Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Working Late Pt. 5: Military

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

In our continuing exploration of the most popular jobs for serial killers, we're taking a deep dive into those murderers who spent time in the military. It's a job that literally taught these men to kill, and they wielded that skill with alarming ferocity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this episode, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of mass murder, rape, sexual abuse of minors, and criticisms of the armed forces that some people might find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. The military is one of the most respected institutions in the United States. Regardless of political or religious leanings, everyone wishes to honor the sacrifices that soldiers make in order to preserve the safety of their homeland. Those who serve are known for being highly disciplined and skilled leaders, so much so that military officials are routinely put in charge of national security. Marines are even entrusted with the nuclear codes. Civilians recognize the sacrifice and dedication required

to maintain a military career and hold soldiers in extremely high regard. But what happens when this respect is misplaced? When military uniforms are used as camouflage, for something much more sinister. Sometimes those tidy garments conceal the sadistic heart of a serial killer. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. Welcome to the fifth episode of Working Late, our special series on some of the most popular jobs held by serial killers. 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. Typically, we dive into the minds and madness of a single killer and track their progression from childhood into violent adulthood. But this series is a little different. We're diving deep into the psychology behind six vocations that serial killers are drawn to and looking at chilling examples of the psychology in action. Today, we'll learn why the military is one of the most popular fields for serial killers to work in. We'll also follow two notorious killers whose military careers helped

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For many members of the military, death is a part of life, which might be what attracted many serial killers to the armed forces. Not only are they taught how to kill, there's a good chance they'll be able to do so without repercussions, especially when the country is at war. Before we continue with the psychology for this episode, please keep in mind that neither Vanessa nor I are licensed psychologists or psychiatrists, but we've done a lot of research for this show.

Thanks, Greg. A study by criminologist Tammy Castle found that out of 354 serial killers, around 7% had a military background. That number suggests that of those killers, about 25 of them likely use their military training to kill people on the home front. While most people enlist for a recence outside of combat, the armed forces clearly appeal to those who want to kill.

But that said, we should remind listeners that the military isn't overrun with sadistic murderers. Largely because it's hard for serial killers to get in. While the media tends to portray serial killers as extremely clever predators, the truth is that intelligent serial killers are a rare phenomenon. According to a study conducted by forensic psychologist Dr. Mike Amat, the majority of serial killers tend to be of average intelligence. On most IQ tests, the score for average intelligence, ranges between 90 and 110 points. Dr. Amat studied 202 serial killers and found their average

IQ to be 95. However, that number was inflated by one or two exceptionally intelligent killers like Ted Kaczynski, whose IQ has been measured as high as 165, well above genius level. In comparison, when we look at the median score, we see that exactly half of all serial killers have an IQ of 89 points or lower, which places these serial killers around the 22nd percentile of intelligence. In simple terms, this means that around half of all serial killers are less intelligent than about 78 percent of the population. Basically, these are not the Hannibal Lecters we've been taught to fear, which is significant

because we also know that the less intelligent a serial killer is, the more likely they are to be classified as a disorganized killer. According to a 1985 study published in FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, disorganized killers tend to be socially inadequate and sexually inept. They usually come from abusive homes, and when they kill, it's often spur of the moment and messy. They rarely try to conceal their crime scene. In direct contrast, the military is an incredibly strict environment

that requires organization in everything a person does. Because the mental lives of disorganized killers are so chaotic, they would likely never make it through the rigors of boot camp. Furthermore, strict drill sergeants and officer hierarchies would likely remind disorganized killers of the oppression they faced in childhood. Even if they found the possibility of legal murder intriguing, the military's demanding nature actually weeds out most bad actors ahead of time. However, the ones who do manage to build a military career

become some of the most dangerous killers who've ever lived. David Berkowitz, Jeffrey Dahmer, Gary Ridgeway, Dean Coral, and Timothy McFay all served in the military, and many of the things they learned during their time in active duty likely help them perfect their craft. Of course, combat training can be a frightening asset in the business of murder. The military trains people in the effective maintenance and use of firearms, as well as the most proficient ways to kill enemy soldiers in a close combat scenario. One private who put this training to use was Andrew Erdialis, who enlisted with the Marines when he was 19. He served two three-year tours and even fought in Desert Storm.

