Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Double Initial Murders” Pt. 2 - Joseph Naso

Episode Date: December 31, 2018

Working as a photographer, he obsessively documented his crimes. Naso’s journals included more than 250 detailed descriptions of assaults, accompanied by thousands of photographs of his victim. He strangled at least six women to death between 1977 and 1994. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Watch only on Prime. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On April 13, 2010, probation officer West Jackson made his third unscheduled visit to 76-year-old Joseph Nassau's home in Reno Nevada. He found two rounds of 380 ammunition and evidence that Nassau was trying to buy a gun. Nassau was still on probation for trying to buy a gun. steal women's underwear. Ammunition possession is a probation violation, so Jackson's

discovery triggered Nassau's immediate arrest and a search of his home and property. Jackson had no idea he was about to uncover evidence of more than 50 years of violent crimes, the work of a serial killer. To borrow a term from the film Minority Report, they had stumbled upon an orgy of evidence. Police found thousands of photos of women tied up, drugged, and dead, as well as journals detailing hundreds of rapes and sexual assaults. Neso had been on probation since 1995, but his probation was scheduled to expire in less than two years in June of 2012. If not for those two stray bullets, police might never have caught one of the most frightening

and callous serial killers of all time. But now the Reno police had one more mystery to solve. Was the list of 10 women's code names found in Nassau's kitchen, a list of his past victims, or a list of women he planned to kill? I'm Greg Poulson. From the Parkast Network, this is serial killers. Today, we dive deeper into the life and crimes of infamous bondage photographer, serial rapist and murderer, Joseph Nassau. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

Many of you have been asking us how you can support the podcast. If you enjoy the show, one of the best ways to help us is to leave a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts. While you're there, you can listen to previous episodes of serial killers, as well as parcasts, other podcasts. A new episode comes out every Monday. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast, and on Twitter at Parcast Network, or in our website. Parkast.com. Last week, we followed Joseph Neso as he moved from place to place around Northern California, photographing sex workers, and as he escalated his behavior from rape fantasies to rape to murder.

Joseph Nassau strangled at least six women to death between 1977 and 1994. We also explored the unusual family life of this serial killer, who apparently co-parented peacefully with his ex-wife following their divorce. This, despite having arranged for other men to rape her. We also looked into Joe's behavior of obsessively documenting his crimes. Joe's journals included more than 250 detailed descriptions of assaults and rapes, accompanied by thousands of photographs of his victims, all of which came to light where we left off during the April 2010 police investigation.

Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. A note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. NASO's obsessive documentation is consistent with obsessive compulsive disorder or OCD. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, OCD is characterized by uncontrollable recurring thoughts or compulsions. In Nassau's case, a need to compulsively document. his kills and stockpile images of his victims. He didn't realize it, but Joseph Nassau had spent his entire life collecting evidence, building a case against himself.

Everything was right there waiting to be found. When they searched Nassau's cluttered house in 2010, officers brushed past numerous mannequins dressed in pantyhose. Some were hanging from the ceiling by pantyhose nooses. Throughout the house, police discovered an extensive collection, of women's lingerie, even though no woman had ever lived there. And when they reached Nassau's bedroom, officers discovered the door locked from the outside. Neso was originally placed on probation for attempting to steal women's underwear from a store

in Oakland, California. His large collection of women's lingerie, some of it possibly stolen, suggests he was a hoarder. According to the Mayo Clinic, hoarders compulsively acquire and store possessions, often including items that are of little use or value. There was further evidence of hoarding. Neso's house was filled with boxes upon boxes of photographs, featuring women bound in pantyhose and looking afraid, drugged, or dead. Everywhere the officers turned, they found more boxes of photos. But the sheer quantity and Nassau's occupation as a photographer presented a problem.

