Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Lipstick Killer” William George Heirens Pt. 1

Episode Date: March 22, 2021

Growing up in a family that didn’t have a lot of money, William Heirens turned to burglary to ease his economic anxiety. It became a compulsion he couldn’t control, and got him into trouble with the law in the early 1940s. Then, one day, it changed his life forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this episode, listener discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of murder and assault that some listeners may find disturbing. Extreme caution is advised for listeners under 13. When Lieutenant Evelyn Peterson woke up on that October morning in 1945, the first thing she noticed was the pain in her head. The world was spinning, and it was impossible to focus. But she couldn't work out why. Had she fallen and hit her head?

Confusion melted into fear when she realized her hands were bound. Someone had tied her up with the cord of a lamp. Someone had been in her apartment. Luckily, the bindings were loose, so she was able to shake her way out. As she got up, she looked around the apartment in a daze, trying to get her bearings. Evelyn, a nurse recently returned from the war, was pretty sure whomever had tied her up was gone now. She wasn't in immediate danger, but her head throbbed. She needed a doctor. As she started to form a plan, a knock at the door startled her.

Evelyn fought the pain and struggled towards the front door. She opened it to find a teenager with dark hair. She didn't recognize him, but she needed help, so she let him in. The teen was friendly. After he guided her to a chair, he helpfully called the hospital where Evelyn's sister worked. but when he couldn't get through, his demeanor changed. Suddenly, the young man seemed anxious. In moments, he dropped the phone and dashed from the apartment, with barely an explanation. Not that Evelyn had the strength to worry about where he was going. All she could do was wait for help to arrive and pray that her attacker didn't come back.

Then again, what if he'd already come back, a wolf in sheep's clothing? That thought never even occurred to Evelyn. I'm Greg Polson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parkast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're taking a look at William George Hyrins, sometimes known as The Lipsic Killer. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson.

Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. There are two sides to every story, and sometimes it's hard to work out which one is true. Today we'll talk about the early years of William Hyrens, as he originally recalled them, including the burglary habit that ruined his life.

Next time, we'll take a look at three murders that horrified Chicago and why the trail led police right to William's door. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by ZipRecruiter. Whether you're hiring for a role or searching for a killer, the hunt can be exhausting. When detectives looked and searched to find any kind of evidence to find the person they were looking for, like Jack the Ripper, the Golden State Killer, the unit bomber, it's tedious work to find what you're looking for. So, if you're hiring, I've got news for you. You can skip the lengthy investigation and the tiresome process of sorting through hundreds of resumes,

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at ZipRecruiter.com slash killers. That's ziprecruiter.com slash killers. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels, but you don't need to break any laws

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Slow burns, second chances, chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime. Some of us believe we don't get to choose the life we're born with. The time and place, our parents' financials, situation, even our body, are all out of our control. We're thrust into a set of circumstances that direct our life before we've even started living it. For some of us, those circumstances are a boon, the perfect launch pad for the right person to thrive. For others, those circumstances lock them in,

forcing them to fight tooth and nail to make a good life. William Highrins felt forever trapped by his circumstances. Even when he couldn't voice it, he was constantly pushing against the walls, seeking escape from a cage he felt stuck in. But his attempts to flee only made the situation worse. It's not that his parents were bad people. They were just struggling against circumstances of their own. Initially, Margaret's husband seemed like the perfect partner. George Hyrins was a charming florist. However, the troubles began soon after the wedding. George was prone to take his wages to the bar before bringing them home. On top of that, Margaret it had a combustible temper. It turns out they just weren't a good match. The couple was united only

in their mutual desire for a large family. In November of 1928, after a difficult pregnancy, and 62 hours in labor, their first son, William George Hyrens, was born. After some difficult early days, both Hyrenses delighted in their child. Bill, as he was always called, was bright, curious, and a little reckless. Before he could even walk, Bill loved to climb. The Hyran's family lived on the first floor of a three-story apartment building attached to George's flower shop. Every time Margaret turned her back, Bill crawled away to explore.