He committed his first murder while on leave at the age of 21. On January 18, 1986, he followed a young woman named Robin Brandley across the campus of a community college. Once he caught her, he stabbed her 41 times. Over the next 10 years, he killed six. seven other women. The kills were done with various weapons, but all of them displayed the precision of a skilled marksman. Erdiolis's marine training had been put to vile use. Officers who responded to the scenes could likely see the difference between a skilled and unskilled attacker. In fact, combat training tends to stand out, even if the person who implements it

wasn't in the military themselves. A perfect example of this is Richard Ramirez, the nightstocker, who went on a murder spree in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Richard Ramirez used a killing technique that involved inserting a knife into the side of his victim's neck and dragging it all the way across their throat to sever the victim's trachea. The detectives who examined Ramirez's early attacks recognized this technique for what it was, a highly skilled killing method predominantly used by American black-op soldiers in the Vietnam War. So for the majority of Ramirez's killing spree, detectives believed he was an unhinged Vietnam vet,

who'd returned home with an unquenchable bloodlust. The detectives were only partially wrong. While Richard Ramirez never served in the military, he did receive second-hand military training from his cousin, who was a Marine in Vietnam, and clearly eager to show off his skills. But it's not just the combat training that makes these killers so deadly. Military training often involves

conditioning exercises designed to help recruits get past their initial reluctance to end another person's life. It might seem savage, but a hesitant soldier can put the lives of their entire unit at risk. According to a study led by Tammy Castle for the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, the practice of dehumanization plays a much larger role in the psychology of murder. Military organizations would often train their recruits to think of enemy combatants as subhuman. This typically involves different tactics, like using slurs or nicknames for their enemies, like the word kraut to refer to German soldiers in World War II, or Charlie for the Viet Cong in the Vietnam War. By referring to every member of a group as one part of a larger

hole, it's easier to ignore the autonomy of the individual human life their ending. Essentially, dehumanization is a gross but often necessary tool for surviving war. On the upside, during peacetime, most soldiers are able to stop dehumanizing other individuals, including those who fought on the front lines for the enemy. But for serial killers, peacetime is just an opportunity to kill unsuspecting victims. Serial killers dehumanize their victims before, during, and after their crimes in order to avoid feeling any guilt for their actions. Instead of seeing their victims as individual persons,

they view them as toys to be used for their sadistic. pleasure. The military also teaches their soldiers how to compartmentalize. This way, soldiers can put the necessities of combat in one compartment of their mind, distinct from the healthier aspects of day-to-day life. This allows them to walk onto a battlefield one day and be a loving parent and spouse the next. This, too, is a vital tactic for surviving the realities of war. Granted, modern psychology recognizes that compartmentalization is never that easy, and current data on people, ETSD and soldiers returning from war supports that argument. Nevertheless, when serial killers return to civilian life, compartmentalization allows them to hide in

plain sight. They can be friendly, charming, and downright admirable in their business and personal lives, because they keep their darkest desires blocked off in a separate part of their minds. With this psychological and combat training explained, it's easy to see how serial killers who join the military become some of the deadliest and most important. infamous killers the world has ever seen. It's already terrifying to think about. And so far, we've only talked about serial killers and the military in general. It only gets more frightening when we see how this training applies to specific cases.

Coming up, we'll dive into the lives and crimes of two fearsome killers who developed their MO by serving in the armed forces. Once upon a time I thought I met Mr. Wright. The only problem, he was a huge liar. You were going out of your mind because you couldn't figure it out. I'm Abby Ellen. Join me as I tell the story of one con man who entangled his lovers, friends, co-workers, family, and me in an identity fraud scheme that stretched all the way to the Pentagon.

Season two of Impostors the Commander, a Spotify original from Parcast, premieres Monday, September 13th. Follow and listen exclusively on Spotify. Now back to the story. The appeal of a military career for serial killers is fairly straightforward, but only the most intelligent and frightening killers can actually make it into the armed forces. When these killers reenter civilian life, they become some of the most methodical and skilled murderers on record.