It was hard to differentiate fetish photos of posed models from those that might show crime being committed. But if the officers on the scene had any doubts about Nassau's menacing behavior, those doubts were put to rest when they discovered one final piece of evidence. Alongside a house full of hanged mannequins and photos of possibly dead women, a simple diary didn't look like much, but when officers opened it, they found themselves inside the twisted mind of a serial killer. The well-worn notebook detailed more than 50 years of rapes and sexual assaults. Later, Richard Brown, the lead investigator with NV Public Safety, dubbed it Joe's Rape Journal. It was clear to detectives that they were dealing

with a serial predator at the very least, and probably a serial killer. But as they left this house of horrors, they knew they didn't have enough to bring Joe to justice. They took his disturbing diary as evidence, a start to what would be a tiring investigation. Police needed to to identify a victim before they could charge Joe with any of the crimes his journal claimed he'd committed. Without further evidence, Neso could claim he was just writing down sadistic fantasies, not documenting his own actions. Luckily, police found a great place to start. During the search, they found a numbered list on Joe's kitchen table detailing the locations of 10 women. They referred to it as the list of 10, and it became the central focus in the investigation. It read,

as follows. 1. Girl near Healdsburg Mendocino County. 2. Girl near Port Costa. 3. Girl near Laganitas. 4. Girl on Mount Tam.

5. Girl from Miami near Down Peninsula. 6. Girl from Berkeley. 7. Lady from 839 Leavenworth. 8. Girl in Woodland, Nevada County.

9. Girl from Linda. 10. Girl from MRSV. Detectives realized they had no way to know if these were past victims or if these were women NESA was stalking and planning to kill. Unless detectives could find proof of Nassau's crimes and fast, any living women on the list would remain in mortal danger. Meanwhile, Joseph Nassau was arrested and jailed for violating probation.

It bought police time, but they would still have to work. work fast to keep him behind bars. Violating probation is a serious crime, and it's up to the court to decide if their probationer should return to jail, have his probation suspended, or be put back on probation. Nevada enforces probation violations

much more stringently than California, as NASO was soon to discover. On April 29, 2010, about two weeks after their probation violating bullets were found, Nevada police connected with colleagues in California and requested all all available information on NASO. They specifically asked for his previous addresses and legal violations

in hopes of finding leads on the women on NACO's list of 10. At his probation hearing on April 30th, Joe claimed that the bullets found in his home belonged to his son, Charles. Joe tried to talk the judge into releasing him back on probation, but the judge agreed with probation officer West Jackson that NACSO should remain in jail for the time being. On May 3, 2010, West Jackson informed Nassau that police had discovered a second possible probation violation. Joe's wall calendar indicated that he had made numerous trips between Nevada and California to visit his son.

Traveling across state lines without prior approval is illegal while on probation. So a second violation would earn Nassau a little more jail time and by police a little more time to work. Joe described his dedication to his son by saying, quote, I've no social life. I do not indulge myself or seek pleasures. My mission in life, my time, and much of my expense, revolves around trying to provide care and welfare for my son, end quote. Joe's relationship with his son was complicated.

Charles was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and required constant care as an adult. On Charles' annual welfare report for 2009, Joe wrote, quote, Although the ward's mental state seems okay, in his world, his paranoia and fears are always present. I try to get him to go on walks. I will take him out to eat often and read together, end quote. The Social Security Administration had a different take on the relationship. Investigators believed Joe to be a bad caregiver, possibly giving his son alcohol,

and not being diligent with administering medications. Joe attempted to sue them for defamation of character, but the case was thrown out. Because of these concerns, in 2009, Charles was placed in a group home. This didn't deter Joe from maintaining a close relationship with his son. But visiting Charles in the group home meant traveling to California, and Joe failed to ask his probation officer for permission before traveling across state lines.

As a result, Joseph Naseau was sentenced to. to one year in jail for this probation violation. Detectives believed they could gather evidence and charged Nesso with murder while he was incarcerated. Nesau had a long history of skipping town to avoid prosecution. If they weren't ready to move by the time Nesau was released, police knew they would never see him again.

So under the pressure of a ticking one-year clock, investigators got to work. On May 10, 2010, authorities in several counties in California and Nevada put together a NACSO task force. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office served as their home base. Their first objective was to match Joe's journals and lists to real women, living or dead. Detective Ryan Peterson of Marin County discovered the task force's first significant lead. Peterson reopened the case of Roxine Rogash, an 18-year-old sex worker and mother,

whose body was found bound and strangled with panty hose in Marin County in 1977. The clue that connected her to Neso was the location. Roxene's body was discovered near a road called Lagunitas. Number three on Nassau's list of 10 was the girl near Laganidas. The name of the road was spelled differently, but thanks to DNA collected from Roxene's crime scene, it would be easy to determine whether or not

Roxene was the girl on Nassau's list. The seamen found on the pantyhoes Roxanne was wearing had been tested in 1977, and no DNA matches were found. But both the size of the database and the technology for DNA matching had improved dramatically by 2010. In the 1970s, DNA testing technology required a significant amount of blood or other bodily fluid, a spot at least the size of a quarter.

