Editing Boston Strangler (section)

==DeSalvo's confession==
{{More citations needed|section|date=April 2024}}
[[File:gainsborough.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Gainsborough Street, site of the first murder attributed to the Boston Strangler]]
On October 27, 1964, a stranger entered a young woman's home posing as a [[detective]]. He tied the victim to her bed, sexually assaulted her, and suddenly left, saying "I'm sorry" as he went. The woman's description of her attacker led police to identify the assailant as DeSalvo. When his photo was published, many women identified him as the man who had assaulted them. Earlier on October 27, DeSalvo had posed as a [[motorist]] with car trouble and attempted to enter a home in [[Bridgewater, Massachusetts]]. The homeowner, future [[Brockton, Massachusetts|Brockton police]] chief Richard Sproules, became suspicious and eventually fired a [[shotgun]] at DeSalvo.

DeSalvo was not initially suspected of being involved with the strangling murders. After he was charged with [[rape]], he gave a detailed confession of his activities as the Boston Strangler. He initially confessed to fellow inmate [[George Nassar]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-26 |title=I-Team: George Nassar, Boston Strangler's Cellmate, Recalls Albert DeSalvo's Confession - CBS Boston |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/boston-strangler-cellmate-interview-george-nassar-albert-desalvo-wbz-tv-i-team-cheryl-fiandaca/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Nassar reported the confession to his attorney [[F. Lee Bailey]], who also took on the defense of DeSalvo. The police were impressed at the accuracy of DeSalvo's descriptions of the crime scenes. There were some inconsistencies, but DeSalvo was able to cite details that had been withheld from the public. Bailey states in his 1971 book, ''The Defense Never Rests'',<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bailey |first1=F. L. |title=The defense never rests |last2=Aronson |first2=H. |publisher=New American Library |year=1972 |language=English}}</ref> that DeSalvo got one detail right that one of the victims was wrong about: DeSalvo described a blue chair in the woman's living room. She stated it was brown. Photographic evidence proved DeSalvo was correct.

No physical evidence substantiated his confession. Because of that, he was tried on charges for earlier, unrelated crimes of robbery and sexual offenses, in which he was known as "The Green Man" and "The Measuring Man", respectively. Bailey brought up DeSalvo's confession to the murders as part of his client's history at the trial in order to assist in gaining a "not guilty by reason of insanity" verdict to the sexual offenses, but it was ruled as inadmissible by the judge.

DeSalvo was sentenced to life in prison in 1967. In February of that year, he escaped with two fellow inmates from [[Bridgewater State Hospital]], triggering a full-scale [[Manhunt (law enforcement)|manhunt]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koch |first=Arnold |title=Boston Strangler - 50 years later |url=https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/melrose-free-press/2017/01/23/boston-strangler-50-years-later/22618384007/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Wicked Local |language=en-US}}</ref> A note was found on his bunk addressed to the superintendent. In it, DeSalvo stated that he had escaped to focus attention on the conditions in the hospital and his own situation. Immediately after his escape, DeSalvo disguised himself as a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[Petty Officer Third Class]], but he gave himself up the following day. After the escape, he was transferred to the maximum security [[Walpole, Massachusetts|Walpole]] State Prison. Six years after the transfer, he was found stabbed to death in the prison [[First aid room|infirmary]]. His killer or killers were never identified.