Thor Nis Christiansen (28 December 1957 – 30 March 1981) was a Danish-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 ...

and

necrophile Necrophilia, also known as necrophilism, necrolagnia, necrocoitus, necrochlesis, and thanatophilia, is sexual attraction towards or a sexual act involving corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its ' ...

from

Solvang, California Solvang (; ) is a city in Santa Barbara County, California. It is located in the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 6,126 at the 2020 census, up from 5,245 at the 2010 census. Solvang was founded in 1911 and incorporated as a city on May ...

. He committed his first three murders in late 1976 and early 1977, killing young women of similar appearance from nearby

Isla Vista Isla Vista is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Barbara County, California in the United States. As of 2020 census, the community had a population of 15,500. The majority of residents are college students at t ...

. His crimes motivated large demonstrations opposed to

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often consi ...

, and in favor of better transportation for the young people residing in Isla Vista. In 1979, he killed a young woman from Los Angeles. A fifth intended victim escaped with a bullet in her head, and later identified him in a Los Angeles bar.

Early life

Thor Nis Christiansen was born in Denmark, and emigrated to the United States with his parents when he was five years old. The family initially settled in Inglewood, California, and then moved to Solvang, where his father, Nis, ran a restaurant. Christiansen was a good student until his junior year of high school, when he began neglecting his schoolwork. He moved out of his parents' house, dropped out of school, and began working as a gas station attendant. During this time, Christiansen gained a great deal of weight, at one point weighing 275 pounds (125 kg).''Santa Barbara News-Press'', 18 June 1980.

Murders

Christiansen's

modus operandi A ''modus operandi'' (often shortened to M.O.) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode (or manner) of op ...

was to pick up hitchhikers, shoot them in the head with a .22 caliber pistol, and sexually assault them post-mortem. His victims had long, straight hair, wore similar clothing, and had about the same build. Accordingly, the killings in

were dubbed the "look-alike" murders. Jacqueline Ann Rook
On January 20, 1979, the body of Jacqueline Rook, 21, was found, shot in the head, in Refugio Canyon near Santa Barbara. She was last seen on November 20, 1976. Mary Ann Sarris
On May 22, 1977, the remains of Mary Sarris, 19, were discovered in a remote area near Los Alamos Canyon. She had been missing since December 6, 1976. Patricia Marie Laney
On January 19, 1979, Patricia Laney, 21, was found shot to death, the day after she was reported missing, in Refugio Canyon near Santa Barbara. Laura Sue Benjamin
On May 26, 1979, the decomposed body of Laura Benjamin, 22, was found in a drainage culvert near

Big Tujunga Dam Big Tujunga Dam is a concrete arch dam in Los Angeles County, California, spanning Big Tujunga Canyon northeast of Sunland, in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Completed in 1931, it provides flood control and groundwater recharge for ...

. She was shot twice in the head, sometime in April. Lydia Preston
On April 18, 1979, Christiansen offered Lydia Preston, 24, a ride. Minutes later, he shot her in the ear. Preston jumped out of the car and made it to the hospital; the bullet was removed and she recovered. On July 11, 1979, Preston spotted Christiansen at a bar in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

. She reported the sighting to police and he was later arrested.

Arrest

On July 27, 1979, after interviewing over 115 persons over the previous two years, Christiansen was arrested for the murders of Patricia Laney, Jacqueline Rook, and Mary Sarris. He was held in a

Santa Barbara County Santa Barbara County, California, officially the County of Santa Barbara, is located in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, and the largest city is Santa Maria. Santa Barba ...

jail on $500,000 bond. He caught the attention of investigators in February 1977, when he was cited for being a minor in possession of liquor. The citation noted that Christiansen had a .22 caliber pistol in his car, which was confiscated by the police. However, his arrest came about when Lydia Preston called investigators on July 11, 1979, stating she saw her attacker at a bar in

. On August 20, 1979, Christiansen was charged with the murder of Laura Benjamin. The following day, he was charged with the attempted murder of Lydia Preston.

Trial

On December 26, 1979, Christiansen entered a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," in addition to his previous "not guilty" plea. He was scheduled to go to trial in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

on February 4, 1980, for the 1977 murder of Laura Benjamin, and in Santa Barbara on March 17, 1980, for the

murders.

