William Heirens & The Lipstick Killer
About this episode
This episode explores the shocking case of William Heirens, known as The Lipstick Killer, and the violent crimes that gripped Chicago in the 1940s.
In the early twentieth century, Chicago was a city already familiar with violence and corruption, but in 1946, a new case hit the headlines that introduced a whole new level of shock and scandal to the hardened city residents. Savage murders, a message scrawled across the wall in lipstick at one of the scenes and the dismemberment of a young girl gave rise to a case that would in time become known as “The Lipstick Killer.” When seventeen-year-old William Heirens was arrested, authorities declared the mystery solved, but the reality was seemingly much, much different.SOURCES Dolores Kennedy (1991) William Heirens: His Day in Court. Bonus Books, Chicago, IL, USA. Freeman, Lucy (1977) Before I Kill More… . Pocket, London, UK. Rosewood, Jack & Walker, Dwayne (2016) William Heirens: The True Story of The Lipstick Killer. Createspace Independent Publishing. Foster Kennedy, Harry R. Hoffman, William H. Haines (1948) Psychiatric Study of William Heirens. 38 J. Crim. L. & Criminology 311 (1947-1948). Chicago Tribune (1945) Widow Is Found Slain In Home, Suitor Quizzed. Chicago Tribune, Wed 6 June 1945, p7. Chicago, IL. USA…
People in this episode
Host: Ben Cutmore
Topics covered
- true crime
- Chicago history
- murder case
- William Heirens
- lipstick message
- 1940s crime
Keywords
- William Heirens
- Lipstick Killer
- Chicago murders
- true crime podcast
- 1946
- crime history
- murder investigation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Chicago Tribune
Books & works: William Heirens: His Day in Court, Before I Kill More…, William Heirens: The True Story of The Lipstick Killer
Places: Chicago
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