Gordon Cummins
Talk0this wiki
| Real World Bio | |
 | |
| Name | Gordon Frederick Cummins |
| Alias | The Blackout Ripper The Blackout Killer The Count |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Date | Late 1913-Early 1914 |
| Place of Birth | York, England |
| Date of Death | June 25, 1942 |
| Place of Death | Wandsworth Prison, London, England |
| Job | Leading Aircraftman in the Royal Air Force Numerous unspecified former jobs |
| Pathology | Spree Killer |
| Modus Operandi | Strangulation Post-mortem sexual mutilation |
| No. of Victims | 5 killed 2 attempted |
| Status | Deceased (executed) |
Gordon Frederick Cummins, a.k.a. "The Blackout Ripper" or "The Blackout Killer", was a British spree killer active during World War II's German Blitz.
Contents |
History
Edit
Not much about Gordon's early life has been disclosed, other than he was born sometime late 1913 to early 1914. After being fired from many jobs due to insolence and dishonesty, he enlisted onto Britain's Royal Air Force in 1939, quickly earning himself the nickname of "The Count" because of his boastful claims to having noble heritage in his blood. A handsome, well-built man, not only did Gordon's wife find him appealing, but the prostitutes of London's poor neighborhoods. He eventually began stealing belongings from prostitutes he regularly visited. During World War II, he suddenly snapped for an unknown reason and started killing; some believe he might've been suffering from a mental illness that was triggered during this time, while others thought that he developed a misogynistic personality that manifested itself into murdering women. Gordon soon took advantage of the regular nighttime blackouts caused by the German Blitz to kill his victims without being detected.
On February 9, the body of 40-year-old Evelyn Hamilton was found in an air raid shelter. The following three days were highlighted with the daily discovery of a victim, whose corpse would now be sexually mutilated. The killing spree gained him the nicknames of "The Blackout Ripper" and "The Blackout Killer", the former being because of the crimes' similarities to those of serial killer Jack the Ripper, most notably the mutilation. On February 14, Gordon attempted to kill a woman named Greta Hayward, whom he previously made sexual advances towards, but he escaped when a delivery boy witnessed the attack, leaving behind the gas mask case he brought along. After attacking and unsuccessfully attempting to murder another woman, Gordon was arrested two days later by an officer who traced the numbers on the discarded gas mask case back to him. Authorities searched his quarters and found countless evidence used to convict him of the murders. Gordon went to trial for his murder spree on April 27; during this time, he wrote a letter to his wife that seemed to imply that he might've blacked out whenever he started killing. Nevertheless, it took the jury 35 minutes to eventually find guilty of murder, and he was sentenced to death by hanging. Gordon was executed on June 25 by hanging, ironically during an air raid. After his execution, a fifth body was discovered and attributed to him. The woman, identified as one "Mrs. Church", was revealed to have been killed on October 1941.
Modus OperandiEdit
Gordon killed his victims during regular nighttime blackouts caused by The Blitz. He would do this by strangling them, but in the case of his second victim, Evelyn Oatley, he also cut her throat. His last three victims were also sexually mutilated with a variety of objects, such as a can opener, a razor blade, a knife, and a candlestick. Exactly how he killed Mrs. Church remains unspecified.
Known VictimsEdit
- October 1941: Mrs. Church (first name unrevealed; possibly a pseudonym)
- The 1942 killing spree:
- February 9: Evelyn Hamilton, 40 (strangled)
- February 10: Evelyn Oatley, 35 (strangled and her throat cut; was sexually mutilated with a can opener post-mortem)
- February 11: Margaret Lowe, 43 (strangled with a silk stocking and sexually mutilated with a variety of objects post-mortem)
- February 12: Doris Jouannet, 32 (strangled with a scarf and sexually mutilated post-mortem)
- February 14:
- Greta Hayward (attempted; fled when a delivery boy witnessed the attack)
- Mrs. Mulchany (attempted; first name unrevealed)
On Criminal MindsEdit
While Gordon hasn't been mentioned on Criminal Minds, his habit of killing people during scheduled nighttime blackouts is similar to the M.O. of Billy Flynn, the Prince of Darkness, who attacked during rolling blackouts. However, unlike Billy, who targeted random families, Gordon specifically targeted prostitutes, though it should be noted that his first victim, Evelyn Hamilton, didn't have a job as a prostitute.