At first glance, Bill's circumstances weren't so bad. His parents loved him, even if they didn't quite love each other. Plus, they lived a comfortable life together. But as the Great Depression rolled across the country, the hyrances were not immune to its effects. The Depression was hard for every family, but George was not well suited to handle financial hardships. He avoided paying bills,

preferring to spend the money on pleasures for himself and the family. He was a hard worker, but during the unprecedented economic crisis, hard work only went so far. When George's two jobs weren't enough, Margaret was forced to work too. She hated leaving her sons during the day. and resented her husband's financial mismanagement for taking her away from them.

A big family was all Margaret ever wanted. Now she had no time to enjoy with her sons, and tension in the home increased. So as Bill entered the first grade, any remaining sense of familial happiness crumbled around him. Vanessa's going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Even as a child, Bill could tell things were bad.

His parents were always fighting, and he knew the fights were about money. It was an incredibly stressful way to grow up. While our stress hormones are useful and vital tools for responding to individual moments of stress, elevated levels of cortisol and other hormones over a long period of time can have severe physical effects. One of the most common situations where we see this effect is in people living in poverty.

We now know that children feel the effects of poverty as much as their parents, and that this actively affects their brain function. In a 2016 study, researchers Clancy Blair and C. Sebel Raver examined data on childhood brain development in conditions of high stress. Their findings showed that patterns of neural activity in the brain are altered under conditions of stress. Biasing the developing individual to be reactive and defensive rather than to engage in reflective and approach-oriented responses to stimulation. In other words, adults who grew up in poverty are more likely to be impulsive instead of thinking things through. Further, Blair and Raver found the best intervention for these children is warm and sensitive

caregiving. But we know that that is often not an option for parents who both need to work to provide for their family. As Margaret and George's money problems worsened, their ability to alleviate the stress on Bill evaporated. But even as the pressure raged inside of him, Bill seemed to be developing just fine. His increasingly inquisitive mind expanded, and he loved making up stories. While he got along fine with other children at school, he preferred to be alone. He was particularly sensitive to yelling and loud noises, which might have been a result of the fights at home.

For this reason, he avoided raucous groups of children and spent his time fiddling with machinery, collecting butterflies, or reading. But though he was somewhat quiet, he was still an adventurous boy. In the summer of 1939, 10-year-old Bill went to work with his father. At the time, George was doing landscaping work at River Park, and Bill went along to play by himself in the playground. As Bill was playing, he leapt for a trapeze. The metal bar swinging all day in the summer's sun, scorched Bill's skin and he let go, falling onto his arm. He realized it was broken and began to panic. He knew that going to the doctor cost money, something his parents just didn't have. So he tried to reset his arm himself. A park attendant found him a little while later,

feebly yanking at his dangling limb. It was only when this attendant brought him to his father that Bill began to cry. He could deal with the injury, but couldn't bear upsetting his father. In the end, the broken arm cost the family $500, and more financial stress meant more fighting. Now, Margaret not only yelled at George about money, but threatened to divorce him. Even then, it was clear to Bill that the only reason she stayed was for her children. The pressure was unbearable. Bill felt he was a financial burden and was increasingly desperate to escape his house. The solution was obvious. He found himself a job.

In 1940, now in the seventh grade, Bill began working as a grocery delivery boy. He was a hard worker and well-liked by his boss. He was making money and helping resolve the family's troubles. It seems Bill was trying to take on the role of an adult in the home, but he was a child and ill-equipped for the stress of adulthood. Before long, Bill needed an outlet for his gathering anxieties. Almost by accident, he found one. It was 1941. Bill was 12. It was a delivery day like any other until Bill made a mistake. He'd shortchanged himself with a customer. It wasn't much, $1, but Bill knew he'd have to make up the difference when he returned to the store. Money was important to Bill. One dollar meant a lot.

Luckily, an opportunity to correct the error presented itself. As he was completing a delivery at an apartment building, he passed a door that was open just. just a crack. Inside, just reachable from the entrance was a purse. Remember that Bill and other children of stressful homes are more likely to have poor impulse control, which might explain what happened next. Bill reached through the crack of the door into the purse and pulled out a dollar to replace the one he'd been missing. It was surprisingly easy, and somehow it felt like a breath of fresh air, a lightning sense of relief. And already he wanted that feeling again. Coming up, Bill's source of relief becomes a dangerous addiction.