The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area learned this bloody lesson the hard way. Early evening on October 2, 2002, at Chopper's Food Warehouse in Wheaton, Maryland, A 55-year-old man named James D. Martin was buying groceries for his church. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to finish the errand. James was in the parking lot when a bullet struck him in the back. He hit the ground and was dead almost instantly. Terrified shoppers looked around trying to work out what had happened. No one had heard the gunfire, nor could they see a gunman.

It was pandemonium. Police rushed to the scene, but out of the dozens of people, at the store that day, none of them had seen or heard anything. Like a bolt of lightning on a sunny day, the bullets seemed to have come out of nowhere. Evidence was practically non-existent, so with little else to go on, police interviewed the victim's family. They asked if James had any enemies, anyone who might have wanted to see him harmed, but his family said there was nobody. James was generally beloved. To the police, the crime didn't make sense. Either James had a secret dark past, or his death was completely random. Given how rare it was to be killed by a stranger,

neither option adequately explained James' death. The officers went to sleep that night, hoping to make more headway in the case in the morning. However, they awoke to another nightmare. On the morning of October 3rd, 39-year-old James L. Buchanan was shot and killed while mowing a lawn on a public street in broad daylight. Not even an hour later, 54-year-old Prem Kumar Wallachar was murdered while standing at the gas pump. A short time after that,

34-year-old Sarah Ramos was gunned down outside the post office. Just before 10 a.m., 25-year-old Lorianne Lewis Rivera was executed while vacuuming her car at a gas station. Late that night, 72-year-old Pascal Charleau was shot in the chest while walking. down the sidewalk. In a little more than 24 hours, six people had been struck down at random by an invisible sniper.

The police knew these were not isolated incidents. A highly trained killer was running through their streets. But maddeningly, there was little the police could do. The only lead they had to go on came from a few eyewitness reports of a white box truck fleeing several of the crime scenes. But white box trucks were a dime a dozen in this part of town, making it almost impossible to narrow their search. The next day, October 4th,

a 43-year-old woman named Caroline Sewell was shot in her lower back, but she was the first victim to survive in this string of attacks. Three days later, the crimes escalated. On October 7, 13-year-old Iron Brown was shot in the stomach outside of his school. He also survived the attack,

but the shooting was deliberately meant to send a message. The bullet had come from a wooded area near the school, Police searched for ballistics evidence and found a shell casing, and they also found a tarot card. CNN sources say the card was the sign of death, and the killer had written a terrifying message on the other side. It read, for you, Mr. Police, code, call me God, do not release to the press. The message was short and simple. The killer wanted the police to know that they couldn't catch him. He was invincible and omnipresent at all places at all times.

He had shot a kid to demonstrate that nobody was safe from his wrath, not even the young and innocent. Even though the card instructed them not to speak to the press, an anonymous member of the police squad informed the media about the message. After that, the D.C. metropolitan area was thrown into a state of shock. The sniper was not only a serial killer, he was a terrorist. He wanted everyone to be afraid of him, and he succeeded. His reign of terror continued for another 17 days. During that time, the sniper killed four more innocent people and wounded another.

And during the spree, police learned that the killer wasn't even driving a white box truck. Their only lead had been a red herring. The case finally came to its close on October 24, 2002. After searching national records, officers discovered an unsublished. solved robbery and murder that had taken place in Alabama several weeks before the first DC shooting. The robbery matched the sniper's MO, and the shooter had left behind fingerprint evidence. They also received a tip from a man who believed his old buddy was responsible for the shootings in DC. He said the last time he'd seen his friend, he was bragging about training some kid to be a

sniper. That tip, combined with the fingerprints and ballistics evidence, helped the FBI identify the D.C. sniper. However, instead of one sniper, there were actually two, 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad, and 17-year-old Lee Boyd Malvo. John Muhammad had a 1990 dark-blue Chevy Caprice registered in New Jersey. The police put out an all-points bulletin

to search for this vehicle, and the press quickly publicized its license plate. Less than an hour after the information was published, a man spotted the car in the parking lot of a highway restop, Several SWAT teams surrounded the area, expecting to engage in a shootout. But as they approached the car, they discovered that both John Muhammad and Lee Malvo were fast asleep. The D.C. snipers were arrested without incident. They weren't even aware that their plates had been on the news.

