Harvey Glatman
American Serial Killer and Rapist
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Los Angeles, California
TIME PERIOD
August 1, 1957 – July 12, 1958
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
The case involves Harvey Glatman, an American serial killer and rapist active between August 1, 1957, and July 12, 1958, primarily in Los Angeles, California. Glatman, known as the Lonely Hearts Killer, lured his victims, including Judith Dull and Ruth Mercado, under the pretense of offering modeling opportunities, subsequently assaulting and murdering them before disposing of their bodies in the desert. He was apprehended on October 31, 1958, and executed by gas chamber on September 18, 1959, after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. Significant evidence included photographs taken by Glatman during the assaults, which were pivotal in linking him to the crimes.
Harvey Glatman is theorized to have targeted women who were seeking modeling opportunities, exploiting their aspirations to lure them into dangerous situations. Some speculate that his early childhood behaviors, including sadomasochism and antisocial tendencies, contributed to his criminal path. Additionally, there is speculation about whether Glatman may have committed other unsolved murders in Colorado beyond the known cases in California.
Harvey Glatman: The Chilling Chronicles of the Lonely Hearts Killer
Early Life: A Troubled Beginning
Harvey Murray Glatman was born on December 10, 1927, in the bustling borough of The Bronx, New York City. He was the only child of Albert and Ophelia Glatman, a family of Russian-Jewish and Polish-Jewish descent. Early in his childhood, the Glatmans relocated to Denver, Colorado. Harvey, despite possessing an intelligence quotient of 130, displayed a disturbing array of antisocial and sadomasochistic behaviors from a young age.
As a small child, Harvey found a peculiar thrill in tying a string around his genitals. By twelve, his experiments grew more dangerous when he began strangling himself with a rope looped through the bathtub drain. Concerned, his mother sought advice from a family physician, who dismissed the behavior, believing Harvey would "grow out of it."
Adolescence only amplified Harvey's predatory tendencies. He began breaking into women's apartments, pilfering items as personal as lingerie and, on one occasion, a handgun. His crimes escalated to stalking and sexual assault. In August 1945, Harvey was apprehended and pleaded guilty to first-degree grand larceny. This conviction led to a 5–10 year sentence at Elmira Reformatory. Two years into his sentence, he was transferred to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. During his incarceration, Harvey was diagnosed with a "psychopathic personality - schizophrenic type having sexually perverted impulses as the basis of his criminality." Released on parole in 1948, Harvey returned to society, but the darkness within him had not diminished.
The Murders: A Sinister Evolution
In 1957, Harvey Glatman moved to Los Angeles, where he devised a sinister method to lure his victims. Posing as a professional photographer under various pseudonyms, he targeted aspiring models through agencies, enticing them with promises of work in pulp magazines. His real intentions were far more nefarious. Once he had the women in his apartment, he would tie them up, sexually assault them, and document the heinous acts with his camera. Afterward, he would strangle them and dispose of their bodies in the desert.
Harvey's known victims included Judith Dull and Ruth Mercado, both lured under the guise of modeling opportunities. His third victim, Shirley Ann Bridgeford, met him through a Lonely Hearts advertisement in a newspaper. Harvey's potential connection to the murder of Dorothy Gay Howard, whose body was discovered in Boulder, Colorado, in 1954, remains a haunting possibility. For years, she was known only as "Boulder Jane Doe" until her identity was confirmed in October 2009, thanks to DNA profiling by Dr. Terry Melton of Mitotyping Technologies.
Arrest and Execution: The End of a Reign of Terror
Harvey's reign of terror came to an abrupt end on October 31, 1958, when a patrolman witnessed him struggling with a woman on the side of the road. The woman, Lorraine Vigil, narrowly escaped becoming his fourth known victim. Arrested and interrogated, Harvey confessed to three murders and led police to a toolbox filled with incriminating photographs of his victims.
In court, Harvey was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Resigned to his fate, he requested the warden not to intervene on his behalf. On September 18, 1959, Harvey Glatman met his end in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison.
Cultural Impact: The Legacy of Fear
Harvey Glatman's chilling exploits left a permanent mark on American culture. His story was partly fictionalized by Jack Webb in a 1966 television movie for "Dragnet," which prompted NBC to revive the series in 1967. Some of the film's dialogue was reportedly taken from Harvey's own statements to the police, with LAPD Captain Pierce Brooks, involved in Harvey's arrest, serving as a technical advisor.
Additionally, Harvey's crimes are briefly mentioned in James Ellroy's memoir, "My Dark Places," where Harvey is cleared of suspicion in the 1958 murder of Ellroy's mother.
See Also
- Harvey Carignan, another American serial killer known as "The Want-Ad Killer."
- The concept of lonely hearts killers.
- Lists of individuals executed in the United States in 1959.
- Lists of serial killers in the United States.
Sources
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First Murder
Harvey Glatman begins his killing spree, targeting models.
Third Murder
Glatman murders his third known victim, Shirley Ann Bridgeford.
Arrested
Glatman is arrested while attempting to kidnap Lorraine Vigil.
Confession
Glatman confesses to three murders and leads police to evidence.
Trial Begins
Glatman's trial for the murders begins, drawing significant media attention.
Convicted
Glatman is found guilty of two counts of first degree murder.