Hi listeners, it's Vanessa from Parkast. When you think of a criminal, do you picture a killer, a gangster, a thief? I bet you didn't think it could be the little old lady down the street who murdered her tenants. Every Wednesday on my series, female criminals, meet the unlikeliest of felons. mothers, neighbors, and unsuspecting lovers with a penchant for dangerous behavior. Discover the psychology and motives behind their disturbing crimes, and find out where their story stands today. But that's not all. Erring right now on female criminals is our special five-part look at the world's most infamous femme fatals, women who were deceptive and deadly,

but not always the villain. Catch these episodes and more by following the Spotify original from Parcast, Female Criminals. New episodes premiere weekly. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. All. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming, Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream

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In late 1941, 12-year-old Bill Hirens had finally found relief from the money and family-related stress he felt at home. He'd stolen a dollar and was shocked at how easy it was and how good it felt. He hadn't gone inside the first apartment he stole from, but he soon discovered that was simple too. So many of Bill's neighbors left their apartments unlocked or their windows open. It wasn't long before one impulsive crime became a habit. Whenever his parents started fighting, Bill could escape the noise by slipping out to the streets, searching for empty homes and breaking in. Bill's natural athleticism and knowledge of the neighborhood served him well.

He could pull himself into a window if he needed and knew the side streets and back alleys intimately. He was also clever. He tricked people in apartment buildings into buzzing him in so he could burgle their neighbors. And if he slipped into someone's back door, he double-locked the front so the owner couldn't come home and surprise him. While Bill's initial goal was money, his motivations quickly changed. This is clear from the strange assortment of objects he stole during his burglaries. Some of this hall had financial value, such as savings bonds, electronics, and guns. But many of the things Bill took were worthless, clothing, scrapbooks, even a cocktail shaker. Stranger still, Bill made little attempt to sell the things he stole, later claiming he didn't

know how to fence the items. Except for the lucky times he found cash, Bill's new hobby didn't do much to alleviate his financial worries. Since he couldn't sell his scores, he started storing them in small, small stashes. He was careful to avoid hiding too much at home and used alleys, neighborhood roofs, and abandoned basements to hide his spoils. He ended up with a varied collection of objects hidden around his entire neighborhood. In almost no time, Bill went from a quiet, curious boy to a prolific burglar. But just as quickly, his source of relief became a source of deeper

stress. What had seemed like a way out began to box him in. While his criminal activity went undetected, Bill's mother Margaret noticed a shift in her son around this time. She said he changed mentally and physically, became moody, kept more to himself, and was difficult to talk with. Bill knew what he was doing was wrong. Even though it was easy, it was still illegal. It seems likely that part of the sullen mood Margaret noticed in Bill was guilt. But once he started, he couldn't stop. It may seem unusual how quickly Bill went from his first critical.

to seeming addiction, but there's a psychological explanation. Experts didn't have the language for this at the time, but given the frequency of his burglaries and his inability to stop himself, it's likely Bill was demonstrating a compulsive behavior. Very little is known about what causes the development of an obsessive-compulsive disorder, but we do know that traumatic and stressful childhoods are more likely to lead to these behaviors. We also know what causes an action to become a compulsive disorder. compulsion. Compulsions tend to be things that provide brief moments of relief from internal anxiety. The individual is caught in a spiral of anxious thought, and then the action provides a break.

They then begin to perform that action repeatedly in an attempt to relieve their anxiety. But once developed, the compulsion can only relieve anxiety for a brief moment, and ultimately becomes part of the overall problem. This matches how Bill described his early experience with burglary. He did it once, found that it provided relief, and so he kept doing it. Soon it was only adding to the anxiety, but once the compulsion developed, he couldn't help himself. It wasn't long before Bill's compulsion got him into trouble. In June of 1942, the police discovered a stash of stolen goods, including weapons,

on the roof of an apartment building in Bill's neighborhood. They began a stakeout. Just a few days later, the officer spotted 13-year-old Bill breaking into a nearby basement locker. When the police approached him, Bill tried to feign innocence. But a quick search revealed he was carrying a stolen pistol, and they knew they had their thief. Margaret and George learned of their son's arrest when the police showed up at their door. The officers requested they searched their home for other stolen goods Bill might have hidden. So while George went to the station to see their son, Margaret got to work and found three revolvers hidden underneath the family refrigerator.

