21 Facts About Theodore Durrant

William Henry Theodore Durrant, known as "The Demon of the Belfry", was hanged for two murders committed at San Francisco's Emmanuel Baptist Church, where he was assistant superintendent of the Sunday School.

William Henry Theodore Durrant was born in Toronto, Ontario, to William Durrant, a shoemaker, and his wife, Isabella Hutchenson Durrant.

Theodore Durrant had one sibling, a younger sister, Beulah Maud, who became an actress and interpretive dancer known as Maud Allan.

At the time of his arrest, Durrant was a 23-year-old medical student at Cooper Medical College in San Francisco, assistant superintendent of the Sunday school at the 21st Street Emmanuel Baptist Church, and a member of the California Signal Corps.

Theodore Durrant had moved to San Francisco to further her education and was living with her aunt, Mrs Tryphenia Noble, on 21st Street in the Mission District.

Mr King returned a short time later and said Theodore Durrant seemed somewhat better by then, though still complaining of lingering "fatigue" and "dizziness".

Theodore Durrant approached Noble and inquired about Blanche; she told him that she was worried about her.

Theodore Durrant told Noble that he was sorry that Blanche was not there, but that he would come to her house later to bring a book for her.

The next day, Theodore Durrant tried to pawn some women's rings at a pawn shop in San Francisco's Tenderloin district.

Hodgkins later testified that Theodore Durrant's manner was not becoming to a gentleman, and that the pair did calm down and enter the church door together.

Theodore Durrant was badly mutilated and nude with her head wedged between two boards.

Police immediately began a search for Theodore Durrant, who was the last one seen with both murdered women.

Theodore Durrant had left town to join his Signal Corps unit, where he was apprehended the next day, Easter Sunday.

Theodore Durrant was charged with the murders of Blanche Lamont and Minnie Williams.

Theodore Durrant gave an account of her sister's life before her disappearance.

Theodore Durrant testified that Durrant often came to pick Lamont up to escort her to church and then home and that he came to her house offering to search for Lamont after her disappearance.

The defense challenged her testimony about Lamont's weight, which she stated was approximately 122 pounds, with their claim that she weighed 140 and that it would be impossible for Theodore Durrant to carry her up to the belltower.

Theodore Durrant identified a diamond chip ring she had given Lamont that a man who was supposedly Durrant had tried to sell.

Theodore Durrant's attorney defended him by citing lack of blood on him or his clothes and shifting blame to the church pastor, but Durrant was convicted and sentenced to be hanged by Judge Carroll Cook.

Theodore Durrant never confessed to the murders and claimed his innocence until his death.

Twenty years after his execution, Theodore Durrant's name was resurrected as circumstantial evidence in a libel suit filed by his sister, Maud Allan.