Love Conquers All: The Women Who Marry Convicted Serial

Killers

Dr. Mike Aamodt, Radford University, maamodt@radford.edu

Why Marry a Convicted Killer?The Attraction

• Notoriety– Celebrity status– Being associated with the worst of the worst– Being considered a rebel

• Attraction to the “bad boy”• Need to nurture and save• Need for control• Intimate relationships

– Cons can show great sensitivity– Lack of sex places focus on feelings and conversation– Sacrifice makes the relationship more important– Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Randall Woodfield• Crime

– I-5 Killer– Killed 18, raped 60

• Dates– Convicted June 26, 1981– Married April 25, 2001

• Spouse– Previous marriage in prison that ended in

divorce after 6 months– Jennifer Lyn Coria in 2001

• Prison Policy– Weddings held twice a year– Vows exchanged in warden’s office– Got to honeymoon in the “conjugal trailer”

Angel Maturino Resendiz

• Crime– Railroad Killer– Killed 9 people

• Dates– Convicted in May, 2000– Sentenced to death – Engaged in 2001

• Spouse– Nancy Resendiz (age 50)– Bachelor’s degree

• Prison Policy– Resendiz is already married so it

does not recognize marriage

Ilich Ramirez Sanchez

• Crime– Carlos the Jackal– Killed 83 people

• Dates– Convicted in– Sentenced to life in France – Engaged in 2001

• Spouse– Isabelle Coutant-Peyre– Lawyer

• Wedding– Both are currently married and waiting for their

respective divorces

Ted Bundy

• Crime– Killed over 30 people

• Dates– Convicted 12-6-80– Sentenced to death – Married on February 9, 1980– Executed 1/24/89

• Spouse– Carole Ann Boone (age 50)– Former friend

• Wedding– Exchanged “vows of intention” in the

courtroom with a notary public present– Gave birth to Bundy’s daughter in 10/82– By 1986 out of Bundy’s life

Henry Louis Wallace

• Crime– Killed 13 people

• Dates– Convicted on 1/29/97– Sentenced to death – Married on June 5, 1998

• Spouse– Rebecca Torrijas – Former prison nurse– 23 years older than Wallace

• Wedding– Married next to the execution

chamber

Richard Ramirez• Crime

– Night Stalker– Killed 13 people

• Dates– Convicted September 20, 1989– Sentenced to life – Married in 1996

• Spouse– Doreen Lioy– Free-lance magazine editor– B.A. in English Literature– IQ of 152– Claims to be a virgin– "He's kind, he's funny, he's charming. I

think he's really a great person. He's my best friend; he's my buddy."

• Prison Policy

Angelo Buono

• Crime– Hillside Strangler– Killed 7 people

• Dates– Convicted in 1983 – Sentenced to life – Married in 1986– Died in prison 9/21/2002

• Spouse– Christine Kizuka– Mother of 3– Supervisor for the Employment

Development Department for the State of California

Arthur Shawcross• Crime

– Genesee River Killer– Killed 13 people

• Dates– Convicted in 1991 – Sentenced to 250 years– Married in 7/10/97

• Spouse– Clara D. Neal– Former girlfriend

• Wedding– Visiting room of the prison– Clara: “It was nice and all. It took 10 years to

make the grade but I finally did it.”

Lemuel Warren Smith

• Crime– Killed at least 3 people in New York

• Dates– Convicted in

– Sentenced to death, later changed to life

– Married in 1983

• Spouse– Dawn Pepita Hall Simmons (46)

– Famous writer (biographer of famous women) who earlier in life had changed sex from a male to a female

• Wedding

Kenneth Bianchi• Crime

– One of the Hillside Stranglers

– Killed 7 people in California & Washington

• Dates– Convicted November, 1983

– Sentenced to life

– Married September 21, 1989

• Spouse– Shirlee Book (36)

– Very unattractive

– Wanted Bundy, settled for Bianchi

• Wedding

Tex Watson

• Crime– Part of the Manson Family

• Dates– Convicted in 1969 – Sentenced to life– Married September 7, 1989

• Spouse– Kristin Joan Svege (20)– Read that his previous relationship ended

and then wrote him letters• Wedding

– She wore an ankle-length white gown, matching white shoes, and carried a flower bouquet and Bible

