Canadian Killers Series: The Bedroom Strangler

Updated: Sep 18

For eight years an obsessive-compulsive psychopath was killing women between London and Guelph, in Ontario, Canada.

He was so meticulous during his crimes, that for years police didn’t even know his first four victims were murdered… which of course made it all the more terrifying when residents finally realized that evil had been lurking amongst them in the shadows and, sometimes, even at the foot of their beds in the middle of the night.

Russell Maurice Johnson was charged with three murders. He confessed in detail to four more and reportedly claimed he was responsible for even more. He would attack women who were alone in their apartments, sometimes climbing several stories up to outside balconies to gain entry.

The victims are:

Mary Catherine Hicks, 20 - Oct. 19, 1973 CONFESSED

Mary Catherine Hicks | Courtesy: Newspapers.com

Alice Jane Ralston, 42, of Guelph - Nov. 30, 1973 CONFESSED
- No photo available
Eleanor Diane Hartwick, 27, of London - March 4, 1974 CONFESSED
- No photo available

Doris Ethel "Dodie" Brown, 49, of Guelph - Aug. 9, 1974 CONFESSED

Doris Ethel "Dodie" Brown | Courtesy: Crime Stories

Diana Beitz, 23, of Guelph - Dec. 31, 1974 CHARGED

Luella Jeanne "Jeanie" George, 23, of London - April 15, 1977 CHARGED

Luella Jeanne "Jeanie" George | Courtesy: Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum

Donna Veldboom, 22, of London - July 15, 1977 CHARGED

Donna Veldboom | Courtesy: Findagrave.com

Johnson operated between 1969 and 1977… meaning that his span of crimes lasted longer than both of the men in our previous episodes, the Chambermaid Slayer and the Mad Slasher. He is one of the main reasons that London, Ontario, and the greater area, was once known for being the serial killer capital of the world.

Russell Maurice Johnson | Courtesy: London Free Press

Johnson was found not guilty by reason of insanity, on Feb. 1, 1978, for three first-degree murders of women in London and Guelph. He confessed in detail to four additional murders and at least ten other violent attacks on women in the 1970s. He also reportedly admitted to a total of 15 murders, but would not divulge the details.

Prosecutors decided not to try him for an additional four murders that he confessed to during the police investigation because they believed it would end in the same outcome.

Johnson’s mental health diagnoses include sexual sadism, voyeurism, fetishism, necrophilia, and narcissistic personality disorder. Some of these issues have no cure, according to mental health experts. He has been held at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, a maximum-security facility in Penetanguishene, since his trial.

Family members of the victims gather outside a hearing for their loved one's killer. | Courtesy: The National Post

Due to Canadian law, Johnson is entitled to annual reviews of his case, which means the families of his victims must attend to voice their opposition to his potential release to the public or a lower-level security facility. They don't believe he should ever be released and they urge the public to pay attention to his Ontario Review Board (ORB) parole hearings. (ORB File No. 0456). You can learn how to request to attend Johnson's hearings at this link: Ontario Parole Board - Observe a hearing

This is the third episode in our Canadian Killers series, which will end with a focus on the unsolved homicides that occurred during the time period when multiple serial killers were active. Perhaps, through your sleuthing, you can help to solve some of these crimes and bring resolution to the victims' families.

Sources:

Canadian Killers Series: The Bedroom Strangler

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