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The Boston Strangler

Sept. 3, 1962: Boston police detectives spent hours seeking new leads and running down hundreds of tips and suspects. Several suspects were taken into custody for questioning and the Brighton division arrested a 27-year-old man found sleeping in the bushes near where Nina G. Nichols, the fourth victim, had been killed on June 30, 1962. No one on this night was held for any of the murders to date. Joe Runci/Globe Staff

The Boston Strangler first struck on June 14, 1962, and the panic that gripped the city lasted until after the last victim died on Jan. 4, 1964. The fear led to a run on door locks and other security measures, and many women were reported to stop venturing out at night and to fear staying alone. Thirteen women were murdered, most of them sexually assaulted and strangled. No one was ever convicted of the crimes, but one man confessed. Albert DeSalvo, already in custody for robbery and sexual assault, claimed to be the Strangler. Serving his sentence in Bridgewater State Hospital for his other crimes, DeSalvo escaped with two other inmates and triggered a massive manhunt. He was captured the next day, Feb. 25, 1967. DeSalvo was stabbed to death in his sleep in Walpole State Prison on Nov. 26, 1973. The grisly crimes inspired several books and films, and even the Rolling Stones’ song “Midnight Rambler.” - Lane Turner