Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Dennis Andrew Nilsen is considered to be one of the most notorious serial killers who started his killing spree in the late 1970s. Between 1978 and 1983, the Scottish serial killer murdered several young men and boys. For many years, the authorities couldn’t apprehend the killer. However, in 1983, he was finally arrested for his crimes and charged with multiple counts.
According to The Sun, the Scottish serial killer would lure his victims to his apartment and kill them by strangulation. Apart from that, he would occasionally drown his victims. The outlet also mentioned that the authorities got to know about his heinous crimes when a plumber opened one of the drain covers in Cranley Gardens. As soon as he opened the drain, he found several human bones and flesh-like substance. The landlord of the house called the police, who determined the substance after analyzing it.
As per Mirror, police searched his apartment once Dennis Nilsen returned from work and arrested him after they found several horrific things. Citing Nilsen’s claims, the aforementioned outlet also revealed that he confessed killing “15 or 16” men in the 1970s and 80s. Despite confessing initially, the serial killer pleaded “not guilty.” The jury found Dennis Nilsen guilty of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. As a result, the court sentenced him to life in prison.
How did the Scottish serial killer die?
As per Newsweek, the serial killer served his sentence at the Her Majesty’s Prison Full Sutton. However, in May 2018, the murderer died in prison after a “ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm.” He was 72.
Even though he died, some of Nilsen’s victims were never identified, and it is reported that he might have killed many more. Newsweek reported that Nilsen was a civil servant before he began his killing spree. The outlet also mentioned most of the people he murdered were “vulnerable, gay men.” He would lure his victims to his house and brutally murder them. Shockingly, Nilsen would bathe and dress the victim’s body before dismembering them.
Although the police arrested him in 1983, Nilsen’s crime spree almost came to an end in 1979. As per Mirror, Dennis Nilsen tried killing a student from Hong Kong, but the victim never went to the police or pressed any charges. The slayings continued till 1983.
Nilsen wanted to stop the killings but couldn’t
Upon his arrest in 1983, the serial killer told the investigators everything and noted that he wanted to get it “off his chest.” Citing his statement, Wales Online quoted, “I’ll tell you everything. I want to get it off my chest. Not here – at the police station.” Meanwhile, he also accompanied police to his Melrose Avenue property and pointed out three areas in the rear garden where he burnt the remains of his victims.
While searching his properties, the police discovered a bag filled with organs, a skull, a severed head, and more. During the interrogation, Dennis Nilsen admitted that he murdered “12 or 13” men. Subsequently, he said that killing young men and boys didn’t give him “happiness.” He added, “I wished I could stop, but I couldn’t. I had no other thrill or happiness.” The Mirror noted that the defense tried proving that Nilsen didn’t murder his victims intentionally. However, the jury felt the other way around and gave a guilty verdict.
In recent years, Dennis Nilsen’s case has garnered much recognition in pop culture. Back in 2020, a miniseries titled Des, starring David Tennant as Dennis Nilsen, released on ITV. The series is available for streaming on Prime Video.