But by 2010, a system called Touch DNA made it possible to build a DNA profile with as few as five skin cells. A trained analyst using this system can grow more DNA from a small sample of cells in order to create a clear profile. The DNA collected from Roxene's nylons had been stored at room temperature for 33 years, so it was not in prime condition. It's best to store DNA evidence in a cold environment. Nevertheless, Deputy Twan Wang, the Contra Costa criminalist on the case, was able to build touch DNA profiles from the semen and skin cells found on the pantyhoes. Roxyne was wearing and the pair she was strangled with. Ultimately, Deputy Wang found seamen from the two men on the panty hose

Roxene had been wearing. One of the matches was Joe Nassau. Nassau's DNA profile contained a very rare allele, which made it distinctive, so Deputy Wang was able to match the DNA from Roxene's nylons to Joe Nassau to a high level of certainty. But Joe's DNA was not the only positive match. Wang matched Judith Nassau's DNA to DNA found on the nylons used to strangle Roxene. How could Judith's DNA have gotten onto the nylons? There was only one explanation.

It was so appalling. Even the seasoned homicide detectives were disgusted. Nesau had killed a teenage sex worker with his own wife's dirty stockings. In a moment, we'll learn how investigators move down the list of 10, fighting to locate each woman on Nesos list before their one-year clock ran out. Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound terseptide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity

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for victims who fit NACOSO's list of 10. The next connection they made was Carmen Cologne, who fit number two on the list, girl from Port Costa. To recap, Carmen Cologne was a 22-year-old sex worker. On August 15, 1978, her body was discovered in a cow pasture in Contra Costa County, California, not far from the city of Port Costa. However, Carmen's corpse was badly decomposed after sitting out in the summer sun for 10 days. Because of this decomposition, Carmen's death was initially ruled suspicious, but inconclusive.

Despite an advanced state of decomposition, Carmen was identified by a partial fingerprint and her fingernails were collected in hopes of finding her killer's DNA in case she had fought and scratched them. They were able to collect some foreign DNA from under her nails, but in 1978, no DNA matches were found. In 2010, Carmen Colon's body was exhumed and her femur removed for a second autopsy. With modern technology, it was confirmed that Carmen died from strangulation. The cause of her death was changed from inconclusive to homicide.

Deputy Wang was again brought in to perform DNA testing. He found DNA from a man and a second person of unknown sex. But the DNA profile was not complete enough to establish a definite match with Naysa. DNA collected from Carmen's fingernails was in poorer condition than the DNA found with Roxene's body. which is why an exact profile could not be established. Carmen's sister reported that Carmen had posed as an erotic model shortly before her disappearance,

that the partial DNA profile and the connection to the list made Nassau a strong suspect. Unfortunately, they didn't have enough to convict him yet. Meanwhile, Joseph Nassau, now 76, remained incarcerated for violating his probation. His ex-wife, Judith and son, Charles visited him in jail. Neither of them were aware that Joe was being investigated for murder. Joe's conversation with his family was recorded. Joe asked Judith to send their son Charles

to remove two safety deposit box keys from the master bedroom of his house before the police could find them. Judith reported Joe's request, prompting police to get a warrant to search Joe's security deposit boxes at U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo. In the boxes, they found driver's license, passports, newspaper clippings, and more disturbing photographs. The boxes also contained a black purse, a Bob Dylan pin, and other women's belongings. Among the clutter in the security deposit boxes, detectives found sexual bondage photos of Pamela Parsons and Tracy Tofoya. They were identified because their images had been filed along with newspaper clippings of their obituaries. Detectives connected Pamela Parsons to number nine on Nassau's list, the girl from Linda.

