according to Delaware Online. He ran up credit card bills which put a strain on his marriage, causing incidents of domestic violence. an "irrational act and one which Mrs. Pennell His crimes shocked the little state of Delaware, not because warden, Robert Snyder, whether he had any last "Mom! it was the first and only case of serial murder in the state's history, his new captive to unspeakable amounts of torture and rape. WebSteven Brian Pennell was born on 22 November, 1957 in Glasgow, Delaware, United States, is an American serial killer. The trial still captivates Delawareans. Pennell lived off Route 40 close to where the previous bodies had been found. They didn't know Rivers, Joseph Connell's business partner atC&S Auto Repair, was looking to collect on Connell's $1 million life insurance policy. He had no final words and left no answers for the chaos he induced. It On September 10, Kathleen Meyer, was last seen alive hitchhiking along Route 40 around 9:30 p.m. An off-duty police officer, unaware of the ongoing decoy operation, saw her enter a blue Ford van. She was used to hitchhiking, though, and herfamily believed that's how she met her killer. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. found. Pennell was accused of luring women into his van with the promise of money in exchange for sex. "He has caused so much pain for so many people,"said Joseph Connell's sister, Kelly Connell. punishment. Kathleen Meyer's body was never found, but a police officer wrote down the license plate of a car that Meyer got into, which happened to be Pennell's car. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Re-indicted in 1991, for the murders of Gordon and Meyer, Pennell himself requested that he be executed, and eventually pleaded no contest to the murders. Standing 65 and weighing around 300 pounds, Pennell appeared intimidating, but a former customer of his once said it was facade: He just didnt command respect.. In November of 1987, Steven Pennell began what was to become the most Steven Brian Pennell aka The Route 40 Killer, The Corridor Killer ; The Blue Fiber Killer ; The Route 13 Killer was Delaware's only known serial killer, convicted of the murders of two New Castle County, Delaware women and suspected of killing three others. Her body was never found. Reported! Edit. Michele Gordon had enough cocaine in her system that her heart stopped before Pennell started torturing her body. On Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson Brutalized and discarded in a dumpster, the victim of Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson was their unnamed, newborn child. Try again later. van with a promise of money for sex. Corridor Killer, was convicted of the murders of two Finally, the bodies would be dumped along prison trailer, which was divided into a glass-enclosed he raped them and beat their buttocks with his whip, other times he He also plead no contest to the murder of Kathleen On September 24, the blue fibers between Steven Brian Pennells van and the second victim were a confirmed match. Police extracted red fibers from her face and blue fibers from her body, clues that would eventually help lead to the arrest of her killer. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 22 November. Dunning left Botkin to serve as a war correspondent in the Spanish-American Warin 1898. To receive a complete surname meaning report by PDF you can order our SURNAME MEANING PACKAGE for $129. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Steven Brian Pennell - a married electrician and dad-of-two - became notorious in the 1980s for prowling the Route 40 highway in Delaware for someone to murder, using a twisted torture kit he'd keep in the boot of his car. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. It was November 1996, and Grossberg had hidden her pregnancy from her parents before moving to Newark to attend the University of Delaware. Web1992: On March 14, Delaware carried out the execution of Steven Brian Pennell, the first execution in the state since 1946. With the programming going into excruciating detail as the killer himself speaks, it's hard to imagine the outward faade he played at the time - especially with such a strange and grim home. The jury decided not to recommend the death penalty, but two life sentences. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. The man appeared nervous, hardly looking her in the eyes, but still attempted to convince her to enter the car. In July, police set up a decoy operation with female undercover officers posing as sex workers along Routes 40 and 13, hoping to catch a killer. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. We will update Steven Brian Pennell's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible. Route 40 Serial Killer Remains an Enigma After Convicted 30 Years Ago, 'Every Woman's Worst Nightmare': Serial Killer Stalks Delaware Highway And Mutilates His Victims For Pleasure, Death Row killer Steven Brian Pennell's sick torture kit used to kill sex workers, Steven Brian Pennell: The Route 40 Killer, 2022 by True Crime Archive. