Episode 41: William Devin Howell
William Devin Howell is one of Connecticut’s most notorious serial killers, scouting out women and getting them into his dark blue Ford Econoline van that he lived out of and referred to as the “murder mobile”. He raped six and killed seven women inside of this van in 2003 and dumped the victim’s bodies in a heavily wooded area behind a strip mall on Hartford Road in New Britain, CT. He called this area his “garden” and knew it well, as he often parked his van at the edge of the parking lot by the dumping ground and slept there.
In 2007, a hunter was scoping out the area when he stumbled across skeletal remains, leading to the discovery of several bodies. The rest were finally recovered in April of 2015. Most of the women that he murdered were mothers, and many were dealing with substance abuse and addiction. He chose vulnerable women often in desperate situations.
29-year-old Melanie Camilini went missing on January 1st, 2003 and was not identified until 2015. She was a mother of two and his first victim.
26-year-old Marilyn Gonzales went missing sometime in 2003 after leaving her home, and she was one of the last to be found behind the strip mall in 2015. She was a mother of two.
44-year-old Janice Roberts was a transgender woman who was last seen on June 18th, 2003 getting into William’s van. He later confessed that he attempted to rape her and then murdered her when he realized she was trans.
53-year-old Diane Cusack was last seen on July 9th, 2003 by police responding to a landlord tenant dispute. She was found in 2007 and was not identified until 2011.
33-year-old Nilsa Arizmenda was reported missing by her sister as she had not been heard from for a week. She was last seen on July 25th, 2003 getting into William’s van. Her body was found in April of 2015, but due to the sighting of her with William he was questioned for her disappearance in April of 2004. Her blood was found in his van and he confessed to her murder. Just weeks after the sentencing, the hunter found the dumping site and William confessed to the other six murders.
23-year-old Joyvaline Martinez went missing on October 10th, 2003. She was one of the first to be recovered from the wooded area and was originally referred to as “Jane Doe Number One” prior to her identification.
40-year-old Mary Jane Menard was a substance abuse counselor and mother of two who disappeared in October of 2003. She was found in 2007.
On November 17th, 2017, William was sentenced for the rest of the murders, receiving six consecutive life sentences.
Image sources:
dailymail.co.uk - “Serial killer who slayed seven sentenced to life in prison”
fox61.com - “Seventh victim identified in New Britain serial killings”