Robert Garrow
Encyclopedia
Robert Garrow was an American
spree killer
who was active in New York
in the early 1970s.
village of Dannemora
, Garrow grew up in a poor family of farmers. Garrow later said that his parents were severe, violent disciplinarians who regularly physically abused
their children with whatever was handy, even bricks. (His accounts have been confirmed by his siblings.) The police were called several times throughout the years to break up violent fights between Garrow and his alcoholic
father; after a particularly brutal episode when Garrow was 15, he was sent to a farm to work. He joined the Air Force
upon his release, but was court-martial
ed a year later for stealing money from a superior officer and spent six months in a military prison in Florida
. After a failed escape attempt, he spent a year in another stockade in Georgia
.
Garrow also later reported a long history of sexual dysfunction
and paraphilia
s; he committed several acts of bestiality with the farm animals he worked with throughout childhood and adolescence, and would often perform sadomasochistic masturbation
with milking machines.
restaurant he burglarized
, and was involved in an abusive
homosexual relationship with a man he later described as a sadist
. He was arrested for rape
in 1961 and spent seven years in prison. Soon after he was released, he committed a series of rapes; many of his victims were children. He was arrested for the rape of two prepubescent girls, but jumped bail
and became a fugitive
. His crimes soon escalated to murder
.
He murdered four people in July 1973, including a young woman whom he kidnapped and repeatedly raped before killing, and a high school-aged camper in the Adirondacks a few days later, spurring on a statewide manhunt (at the time, the largest in New York State
history). Garrow was tracked down, cornered, and shot in the foot, arm, and back by a Conservation Officer. He survived, but alleged that he was partially paralyzed
. Garrow was treated at CVPH Medical Center
in Plattsburgh, NY
, where doctors denied his claims of paralysis.
He sued the State of New York for $10 million, alleging that the state's doctors had been negligent in treating the gunshot wound which lead to his alleged paralysis. He was moved to a medium security prison in exchange for dropping the lawsuit and was later found to be faking his paralysis.
Garrow pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury
rejected it and found him guilty of first-degree murder, sentencing him to a term of 25 years to life in prison. Garrow began his sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility
(maximum security) in Dannemora, NY
, on July 2, 1974. Due to his alleged paralysis, however, Garrow repeatedly requested transfer to the Elderly and Handicapped Unit (minimum security) within the medium-security Fishkill Correctional Facility
. In September, 1977, a death threat against Garrow prompted his transfer to Auburn Correctional Facility (maximum security). It was not until early 1978 that Garrow was transferred to Fishkill
.
A Grand Jury indicted one of Garrow's lawyers (Francis Belge, but not Frank Armani), with whom he had shared the location of two victims' bodies, for violating §§ 4200(1) and 4143 of the New York Public Health Law, the first such section required that a decent burial be accorded the dead, while the second required "anyone knowing of the death of a person without medical attendance, to report the same to proper authorities. The trial court granted the attorneys' motion to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that the communications between Garrow and Belge as to the whereabouts of the bodies were protected by the attorney-client privilege, and "in the interests of justice." As to the privilege, the court held that Belge's professional duties prohibited him from revealing information that would incriminate his client, reasoning that the Fifth Amendment rights of criminal defendants against self-incrimination would be circumvented if "compulsory disclosure can be exacted through his attorney." However, the court noted that if Belge had been charged with obstruction of justice "under a proper statute," rather than a rarely applied "pseudo-criminal statute," the requisite balancing of the accused Fifth Amendment rights against the rights of society to punish culpable behavior would have rendered the court's decision much more difficult.
prison on September 8, 1978. He was in possession of a .32 caliber pistol he had obtained from his son, who concealed the weapon inside a bucket of chicken he brought to his father during a visit. Garrow was spotted by guards three days later a few hundred yards away from the prison walls and shot at his pursuers, but was killed when they returned fire.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spree killer
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
who was active in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the early 1970s.
Early life
Born in the Upstate New YorkUpstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
village of Dannemora
Dannemora (village), New York
Dannemora is a village located primarily in the Town of Dannemora in Clinton County, New York. The population was 3,936 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from Dannemora, Sweden, an iron-making town where early settlers came from ....
, Garrow grew up in a poor family of farmers. Garrow later said that his parents were severe, violent disciplinarians who regularly physically abused
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
their children with whatever was handy, even bricks. (His accounts have been confirmed by his siblings.) The police were called several times throughout the years to break up violent fights between Garrow and his alcoholic
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
father; after a particularly brutal episode when Garrow was 15, he was sent to a farm to work. He joined the Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
upon his release, but was court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed a year later for stealing money from a superior officer and spent six months in a military prison in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. After a failed escape attempt, he spent a year in another stockade in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Garrow also later reported a long history of sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction
Sexual dysfunction or sexual malfunction refers to a difficulty experienced by an individual or a couple during any stage of a normal sexual activity, including desire, arousal or orgasm....
and paraphilia
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
s; he committed several acts of bestiality with the farm animals he worked with throughout childhood and adolescence, and would often perform sadomasochistic masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
with milking machines.