Now that the public felt safe, they all began to wonder why this had happened. As reporters dug into John Muhammad's past, they found that much of his anger first revealed itself during his time serving in the U.S. military. John Muhammad was born John Allen Williams in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was raised without a father and brought up in a Baptist church. He was a ladies man and had two children with two different women before meeting his eventual second wife, Mildred. Williams had three children with Mildred, but he eventually enlisted in the U.S. military. According to Lee Malvo, at the time, Williams believed joining the military

would help him make a positive difference in the world. Everyone who knew him agreed that when he signed up, he did so with the purest intentions. That said, this should be taken with the grain of salt, as Williams was known to exaggerate and make up stories about himself. Whatever Williams' motivations might have been, he had enlisted first in the Louisiana Army National Guard and eventually in the regular army as a combat engineer. This position earned him specialized training as an auto mechanic, metalworker, and marksman. He proved himself to be highly skilled with a firearm. In fact, he earned the expert rifleman's badge,

the highest recognition a serviceman can carry for accuracy with a rifle. According to Lee Malvo, Williams felt positively about his military service until he was deployed to the Middle East to fight in the Persian Gulf War. While on a mission, Williams heard one of his fellow soldiers call the locals a racist slur for people of color. The incident left Williams feeling totally degenerate. He'd given years of his life to the military. He tried to be an upstanding role model,

but the men in his unit still debased people of color with a single word. It was disgusting. After that, Williams was convinced that racism would never go away, and he began to believe his cause was hopeless. Around the same time, he read the autobiography of Malcolm X, and Williams converted to the nation of Islam. Many mainstream Muslims consider the nation of Islam to be a heretical offshoot of their religion, and it's easy to see why.

The nation of Islam actually created its own theology with roots built in some Islamic teachings, some Jehovah's Witness teachings, and a deep commitment to black nationalism. They often taught that black men are superior, while white men were, quote, blue-eyed devils, and that the United States was the root of all evil. In devotion to his new faith, John Williams changed his name to John Muhammad and began proselytizing his new faith to fellow soldiers. He was so outspoken, he became known as Sergeant X, in reference to his beloved Malcolm X. Yet his radicalism for the nation of Islam was coupled with a growing hatred for the very country whose military he fought for. His commanding officers

took issue with his frequent anti-American preaching and asked him to keep it to himself. They felt that as an American, he was entitled to his opinion, but that his frequent evangelizing was dampening troop morale and undermining their mission. Muhammad was furious that his white commanding officers were trying to silence him. In response, he took a thermite grenade and threw it into a bunk tent, where 16 soldiers were sleeping. The attack could have been devastating. In fact, it damaged much of the troops' field equipment, but luckily, the people closest to the grenade were able to jump out of the way so nobody was injured. Officer suspected that Muhammad was responsible for the grenade, but they couldn't find enough evidence to properly court-martial him.

Still, because he was a danger to his fellow soldiers, they transferred him to another company in the States. Then years later, they had him honorably discharged. John Muhammad had spent 17 years of his life in the military. When he returned home, his hatred for the United States was palpable. But he still had one thing that tethered him to his old life. Three young children. He loved his kids more than anything in the world. Unfortunately, he did not love the woman who birthed them. Now that he was home from the military, Muhammad began to abuse his wife. Mildred feared for her life and eventually filed for divorce, taking the children with her. Muhammad was furious that she would dare to do such a thing. So he kidnapped the kids and fled to the island nation of Antigua.

He raised his kids as a single dad and worked as a human smuggler, provoked. providing people with false passports and papers to enter the United States illegally. One of his clients was Una James, the abusive single mother of Lee Boyd Malvo. Muhammad helped Una travel to the United States, and Una left her son with Muhammad in Antigua. Malvo had become estranged from his father and hated his mother. He felt drawn to the way Muhammad treated his own children and wanted to experience love like that. So Malvo began hanging around Muhammad, and Muhammad began being. began treating the boy like one of his own, at least at first.