Los Angeles Trial

Following a delay, on March 24, 1980, Christiansen withdrew his double plea in favor of a diminished capacity defense. But on April 16, 1980, Christiansen was found guilty of first-degree murder and assault, after a psychiatrist testified that Christiansen displayed some degree of "provisional planning." During the trial, a psychiatric evaluation of Christiansen revealed he suffered from an "intermittent explosive disorder," a paranoid personality, chronic drug use, and

necrophilia Necrophilia, also known as necrophilism, necrolagnia, necrocoitus, necrochlesis, and thanatophilia, is sexual attraction towards or a sexual act involving Cadaver, corpses. It is classified as a paraphilia by the World Health Organization (WHO) ...

. Christiansen also said he killed his victims, took them to a secluded place, unclothed them, and sexually explored their bodies. On May 14, 1980, Christiansen was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of Laura Benjamin, and 9 years for the attempted murder of Lydia Preston.

Santa Barbara Trial

To the prosecution's surprise, when the trial began on May 28, 1980, Christiansen pleaded guilty to all three counts of murder. The plea change came just weeks after the

trial, where Christiansen was found sane by six out of at least seven psychiatrists. On June 18, 1980, Christiansen was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison.

Death

On March 30, 1981, Christiansen died after being stabbed once in the chest while walking in the exercise yard at

Folsom State Prison Folsom State Prison (FSP) is a California State Prison in Folsom, California, U.S., approximately northeast of the state capital of Sacramento. It is one of 34 adult institutions operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabi ...

. His killer was not identified.

Aftermath

Patricia Laney has become a prominent symbol for groups that advocate against violence to women in the Santa Barbara/Goleta/Isla Vista area. She had been a community volunteer with organizations that advocated against violence to women. The Isla Vista Juggling Festival has been held annually in her memory since 1977, and is still active as of 2019.Santa Barbara Jugglers Association & Club Jugglers at UCSB
/ref>

References

Sources

*''Los Angeles Times''
Jan. 20, 1977 p. B26
[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/645931782.html?dids=645931782:645931782&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+21%2C+1977&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=B23&desc=Obituary+2+--+No+Title Jan. 21, 1977 p. B23]
Jan. 26, 1977 p. A3
[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/652037592.html?dids=652037592:652037592&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+28%2C+1979&author=JOHN+HURST&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=B1&desc=Hitchhiking+Slaying+Suspect+Arrested Jul. 28, 1979 p. B1]
Aug. 21, 1979 p. C8
[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/648694612.html?dids=648694612:648694612&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Dec+11%2C+1979&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=C7&desc=Accused+Slayer+Pleads+Insanity Dec. 11, 1979, p. C7]
Feb. 15, 1980, p. B2
[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/657872722.html?dids=657872722:657872722&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jun+8%2C+1980&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(1886-Current+File)&edition=&startpage=H2&desc=Other+51+--+No+Title Jun. 8, 1980, p. H2]
Mar. 31, 1981, p. C
*''Santa Barbara News-Press'': Jan. 20, 1977 p. A1; Jan. 21, 1977 p. A1; Jan. 22, 1977 p. A1; Jan. 23, 1977 p. A1; Jan. 24, 1977 p. A1; Jan. 25, 197 p. A1, p. C12; Jul. 27, 1979 p. A1; Jul. 27, 1979 p. A1; Jun. 18, 1980 p. B1; Mar. 31, 1981.
YouTube `The Hitchhiker Slayer'SB Juggler's
*My Favorite Murder Podcast, Episode 27 "Your Hometown Murder Email Round-up

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christiansen, Thor Nis 1957 births 1976 murders in the United States 1977 murders in the United States 1979 murders in the United States 1981 deaths 1981 murders in the United States 20th-century American criminals American male criminals American people convicted of murder American people who died in prison custody American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment American serial killers Criminals from California Criminals from Los Angeles Danish emigrants to the United States Deaths by stabbing in California Male serial killers Necrophiles People convicted of murder by California People from Goleta, California People from Solvang, California People murdered in California Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by California Prisoners who died in California detention Serial killers murdered in prison custody Unsolved murders in the United States Violence against women in the United States