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Was Paul Dempsey the Boston Strangler? Detail Explained

Boston Strangler follows the story of two investigative reporters looking into the crimes of the titular serial killer. The film takes the audience through many twists and turns in the case, along with the tug-of-war between the media and the police department, the case details, and the investigation method. Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole dedicate themselves to uncovering everything about the murders and pinpointing the identity of the murderer. There are several suspects in the case, one of whom, Paul Dempsey, fits the pattern of the initial murders. If you want to learn more about him, we’ve got you covered.
 

#1. What is Boston Strangler about?

Was Paul Dempsey the Boston StranglerSource: ABC News

Boston Strangler follows Loretta and Jean as they investigate the mysterious serial killings that plagued the city in the 1960s, exploring the possibility of multiple murderers and eventually concluding that Albert DeSalvo (David Strathairn) was the original Boston Strangler. Through interviews with witnesses, family members, and police, they discover that the case was far more complex than anyone anticipated, and uncover a shocking truth about the killer.

#2. Was Paul Dempsey the Boston Strangler?

Was Paul Dempsey the Boston StranglerSource: Distractify

Paul Dempsey in 'Boston Strangler' is not a real-life serial killer, but his character was based on Charles Terry, who was convicted for the murder of a 62-year-old woman in New York City in 1963. His MO was similar to the Boston Strangler's, as he would strangle his victims with a scarf and tie it in a bow around the neck. While one person was initially believed to be behind all thirteen murders, inconsistencies in the modus operandi led to speculation that multiple people could be responsible. The character of Paul Dempsey was added to the movie 'Boston Strangler' to add dramatic effect, but not as a representation of a real-life serial killer.
Linski hypothesized that Dempsey was the Boston Strangler, but the police in Boston refused to take his accusations seriously. His investigation revealed that Dempsey had previously been suspected of strangling an elderly woman to death in Maine four years prior to the Boston Strangler's first crime. He believed that Dempsey was in the city for the initial five murders that shared similar characteristics. After further research, Loretta concluded that it was likely that Dempsey had been the original Boston Strangler.
The killing of older white women by strangulation was an unbroken pattern, and Dempsey was never implicated in killing women in any other age group. This means that he did murder the first five victims and then moved on to New York. This explains why there was a break of a couple of months before the subsequent murder and why there was a pattern break. The rest of the murders were committed by other people, all copycats.
Related: Was George Nassar the Boston Strangler? Detail Explained

#3. Is Paul Dempsey Based on a Real Serial Killer?

Was Paul Dempsey the Boston StranglerSource: The US sun

Paul Dempsey in 'Boston Strangler' is not a real-life serial killer; however, his character was inspired by Charles Terry, who was convicted for the murder of a 62-year-old woman in New York City in 1963. Terry had a similar modus operandi to the Boston Strangler, strangling his victims with a scarf and then tying it in a bow around the neck. He was also a suspect in at least three other murders, all of which involved strangulation. He received a death sentence, which was later commuted to a life sentence, and he died in Attica Correctional facility in 1981. In reality, the Boston Strangler was believed to have killed thirteen women, and Albert DeSalvo confessed to being the killer, though there were inconsistencies in his story, leading some to believe that he didn't commit all thirteen murders.
The following seven victims were younger women ranging from 19 to 23 years of age. These victims were also strangled, but the modus operandi was different. The scarf was not tied around the neck of the victims and they were also of different races. This led to the speculation that multiple killers were responsible for the thirteen murders.

Was Paul Dempsey the Boston StranglerSource: Distractify

20-year-old Sophie Clark was killed similarly. This was completely uncharacteristic of the killer because, this time, he had subverted the pattern and killed a young black woman. Despite the same MO, the change in age group and ethnicity meant that Sophie’s killer could be a different person. Following this, the killer continued his killings targeting women of other age groups and displaying haphazard behavior.
When Albert DeSalvo confessed to killing all thirteen women, some people were satisfied with the answer. But then, his confession was said to have a few discrepancies. It was theorized that the details he got correct could be the ones he read in the newspapers, considering how extensively the case was being covered in the newspapers. Later, a man who had been in the same ward as DeSalvo claimed that he had overheard DeSalvo and others discussing the details of the case, polishing his confession before he talked to the police.
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