After 17 months in Antigua, Muhammad felt homesick and moved his children to Bellingham, Washington, where they had previously lived, and took Malvo with him. Since he was technically wanted for kidnapping, he gave his children false identities, but the government quickly discovered his con. In September of 2001, the courts took Muhammad's children from him and gave Mildred full custody, barring Muhammad from ever seeing them again. It was his breaking point. Muhammad's anger turned into murderous rage. The white devil had oppressed him for his entire life, and now the U.S. courts had stolen his children. His ex-wife Mildred was even worse,

keeping his kids hidden away in some secret part of the country. Enough was enough. From that point on, Muhammad began training the now 16-year-old Leeboy Malvo in the ways of war. The duo spent hours lifting weights at the local YMCA, and Muhammad used his military training to teach Malvo how to accurately shoot a rifle. Given his expertise, both men became deadly snipers. Eventually, Muhammad demanded that Malvo prove his loyalty. He ordered Malvo to kill his former accountant, who had sided with Mildred in the pair's custody battle over their kids.

Malvo had grown up without a father, and with Muhammad playing the role of surrogate father, the teen was desperate for approval. According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality by psychologist Peter J. Nouse and John Thies, a young man's self-esteem and comfort with intimacy, is directly related to their relationship with their father. Young men whose fathers provided their sons with positive affirmation had high self-esteem. Clearly, Malvo's perception of himself. was directly tied to positive reinforcement from his father figure.

Muhammad had trained Malvo to kill and praised him for his skills with a rifle. So when John demanded that Malvo put those skills to use, Malvo complied. He walked up to his target's door and shot a woman in the head. His first murder completed his transformation into a cold-blooded killer. Shortly after that murder, Muhammad tracked Mildred down and discovered that she had moved to the D.C. metropolitan area. According to Lee Malvo, Muhammad then cooked up his master plan to get revenge on the country that betrayed him,

to take the children that belonged to him and flee the country. Muhammad took Malvo on a cross-country road trip. During the drive, the duo killed four people and injured four others while committing armed robberies. This was also around the time Muhammad and Malvo began having sex. Muhammad clearly took advantage of the young boy's connection to him and deepened Malvo's loyalty through sexual connection. Eventually, the duo reached the northeast,

stopping first in New Jersey to purchase a car that suited their needs. Using the mechanic and metalworking skills he learned in the army, Muhammad converted the regular car into a moving sniper's nest. He removed the backrest in order to move into the trunk more easily, built in hidden storage space for their weapon, and cut a discreet opening in the lid of the trunk. trunk that served as a firing hole. With the modifications complete, the duo could murder people from the comfort of their own

vehicle, simultaneously dampening the sound of rifle fire and covering up muzzle flare. They could fire without being seen, then drift into traffic as if nothing had happened at all. In short, Muhammad's military training helped him become one of the deadliest killers in D.C.'s history. Then, train his adopted son-slash-lover to murder without remorse. When Muhammad and Malvo were eventually arrested, it put an end to their evil for good. Because Malvo was only 17, he was given several life sentences without parole. Muhammad was sentenced to death. On November 10, 2009, John Allen-Mahman was put to death by a lethal injection.

The family of his victims felt justice had been done. Lee Boyd Malvo currently lives in a maximum security prison. Due to changes in state law, he became eligible to be considered for parole in 2020, but he likely won't be freed anytime soon. The DC snipers are perfect examples of how frightening a military-trained serial killer can be. Together, they killed at least 14 people and injured at least six more, yet ultimately their killing spree lasted for just over a year. Some military serial killers managed to kill for much, much longer.

In fact, one killer managed to avoid capture for over two decades. Up next, we'll meet this deranged soldier. You tell yourself, no one wants your college-era band teas, but on Deep Hop, people are searching for exactly what you've got. You once paid a small fortune for them at merch stands. Now, a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small, fortune back. Sell them easily on Deepop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste will be a money-making machine? Your style can make you cash.

