Was Albert DeSalvo the real Boston Strangler? Keira Knightley starrer crime story explored 

In the aftermath of Albert DeSalvo's admission to the 13 killings attributed to the Boston Strangler, an ostensibly closed chapter in the well-known case gained renewed attention from two investigative journalists at The Boston Globe. Despite the seemingly conclusive confession, the 2023 crime drama on Hulu, "The Boston Stranger," delves into the complexities of the case and raises questions about the true identity of the perpetrator who terrorized Boston in the 1960s.

The film, which stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon among others, centers on Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, two American journalists from the 'Boston Record' who spent more than ten years researching the case. The first two gave birth to the belief that one individual, whom they named The Boston Strangler, was responsible for all 13 killings.

There is a looming mystery over who the real Boston Strangler is. Albert DeSalvo did confess to killing the thirteen victims, so on paper, he is the Boston Strangler. He confessed to his cellmate while serving time for other crimes. The true identity of the Boston Strangler is nitpicked in the Hulu film which tries to counter the popular narrative provided by the police.

---

Who were the prime suspects for Boston Strangler?

DeSalvo being taken into custody (image via AP Photo / Frank C. Curtin)

Albert DeSalvo is the name most closely linked to the Boston Strangler crimes. He admitted to the killings even though he was never found guilty of any of them.

Despite the fact that there was no tangible proof linking him to the killings, he was given a life term in jail that same year. In February, he was able to break out of prison, but he willingly returned three days later. According to reports, Albert DeSalvo was discovered fatally stabbed inside the prison hospital on November 25, 1973.

The fact that DeSalvo's confession caused the case to be shelved presented the two journalists with several additional difficulties during their investigation, as shown in the Hulu film. Albert DeSalvo was never found guilty of the killings and a name that emerged as the most significant alternate suspect was Daniel Marsh.

The journalists at the Boston Globe found that in addition to dating one of the 13 victims, Marsh was a previous cellmate of DeSalvo. He had relocated to Michigan almost concurrently with the occurrences in Michigan. While DNA testing in 2013 proved that DeSalvo was the murderer of one of the 13 killings, concrete evidence against DeSalvo's murder of the twelve other women remains elusive.

---

Who was Albert DeSalvo?

Albert DeSalvo, who was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on September 3, 1931, voluntarily admitted to being the notorious Boston Strangler. He was the son of Frank and Charlotte DeSalvo. According to reports, his father Frank was a violent alcoholic who would physically mistreat his wife in front of the kids.

When DeSalvo was caught in March 1960 for breaking into a house, he acknowledged that he was "The Measuring Man." This was the name given to a serial predator who preyed on people by going door to door in Cambridge while posing as a modeling scout. He was given an 18-month prison sentence, served 11 of them, and was freed in 1962.

Owing to the color of his clothing during his second crime spree, he was dubbed the "Green Man" for his sexual assaults. He was arrested and convicted for these crimes in February 1967. He wasn't thought to be the Boston Strangler by the authorities. But he later confessed in full at his trial about all of his violent and horrible deeds as the notorious murderer who stalked the streets of Boston.

---

Boston Strangler starring Keira Knightley is currently available on the streaming platform Hulu.