Benjamin Atkins
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Atkins (also known as the Woodward Corridor Killer), was an American
serial killer
who killed 11 women in Detroit, Michigan
during a period of nine months between December 1991 and August 1992. All the victims were found in vacant buildings, all were rape
d and strangled. Many of the victims were working as prostitutes. Atkins said he was motivated by a hatred of prostitution. During his trial, it was revealed that Atkins himself was raped at age 10 and witnessed his mother engage in prostitution.
Atkins was sentenced to eleven life
sentences
. However, on September 17th 1997, he died of an infection
caused by HIV
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
who killed 11 women in Detroit, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
during a period of nine months between December 1991 and August 1992. All the victims were found in vacant buildings, all were rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d and strangled. Many of the victims were working as prostitutes. Atkins said he was motivated by a hatred of prostitution. During his trial, it was revealed that Atkins himself was raped at age 10 and witnessed his mother engage in prostitution.
Atkins was sentenced to eleven life
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
sentences
Criminal sentencing in the United States
In the United States, a judge sentences a person convicted of a crime. The length of the prison term depends upon multiple factors including the severity and type of the crime, state and/or federal sentencing guidelines, the convicted's criminal record, and the personal discretion of the judge...
. However, on September 17th 1997, he died of an infection
Infection
An infection is the colonization of a host organism by parasite species. Infecting parasites seek to use the host's resources to reproduce, often resulting in disease...
caused by HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
.