Throughout History there have been many serial killers who have been caught and there are
some that have evaded capture.
Still to this day the evidence about who the most infamous killer Jack the Ripper remains
sketchy, and Jack’s real identity is not known.
But there was one young man in America who went to the gallows after he was found guilty
of the murder of three young boys in California.
He confessed later to the murders of 9, but it’s believed that there could have been
more victims.
But the execution of Gordon Stewart Northcott was not straightforward and as he plunged
through the gallows, things went very very wrong.
Join us today as we look at the execution of Gordon Northcott, and remember as always
to support our channel please make sure to subscribe.
Gordon Stewart Northcott was born in Bladworth in Canada, and he was raised in British Columbia.
But when he was around 17, the family then moved to Los Angeles and Northcott then approached
his father and he asked him to buy some land in Wineville in California.
After they purchased this land, Gordon along with his father built a chicken ranch and
a house for him to live in.
His father had a construction business and he made this house and business for his son,
but Gordon was allowed to do this if he brought his nephew to the United States also.
His nephew was just 11 years old, but as soon as he arrived Gordon began to assault his
nephew.
But then when a family member visited the nephew, she claimed that she feared for her
life, and during this visit she was told that Gordon Northcott had murdered a number of
boys at the ranch.
Gordon Northcott would bring these vulnerable youngsters to the farm, and then he would
commit terrible crimes and he would murder them.
Later the sister of Gordon’s nephew would tell the LAPD about the crimes, and then on
the 31st August 1928 inspectors visited the ranch.
Northcott then ran into the treelined when they came, and the nephew tried to stall to
cover his back.
Northcott along with his mother fled to Canada, but they were then arrested on the 19th September
1928.
Northcott had kindapped, assaulted, beaten and murdered at least three boys, and it was
also said that a fourth young man was killed and that Northcott forced his nephew to dispose
of the remains, dealing with a headless body.
These had quicklime poured on them and they were then buried.
At the Chicken coop, the authorities found three shallow graves and these graves had
body parts inside of them.
It was said that the bodies were moved, and it was said ’51 parts of human anatomy those
silent bits of evidence, of human bones and blood have spoken and corroborated the testimony
of living witnesses.’
It was alleged that Gordon may have killed as many as 20 boys, but it took just a few
hours to find him guilty of the murders and the horrific crimes.
Following this the judge then sentenced Gordon Northcott to death, and he was taken to San
Quentin State Prison to await his execution.
On the 2nd October 1930 at the age of 23, Gordon Stewart Northcott was taken from his
cell on death row to the execution chamber inside of the prison.
Inside here hundreds of killers and criminals would be condemned during the decades, but
Gordon Stewart Northcott was taken into the chamber and he was then taken up to the stairs
of the gallows.
A crowd of witnesses were stood in front of the gallows, and Gordon went to his execution
kicking and screaming.
His last words it’s believed were ‘Don’t hang me.
Don’t hang me.’
He was a pale and shivering wreck, and his shaking body had to be carried up the scaffold,
and his eyes had been covered so he couldn’t see the beam which the noose was secured to.
The 140 people looked on, and then the executioner placed the cap over his head, and the noose.
He was moved over the trapdoor which opened and then as he fell, his collapse took the
slack out of the rope, and the fall was too short to break his neck, and because of this
it took 11 minutes for Gordon Northcott to be killed, as he slowly strangled to death.
Gordon Stewart Northcott was a brutal serial killer who committed many horrific crimes
inside of his chicken coop and farm.
He was a man who was incredibly brutal and savage despite being just in his early 20s
when he committed his crimes.
But his coop became a crime scene and a place of immense murder and slaughter, but his execution
did not go well, and it was botched.
Thanks for watching
To support our channel please make sure to subscribe
Thanks for watching