46 Facts About Charles Starkweather

Charles Raymond Starkweather was an American spree killer who murdered eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between November 1957 and January 1958, when he was nineteen years old.

Charles Starkweather killed ten of his victims between January 21 and January 29,1958, the date of his arrest.

Charles Starkweather was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, the fourth of seven children of Guy and Helen Arnold Charles Starkweather.

Guy Starkweather admitted at Charles's trial to having pushed his son into a window; later his wife would divorce him on the grounds of extreme cruelty.

Charles Starkweather attended Saratoga Elementary School, Irving Junior High School, and Lincoln High School.

In contrast to his family life, Charles Starkweather later recalled nothing positive of his time at school.

Charles Starkweather was born with genu varum, a mild birth defect that caused his legs to be misshapen, and claimed he was teased by classmates because he had a speech impediment.

Charles Starkweather then began to bully those who had once picked on him.

Charles Starkweather went from being one of the most well-behaved teenagers in the community to one of the most troubled.

Charles Starkweather could be the kindest person you've ever seen.

Charles Starkweather was a hell of a lot of fun to be around, too.

In 1956, at eighteen, Charles Starkweather was introduced to thirteen-year-old Caril Ann Fugate.

Charles Starkweather dropped out of high school in his senior year and took a job at a newspaper warehouse because it was near Fugate's school; he began to visit her every day after school.

Charles Starkweather quit his warehouse job and became a garbage collector.

Charles Starkweather began developing a nihilistic worldview, believing that his current situation was the final determinant of how he would live the rest of his life while striving only to satisfy his biological needs and acquire power over others.

Charles Starkweather began plotting bank robberies, and settled on a personal philosophy: "Dead people are all on the same level".

Late on November 30,1957, Charles Starkweather became angry at Robert Colvert, a service station attendant in Lincoln, for refusing to sell him a stuffed animal on credit.

Charles Starkweather returned several times during the night to purchase small items until finally, brandishing a shotgun, he forced Colvert to give him $100 from the till.

Charles Starkweather then abducted and drove Colvert to a remote area, where they struggled over the gun, injuring Colvert before Starkweather killed him with several shots to the head.

Charles Starkweather fatally shot them, then clubbed to death their two-year-old daughter Betty Jean.

Charles Starkweather hid the bodies in an outhouse and chicken coop behind the house.

Charles Starkweather later said that Caril was there the entire time, but she said that when she arrived home, Charles Starkweather met her with a gun and said that her family was being held hostage.

Charles Starkweather said Starkweather told her that if she cooperated with him, her family would be safe; otherwise, they would be killed.

Charles Starkweather killed him with a shotgun blast to the head.

When Robert Jensen and Carol King, two local teenagers, stopped to give them a ride, Charles Starkweather forced them to drive back to an abandoned storm cellar in Bennet.

Charles Starkweather shot Jensen in the back of the head.

Charles Starkweather became angry with her and fatally shot her as well.

Charles Starkweather later admitted shooting Jensen, but claimed that Fugate shot King.

Charles Starkweather stabbed their maid Ludmila "Lilyan" Fencl to death, then waited for Lauer and Clara to return home.

Charles Starkweather killed the family dog by breaking its neck to keep it from alerting the Wards.

Charles Starkweather later admitted to having thrown a knife at Clara but insisted that Fugate had stabbed her numerous times, killing her.

When Lauer Ward returned home that evening, Charles Starkweather shot and killed him.

Charles Starkweather later accused Fugate of performing a coup-de-grace after his shotgun jammed.

Charles Starkweather claimed Fugate was the "most trigger-happy person" he had ever met.

Charles Starkweather tried to restart the engine, and a passing motorist, geologist Joe Sprinkle, stopped to help.

Charles Starkweather threatened him with the rifle, and an altercation ensued.

Charles Starkweather stopped, surrendered, and was taken into custody near Douglas on January 29,1958.

Charles Starkweather believed that either state would have executed him.

Charles Starkweather was not aware that Milward Simpson, Wyoming's governor at the time, opposed the death penalty.

Charles Starkweather first said that he had kidnapped Fugate and that she had nothing to do with the murders.

Charles Starkweather testified against her at her trial, saying that she was a willing participant.

Fugate has always maintained that Charles Starkweather was holding her hostage by threatening to kill her family, claiming she was unaware they were already dead.

When Charles Starkweather was first taken to the Nebraska penitentiary after his trial, he said that he believed that he was supposed to die.

Charles Starkweather said if he was to be executed, then Fugate should be.

Charles Starkweather was convicted, after the jury deliberated for only 22 hours, for the murder of Jensen, the only murder for which he was tried.

Charles Starkweather was paroled in June 1976 after serving seventeen-and-a-half-years at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York, Nebraska.