Dennis Nilsen.

John Wayne Gacy

John christie 

Edward Gein

Dennis Nilsen

Fritz Haarmann

Jack The Ripper

Lydia Sherman

Bibliography

Webliography

The  Debate

Five days later Mike Cattran who worked for a drain clearance firm, opened the manhole at the side of the house.  After climbing into the sewer he discovered lumps of rotting meat, some even had hair attached, floating about in the slimy water. 

Mr Cuttran immediately alerted the police, who for some unknown reason, didn't investigate the man-hole until the next morning.  Mysteriously most of the flesh had been removed overnight, but police found fragments of flesh and bone which was later confirmed  to be of human origin. 

That evening Dennis Nilsen arrived home from working in a Soho Job Centre, to find detectives waiting for him.  He seemed genuinely suprised that tenants had complained about the drains.  When the police informed him of the gruesome discovery he exclaimed "Good grief! - how awful". 

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay went on gut instinct and replied "Don't mess me about, where's the rest of the body?"  To the detectives surprise Nilsen replied "In 2 plastic bags in the wardrobe. I'll show you." 

After giving Nilsen a caution, he was driven to the police station.  On route, one of the detectives asked Nilsen "How many bodies we talking about?  One or Two".  The reply came somewhat as a shock.  "Fifteen or sixteen since 1978.". 

Over the course of the next few days Nilsen described in graphic detail how he picked up homosexuals from public toilets. Or vagrants only too pleased to be offered a bed for the night, and a warm meal, in exchange for sexual favours. 

Dennis Nilsen stood trial in October 1983 at the Central Criminal Court in London.  The trial was long and complex as Nilsen's defence was criminal insanity.  The jury came back with a verdict that he was sane and guilty of six murders and two attempted murders. 

Nilsen was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a recommendation that he was to serve no less that 25 years.