Joseph Christopher
| Joseph Christopher | |
|---|---|
 Joseph Christopher in 1981 | |
| Born |
Joseph G. Christopher July 26, 1955 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
March 1, 1993 (aged 37) Attica Correctional Facility, New York, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Male breast cancer |
| Other names |
The .22-Caliber Killer The Midtown Slasher |
| Criminal penalty |
60 years (overturned) Life imprisonment |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 12+ |
Span of killings | 1980–1981 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | New York, Georgia |
Date apprehended | January 1981 |
Joseph G. Christopher (July 26, 1955 – March 1, 1993), also known as the .22-Caliber Killer or the Midtown Slasher, was an American serial killer who gained notoriety for a series of murders in the early 1980s. He is believed to have killed at least twelve individuals and wounded numerous others, with almost all being African-Americans.
Early life
Joseph G. Christopher was born in Buffalo, New York on July 26, 1955, as the only son born to Therese (née Hurley) and Nicholas Christopher. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a mechanic who taught Joseph to shoot at a young age.
He enrolled in the automotive mechanics program at Burgard Vocational High School in 1971, and was remembered as a quiet student who did well in his shop courses before dropping out in early 1974. He was later said to be "very intelligent, though he wasn't book-smart."[1] He then worked a series of odd jobs before securing employment as a maintenance man at Canisius College, where he shared a midnight shift with a black co-worker. He was fired in March 1979 for sleeping on the job and returned to live with his parents. He stated afterwards that he had noticed his mental state declining from 1978 on, and attempted to check himself into the Buffalo Psychiatric Center in early September 1980, but was turned away.[2]
Murders
Christopher's killing spree began on September 22, 1980, when he committed four murders in the space of 36 hours with a .22 caliber sawed-off rifle. These murders led to the media epithet of the .22-Caliber Killer.[3] He committed two more murders on October 8 and October 9, both times bludgeoning his victims to death and then cutting their hearts out.[4][5] These murders were unable to be solved and Christopher enlisted in the army in November 1980, being stationed at Fort Benning. He soon received Christmas furlough and arrived in Manhattan on December 20, where, on December 22, he committed four more murders; this time stabbing his victims to death. He then returned to Buffalo and stabbed another African-American man to death on December 29, as well as another in Rochester on December 30, before returning to Fort Benning in January.
When back at Fort Benning, Christopher attacked a fellow soldier, Albert Menefee, Jr., with a paring knife in what was described as an unprovoked attack. Menefee survived the attack and Christopher was placed in the stockade where he cut himself with a razor. In a subsequent psychiatric session, he stated to a psychiatrist that he "had to" kill blacks.[1] This admission caused Christopher's home to be searched by the police. There the police found evidence linking Christopher to three murders, which led to his indictment in April 1981 and his transferal back to Buffalo for his trial on May 8.
Trial, imprisonment and death
He pled not guilty to the three murders and refused counsel by lawyers hired by his mother, opting instead to represent himself. He was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to 60 years in prison, but this ruling was overturned as the trial judge had barred the defense from presenting expert psychiatric testimony about Christopher's ability to stand trial.[6] He was later found competent to stand trial, and appeared in court again in 1985 under various charges which led to him being sentenced to life imprisonment. While imprisoned, Christopher claimed credit for 13 killings.[7] He died in prison due to a rare form of male breast cancer on March 1, 1993, at the age of 37.[8]
References
- 1 2 Farber, M. A. "BUFFALO SUSPECT'S FRIENDS ARE MYSTIFIED". NY Times.
- ↑ Warner, Gene. "A new look at the .22-Caliber Killer". Buffalo News.
- ↑ "So-called Midtown Stabber kills his first victim". History.com. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
- ↑ Profile of Joseph Christopher, frankedobson.com; accessed December 9, 2014.
- ↑ Profile of Joseph Christopher, brucecorris.blogspot.com, September 2011; accessed December 9, 2014.
- ↑ "BUFFALO MAN GUILTY IN '80 KILLING". NY Times.
- ↑ Profile of Joseph Christopher, Radford/FGCU Serial Killer Database; accessed December 9, 2014.
- ↑ Profile of Joseph Christopher, artvoice.com; accessed December 9, 2014.