The Bag Murders

Unsolved Serial Murders in New York City

The Bag Murders are a chilling series of unsolved murders that plagued New York City from 1975 to 1977, claiming the lives of six men. This macabre case earned its nickname because each victim was dismembered, their remains stuffed into garbage bags, and callously discarded into the murky depths of the Hudson River. The identities of these victims and their killer remain shrouded in mystery, leaving a haunting legacy that significantly impacted the gay community of New York City.

The Murders

Between 1975 and 1977, authorities made a grim discovery when multiple garbage bags, containing human remains, were found floating in the Hudson River. The police painstakingly examined the evidence, ultimately concluding that these remains belonged to six men. A crucial element in their investigation was the clothing found with the body parts, which all originated from leather stores situated in Greenwich Village—a vibrant neighborhood known for its gay bars and cultural significance within the LGBTQ+ community.

Given this context, it was widely presumed that all the victims were gay men, a tragic realization that underscored the vulnerabilities faced by this community during that era.

The Arrest of Paul Bateson

In a twist that would later capture the attention of the media, a resident of Greenwich Village named Paul Bateson was arrested in September 1977 for the murder of film reporter Addison Verrill. During his trial, prosecutors introduced a witness named Richard Ryan, who testified that Bateson had confessed to him shortly before Verrill's murder. Ryan claimed that Bateson had told him he had also killed three other men: Ronald Cabeau, aged 29; Donald McNiven, aged 41; and John Beardsley, aged 53. Each of these men had been stabbed to death in their Lower Manhattan apartments in early 1973, after frequenting gay bars.

But the intrigue doesn't stop there. Ryan alleged that Bateson had confessed to not just these three murders, but to killing and dismembering six gay men, whose remains were subsequently dumped into the Hudson River. However, despite these shocking claims, no formal charges were filed against Bateson for the Bag Murders due to a lack of concrete evidence linking him to the crimes. He was ultimately convicted only for the murder of Addison Verrill, receiving a sentence of 20 years to life in prison. Throughout his incarceration, Bateson consistently denied any involvement in the Bag Murders, leaving a cloud of doubt and speculation in his wake.

Impact on Popular Culture

The case took a fascinating turn during Bateson's trial in 1979, when director William Friedkin—who had previously worked with Bateson in his iconic 1973 film The Exorcist—began visiting him in jail. Their conversations sparked Friedkin’s interest in adapting Gerald Walker’s 1970 novel Cruising, using the backdrop of the recent murders as a chilling plot element. The film, released in 1980 and starring Al Pacino, aimed to explore the dark underbelly of the gay nightlife in New York City.

Friedkin later claimed that during their discussions, Bateson partially admitted to the murders, particularly referencing one gay man whose body he had dismembered, with the remains disposed of in a garbage bag and thrown into the East River. This revelation added an eerie layer to the film’s narrative and raised questions about the blurred lines between fiction and the grim realities of the time.

Activism and Outrage

Simultaneously, journalist and LGBT rights activist Arthur Bell was writing a series of poignant articles for The Village Voice that focused on the Greenwich Village murders. Bell's investigations revealed a disturbing trend: gay men faced significant societal stigma and were often victimized, with numerous murders occurring in the area since the early 1970s—though only a handful were officially recorded. His work ignited public outrage, drawing attention from various human rights organizations and serving as a catalyst for the gay liberation movement.

The filming of Cruising was met with fierce protests from segments of the LGBTQ+ community, who argued that the film perpetuated negative stereotypes and could incite further violence against them. Fearing for their safety and the potential for more murders, residents of Greenwich Village even appealed to then-mayor Ed Koch to stop the film crew from shooting in the neighborhood. Koch denied their request, resulting in escalating demonstrations that ultimately required police intervention.

Renewed Interest

Fast forward to 2019, and the Bag Murders case experienced a resurgence in public interest thanks to the second season of the psychological crime thriller series Mindhunter. The sixth episode briefly touched upon the Bag Murders and Bateson’s possible involvement, reigniting discussions about this haunting chapter in New York’s history.

See Also

• List of serial killers in the United States
• List of unsolved murders
• List of fugitives from justice who disappeared

Sources

• Sal Bono (July 2, 2021). "How the Bag Murders and the Last Call Killer Put in Focus the Dangers the New York LGBTQ+ Community Faces". Inside Edition.
• Matt Miller (August 19, 2019). "The True Story of Paul Bateson Is Much More Fascinating Than We See in Mindhunter Season Two". Esquire.
• John Rechy (August 6, 1979). "A Case for 'Cruising'". The Village Voice.
• "Murderer of a Writer Is Implicated in Cases Of Unsolved Slayings". The New York Times. April 7, 1979.
• Janet Maslin (September 18, 1979). "Friedkin Defends His 'Cruising'". The New York Times.
• Will Kohler (July 31, 2021). "Gay History vs. Mindhunter - The Murder of Addison Verrill by Paul Bateson (1979): What's Right, What's Wrong and What You Don't Know". Back2Stonewall.

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