Even though they had noticed a change in Bill, Margaret and George were shocked to learn their son was a burglar. In a rare moment of unity, they rallied around Bill, certain that the best thing for him to do was cooperate with the investigation. Despite his cooperation, police held the young delinquent for days. Though Bill admitted to 11 burglaries, the cops weren't satisfied. They had a backlog of unsolved thefts, including several in which the burglar had started a fire, and they were determined to pin the crimes on the 13-year-old. They even went to the newspapers to tell the story of the one-boy crime wave. Seeing no other way out, Bill's parents urged him to confess to several more burglars.

and one of the fires. He told his parents he'd never committed arson, but they thought it better to give the police what they wanted, so they could finally go home. Following his coerced confession, talk turned to Bill's punishment. The teen was on the cusp of beginning high school, and everyone agreed that sending Bill to a state reform school

was the best way to get him back on track. So he went to the Jebalt School in Terre Haute, Indiana. As it turned out, Gibald to Catholic School for Boys. school for boys was exactly what Bill needed. The school provided structure and the sprawling grounds kept him from feeling cooped up. It was also an escape from the cage of his life with his family. Interestingly, his uncontrollable compulsion to steal seemed to dissipate while he was there. Bill's grades were great and he was well liked by his teachers, so much so that they gave him a work

assignment in the main house, a position of honor at the school. The clergy had but one struggle with Bill. choice of reading material was too advanced. Without the stress of his home life, he was able to embrace his childhood and bonded with his fellow students, many of whom were also there for stealing. He still couldn't handle the loud noises of large groups, but he had a healthy social life at the school. All in all, it was a great year. In the summer of 1943, 14-year-old Bill left Jebalt refreshed and excited to get back to his

life and his family in Chicago. At first, Bill was happy to be home, but things were worse than when he'd left. His family's financial challenges were exacerbated by Bill's boarding school tuition, and his parents were fighting more than ever. It's easy to imagine Bill felt responsible, like he'd shaken his already fragile family. From the moment he returned home, he felt trapped again. He seemed physically distressed as well. He told his mother that compared to the wide open spaces at Gibalt,

it felt like the walls were closing in. Before long, the stress was unbearable, and Bill's compulsion to steal returned. Hoping to relieve his anxieties, he took a summer job to cover the bills, but this only provided him irresistible opportunities for theft. He was running deliveries for a liquor store, and while dropping off orders, frequently saw spare keys left out in the open. It was so easy to slip them into his pocket. Then he'd returned to the apartment later when no one was home and used the stolen key to enter. But this second string of burglaries was short-lived. In early August of 1943, a janitor spotted Bill walking up and down the halls of an apartment building the man knew he didn't live in.

When the police arrived to confront the prowling teen, they found nine stolen apartment keys on him, so they took him into custody. Margaret wasn't exactly surprised when she learned Bill had been picked up. She noticed her son struggling since he'd been back. Still, she was upset. She wanted him to reach his potential. However, her feelings changed somewhat when she saw Bill at the police station. His shirt was dirty, and when she asked what happened, he wouldn't tell her. She took a closer look and recognized clear footprints. When she ordered Bill to open his shirt, she saw corresponding bruises all over his torso. The police had beaten her. son.

Margaret was incensed. Her temper flared and she confronted the officers. They denied her accusations and warned her that continued talk of beatings would turn out badly for her son. At Bill's urging, Margaret let it go. By now he knew it was best to cooperate with the authorities to keep them happy. He also knew he'd done wrong. When asked about the abuse later, Bill said it was punishment I felt I deserved.