Executed
Harvey Glatman is executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison.
The case involves Harvey Glatman, an American serial killer and rapist active between August 1, 1957, and July 12, 1958, primarily in Los Angeles, California. Glatman, known as the Lonely Hearts Killer, lured his victims, including Judith Dull and Ruth Mercado, under the pretense of offering modeling opportunities, subsequently assaulting and murdering them before disposing of their bodies in the desert. He was apprehended on October 31, 1958, and executed by gas chamber on September 18, 1959, after being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. Significant evidence included photographs taken by Glatman during the assaults, which were pivotal in linking him to the crimes.
Harvey Glatman is theorized to have targeted women who were seeking modeling opportunities, exploiting their aspirations to lure them into dangerous situations. Some speculate that his early childhood behaviors, including sadomasochism and antisocial tendencies, contributed to his criminal path. Additionally, there is speculation about whether Glatman may have committed other unsolved murders in Colorado beyond the known cases in California.
Harvey Glatman: The Chilling Chronicles of the Lonely Hearts Killer
Early Life: A Troubled Beginning
Harvey Murray Glatman was born on December 10, 1927, in the bustling borough of The Bronx, New York City. He was the only child of Albert and Ophelia Glatman, a family of Russian-Jewish and Polish-Jewish descent. Early in his childhood, the Glatmans relocated to Denver, Colorado. Harvey, despite possessing an intelligence quotient of 130, displayed a disturbing array of antisocial and sadomasochistic behaviors from a young age.
As a small child, Harvey found a peculiar thrill in tying a string around his genitals. By twelve, his experiments grew more dangerous when he began strangling himself with a rope looped through the bathtub drain. Concerned, his mother sought advice from a family physician, who dismissed the behavior, believing Harvey would "grow out of it."
Adolescence only amplified Harvey's predatory tendencies. He began breaking into women's apartments, pilfering items as personal as lingerie and, on one occasion, a handgun. His crimes escalated to stalking and sexual assault. In August 1945, Harvey was apprehended and pleaded guilty to first-degree grand larceny. This conviction led to a 5–10 year sentence at Elmira Reformatory. Two years into his sentence, he was transferred to Sing Sing Correctional Facility. During his incarceration, Harvey was diagnosed with a "psychopathic personality - schizophrenic type having sexually perverted impulses as the basis of his criminality." Released on parole in 1948, Harvey returned to society, but the darkness within him had not diminished.
The Murders: A Sinister Evolution
In 1957, Harvey Glatman moved to Los Angeles, where he devised a sinister method to lure his victims. Posing as a professional photographer under various pseudonyms, he targeted aspiring models through agencies, enticing them with promises of work in pulp magazines. His real intentions were far more nefarious. Once he had the women in his apartment, he would tie them up, sexually assault them, and document the heinous acts with his camera. Afterward, he would strangle them and dispose of their bodies in the desert.
Harvey's known victims included Judith Dull and Ruth Mercado, both lured under the guise of modeling opportunities. His third victim, Shirley Ann Bridgeford, met him through a Lonely Hearts advertisement in a newspaper. Harvey's potential connection to the murder of Dorothy Gay Howard, whose body was discovered in Boulder, Colorado, in 1954, remains a haunting possibility. For years, she was known only as "Boulder Jane Doe" until her identity was confirmed in October 2009, thanks to DNA profiling by Dr. Terry Melton of Mitotyping Technologies.
Arrest and Execution: The End of a Reign of Terror
Harvey's reign of terror came to an abrupt end on October 31, 1958, when a patrolman witnessed him struggling with a woman on the side of the road. The woman, Lorraine Vigil, narrowly escaped becoming his fourth known victim. Arrested and interrogated, Harvey confessed to three murders and led police to a toolbox filled with incriminating photographs of his victims.
In court, Harvey was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Resigned to his fate, he requested the warden not to intervene on his behalf. On September 18, 1959, Harvey Glatman met his end in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison.
Cultural Impact: The Legacy of Fear
Harvey Glatman's chilling exploits left a permanent mark on American culture. His story was partly fictionalized by Jack Webb in a 1966 television movie for "Dragnet," which prompted NBC to revive the series in 1967. Some of the film's dialogue was reportedly taken from Harvey's own statements to the police, with LAPD Captain Pierce Brooks, involved in Harvey's arrest, serving as a technical advisor.
Additionally, Harvey's crimes are briefly mentioned in James Ellroy's memoir, "My Dark Places," where Harvey is cleared of suspicion in the 1958 murder of Ellroy's mother.
See Also
- Harvey Carignan, another American serial killer known as "The Want-Ad Killer."
- The concept of lonely hearts killers.
- Lists of individuals executed in the United States in 1959.
- Lists of serial killers in the United States.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
First Murder
Harvey Glatman begins his killing spree, targeting models.
Third Murder
Glatman murders his third known victim, Shirley Ann Bridgeford.
Arrested
Glatman is arrested while attempting to kidnap Lorraine Vigil.
Confession
Glatman confesses to three murders and leads police to evidence.
Trial Begins
Glatman's trial for the murders begins, drawing significant media attention.
Convicted
Glatman is found guilty of two counts of first degree murder.
Executed
Harvey Glatman is executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison.