The "kindly killer," as he was known in the media, was a serial killer who terrorized the city of San Francisco in the late 1980s. He was responsible for the deaths of at least six elderly women, all of whom he had killed in their own homes.
Unlike many serial killers, the kindly killer did not leave a trail of physical evidence at the crime scenes. He was careful to cover his tracks, and the police were unable to find any clues as to his identity.
The killings were particularly shocking to the community because of the kindness that the killer showed his victims. He would often spend hours with them, chatting and playing cards, before strangling them with a pillow.
Despite a massive manhunt, the kindly killer remained at large for several years. It wasn't until the police received a tip from a neighbor that they were able to track him down.
The kindly killer turned out to be a retired schoolteacher named Edward Blakely. He was arrested in his home and charged with six counts of murder.
During his trial, Blakely claimed that he had killed the women out of mercy, as they were all suffering from terminal illnesses. However, the prosecution argued that he had killed them for financial gain, as he had inherited large sums of money from each of his victims.
In the end, Blakely was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He died in prison several years later, never having revealed the true motive behind his killings. The "kindly killer" case remains one of the most mysterious and disturbing in the history of San Francisco.