A series of seven murders in Michigan between 1967 and 1969 led to the conviction of John Norman Collins, who received a life sentence.
Key Facts
- Period of murders
- 1967 to 1969
- Number of victims
- 7 (including one in California)
- Victim age range
- 13 to 21 years old
- Body disposal radius
- 15-mile radius of Washtenaw County
- Sentence issued
- Life imprisonment, August 19, 1970
- Perpetrator
- John Norman Collins (Chapman)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Between 1967 and 1969, an unknown perpetrator began abducting young women in the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti area of Michigan. Investigators noted each victim had been menstruating at the time of death, suggesting the killer's extreme rage was intertwined with a sexual motive.
Seven young women aged 13 to 21 were abducted, raped, extensively bludgeoned, and murdered within a 15-mile radius of Washtenaw County. The killer, dubbed the Ypsilanti Ripper and Co-Ed Killer, used stabbing or strangulation and occasionally mutilated victims' bodies after death.
John Norman Collins was arrested one week after the final murder and convicted for that killing, receiving a life sentence in 1970. Though never tried for the other six murders, investigators believe him responsible for all seven. He remains incarcerated at Carson City Correctional Facility.