Her body was found in September of 1993. She was a 38-year-old waitress and sex worker, and she had modeled for Nassau. Tracy Tofoya was identified as number 10 on Nesos list, the girl from Marysville. Her body was found naked in a drainage ditch in Yuba County on August 14, 1994. Her body had been pushed from a moving vehicle. She was a 31-year-old sex worker and mother of five. She had also modeled for Nassau. The detectives had now connected Nassau's list to four unsolved murders,

and with strong evidence to back him up as a suspect, they began to worry that all ten of the women on the list were long dead. On July 12, 2010, Joseph Nassau was moved from a Nevada jail to El Dorado County Jail in South Lake Tahoe, California. Joe still hadn't been told that he was being investigated for murder, but he knew police had searched his home, so he must have suspected he was in trouble for more than a probation violation.

Investigators in California and New York continued to dig through cold case files, trying to identify the remaining six victims on the list. They also tried to track down the women whose IDs were found in the safety deposit boxes. Investigators now noticed that all of the victims had alliterative names, for example, Pamela Parsons. This pattern led them to reopen a cold case from Joe's old stomping grounds of Rochester, New York.

The case was of a serial killer who'd earned the moniker the double initial murderer. He was suspected of raping, strangling, and killing three young girls between 1971 and 1973. In addition to alliterative names, there were other coincidences that made Joe a suspect. He'd grown up nearby, visited Rochester around the times of the murders, and shared the M.O. of raping and strangling his victims.

One of Nesos confirmed victims even shared a name with one of the Rochester children, Carmen Cologne. But there was one big difference between the double initial murderer and Nassau, and it was enough to give police real pause. All of Joe Nassos confirmed murders were of adults 18 to 56 years old, and all of the double initial victims were ages 10 to 11. According to the Office of Justice programs, data is inconclusive concerning the rate that people cross-offend

or sexually assault more than one victim type. Compared to other violent criminals, though, rapists are more likely to cross-offend across various demographics, for example, from adults to children. So victims' ages didn't rule Joe out as the double initial murderer, but eventually DNA-Defiards. did. Joe's DNA profile didn't match the evidence in Rochester. The connections of double initials, location, rape, strangulation, and time period told a convenient story, but it didn't hold up under scrutiny.

If you're interested in the unsolved double initial murders, we cover them in more detail on Parcast's Unsolved Murders Podcast, The Alphabet Murders, Episodes, Episodes, 53. After nearly a year of combing cold cases and analyzing the evidence, the Nassau task force's ticking clock ran out. On April 11, 2011, Joseph Nassau was released from jail. For the task force, the time had come to act. If Nassau wasn't charged with murder immediately, he would surely disappear. Deputies, detectives, and police dogs, led by Detective Ryan Peterson, waited for him outside the prison gates. Detective Peterson greeted Nassau and informed him,

Joseph Nassau, you are under arrest for murder. Peterson drove Nassau to Marin County, where the murders had occurred. He intentionally kept his discussion of the specifics about the murders vague, in hopes that Joe would confess or incriminate himself on the long car ride. In the car, Peterson asked Joe why he kept the things he had found in his safety deposit boxes. Nassau told him that he kept his dark side in there. Before the end of the car ride, Joe requested an attorney. He also noted that he had not been read his Miranda rights.

Peterson tried every trick he knew to open the surly Nassau up, but no confession was forthcoming. Police would just have to charge Nassau and let a jury decide. On April 13, 2011, Joseph Nassau, now 77 years old, was finally arraigned on four counts of first-degree murder. At his arraignment, Naseau told the court that he planned to represent himself at trial. Defendants in criminal court have the right to represent themselves, but legal experts warn against it. The judge, Andrew Sweet, tried to dissuade Joe, saying, quote,

I'm going to tell you flat out, in my opinion, this is contrary to your interest, end quote. Judge Sweets explained the danger of defending oneself in a murder trial with no legal experience and a prosecution seeking the death penalty. But Naseau insisted on being his own lawyer. One might assume that someone defending himself in a murder trial is desperate and out of options, but Joe Neso had more than a million dollars in liquid assets, and even more money was found in his safety deposit boxes. Neso could afford a lawyer, but he didn't want to spend the money.