Start selling on Deepop, where taste recognizes taste. Now back to the story. John Allen Muhammad's anger at the world was born during his time in the military, as was evident to everyone who worked with him. However, our next killer came as a shock to those who knew him, even his own family. On August 26, 1997, a man collecting soda cans on his morning stroll down East Springfield Street, noticed something sticking out of the tall grass

that lined in overgrown lot. It was the body of a half-naked woman, already somewhat decomposed with sunbird skin that revealed she'd been there a while. An investigation of the surrounding area revealed a dried pool of blood in a nearby parking lot.

The blood trailed. from that lot to the body's eventual resting place, indicating the killer had likely murdered their victim in the lot, then dragged them in the tall grass to hide the body. Murder was a rare occurrence in Spokane, but it did happen from time to time. The police were sure that this case would end up being like so many others, an interpersonal conflict turned deadly. They believed that if they identified the victim, they'd identify the killer shortly after. They were in for a rude awakening. That same day, they got reports of another body found abandoned in some farmland near Mount Spokane.

When they went to investigate, they found this body was in worse shape than the first. Maggots had overtaken most of the flesh, and the victim's gender and race were impossible to determine. The victim had clearly been murdered in some other location, then dragged into the field. Autopsies discovered that both victims were women, and that they were killed with a small firearm. The first woman was shot in the head. the other in the chest and shoulder. Through fingerprints, the police were able to identify the first victim as 20-year-old Heather Hernandez. She was a sex worker who had only recently arrived in town.

She spent most of her time on East Sprague Avenue, where sex workers were known to conduct their business. The other victim was identified as 16-year-old Jennifer Joseph. Jennifer was also a sex worker who frequented East Sprague. She and Heather Hernandez actually knew each other before they were murdered. Police thought it was possible that both women were killed by someone they met through their sex work, and it would only be a matter of time before the dark truth revealed itself. A few months later, on November 5th, police discovered the body of Darla S. Scott. On December 7th, they found the corpse of Melinda Lee Mercer.

These women were also sex workers, and like Heather and Jennifer, both had been shot with a small firearm. At this point, the police realized they had a serial killer prowling the streets of an other, wise peaceful city. Whoever the killer was, he was exclusively praying on sex workers and he wasn't going to stop until he got caught. Unfortunately, the police didn't have any real leads, something that's pretty common with random killings. It would take quite some time to finally identify the killer. Meanwhile, from December 1997 to October 1998, nine more women wound up dead and discarded beside the streets of Spokane. Police had an incredibly different, time tracking down the killer, but eventually they got enough eyewitness reports to know that

many of the victims were last seen getting into a white corvette. Police cross-referenced the DMV's records and found several white corvettes in the area, one of which had recently been privately sold to a woman. The woman allowed police to search the car, where they found a stray button missing from the clothing Jennifer Joseph had been wearing the day she died. They also found traces of her hair and blood. They tracked down the car's previous owner, a 47-year-old man named Robert Lee Yates, which, frankly, they found shocking. Robert Lee Yates was a happily married family man with five children. He was also a decorated veteran who was working for the National Guard as one of the country's most respected helicopter

pilots. Even the sex workers who walked East Sprague Avenue were in disbelief. Yates was irregular for many of them, and he was generally known as a fairly nice client. Of course, that comfortable aura likely explained why so many women fell victim to his charms. After his arrest, Yates was shown the physical evidence against him. The state was going to seek the death penalty, so he arranged a plea bargain to save his life. He pleaded guilty to 10 murders, one attempted murder, and confessed to an additional three. The police were thankful for these additional confessions, but the information was unsettling. Yates's Spokane killing spree had left 10 people dead, but his first admitted murders took place in 1975, a full 25 years before he was captured.

Serial killers rarely stopped killing after they've started. The odds that Robert Lee Yates only killed 13 people over the course of 25 years were slim. But if the police were going to pin any additional murders on him, they'd need to know how he managed to stay hidden for so long. The answer was simple. Robert Lee Yates' military career had provided him, with the perfect cover. Yates grew up in a strict Seventh-day Adventist home. His family was well-liked by their neighbors, and he was an obedient and polite kid. There was nothing in his life that would have hinted at any sort of internal darkness.