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. near this town 15 miles north of Dover. No one ever foundAnne Marie Fahey's body. WebFortunately, the Pennells had no children. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Yet it's never quite been able to shake off its macabre past. he appeared to come from a normal and stable upbringing. wooded areas next to highways 40 and 13. Most of his victims were abducted from U.S. Route 40, near Bear. Ellis autopsy revealed she had been bound at the hands and feet and tortured with work tools before death, according to Delaware Today. killing two others before his capture. the grounds of the Delaware Correctional Center curtain, and a Roman Catholic priest standing Eventually he would show mercy Life for Mrs. Pennell must not have been the "This court has found me guilty on the testimony of witnesses. By the end of his trial in 1999, the details were revealed. years old. Now married with two sons and a daughter from his wifes previous marriage, they lived in a Glasgow trailer home near Route 40. Margaret Lynn Finner's body was so badly decomposed when found it was found that the cause of death was undetermined. The forensic lab tested Pennells van fibers against those found on the body of DiMauro. They sent the fibers to the lab to see if they were a match to the ones found on DiMauro. Through their knowledge and Authorities ran the plate number, and learned their suspect was Steven Brian Pennell, a married man with two children and no real criminal history. On September 14, 1988, Rene Tashner, an undercover cop posing as a prostitute, roamed Route 40 in an attempt to capture the killer. He was executed by lethal injection on March 14, 1992. The only known serial killer to work in Delaware, Steven Brian Pennell began his killing spree on November 29, 1987. based on information from your browser. "Come up quick come up and look!". Shortly after the decision, a bouquet of flowers was sent to the prosecutor's office, with a note reading: "You made us feel human again, from the women of Route 40.". But Friday night and early today, state and Ms. Gordon, 22, whose body was found on Sept. She had been studying to be a nurse, and the night she went missing, she was going to a hospital to visit a sick friend. Police had little to go on, and the case went nowhere until June 29, 1988. Her body was later found by the roadside by two boys. he cried. Ellis, previously a sex worker, had walked along Route 40 a few hours earlier, as part of the 14-mile route to Wilmington hospital. She was a member of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. He was the only serial killer in the US to ever ask to be executed for his crimes. Instead, it was the beaten and mutilated body of Shirley A. Ellis. This account has been disabled. Their plans were halted when they saw something strange in the road. Wikimedia CommonsRoute 40 entering Glasgow, Delaware. Try again later. According to anAmerican Journal of Public Healthstudy published in 2014 that claimed sex workers have a 45 to 75% chance of being a victim of violence on the job. And although Steven Brian Pennell was stunningly brazen when hunting his victims, his beloved blue work van-turned-mobile torture chamber that would ultimately lead to his downfall. her life and acting as the dominant presence in the household. WebWhen Steven Bryan Pennell was born on 22 November 1957, in Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware, United States, his father, William S. Pennell, was 23 and his mother, Elaine Steven Brian Pennell would travel up and down the Route 40 highway in Delaware for victims to torture and kill using a twisted torture kit he kept in his car. He married Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Steven Brian Pennell was Delaware's only known serial killer, suspected of five murders in the late eighties and convicted of two. WebAnother Documentary on The Ominous Files, Subscribe and enjoy vinyl-covered gurney. His wife then undertook her Thanks to one tiny bit of evidence, the reign of one of modern historys most disturbing predators finally came to an end. stay were filed for Mrs. Pennell by W. Michael The victims, all women, bore disturbing marks of torture and police strongly suspected they were up against a serial killer and a ticking clock. "The medical examiner indicated that the actual acts of violence and torture literally frightened her death," Jennings explained. Her stepfather reporting her missing that day, had received a phone call from a friend of hers the following day. This post is part of our 50 Cases of America series. However,a blood sample taken fromPennell's van was subsequently found to be a match for yet another missing woman, Kathleen Meyer, who had last been seen entering a blue Ford van on Route 40.

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