He suggested that the amount of money he had was not a lot for a person who was caring for his adult son with schizophrenia. His frugal attitude toward money is a potential symptom of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, or OCPD. The disorder is described by Robert Hudak, MD, as similar to OCD, in that individuals are overly concerned with details and list-making, but OCPD is different. People with OCPD do not have intrusive thoughts, so they don't worry about their symptoms. They wonder, why is everyone else not as organized and as neat as I am? Frugality by itself, of course, isn't a sign of mental illness,

but refusing to spend money when on trial for murder is certainly irrational. Joe arrogantly told the judge, I have represented myself in the past many times, mostly in civil proceedings, and I've done well. I've prevailed. Joe's only legal experience was in small claims court. His belief that he could fool everyone correlates with another possible personality disorder that could partially explain Nassau's behavior, narcissistic personality disorder. The book List of Ten, The True Story of Serial Killer Joseph Nassau, paints Nassau as a clinical

narcissist who used his own murder trial as an opportunity to exalt himself before a captive audience. This disorder would also explain Joe's self-aggrandizing delusions. It's not uncommon for narcissistic murderers to represent themselves in court. serial killer Ted Bundy and spree killer Dylan Roof are a few examples. It's equally common for narcissistic serial killers who represent themselves in court to lose, often getting life in prison or the death penalty. Joe went on to suggest that his lack of experience and unwillingness to pay for a lawyer was proof of his innocence.

Joe said, If I thought I was guilty of these crimes, I would have had to hire two or three of the best attorneys in the Bay Area. Even though he represented himself, Joe was assigned an advisory standby counsel lawyer, Pedro Aliveros. Stand by counsel may be provided at the discretion of the district court when a defendant chooses to represent himself, a process called pro se. The standby counsel must be ready to step into the role of actual counsel if the defendant changes his mind about continuing to represent himself or if the court makes that decision for the defendant. Mr. Oliveiros was permitted to speak to Joseph Neso or to respond if others in court spoke to him first, but he was not allowed to speak on Joe's behalf or object.

Neso disregarded most of Olivero's advice. On May 27, 2011, Neso entered a plea of not guilty. Awaiting trial, Joe sent a letter to his ex-wife, Judith. It was dated September 8, 2011. The letter began with the instruction, P.S. tear this up after you read it. The letter went on to accuse Judith of working with the police, who Neso referred to as the enemy.

He asked that she be loyal to her family and informed police that she used to leave home wearing pantyhose and return home without them. Judith turned the note over to the police and insisted she did not lose track of her pantyhose. At the time, she was unaware that her DNA had been found on pantyhose that were used to strangle Roxene.

However, Judith was cooperating with police and had voluntarily given a DNA sample. While NASO waited for his trial to begin, the task force continued to hunt for the six other women on Nassau's list of 10. Investigators reopened a case from January 25, 1983 in Healdsburg-Sonoma County, California. A Jane Doe was found by a gardener near Seamy Winery without her head. Next, investigators try to find more victims, and NACO goes to trial. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon.

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She was in her 20s or 30s, and she was found in one of the locations on Nassau's list. She was a possible match for number one on Nesos list, the girl from Healdsburg Mendocino County. Jane Doe was initially thought to be Cheryl Carter, another double initial missing person. But by May 2nd, 2012, the body was confirmed not to be Carter. To this day, the identity of this body and her killer remain uncertain. While investigators dealt with dead ends and decomposing bodies,

Joe remained in jail preparing to represent himself at trial. On May 5th, 2012, Judith again visited Joe, now 78 years old, in jail in Yuba County. While Judith was in town to visit NACO, investigators asked Judith to identify the handwriting in Joe's rape journal. She confirmed it was Joe's handwriting. Preliminary hearings began in Joe's case on January 12, 2012. By the time the trial began on June 16, 2013, Joe was 79. years old. Deputy District Attorney Rosemary Sloat led the prosecution. She interviewed 21 potential jurors. When Joe got his turn to interview them, he mocked Sloat's dramatic hand gestures and told the jury

not to worry about hurting his feelings. If they thought he was guilty, he joked. He could handle it. Joe's cavalier demeanor may have been an attempt to make him appear cool and competent, but his behavior likely came across as lacking empathy and emotionally detailed. from the seriousness of the trial. In his opening speech, Joe said, I'm not the monster who killed these women. I don't do that. I dated.