But at a very young age, Yates became skilled at keeping grim secrets. When he was six years old, Yates was allegedly molested by an 11-year-old neighbor boy. Yates told nobody about this abuse, and he kept this secret for years. As he grew, he developed a fascination with flight and fantasized about becoming a pilot. Yet, by the age of 23, he had already been married and divorced, then remarried to a second woman. And he couldn't afford flight school. So to make ends meet, he got a job as a prison guard in 1975. After three or four months at the prison, Yates quit his job, seemingly on a whim.

But something else may have motivated his resignation. On July 13, 1975, Yates committed his first murders. He gunned down a young couple at a local lake and hid their bodies in the brush. No evidence connected him to the crime, but he was eager to skip town all the same. Shortly after the murders, Yates began the process of enlisting in the military. He told people he was signing up to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. But joining the military also provided him the perfect excuse to leave the area. Once in the military, he trained as a helicopter pilot and proved himself to be extremely competent.

During his time in the Army, he was stationed all over the world, including in Germany, Somalia, and Haiti. Yates served in the Army for 19 years, spending little time at home. His wife, Linda, bore him five children. But because Yates often got deployed all over the world, she lived most of her life apart from him. The distance allowed Yates to keep his private life from his professional. friends, and his professional life secret from his family. For members of the Army, Yates was known to be a bit of a flirt and a ladiesman. It seemed harmless to them.

But throughout most of his career, he kept the fact that he was married a complete secret from the people he worked with. As we discussed earlier in the episode, the military actively teaches its enrollees to compartmentalize, a technique Yates seemed to master. In his mind, his family and his work were two different lives. by two different people. His time in the military also helped him in other ways. The fact that he was frequently redeployed

allowed him to stay one step ahead of law enforcement. For instance, he was stationed in Germany on two tours of duty, one from 1980 to 1984 and the other from 1988 to 1991. During that time, he lived on an American military base. Dozens of murders were committed near the bases he was stationed at, but he was never considered a suspect at the time.

However, after his capture in 2000, German authorities took another look at those cases and determined that Yates is a credible suspect in 26 unsolved murders of sex workers. And some of those murders fit Yates' MO. However, German authorities lack physical evidence tying him to any of the crimes, so it's unlikely we'll ever know about his involvement with complete certainty. But if he did commit them, it was likely that his position in the U.S. military made him nearly untouchable. Yates' motive for killing is also deeply tied to his military career.

His major 12-victum killing spree that took place in 1997 and 1998 happened to coincide with a major development in his life. After 19 years in the Army, Yates had retired from his job as a helicopter pilot in 1996. He quickly grew bored without flying, so in April 1997, he signed up for the Washington State National Guard. The National Guard welcomed him with open arms. However, some sources say Yates had an undisclosed medical condition that prevented him from safely flying a helicopter.

We're not sure what the condition was if he had one, but he was grounded for the time being. At that point, his one desire was taken away from him. Only a few months later, in August of that year, the bodies of his victims began piling up. It seems highly likely that Yates took out his frustration on the sex workers who lived in the area. During that time, Yates also used his status as a decorated serviceman

to camouflage himself on attempting to hire sex workers. He was so congenial that many of his regulars would jokingly ask if he was the killer. Yates would always respond by saying he was a decorated pilot and family man with five kids. There was no way it could be him. The women believed him. After all, who wouldn't trust a man in uniform? Again, it's important to note that the military doesn't create serial killers.

But John Allen Muhammad and Robert Lee Yates proved that for those with a propensity to kill, military training can turn haphazard killers into vicious and methodical agents of death. If nothing else, these killers are proof that not all who wear the uniform are fit to call their country home. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back soon with the final episode of our Labor Day special. To close out the series, we're delving deep into the medical field. Doctors, nurses, X-ray techs, if you put your life in their hands, you might not get it back. 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 Cuddler, sound design by Carrie Murphy, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Bruce Kitovich. This episode of serial killers was written by Giles Hoveseth, with writing assistance by Aaron Lan and Joel Callan, fact-checking by Adriana Romero, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial killers stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson.

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Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.