Summary
Overview
This episode covers part two of the Dennis Nilsen case, documenting his escalating series of murders in London during 1979-1982. The hosts detail how Nilsen lured vulnerable young men to his apartment, killed them through strangulation, and kept their bodies hidden under floorboards or in cupboards. The episode explores his disturbing pattern of treating corpses as companions, his ability to compartmentalize his crimes while maintaining employment, and how police indifference toward the gay community enabled him to continue killing. The case bears striking similarities to Jeffrey Dahmer, with both killers driven by a pathological need to prevent victims from leaving.
Andrew Ho's Narrow Escape
Just weeks after murdering Stephen Holmes, Dennis encountered Andrew Ho, a Chinese college student, at a pub. He lured Andrew back with promises of money, but the encounter turned violent when Dennis tied him up and began strangling him with a necktie while admonishing him for trusting strangers. Andrew managed to escape and reported the incident, but police showed little interest in investigating, allowing Dennis to continue his killing spree. This close call with law enforcement should have deterred him but instead emboldened him.
- Dennis met Andrew Ho at St. Martin's Pub and offered him money for his company
- Dennis tied Andrew's ankles and wrapped a necktie around his throat, lecturing him about going home with strangers
- Andrew escaped by grabbing a candlestick and hurling it at Dennis
- Police questioned Dennis but were completely uninterested despite the assault complaint
- Andrew decided not to file a formal complaint given his circumstances
" Had they done a proper investigation and caught Nelson, 15 victims might still be alive. "
Kenneth Ockendend's Murder
In December 1979, Dennis met Canadian tourist Kenneth Ockendend at a West End pub. They spent hours together and Kenneth agreed to come back for dinner. The evening seemed pleasant, but Dennis couldn't bear the thought of Kenneth leaving the next morning to return to Canada. In what he describes as an almost dissociative state, Dennis suddenly strangled Kenneth while they listened to music. This marked an escalation in his pattern, as he began treating Kenneth's body more like a plaything than his previous victims, dressing it up, posing it for photographs, and speaking to it as if it were still alive.
- Dennis met Kenneth Ockendend at a West End pub in December 1979 and they spent hours together
- Dennis said 'All of a sudden I was dragging him across the floor with a cord around his neck'
- Dennis dressed Kenneth's body, applied makeup to hide decomposition, and took photographs
- Kenneth became more of a 'playmate' to Dennis than a source of anxiety like Stephen Holmes had been
- Kenneth's mother Audrey flew to England to search for her missing son
" All of a sudden I was dragging him across the floor with a cord around his neck. I was saying, let me listen to the music as well. He didn't struggle. He was dead. "
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