James Earl Ray

• Crime– Not a serial killer, but shot Marin Luther King

• Dates– Convicted in 1969– Sentenced to 99 years– Married October 13, 1978

• Spouse– Anna Sandhu (32, he was 50)– Was an artist for a TV station doing a

documentary on him– She proposed to him

• Wedding– She wore an off-white pleated skirt with

matching crocheted blouse– Marriage lasted 12 years, he filed for divorce

John Wayne Gacy• Crime

– Killed over 30 boys

• Dates– Convicted March, 1980

– Sentenced to life

• Fiancée– Sue Terry (43 in 1988)

– Mother of 8

– Wrote to him after seeing him in the paper

– Relationship lasted a year until she was finally convinced of his guilt

Serial Killer His Age Her Age Spouse

Art Shawcross 52 66 Clara Neal

Maturino Resendiz 43 50 Nancy Resendiz

Richard Ramirez 36 41 Doreen Lioy

Angelo Buono 51 Christine Kizuka

Henry Louis Wallace 33 56 Rebecca Torrijas

Randall Woodfield 41 Jennifer Lyn Coria

Ted Bundy 34 Carole Ann Boone

Tex Watson 34 20 Kristin Joan Svege

Kenneth Bianchi 51 Shirlee Book

How Do They Meet?

• Personal ads• Pen pals• Professional Services

– Lawyers

– Psychologists

– Prison guards

• Visiting other inmates• Prison volunteers• During the trial

– Jurors

– Groupies

Lovely Couple How They Met

Angelo Buono & Christine Kizuka Introduced by first husband whose cell was next to Buono’s

Carlos the Jackal & Isabelle Coutant-Peyre

She was his attorney

Ted Bundy & Carole Boone She was a former friend

Henry Wallace & Rebecca Torrijas

Art Shawcross & Clara Neal She was a former girlfriend

Randy Woodfield & Jennifer Lyn Coria She began visiting the prison

Kenneth Bianchi & Shirlee Book She saw him on TV and wrote to him

Tex Watson & Kristin Svege She read about him in the paper

Richard Ramirez & Doreen Lioy She sent him a birthday card after seeing him on TV. He asked her to visit

Lovely Couple Where They Got Married

Angelo Buono & Christine Kizuka

Angel & Nancy Resendiz Visitation room

Ted Bundy & Carole Boone Courtroom during trial

Henry Wallace & Rebecca Torrijas

Next to the execution chamber

Art Shawcross & Clara Neal Visiting room

Randy Woodfield & Jennifer Lyn Coria

Warden’s office

Richard Ramirez & Doreen Lioy

Lovely Couple What They Wore

Angelo Buono & Christine Kizuka

Tex Watson & Kristin Joan Svege She war an ankle-length white gown, matching white shoes, and carried a flower bouquet and a Bible

Henry Wallace & Rebecca Torrijas She wore a pale green dress covered with pink flowers and a pearl necklace. Henry wore red prison jumpsuit and black tennis shoes

Art Shawcross & Clara Neal

Kenneth Bianchi & Shirlee Book She wore a floor-length white satin gown, a veil, and white gloves

Richard Ramirez & Doreen Lioy Doreen wore a white wedding dress with chiffon sleeves. Richard wore a blue prison outfit with no restraints.

Lovely Couple The Wedding Party

Angelo Buono & Christine Kizuka

Angel & Nancy Resendiz

Ted Bundy & Carole Boone

Henry Wallace & Rebecca Torrijas Wallace’s attorney, the manager of the death row unit, and a public defender served as witnesses

Art Shawcross & Clara Neal

Randy Woodfield & Jennifer Lyn Coria

Richard Ramirez & Doreen Lioy Ramirez’s brother, sister, niece, his biographer, and 2 attorneys. No one from her family attended, but 60 inmates did.

Lovely Couple Can they consummate the marriage?

Angelo Buono & Christine Kizuka No, because he was not eligible for parole

Tex Watson & Kristin Svege Yes, spent honeymoon in the conjugal trailer. They have 3 children.

Ted Bundy & Carole Boone Not allowed to, but they did and Bundy fathered a daughter

Henry Wallace & Rebecca Torrijas No

Art Shawcross & Clara Neal Yes

Randy Woodfield & Jennifer Lyn Coria

Yes. They got to honeymoon in the “conjugal trailer”

Kenneth Bianchi and Shirlee Book No, they were denied permission to use the conjugal trailer

Richard Ramirez & Doreen Lioy No, and she was a virgin when she was married

States Allowing Conjugal Visits

• California

• Connecticut

• Mississippi

• New Mexico

• New York

• Washington