Criminal history
Garrow returned to New York in 1957, married and fathered a son. His life did not improve, however; he was fired from a series of menial jobs, including from a fast foodFast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
restaurant he burglarized
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...
, and was involved in an abusive
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
homosexual relationship with a man he later described as a sadist
Sadism and masochism as medical terms
In psychiatry, the terms sadism and masochism describe a personality type characterized by the actor or actrix deriving pleasure and gratification from inflicting physical pain and humiliation ; and from suffering pain and humiliation upon the self ; such pleasure often is sexual, but not...
. He was arrested for 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...
in 1961 and spent seven years in prison. Soon after he was released, he committed a series of rapes; many of his victims were children. He was arrested for the rape of two prepubescent girls, but jumped 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...
and became a fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
. His crimes soon escalated to murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
.
He murdered four people in July 1973, including a young woman whom he kidnapped and repeatedly raped before killing, and a high school-aged camper in the Adirondacks a few days later, spurring on a statewide manhunt (at the time, the largest in New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
history). Garrow was tracked down, cornered, and shot in the foot, arm, and back by a Conservation Officer. He survived, but alleged that he was partially paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
. Garrow was treated at CVPH Medical Center
CVPH Medical Center
The CVPH Medical Center is a hospital located in Plattsburgh, New York.Champlain Valley Physicians' Hospital was created in 1972 by the merger of the private Physician's Hospital with Champlain Valley Hospital, a charitable hospital operated by the Grey Nuns...
in Plattsburgh, NY
Plattsburgh (city), New York
Plattsburgh is a city in and county seat of Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 19,989 at the 2010 census. The population of the unincorporated areas within the Town of Plattsburgh was 11,870 as of the 2010 census; making the population for the immediate, urban Plattsburgh,...
, where doctors denied his claims of paralysis.
He sued the State of New York for $10 million, alleging that the state's doctors had been negligent in treating the gunshot wound which lead to his alleged paralysis. He was moved to a medium security prison in exchange for dropping the lawsuit and was later found to be faking his paralysis.
Garrow pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury
Jury
A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,...
rejected it and found him guilty of first-degree murder, sentencing him to a term of 25 years to life in prison. Garrow began his sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility
Clinton Correctional Facility is a New York State Department of Correctional Services state prison for men located in the Village of Dannemora, New York. The prison itself is sometimes colloquially referred to as Dannemora, although its actual name is derived from its location in Clinton County,...
(maximum security) in Dannemora, NY
Dannemora (village), New York
Dannemora is a village located primarily in the Town of Dannemora in Clinton County, New York. The population was 3,936 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from Dannemora, Sweden, an iron-making town where early settlers came from ....
, on July 2, 1974. Due to his alleged paralysis, however, Garrow repeatedly requested transfer to the Elderly and Handicapped Unit (minimum security) within the medium-security Fishkill Correctional Facility
Fishkill Correctional Facility
Fishkill Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York, USA. The prison is located in both the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon in Dutchess County.Fishkill was constructed in 1896...
. In September, 1977, a death threat against Garrow prompted his transfer to Auburn Correctional Facility (maximum security). It was not until early 1978 that Garrow was transferred to Fishkill
Fishkill Correctional Facility
Fishkill Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York, USA. The prison is located in both the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon in Dutchess County.Fishkill was constructed in 1896...
.
A Grand Jury indicted one of Garrow's lawyers (Francis Belge, but not Frank Armani), with whom he had shared the location of two victims' bodies, for violating §§ 4200(1) and 4143 of the New York Public Health Law, the first such section required that a decent burial be accorded the dead, while the second required "anyone knowing of the death of a person without medical attendance, to report the same to proper authorities. The trial court granted the attorneys' motion to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that the communications between Garrow and Belge as to the whereabouts of the bodies were protected by the attorney-client privilege, and "in the interests of justice." As to the privilege, the court held that Belge's professional duties prohibited him from revealing information that would incriminate his client, reasoning that the Fifth Amendment rights of criminal defendants against self-incrimination would be circumvented if "compulsory disclosure can be exacted through his attorney." However, the court noted that if Belge had been charged with obstruction of justice "under a proper statute," rather than a rarely applied "pseudo-criminal statute," the requisite balancing of the accused Fifth Amendment rights against the rights of society to punish culpable behavior would have rendered the court's decision much more difficult.
Escape and Death
Garrow escaped from the FishkillFishkill Correctional Facility
Fishkill Correctional Facility is a medium security prison in New York, USA. The prison is located in both the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon in Dutchess County.Fishkill was constructed in 1896...
prison on September 8, 1978. He was in possession of a .32 caliber pistol he had obtained from his son, who concealed the weapon inside a bucket of chicken he brought to his father during a visit. Garrow was spotted by guards three days later a few hundred yards away from the prison walls and shot at his pursuers, but was killed when they returned fire.