John List

[greatgarrett2]

Was John List ever profiled on UM? He was the guy who murdered his entire family in New Jersey to 'save their souls' by sending them to heaven. Then, he withdrew money and disappeared only to start a new life in the West. I know AMW covered the story, but was it on UM?

Cheers,

greatgarrett2

[Awsi Dooger]

Originally Posted by greatgarrett2

Was John List ever profiled on UM? He was the guy who murdered his entire family in New Jersey to 'save their souls' by sending them to heaven. Then, he withdrew money and disappeared only to start a new life in the West. I know AMW covered the story, but was it on UM?

Cheers,

greatgarrett2

I don't think so. That case was solved in summer '89 which was only two years into UM's run. If List had remained a fugitive well into the '90s it's a safe bet UM would have profiled him, as they did with the similar case of William Bradford Bishop.

[7hurricane]

no but I find this case very interesting and always wondered why UM did not profile him. Thank Awsi I never knew he was captured that early into the shows run.

[crystaldawn]

I do remember his case was profiled on AMW and the bust that Frank Bender did of him ended up looking identical to List and how he had aged when he was apprehended down to the identical selection of glasses frames.

[Awsi Dooger]

Originally Posted by crystaldawn

I do remember his case was profiled on AMW and the bust that Frank Bender did of him ended up looking identical to List and how he had aged when he was apprehended down to the identical selection of glasses frames.

crystaldawn, last night I found something very interesting, after this thread was posted. I certainly thought the bust looked like John List. Frank Bender's reputation and fame started as a result of that bust. I thought the bust was so accurate it caused the former neighbor to identify List after the AMW segment.

However, last night after this thread was posted I did some internet research on the case and it turns out the former neighbor from Colorado suspected List for years, based on an article she read in Weekly World News that included an old picture of List. She even gave the article to List's new wife and asked her to show it to him and see how he reacted, but the new wife threw it away instead.

Look at this paragraph from Court TV's crimelibrary.com:http://www.crimelibrary.com/notoriou...ly/list/7.html

"Wanda Flannery was watching. To her, the bust did not look like Robert Clark, her former neighbor. Nevertheless, she still felt that she had made the right connection. She knew she had to act, if only to save Delores. She had her son-in-law call the phone number provided on the show and give them the Clarks' new address in Virginia."

That was really amazing to me, that the bust apparently wasn't a factor.

The series of chapters on crimelibrary is very interesting overall. There are links at the bottom of that page I linked.

It indicated List asked the four children how they wanted to be buried weeks earlier, and that led the daughter to believe he was planning to kill them. I had no idea List actually picked up two of the children and drove them home before the murders, making sure to rush inside the home first so he could be in position to slaughter them. Then the home was burned down by arsonists nine months after the murders, after being frequented by neighborhood kids for months once becoming known as an infamous landmark.

[Kane]

Originally Posted by 7hurricane

no but I find this case very interesting and always wondered why UM did not profile him.

My guess: either they were never approached about it, or they considered profiling him, only to rule it out when List was captured. However, with John List expected to remain in prison until his dying day, what is far more important is the fact that the case has been resolved.

[crystaldawn]

Very interesting Awsi.....sharp research skills as always.

I didn't realize about the neighbors suspicions long before List was captured. I do remember watching an American Justice or some show like that about his case and they said his new wife didn't seem to believe he was John List. All she would have to do is look at an earlier picture of him for in my opinion his looks didn't change much over the years. I'm sure she just didn't want to believe it.

[greatgarrett2]

Thanks......I knew he was profiled on AMW.

Cheers,

greatygarrett2

[micbig]

UM was approached about doing a story on him but they said it was too old. I read that somewhere but don't remember where.
Michelle

[Kane]

Originally Posted by micbig

UM was approached about doing a story on him but they said it was too old. I read that somewhere but don't remember where.
Michelle

That sounds odd, because UM profiled cases that were older than the List case. Example: Kathy Power. She went on the run in 1970, following a Massachusetts bank robbery that resulted in the murder of police officer Walter Schroeder (she surrendered in 1993). This was a year before the List murders.

Maybe the advances of forensic technology caused UM to rethink their position about decades-old cases? Regardless, you can't pass on cases because they are "too old", and then profile cases that are much older. You can't have it both ways. Besides, as you know, there is no statute of limitations on murder.

Believe it or not, AMW was on the verge of not profiling John List. In an interview, John Walsh expressed doubts about the show being able to help catch List because of the case being "too old". Had AMW passed on the case, John List might still be on the run.

[SitcomsAreTheWay]

Yeah, I remember seeing him profiled on AMW and that clay mold (or whatever it's called) looked exactly like him.