Once the police had gotten there, their confession, it was time again for punishment. A judge, Margaret, and George agreed that Bill should be sent to a new school. This time, his mother chose St. Beads because it was closer to the city. But even though his time at the Jebalt School had shown he could, Bill worried he would never break free of his compulsion. But just like at Jebalt, Bill excelled at St. Bees. During his two years there, he made great grades and forged lasting friendships. By the time he returned home for the summer of 1945, the 16-year-old seemed to finally be on the right track. The moody, sullen thief was no more, and Bill had a plan to escape his situation for good.

He was accepted into a new program at the University of Chicago that allowed gifted young students to start college early. Bill assumed that just like his time at Gibalt and St. Beads, the university would free him from the cycle of his compulsions. Unfortunately, Bill wasn't prepared for the rigors of university, and stress was his worst enemy. Coming up, Bill's compulsion returns with disastrous consequences. 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. Just tell the manager you'll sue.

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amount of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Seeful terms at mintmobile.com. Now back to the story. In the fall of 1945, 16-year-old Bill Hiron's began classes at the University of Chicago. Bill thought this was a fresh start, a chance to escape the stress of his childhood once and for all.

But he quickly realized college brought a whole new. set of pressures. Bill didn't want to ask his parents for help paying tuition. He knew the family was financially overburdened. So he began working multiple part-time jobs to pay his own way. Relatives offered assistance, eager to support his education and keep him from returning to burglary, but Bill wouldn't accept. He worked hard, and when he came up short, he knew how to make up the difference. Theft. Bill's return to burglary lacked some of the chaos of his younger days. He knew enough to sell the valuables he picked up and made quite a bit of money. One of his favorite things to lift was war bonds.

World War II was drawing to a close, and that offered the opportunity to cash them in. Using a scalpel he'd stolen, Bill carefully removed the names on the stolen bonds and replaced them with his own. Just as in his childhood, money was Bill's primary concern. Even with his different income sources, things were tight. So he started the semester living at home and hitched a ride with his father, George, in the mornings. At the mercy of his father's work schedule, Bill often waited for hours to be picked up after class. But the idle time gave him a convenient opportunity to supplement his income. He spent the periods before and after class slipping into apartment buildings and searching for empty units.

On the morning of October 5, 1945, George dropped Bill off over an hour before his first class. The team didn't want to waste that precious time and set off for an apartment building near campus. When he entered a building on Drexel Avenue, he intended to take his usual approach. He rode the elevator to the top floor, planning to weave his way down, checking for unlocked and open doors. This time, however, he was thwarted. A woman in her late 20s, Helen Peterson, was on her way out of the penthouse. She didn't recognize Bill and asked him who he was looking for. Pretending that he'd gone to the wrong address, Bill rode the elevator back to the lobby

and exited the building with Helen. Waiting until the coast was clear, Bill circled the block, then slipped back inside the building. Remembering that Helen had come from the penthouse, he returned to the top floor to find out if it was empty. But as Bill approached the small staircase that led up to the penthouse, he was surprised to hear frantic knocking. Curious, he climbed the stairs to find a different woman, Margaret, calling. for her sister through the locked door.

Margaret Peterson was tired and frustrated. She'd been working all night at the hospital and told Bill that her key wasn't working for some reason. She guessed her sister was playing a trick on her. Bill offered to help, but there wasn't much either of them could do. So Margaret decided to grab breakfast at a nearby cafe and hoped her sister would let her in when she returned. As she left the building, Bill stayed behind,

sure he'd stumbled upon the perfect scenario. He knew that Helen, the sister Margaret thought was playing tricks, wasn't home at all. That meant that the penthouse should be empty. What's more, it was on the top floor, away from the prying eyes of other neighbors. So Bill could take his time getting in. Returning to the apartment alone, Bill knocked just in case. To his surprise, the door swung open and there was another woman, the third Peterson sister, Evelyn was not long back from working as an army nurse during the war.

