On this day in history, November 9, 1971, John List murders his family and disappears for nearly 18 years
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY: On November 9, 1971, a horrifying tragedy unfolded in Westfield, New Jersey, when a Sunday school teacher, John Emil List, murdered his entire family, including his wife, mother, and three children, and then disappeared.
This chilling event would go on to baffle law enforcement and the public alike for nearly two decades, ultimately leading to a dramatic revelation that would finally bring justice to the victims.
The Sunday school teacher meticulously planned the murder of his family
Before that fateful day, John List appeared to be an ordinary and successful father. He was a respected Sunday school teacher and even served as a Boy Scout troop leader.
However, beneath the veneer of normalcy lay a man who adhered to an unbending code of strict discipline, imposing rigid rules on his children.
According to History.com, on November 9, 1971, seemingly out of the blue, List carried out his horrifying plan. He methodically shot his mother, Alma, above her left eye, his wife, Helen, in the side of the head, and two of his children in the back of their heads.
His oldest child, a son, was not spared, as he was shot multiple times in the chest and face. After committing these heinous acts, List left the murder weapon alongside the carefully arranged bodies.
He had taken steps to ensure that the victims would not be discovered for an extended period by canceling newspaper, milk, and mail deliveries in the days leading up to the murders.
To further obscure his actions, he called his children's schools, informing them that the family was going to visit a sick relative out of town. Due to his meticulous action plan, the bodies weren't discovered until almost a month later, on December 7.
In a letter written to the pastor, List claimed that he saw too much evil in the world and he had killed his family members to save their souls.
TV show 'America’s Most Wanted' helped police catch John List after almost two decades since the murders
By the time authorities uncovered the horrifying truth about the murders, John List had vanished without a trace. Local law enforcement officials had all but given up on their search for the murderer when a ray of hope emerged with the television show 'America’s Most Wanted' in the late 1980s.
A segment about the List murders aired on May 21, 1989, which led to an outpouring of tips and information from the public. While most of these leads proved fruitless, one crucial tipster claimed that List was living in Virginia under the alias Robert Clark.
Indeed, List had crafted an entirely new identity for himself. He had relocated to the South, remarried, and got himself a job as an accountant.
He was finally apprehended on June 1, 1989, and extradited to New Jersey to face charges for the gruesome deaths of his family. The following year, he was convicted of five counts of murder and received five consecutive life sentences.
List would spend the rest of his life behind bars, finally facing the consequences of his actions, and he died in prison in 2008.
The case serves as a chilling reminder that evil can lurk behind the façade of normalcy and that justice, no matter how delayed, can eventually prevail.