Stephen Akinmurele

Stephen Akinmurele was a suspected serial killer, of Nigerian descent, charged with murdering five elderly people between 1995 and 1998. The case is noted for Akinmurele's long-standing hatred of elderly people. Akinmurele committed suicide before his trial though confessed to a number of the murders. Police believe he may have also been responsible for two further killings.^[1]

All of the victims in the case were elderly with the lead investigator in the case noting that Akinmurele had a "pathological hatred" of old people. He was dubbed "cul-de-sac killer" due to his choice of elderly victims living in quiet suburban streets. Akinmurele had a history of mental illness and had committed crimes against the elderly from the age of 11.^[2] He was drawn to situations in which he would encounter the elderly with the police asserting he got a "kick" out of killing old people.^[3]

Akinmurele killed himself in Manchester Prison in August 1999. In his suicide note Akinmurele admitted to the crimes, saying that he regretted them and feared he would kill again.^[4] He had also earlier admitted to three other killings of younger victims, though police believe the confession to be false and an attempt to mask the ageist motivation behind his crimes.^[1]

Eric Boardman, one of the victims, received a posthumous award for his bravery in defending himself and his wife from Akinmurele. Boardman's actions caused vital evidence to be left at the scene by Akinmurle, enabling the police to trace him through his fingerprints.^[1]^[5]

References

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