Mary Bell: The 11-year-old serial killer
In Britain in 1968, 11-year-old Mary Bell strangled two young boys in the span of two months. Bell came from a broken home with a teenage sex worker for a mother and an active criminal for a father. When she and her accomplice Norma Bell (no relation) were arrested by police not long after the second murder, Mary reportedly replied, “That’s all right by me.” During the trial, Norma appeared distraught. Mary, on the other hand, was said to have been defiant, showing zero remorse. Court psychiatrists described her as “intelligent, manipulative, and dangerous.” Norma was found not guilty, while Mary was found guilty of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. She served 12 years–briefly escaping prison at one point–and was granted anonymity and a new name upon her release. She gave birth to a daughter, and it was reported in 2009 that she had become a grandmother.
The man who almost got away with murdering his family
John List killed his three kids, wife, and mother in 1971 inside their New Jersey mansion. The family was a bit reclusive, and List had skipped town following his crime, so the bodies weren’t discovered until a month later. List disappeared for 18 years and remarried, but was finally captured with the help of an episode of America’s Most Wanted. He claimed that he killed his family because they were under crushing debt from the house and medical expenses. A psychiatrist who testified in the trial said List saw only two choices: Go on welfare or send his family to heaven. It was later discovered that the very house that burdened List had a skylight that was rumored to be an original from Tiffany worth more than enough to make up for any financial strains. It’s unclear if List knew of his near priceless treasure. He died serving five consecutive life sentences without parole in 2008.
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