William Devin Howell
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William Devin Howell, AKA The Sick Ripper, (born 11 February 1970) is an American serial killer responsible for the murders of seven women, making him one the most prolific serial killers in Connecticut history (surpassed by Michael Bruce Ross). He is currently serving a total sentence of 360 years in prison.
Crimes edit
Howell would drive around in his van, which he nicknamed "the murder mobile", looking for women who he would pick up and strangle to death. At least three of the women were raped before they were killed. He would then bury their bodies in the woods behind a strip mall in New Britain, which he referred to as his "garden".
Melanie Camilini edit
29-year-old Melanie Camilini became Howell's first known victim on 1 January 2003 when she disappeared from the city of Waterbury. She was later found among the bodies in Howell's "garden", having been lured into his van and strangled to death.
Janice Roberts edit
Roberts was a 44-year-old transgender woman who was last seen alive getting into Howell's van. Her body was later found with the others in Howell's "garden". While talking to another inmate Howell claimed to have attempted to engage in sex with Roberts before strangling her when he realized she was transgender.
Diane Cusack edit
Diane Cusack was a 55-year-old New Britain resident who disappeared in 2003. Her body was identified in 2011 after being retrieved from Howell's "garden" in 2007.
Nilsa Arizmendi edit
33-year-old Nilsa Arizmendi was reported missing on 31 July 2003. Unlike the other victims, Howell had been specifically identified in relation to this crime before Arizmendi's body was found, as he has been acquainted with her and she had last been seen getting in his van.
Marilyn Gonzales edit
Marilyn Gonzales disappeared in 2003 in Waterbury. Her strangled corpse was found with Howell's other victims in 2007.
Joy Martinez edit
East Hartford resident Joy Martinez disappeared in 2003, although she was not reported missing until the following year. Her remains were some of the first to be recovered from behind the strip mall in 2007, but she was not identified until 2013.
Mary Jane Menard edit
The body of Mary Jane Menard, a 40-year-old substance abuse counsellor who disappeared in 2003, was found with the other six women in Howell's garden.
Arrest edit
Howell was arrested in 2004, three years before his victims were discovered, after being linked to the 2003 disappearance of Nilsa Arizmendi. Police suspected him on the grounds that Arizmendi was last seen getting in his van. When Howell was served with a warrant to search his van a bloodstain was found in the car and tested, confirming it to belong to Nilsa Arizmendi. Six tapes were also found of Howell having "bizarre" sex with women, believed to be his victims, but their identities could not be established.
Howell was arrested on suspicion of Arizmendi's murder. He was charged with first-degree manslaughter rather than murder due to a legal technicality, entering a guilty plea in January 2007. Despite Howell's attempts to retract his plea he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Just a few weeks after Howell's sentencing, a hunter came across a human skull in the woods behind a New Britain strip mall. The woods were excavated, revealing the corpses of 7 women, including Arizmendi. Meanwhile Howell admitted his crimes to a fellow inmate, also claiming to have driven round with the corpse of one of his victims (which one is unclear) for several days, during which time he named it "baby", mutilated the body and slept next to it. The inmate passed all this information to the authorities.
Howell pleaded guilty to six counts of murder on 17 November 2017. During sentencing he broke down in tears and asked for the death penalty, which was abolished in Connecticut in 2015. Instead he received six consecutive life sentences. As Connecticut law defines a life sentence as 60 years, Howell's total sentence is 360 years in prison.