She looked at Bill in a daze, and he could see that she had suffered a head wound. Assuming that Evelyn must have fallen, Bill led her inside and helped her into a chair. Then he called the hospital where Evelyn's sister worked to tell them what happened. Except, Bill didn't know what happened. You see, moments before Bill had knocked on her door, Evelyn had woken up, bound with a lamp cord. Earlier that morning, someone had broken into the apartment, knocked her out, and stolen money from her purse. Bill couldn't reach Evelyn's sister at the hospital, but he quickly realized that when helped dinner arrive, he had no explanation for why he'd been in the apartment building, or why he'd knocked

on the penthouse door. Panicking, he made an excuse and fled. On his way out, he found the building manager and told him there was a woman in trouble in the penthouse. The building manager rushed upstairs to help Evelyn. She was taken to the hospital with a fractured skull, while police searched the apartment for clues as to who attacked her. Unfortunately, they found very little evidence. Whoever the robber was, he'd cleaned up after himself. He'd wiped the place of fingerprints, leaving behind only a partial smudge. With little else to go on, detectives weren't even sure what had happened. All they were able to determine was that the assailant had entered or exited through the skylight and had defecated on the roof as they did so.

Unfortunately, Evelyn's memory of the attack was fuzzy, and all the building manager could say was that a young man had told him she was injured. As the clues dried up, the robbery joined a growing list of unsolved crimes on the Chicago police's docket. It was a source of embarrassment for the force, especially as newspapers turned their attention to unsolved crime in the absence of war news. of Chicago's daily papers reported the scandalous attack on an army nurse. But Bill didn't follow the story. He wasn't reading the papers. He was in a state of panic. Thinking about what happened in the apartment building worried him. If the police had caught him in another robbery,

he was sure his life was over. So Bill tried to change his routine to avoid his compulsive stealing. He decided to move to campus, hoping that would help. He figured that if he wasn't at the mercy of his father's travel schedule, he wouldn't have the unstructured time he usually used to steal. But Bill needed other activities to fill his hours. So he joined the Calvert Club, a Catholic student organization, and took on the role of planning their many social events. He became particularly close to the club president, Vincent Costello. Vincent became Bill's roommate and the two enjoyed spending hours talking about faith, books, and Bill's new favorite topic, girl. For the first time, Bill was at a co-ed institution, which offered him the chance to try something brand new, dating.

Despite being younger than most of the students, Bill was attractive and was popular with girls. He grew particularly close to a student named Joanne. The young couple were smitten and even met each other's parents. But despite his efforts to curb his impulses, Bill kept stealing. It seemed that the more he tried to fight his compulsion, the stronger the urge became. He told neither his friends nor girlfriends about his hobby, keeping his double life a secret. What Bill was doing is actually a very common behavior developed by those with compulsive disorders, avoidance. Remember that at their core, compulsions are an attempt to avoid anxiety or

obsessive thoughts. Their misguided efforts to seek relief from a troubled mind. But they typically end up reinforcing the anxiety. This is when we see people enter into the anxiety. This is when we see people enter an avoidance phase. Individuals living with OCD and related disorders will often seek to avoid their anxiety in any way possible. According to a 2013 study published in biological psychiatry, these individuals are prone to, quote, excessive avoidance habits. Once stealing became a source of unbearable anxiety for Bill, he tried to focus on school, until that, too, became stressful. Then he focused on the Calvert Club. and then girls. It was a hopeless spiral that always led back to where it started, a compulsive

act of burglary. Struggling to cope with his compulsion, Bill fixed his eyes on an end goal. He was sure that once he finished school, he could get a job and begin making his own money, which would put a stop to his burglary. Unfortunately, with his increased stress and anxiety, his grades suffered. He was passing his courses, but only barely, but he powered through. taking classes through the summer of 1946 in an effort to graduate early. Later that June, he wrangled with a German translation for a class, feeling his frustration mount. He found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on his work as the hours ticked away. He had a date with Joanne coming up.

It occurred to Bill, perhaps as a way to avoid his troublesome German homework, that he needed some money to spend on his girlfriend. Luckily, he had two savings bonds worth $500 each purchased with the spoils of his crimes. Excited for his date, he abandoned his translation to get them cashed. He knew carrying that much cash on the train was dangerous, so he grabbed a revolver he lifted from someone's home. He'd never fired it and hoped he wouldn't have to, but he didn't want to carry $1,000 without protection.

