Gordon Cummins
Gordon Frederick Cummins (18 February 1914 – 25 June 1942) was a British serial killer known as the Blackout Killer, the Blackout Ripper and the Wartime Ripper, who murdered four women and attempted to murder two others over a six-day period in London in February 1942. He is also suspected of committing two earlier murders in October 1941. Convicted of the murder of 34-year-old Evelyn Oatley, Cummins was sentenced to death and hanged at HMP Wandsworth on 25 June 1942.
Gordon Cummins | |
|---|---|
Gordon Frederick Cummins, c. 1941 | |
| Born | 18 February 1914 New Earswick, North Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 25 June 1942 (aged 28) HMP Wandsworth, London, England |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Other names | The Blackout Killer The Blackout Ripper The Wartime Ripper |
| Occupation | Royal Air Force serviceman |
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouse | Marjorie Stevens (m. 1936) |
| Parent(s) | John Cummins Amelia Lee |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Motive | Sexual sadism Robbery |
| Conviction(s) | Murder (27 April 1942) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4–6 |
Span of crimes | 13 October 1941 or 9 February 1942 – 14 February 1942 |
Date apprehended | 16 February 1942 |
Cummins became known as the "Blackout Killer" and the "Blackout Ripper" because he committed his murders during the imposed wartime blackout and because of the extensive mutilations inflicted upon three of his victims' bodies. He is also known as the "Wartime Ripper" as his murders were committed at the height of World War II.
The murders committed by Gordon Cummins have been described by one Detective Superintendent within the Metropolitan Police as "by far the most vicious" he ever investigated during his entire career.