Who was the Boston Strangler? New evidence points to different suspect

BOSTON - The Boston Strangler terrorized women in the Boston area and today remains one of the city's most notorious crimes.

Albert DeSalvo was widely thought to be the Boston Strangler but was only linked to one of the 13 victims. Now, the I-Team has learned, the Boston police are still actively investigating the decades-old murders and may have new information. A Springfield man told the I-Team he gave detectives evidence that pointed to a different suspect.

The murders

In the early 1960s, a serial killer was on the loose in the Boston area. Nearly all the victims - more than a dozen single women between the ages of 19 and 85 - were sexually assaulted, raped, murdered and strangled with a piece of their own clothing tied around their neck in a bow. Reporters dubbed the killer the Boston Strangler.

Albert DeSalvo was the number one suspect. At the time, DeSalvo was being held for observation on unrelated charges at Bridgewater State Hospital. There, he met fellow prisoner George Nassar. In a 2018 prison interview , Nassar told the I-Team that DeSalvo confessed to him and shared gruesome details of the murders.

"I didn't want to even listen to what he was saying. Particularly when he described the Beverly Samans murder - it was revolting," Nassar said. Samans was stabbed 22 times. Despite DeSalvo's confession, some were not convinced that he was the strangler or that he acted alone. WBZ-TV Anchor John Henning said a man named George Nassar was DeSalvo's roommate, and investigators thought he may have done some of the murders himself.

Was DeSalvo the only strangler?

The I-Team asked Nassar if he was the real strangler. "Of course not. If I had been - theoretically - on a score with Al, and we were in criminal conspiracy together, and I found out that he was murdering women and getting away with it, I'd have given him a quick and painless death right there," Nassar said.

But now, a man who corresponded with Nassar and helped write his autobiography believes the twice-convicted murderer was the strangler and coached DeSalvo into confessing. David Robitaille told the I-Team, "I do for sure, absolutely, without a doubt, I believe that. They were in the same prison. I think they met several times in order for George to dispense the proper information because DeSalvo had to know very, very specific details about the crimes."

Nassar told the I-Team he helped get famed criminal defense attorney F. Lee Bailey to represent DeSalvo and broker a book deal so they could all make money. "We were setting it all up," Nassar said. "Saying 'Al, you're going to confess; you're going to trial; you're going to do due process, you're going to do your book; you're going to take care of your family,' and he was saying, 'OK, OK, OK.'"

"I think he had him killed"

Robitaille believes there is other evidence that points to Nassar, claiming the vicious attacks happened when Nassar was out on parole and stopped when he went back to prison.

No one was ever charged with the stranglings. In 1967, DeSalvo was sentenced to life in prison on robbery and sex offenses. In Walpole, DeSalvo recanted his confession. The I-Team obtained video of how DeSalvo spent some of his time behind bars - making leather bags and women's jewelry. "He got into necklaces. He called them chokers," Nassar said. "Big funny. Big laugh. Everyone had a big laugh. I didn't find that funny at all."

DeSalvo was stabbed to death in his cell in 1973. Robitaille believes Nassar had a hand in DeSalvo's death. "I think he had him killed. Straight up, I think he had him killed. He didn't need him anymore," he said.

No one was ever convicted in DeSalvo's death. In 2013, DNA evidence linked DeSalvo to the rape and murder of Mary Sullivan , the last victim. The other cases remain unsolved . As for Nassar, he died in prison shortly after his interview with the I-Team