John Linley Frazier
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John Linley Frazier | |
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| Born | January 20, 1946 |
| Died | August 13, 2009 (aged 63) |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Other names | The Killer Prophet |
| Criminal penalty | Death commuted to Life |
| Details | |
| Date | October 19, 1970 |
| Location(s) | Santa Cruz, California |
| Killed | 5 |
| Weapons | .38 revolver |
John Linley Frazier, known as The Killer Prophet (January 20, 1946 – August 13, 2009), was an American mass murderer who killed five people in Santa Cruz, California.
Biography
Frazier was a religious fanatic who spent days with his Bible and believed the voice of God was telling him to commit homicides.
On October 19, 1970, he murdered the ophthalmologist Victor Ohta, his wife, two sons and a secretary in a delusional fit, believing he was an agent of God. Before killing the two children of Dr. Ohta, Frazier questioned the killing of innocent children and, once again, heard this voice saying to kill everyone and burn the house down.
Four days later he was arrested and sentenced on November 29, 1970 to death by lethal gas. However, In 1972 the death penalty was banned in California so his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.
On the first day of the trial, he appeared in court with a new look representing the two sides of a hippie. One side had long hair and a long beard and the other side was totally bald with no beard. This look was heavily criticized by the media. As a result, Frazier abandoned the look and shaved his head totally bald.
Death
In mid-2009, Frazier hanged himself in the state prison in Ione, California.[1]
See also
Trivia
Literature
- Ward Damio: Urge to Kill. Pinnacle Books, 1974, ISBN 0-523-00380-3.
- David Everitt: Human Monsters. Contemporary Books, New York 1993 ISBN 9780809239948
- Donald T. Lunde: Murder and Madness. San Francisco Book Co., San Francisco, CA 1976 ISBN 9780913374320
Music
- Doom Metal band Church of Misery, released a track in 2013 called "All Hollow's Eve" about Frazier on their album, Thy Kingdom Scum.[2]
References
- ^ Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hanged himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on August 16, 2010 (English). Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed August 16, 2010 (English). Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed August 17, 2010 (English)
- ^ http://www.metalblade.com/us/releases/church-of-misery-thy-kingdom-scum/
- Jennifer Squires: Police: Mass murderer John Linley Frazier hanged himself in prison. Santa Cruz Sentinel, August 19, 2009, accessed on August 16, 2010 (English).
- Katherine Ramsland: John Linley Frazier, the Killer Prophet and Hippie Murderer. The Year of the Hippie Murders. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., accessed August 16, 2010 (English).
- Mara Bovsun: Crazed Hippy Killer Caused horror with 1970 murder of California doctor. NYDailyNews.com, March 22, 2009, accessed August 17, 2010 (English)
External links
- 1946 births
- 2009 deaths
- 20th-century American criminals
- American mass murderers
- American murderers of children
- American people convicted of murder
- American people who died in prison custody
- American prisoners sentenced to death
- American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- Murderers who committed suicide
- People convicted of murder by California
- People who committed suicide in prison custody
- Prisoners sentenced to death by California
- Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by California
- Prisoners who died in California detention
- Suicides by hanging in California