I danced. I don't kill people. Joe attempted to charm the jury. He admitted that he knew, dated, photographed, and had sex with many of the murder victims, minimizing the weight of their deaths. To him, the interesting thing was that he had seduced so many women,

not that women kept turning up dead, shortly after their liaisons with him. When prosecutors introduced evidence that Nesah Seaman was found on Roxene's dead body, Joe said, with regard to my DNA, all that proves is that I may have had sex with the victim. Joe turned his own murder trial into an opportunity to tout his sexual prowess. This, too, points to possible narcissism. According to the Mayo Clinic, narcissists lack empathy for others and exaggerate their own achievements or talents at the expense of others.

This behavior masks a fragile sense of self-esteem and a deep-seated vulnerability. When presented with evidence that he was a rapist and murderer, Neso tried to twist it to make himself look good. Throughout the trial, Neso was prone to rambling speeches and improper court decorum. Naseau referred to prosecutor Doriahana and Deputy District Attorney Rosemary Slote as hoar. Joe also made lewd gestures at news cameras and interrupted numerous witnesses. His flippant attitude towards rape, shocked reporters, observers, and seemingly the jury. You might think that someone accused of murdering sex workers would take pains to convince the jury of his respect for women,

but we've already established that Neso was not the brilliant legal mind he believed himself to be. Calling the women prosecuting him, whores, showed the jury instead, that Neso hated not only sex workers, but most women he encountered. Judge Sweet had to admonish Nesso on several occasions and threatened to revoke his right to represent himself. But Joseph insisted that he was, quote, better than any attorney, end quote. However, he made plenty of mistakes. One such when DNA evidence from the body of Carmen Cologne was presented. According to former prosecutor Stephen Clark, a defense lawyer could have helped Joe call attention to the inconclusivity of the DNA under Carmen's nails

because the samples were old and had not been properly preserved. Because Joe was representing himself, this did not happen. The jury was also presented with the evidence from the safety deposit box, including pictures of Tracy and Pamela, news articles about their deaths, and at least one of their obituaries. Ever the collector, nayso had the obituary laminated for safekeeping. When asked about it, Joe told the jury that he had collected obituaries since he was a kid. The prosecution then played the recorded phone conversation between Joe and his ex-wife,

where he asked her to have their son break into the house and take the keys for the safety deposit box before the police could find them. And if that wasn't damning enough, victim Tracy Tafoya's husband, Richard, testified, identifying Tracy in an image from the same safety deposit box. Richard recognized his estranged wife, even though the image did not show her face. In the photo, Tracy was wearing blue lingerie they had bought together, and Tracy was missing a finger due to a lawnmower accident. Richard broke down while testifying. He said, it's all coming back now.

It was 17 years ago and feels like it was yesterday, and I never had to deal with it before. Richard wasn't the only witness facing past trauma at the trial. Judith Nassau, Joseph's ex-wife, testified that Joe had drugged her and watched other men rape her while she was unconscious on two occasions in 1976. Finally, Nayso's actions as a spousal abuser were catching up with him. He must have been shocked after begging Judith to help him manipulate the police.

Still mounting his own defense, Naiso asked Judith if she wanted him to die. She answered that she did not. Joe seemed to feel that getting his estranged wife to admit she didn't want him dead was a victory for his defense. But all the jury saw was an abusive ex-husband, emotionally blackmailing his ex-wife. Another witness brought in by the prosecution was Mildred Gardner. Joe dated Mildred in 1998 when Joe was 64 years old. Joe had convinced Mildred to let him photograph her in bondage gear. He later showed those images to an employee at the senior center where she

which got him banned from visiting. The prosecution even brought Nassau's rape victim from Berkeley, who had stayed anonymous for 53 years to testify. She recounted not only the trauma she experienced at the hands of Joseph Nassau, but how she was retramatized by police after reporting her rape. Joe admitted to these long-ago sexual assaults, but minimized their severity and suggested they were isolated incidents. In response, Joe's own obsessive,

obsessive documentation of his many sexual assaults was presented as evidence, including the rape journal. In response to the graphic descriptions, Joe said, that's the way I talk. When I say I picked up a nice broad and raped her, it had nothing to do with forcible rape. I've never had any complaints with any of my dates, except for the two. The jury cringed, and the media went wild. Joe was a global story not just for his crimes, but for his willing to do. to tell the jury deciding his fate exactly how little he cared about the women he hurt. Joe argued that as journals were not evidence of violence or murder. He said, there's nothing in my journals about killing.

