Stabbing the Strangler - Today (or yesterday) in History

On this date (or yesterday, there is some debate) in 1973 Albert DeSalvo AKA the Boston Strangler was stabbed to death in the prison infirmary. He was imprisoned for sexual assault and other related charges. Despite confessing to over 6 murders attributed to the Boston Strangler, he was never charged. Nor was anyone ever prosecuted for his death.

There is much debate about the Boston Strangler murders. Public opinion at the time linked all similar rapes and murders together, but for a variety of reasons (range of ages of women, different methods of kiling) the police did not believe all murders were the work of one person. Some believe that DeSalvo was innocent or was part of a two-man team.

The mysteries surrounding these murders have inspired multiple films including The Boston Strangler in 1968 based on DeSalvo as the killer and The Strangler which was made while the crimes were still considered unsolved (i.e. before DeSalvo confessed).

A further macabre footnote to this story occurred in 2001 when DeSalvo's family had his body exhumed hoping to clear his name and discovered that many of his organs were missing.