Bible John

[Stan Reid]

This serial killer in Glasgow, Scotland was a contemporary of Zodiac in the States during 1968 and 1969 but never quite got the same attention. I always wondered if either followed the others career and perhaps even considered it a competition.

[Howard Brown]

Dear Stan:

At your leisure, if you would be so kind, could you list the similarities between these two killers ? That might encourage more input.

Thanks pardner.

[Stan Reid]

John killed three women all of whom had just left a dance at the Barrowland Ballroom. He got his name when a man, presumed to be the killer, was heard spewing a Bible quoting rant shortly before leaving with a victim. This person, who'd told some people that his name was John, was never identified.

Will do in a bit How.

[Howard Brown]

Thanks Stan...anything you provide,as always, is very interesting.

I like reading cases where one case dwarfs another, yet are very similar.

[Stan Reid]

John and Zodiac were both uncaught white male serial killers who operated in the late 1960s. Both killed three young white women and most likely had some issue with sexual as well as social dysfunction. John only killed young women and these also seemed to be the main focus of Zodiac's attacks although he did kill two men as well. In both cases, there looked to be enough evidence to solve the crimes but it was not to be. The two killers also were willing to take a huge risk of getting caught and appeared to pleasure in beating the lawmen at their own game. Each case had later murders that some tried to tie to the killer as well.

I'll give a more detailed account at a later time unless someone else wishes to chime in.

[Stan Reid]

The script:

All three victims were young white women who'd been out to the Barrowland Ballroom. At the time of their murders, each had been menstruating. They were all apparently raped and strangled with an article of clothing then left in an urban area with no attempt to conceal the body. All the killings occurred in approximately a 20 month period.

It's quite unlikely that three women selected at random would have all been menstruating so the question has to be, was he purposely singling out women who he knew were on their period or was he leaving with many women and only killing the ones he found to be in this stage of the cycle?

[Jeff Leahy]

Sorry to butt in Stan.

But wasnt Bible John linked to other serial attacks later on?

Yours Jeff

[Stan Reid]

Hi Jeff,

I have read about that but I haven't been able to find any details so I'm not quite sure what to think about the assertion. Perhaps he was connected to more slayings. Hopefully someone else knows more.

[Stan Reid]

The first Barrowland patron to fall prey to the killer was 25-year-old Patricia Docker. She was found naked and raped on February 23 of 1968 after going out the previous night. Patricia was murdered by strangulation with what was believed to be a belt. It isn't known if it was her belt since none of her clothing was ever found. She was also on her period which will later be a pattern in the case.

[Stan Reid]

The killer then paused for nearly a year and a half before striking again on August 16 of 1969. Mima MacDonald, 32, went out to the Barrowland Ballroom on that night. She was found in a vacant flat the next day. Mima had been sexually assaulted, strangled with her stockings and left in a partial stage of undress. Again, she was menstruating on the night she was killed. The next murder will not be so far in the future.