Harvey Louis Carignan (born May 18, 1927) is an American

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

serving a life sentence at the Minnesota Correctional Facility – Faribault for the murders of two women. He had been previously convicted for a 1949 rape and murder he committed while stationed in the U.S. Army, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Early life

Carignan was born in North Dakota in 1927.

Initial murder

On July 31, 1949, Carignan killed 58-year-old Laura Showalter during an attempted rape in the

Territory of Alaska The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; the ...

. On September 16, 1949, he attempted to rape another woman, Christine Norton, and was arrested the next day. Carignan was convicted of first degree murder and assault with intent to commit rape. The jury did not recommend mercy, and he received a mandatory death sentence. However, Carignan won a new trial on his murder conviction in 1951 on the grounds that his confession had been improperly obtained. An officer interrogating Carignan had told him he wouldn't be executed if he confessed to the murder. Carignan's confession was suppressed and the murder charge was later dismissed. He continued to serve a 15-year sentence for assaulting Christine Norton. In 1952, he was transferred to

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz (, ''"the gannet"'') or The Rock was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States, the site of a ...

, before being paroled in 1960.

Later crimes

Just months after his parole, Harvey and his brother, Clinton, who was also a parolee from Alcatraz, were arrested for burglary in Minnesota. They were convicted of attempted third degree burglary, and Harvey was returned to prison for four years, serving his time at USP Leavenworth. He was paroled on March 2, 1964. In November 1964, Carignan was arrested for second degree burglary in

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. He was found guilty, received a 15-year sentence, and was paroled once more in 1968. Carignan later served another year for violating his parole. On October 15, 1972, 19-year-old Leslie Laura Brock was found dead in Washington. She had been killed by several blows to the head. At least one person claimed to have seen Brock get into Carignan's truck. On May 1, 1973, 15-year-old Kathy Sue Miller saw a "wanted help" ad by Carignan for his gas station. When she showed up, Carignan raped her and beat her to death with a hammer. Miller's body was found months later by two boys hiking on the Indian reservation north of Everett, Washington. She was bundled in a sheet of plastic with hammer holes in her skull. Although he was considered the prime suspect, Carignan never faced charges in the murders of Brock or Miller due to a lack of evidence. On September 9, 1973, Carignan picked up 13-year-old hitchhiker Jerri Billings in

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. He sexually assaulted her and beat her with a hammer before releasing her, warning her not to say anything. In May 1974, Carignan began living with a 29-year-old woman named Eileen Hunley. They settled in Minnesota. On August 9, 1974, however, Hunley left Carignan. She disappeared the next day. Her body was found about five weeks later. Hunley's skull had been imploded by blows to the head and she had been raped with a tree branch. On September 14, 1974, Carignan picked up Gwen Burton from a Sears parking lot. He ripped off her clothing, choked her until she was nearly unconscious, and sexually assaulted her with a hammer. Afterwards, Carignan dumped Burton in a field. She survived, however, and was able to find help. On September 18, 1974, Carignan picked up teenage girls Sally Versoi and Diane Flynn. He forced the two to perform oral sex and beat them if they didn't follow his commands. Versoi and Flynn escaped when Carignan stopped for gas. On September 20, 1974, 18-year-old Katherine Schultz disappeared. Her body was found the next day in a cornfield. She had been beaten to death with a hammer and her skull had imploded. Carignan was arrested on September 24, 1974. He was charged with attempted murder and aggravated sodomy. Carignan pleaded insanity, claiming God had ordered him to "kill whores and harlots". His defense failed, and in 1975, he was found guilty of both charges. After his conviction, Carignan had a mental evaluation and was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder. Months later, he was found guilty of indecent liberties, sodomy upon a child, and two additional counts of aggravated sodomy. Carignan was sentenced to a total of 60 years in prison. Afterwards, he was indicted on murder charges for killing Schultz and Hunley. Carignan pleaded guilty to second degree murder for killing Schultz and received a 40-year sentence. He was convicted of first degree murder for killing Hunley and received a life sentence.

In popular culture

* Book ''The Want-Ad Killer'' by

Ann Rule Ann Rae Rule (''née'' Stackhouse; October 22, 1931 – July 26, 2015) was an American author of true crime books and articles. She is best known for ''The Stranger Beside Me'' (1980), about the serial killer Ted Bundy, with whom Rule worked an ...

, September 1983. * Documentary series ''The Serial Killers'' Episode 2 *Book ''Talking with serial killers.'' *Book ''Alcatraz: The Last Survivors''

References

External links