The Gorilla Strangler — Earle Leonard Nelson
The Gorilla Strangler terrorized the United States and Canada for 18 months in the 20s, murdering and raping no less than 22 women.
Earle Leonard Nelson was born in 1897. Both of his parents died of syphilis when he was 2 years old, leaving the young boy in the care of his grandmother.
When Earle was 10 years old, he had a serious collision with a streetcar while riding his bike, leaving him in a coma for 6 days. After he regained consciousness, Earle was plagued by headaches and memory loss. Friends of the family thought that he acted differently than before the accident.
Earle Leonard Nelson’s Early Crimes
At 18, Earle was arrested and sentenced to 2 years in San Quentin for breaking into a cabin. Shortly after that Earle was committed to the Napa State Mental Hospital after displaying bizarre behavior.
Staff described him as a “chronic masturbater”, but by 21 Earle’s sexual urges were out of control.
After his release from the Hospital, Earle enlisted in the military. He didn't last more than 6 weeks. He did this multiple times, enlisting in different arms of the military under different names, then deserting shortly after.