The prosecution is based on opinions, theories, and so-called experts' testimony. Joe also claimed that the journals were not based on true events. They were fantasies, not proof of wrongdoing. Along with the copious circumstantial evidence, Prosecutor Ahana conducted a demonstration to illustrate how Nassau's method of strangling women to death was an act of torture. Ahana set a two-minute timer and held the court in silence. She informed the jury that it takes between two and five minutes to die from strangulation. This demonstration showed how long Nassau may have tortured his victims before they died at his hands.

On Friday, August 16, 2013, Joe began his closing statement. He said with regard to his defense, I think I'm doing quite well. Even with all of the evidence against him, Joe seemed to think he'd won the jury over. According to the Mayo Clinic, people with narcissistic personality disorder feel they're superior to others, and will maintain that belief despite all evidence to the contrary. Joe's closing statement was interrupted by disruption in the courthouse. They were informed that Larry Rogash, Roxanne's brother, had written a message. on his own car, claiming that Neso had killed Larry's sister.

After Nassau finished his closing statements, it took eight hours over a two-day period for jurors to make their decision. They found Nesau guilty of all four murders. The foreman announced the verdict on August 20, 2013. Now that he was found guilty, it was up to the jury to determine whether or not Neso deserved the death penalty. Over the next two weeks, the prosecutor was allowed to introduce new evidence related to two more women believed to be victims on

Nesso's list. The information had been excluded from the original trial because investigations were ongoing. The prosecution hoped that hearing testimony regarding the newly identified victims would encourage the jury to sentence Nesso to death. First up was victim Sharia Patton. On September 10, 2013, Charles Gaitani, the owner of 839 Levensworth Street, San Francisco, where Joe lived in the 1980s, testified. Guytoni confirmed that Joe managed the apartment and that Sharia Patton lived there at the time of her death. Roussel Hecker, Sharia Patton's daughter, testified after Guytoni.

She identified her mother in one of Joe's pictures. Sharia was photographed half-naked and wearing a rabbit fur coat. The image was found in Joe's home in Nevada and was taken in his Leavenworth apartment. Heckert told the court that she and her mother had bought matching coats, which is how she recognized it in the photograph. Sharia is now thought to be number seven on Nassos list, the lady from 839 Leavenworth. The last alleged victim introduced during sentencing was Sarah Dillon.

Her passport was found in Nassau's security deposit box. Dylan was born Renee Shapiro, a free-spirited woman who bonded with Bob Dylan's music. She dropped out of college to follow his tour. She even legally changed her name to Sarah Dillon, the name of Bob Dylan's first wife. Sarah believed herself to be Bob Dylan's long-lost sister. They were both born in France, both adopted,

and she identified strongly with his music. Sarah went missing in 1992. Friends noticed when she missed a Bob Dylan concert where they were supposed to connect. Sarah Dillon's skull was found in Nevada in 1998. she's thought to be number eight on Nassau's list, the girl in Woodland, Nevada County. After all of the new evidence was presented,

it took the jury five hours to decide on 79-year-old Joseph Nassau's fate. On November 22, 2013, Joe was sentenced to death. After announcing Nassau's sentence, Judge Andrew Sweet told him, you being in this world, Mr. Nassau, has made this world a worse place.

Joe is still alive, living on death row at San Quentin State Prison. Whether he dies by lethal injection or of old age, Joseph Neso will die in prison, and will probably die unrepentant. He still claims to be innocent, although he routinely harasses the female prison staff. Four women on Nesos' list of 10 are still unidentified. With the NASO task force disbanded and NASO in prison for life, Only a confession by Joseph Neso himself is likely to identify these women and bring closure to their families. But for a sadist like Nassau, taking this final secret to his grave may be just one final way to torture his victims.

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Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler, is a production of Cutler Media and is part of the Pardcast Network. It's produced by Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Russell Nash, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro and Paul Mahler. Additional production assistance by Carly Madden and Maggie Admeyer. Serial Killers is written by Laura Fortier

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