Dennis Nilsen

Dennis Nilsen confessed to murdering at least 12 young men and boys in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His crimes were horrific and the details were ...

After he wrote to his landlord to complain about the drains being blocked, an emergency plumber was sent in to investigate. The tapes have become a significant part of true crime folklore and even highlight the disturbing opinions he held about the world and society. Decades after Nilsen’s crimes—and years after his death—there are still many possible victims of his who have not been identified. However, Ho was an immigrant and as the homosexual age of consent was 21 at the time, he could have faced a prison sentence and declined to press charges. Many of his victims’ bodies were stored under the floorboards in his home. Nilsen didn’t immediately dispose of his victims’ bodies after the murders. His crimes were horrific and the details were disturbing. Homosexuals and male sex workers were widely seen by society as the lowest of the low and many were lured to Nilsen’s flat in the hopes of a drink, food, sex, or even just a bed for the night. When he returned the next day, the drains had been cleared, but he was able to find enough evidence in the pipes to take to the police. 19-year-old Andrew Ho managed to escape and went to the police. They were often members of groups that tended to be dismissed and ignored by police at the time. Another Nilsen survivor, Carl Stottor, told the police after Nilsen had suffocated, then resuscitated him.