Harvey Murray Glatman
Encyclopedia
Harvey Murray Glatman was an American
serial killer
active during the late 1950s. He was known in the media as "The Lonely Hearts Killer".
to a Jewish family and raised in Colorado
, Glatman exhibited antisocial
behavior and sadomasochistic sexual tendencies from an early age. At the age of 12, his parents noticed he had a red, swollen neck, he described being in the bathtub, placing a rope around his neck, running it through the tub drain, and pulling it tight against his neck, "achieving some kind of sexual pleasure from this act." His mother took him to the family physician and was told he "would grow out of it." As a teenager, he would break into women's apartments, where he tied them up, sexually molested
them and took pictures as souvenirs. He was caught in one such act in 1945 and charged with attempted burglary
. Less than a month later, while still out on bail
awaiting trial, he kidnapped another woman and molested her before letting her go. She went to the police, and Glatman went to prison
for eight months.
Once out of prison, Glatman moved to Albany, New York
, where he was eventually arrested in 1946 for a series of mugging
s. He served time at the New York State Reception Center at Elmira and then in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where prison psychiatrist
s diagnosed him as a psychopath. He was nevertheless a model prisoner and was parole
d in 1951. He returned to Denver in 1951 and lived there until 1957. He worked as a TV repairman and also hired young women to pose for him in bondage situations. He claimed that his photos would be published on the covers of detective magazines, but none were.
in 1957 and started trolling around modeling
agencies looking for potential victims. He would contact them with offers of work for pulp fiction
magazines, take them back to his apartment, tie them up and sexually assault them, taking pictures all the while. He would then strangle them and dump the bodies in the desert.
Glatman is also a suspect in the slaying of "Boulder Jane Doe", a victim whose corpse was discovered by hikers near Boulder, Colorado
in 1954. Her identity remained a mystery for 55 years. In October 2009, the Sheriff’s Office was notified by Dr. Terry Melton, of Mitotyping Technologies in State College, Pennsylvania
, that her lab had made a match between "Jane Doe's" DNA
profile and that of a woman who thought the unidentified murder victim might be her long-lost sister. The positive identification of "Boulder Jane Doe" was an 18-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona
, named Dorothy Gay Howard.
Glatman was in Colorado at the time and was driving a 1951 Dodge Coronet
. The damage done to the body was consistent of being hit with the same car.
of San Quentin State Prison
on September 18, 1959. His last words were :"I knew this is the way it would be."
in the 1966 TV movie Dragnet. The film convinced TV executives to relaunch Dragnet
as a TV series in 1967 for a four year run. Dragnet 1966, however, was not aired until 1969. It is notable for dialogue based on Glatman's own statements to police, including this:
Criminal: "The reason I killed those girls was 'cause they asked me to. (pause) They did; all of them."
Officer: "They asked you to."
Criminal: "Sure. They said they'd rather be dead than be with me."
Capt. Pierce Brooks, LAPD, who helped trick Glatman into revealing where his toolbox was, served as a technical advisor
for the film.
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...
active during the late 1950s. He was known in the media as "The Lonely Hearts Killer".
Early life
Born in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
to a Jewish family and raised in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, Glatman exhibited antisocial
Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour is behaviour that lacks consideration for others and that may cause damage to society, whether intentionally or through negligence, as opposed to pro-social behaviour, behaviour that helps or benefits society...
behavior and sadomasochistic sexual tendencies from an early age. At the age of 12, his parents noticed he had a red, swollen neck, he described being in the bathtub, placing a rope around his neck, running it through the tub drain, and pulling it tight against his neck, "achieving some kind of sexual pleasure from this act." His mother took him to the family physician and was told he "would grow out of it." As a teenager, he would break into women's apartments, where he tied them up, sexually molested
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
them and took pictures as souvenirs. He was caught in one such act in 1945 and charged with attempted burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
. Less than a month later, while still out on bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
awaiting trial, he kidnapped another woman and molested her before letting her go. She went to the police, and Glatman went to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
for eight months.
Once out of prison, Glatman moved to Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, where he was eventually arrested in 1946 for a series of mugging
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
s. He served time at the New York State Reception Center at Elmira and then in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where prison psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
s diagnosed him as a psychopath. He was nevertheless a model prisoner and was parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
d in 1951. He returned to Denver in 1951 and lived there until 1957. He worked as a TV repairman and also hired young women to pose for him in bondage situations. He claimed that his photos would be published on the covers of detective magazines, but none were.
Murders
Glatman moved to Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1957 and started trolling around modeling
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
agencies looking for potential victims. He would contact them with offers of work for pulp fiction
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
magazines, take them back to his apartment, tie them up and sexually assault them, taking pictures all the while. He would then strangle them and dump the bodies in the desert.
Glatman is also a suspect in the slaying of "Boulder Jane Doe", a victim whose corpse was discovered by hikers near Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
in 1954. Her identity remained a mystery for 55 years. In October 2009, the Sheriff’s Office was notified by Dr. Terry Melton, of Mitotyping Technologies in State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
, that her lab had made a match between "Jane Doe's" DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
profile and that of a woman who thought the unidentified murder victim might be her long-lost sister. The positive identification of "Boulder Jane Doe" was an 18-year-old woman from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, named Dorothy Gay Howard.
Glatman was in Colorado at the time and was driving a 1951 Dodge Coronet
Dodge Coronet
The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the division's highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge's mid-size entry.-1949:...
. The damage done to the body was consistent of being hit with the same car.
Arrest and death
Glatman was arrested in 1958, caught in the act of kidnapping what would have been his fourth murder victim; a patrolman saw him struggling with a woman at the side of the road, and arrested him. He willingly confessed to the other three murders and eventually led the police to a toolbox containing pictures of the victims which he had taken. He was found guilty of two counts of first degree murder and executed in the gas chamberGas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
of San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
on September 18, 1959. His last words were :"I knew this is the way it would be."
Media
Parts of Glatman's career were fictionalized by Jack WebbJack Webb
John Randolph "Jack" Webb , also known by the pseudonym John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet...
in the 1966 TV movie Dragnet. The film convinced TV executives to relaunch Dragnet
Dragnet (series)
Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
as a TV series in 1967 for a four year run. Dragnet 1966, however, was not aired until 1969. It is notable for dialogue based on Glatman's own statements to police, including this:
Criminal: "The reason I killed those girls was 'cause they asked me to. (pause) They did; all of them."
Officer: "They asked you to."
Criminal: "Sure. They said they'd rather be dead than be with me."
Capt. Pierce Brooks, LAPD, who helped trick Glatman into revealing where his toolbox was, served as a technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
for the film.
External links
- Crime Library article on Glatman
- Harvey Glatman – Colorado Timeline
- http://www.silviapettem.com/Jane%20Doe.html