He hadn't planned to steal that day, but when he got to the post office, it was closed. so he couldn't cash his bonds. However, Bill knew how to get money in a pinch, and luckily, he was close to the Wayne Manor apartments, a building he'd stolen from in the past. It should have been an easy score. During the summer, people in buildings like Wayne Manor often left their front doors open to catch the breeze.

That made it too easy for Bill to slip in, grab something, and dash out, even if someone was home. He wasn't in the building for long before he found the perfect spot. Through an open door, he saw a wallet sitting on a table and he ducked inside. Meanwhile, a neighbor saw Bill enter the apartment and went to investigate. So as he went to make his exit, Bill came face to face with a suspicious woman. Bill knew he was caught, especially when the woman's husband came to protect his wife.

Backed into a corner, he pulled out his pistol and told them to stay back. According to Bill, he had no intention of shooting the couple, but he needed to be. time to get away. While they were frozen in fear, he ran. But while he made for the lobby, the husband gave chase, telling his wife to call the police. Bill could hear the man rally the building's janitor behind him and panicked. He couldn't get caught again. Bill wasn't worried about the two men chasing him.

He knew he could easily outrun them, but he knew the chase would draw attention. In fact, an off-duty traffic officer named Abner Cunningham had already. noticed the commotion and followed. Bill knew he had to get out of sight. He slipped behind a nearby building and scurried up to the second floor porch, but he was seen by the woman who lived in the home. Trying to play it cool, Bill feigned heart trouble and asked for a glass of water. The woman played along and told him to sit down while she got his drink. As soon as she was inside, she called the police. Officer Tiffin Constant responded to the call and arrived at the scene to find Bill holding a pistol.

According to Bill, he never raised the gun. But according to Officer Constant, Bill attempted to shoot and the weapon misfired. Whatever the truth about Bill's actions, Officer Constance's gun definitely went off. He fired three times at the teenager, but missed. Terrified, Bill threw his gun at Officer Constant and attempted to flee.

But he couldn't get past the cop, and the two fell to the ground in the scuffle. At that moment, Off-duty cop, Officer Cunningham, caught up. He'd heard the gunshots and wanted to arm himself. He grabbed a stack of flower pots and ran towards the noise. When Cunningham got close enough, he brought the heavy pots crashing down on Bill with all his might. After the first hit, the bottom pot shattered. Bill felt his vision swirl, disoriented by the head wound. Then Cunningham swung the pots down again. Bill raised his

left hand to try to protect his head, pain exploded through his hand as he felt the bones in his fingers shatter. By this point, the fight had gone out of Bill, but Cunningham wasn't done. He swung the final pot onto Bill's head, and his world went dark. When Bill woke up hours later, his head was throbbing, and he was strapped to a bed. As he worked to clear the fog from his mind, he struggled to make sense of his surroundings and take stock of what he knew. He knew he'd been arrested yet again. He also took note of a pain in his left hand. He remembered one of the pots crushing his fingers, but this was sharp and fresh.

He realized someone was pulling back bandages. Someone pressed his injured fingertips on an ink pad, then down on a card. They were fingerprinting him. Bill worried what the cops could possibly want with his fingerprints. He wasn't an adult, and after his past run-ins with the cops, he knew that Chicago PD didn't fingerprint minors. Bill knew something was wrong, but he had no idea just how much trouble he was in. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back soon with Part 2, where we'll talk about three of Chicago's most high-profile murders

and how Bill Hiron's was involved. For more information on William Hireens, amongst the many sorts of resources we used, we found William Hyrens, His Day in Court by Dolores Kennedy, particularly helpful. You can find all episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a Killer Week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Russell Nash, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro,

Carly Madden and Joshua Kern. This episode of serial killers was written by John McDonough, with writing assistance by Joel Callan, fact-checking by Haley Milliken, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial killers stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up, getting ready for bed, is brutally beaten and killed.

Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest, and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music,

and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Do you want to hear something spooky? Some Monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to, to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-like

lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes. Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.