Charlie Chop-Off: A Haunting Story of an Uncaught Kid Killer
Learn everything there is to know about the notorious child serial killer Charlie Chop-Off who terrorized New York City in the early 1970s. Discover the details of the investigation process as well as the brutal murder methods that the still at large killer used. Read this article to find out all of the mysteries surrounding this disturbing case.
Who is Charlie Chop-Off?
Charlie Chop-Off was a serial killer that murdered 4 children from 1972 to 1974. The children were all African American and Hispanic and between the ages of 8 years old and 10 years old. The killer was never positively identified and caught.
This case is particularly chilling, and the killer is still on the loose. Read the rest of the article to learn more about the elusive figure that disturbed a whole community in New York City.
Background and Details of this True Crime Case:
The Killer:
Officially, there was no convicted and positively identified killer.
There were a few suspected individuals of these crimes, Erno Soto being among the most likely to investigators. He was positively linked to one of the murders, but was deemed unfit to stand trial mentally. He was sent back to a mental institution, where he had previously frequented, and was not convicted criminally due to this. He is the most likely suspect of the Charlie Chop-Off killings.
The Victims:
All of the victims of Charlie Chop-Off were between 8 and 10 years old and were either black or Hispanic. Most of the victims were sexually assaulted and mutilated.
Douglas Owens – age 8
Wendell Hubbard – age 9
Luis Ortiz – age 9
Steven Cropper – age 10
The Police Investigation for the Charlie Chop-Off Case:
The investigation and search for the Charlie Chop-Off killer was one of the largest in New York City’s history at that time. The investigation was led by Lieutenant Joseph Herbert from the New York Police Department (NYPD). A large team of detectives worked day and night to collect any evidence they could including interviews, neighborhood canvasses, and stakeouts.
The killer was never positively identified, and the case was officially closed in 1974. The case was re-opened by the NYPD Cold Case Squad in 2012, but there are still no new leads as of now on these New York City murders.
The Trial:
Well, there was no official trial held for the Charlie Chop-Off case specifically due to the lack of positive identification and evidence to build off of.
Historical Context of the Notorious Child Serial Killer:
During the time of these murders there were several protests and struggles both politically and sociologically on a regular basis. There were civil rights struggles, anti-war protests, and overall political upheaval. Crime rates were considerably high in New York City, were the Charlie Chop-Off murders took place. All of this is to say that there was a sense of fear, unease, and worry among the population in a more general sense.
During the same time period of these Charlie Chop-Off murders was the investigations on the “Son of Same” killings. Both of these murder cases were televised regularly and were well within the public eye in a widespread way.
Not only this, but these crimes were committed during the early years of forensic science and criminal profiling skills and knowledge. This means that the investigations relied a great deal on eyewitness accounts and evidence that was circumstantial. This lack of tangible scientific evidence, and thus suspects, made it difficult to solve the crimes and convict a killer.
Psychological Factors that May Have Contributed to the Killers Actions:
While it is nearly impossible to say for sure what psychological factors played a role in these murders, due to the killer never being positively identified, there are several factors that may have contributed in their own ways upon educated hypothesis formation.
Observing the patterns and killings themselves, some of the theories about the murderer included paraphilia and personality disorders.
Paraphilia, in this case, has to do with the way in which the killer was clearly sexually aroused and looked for gratification in a sexual manner during these murders. These fantasies and behaviors are extremely unacceptable and atypical to society, and the condition is found in individuals that have these atypical thoughts and carry them out. The mutilation of the young boys genitals heavily suggests that a strong motive for the crimes was sexual in nature. Seemingly, the killers received some sort of sexual pleasure or satisfaction from committing these horrible acts of violence.
As for the possibility of a personality disorder, the Charlie Chop-Off killer may have had a personality disorder or another form of mental illness. There is a clear indication of lacking empathy or remorse for their actions by observing the repeated brutal murders. The killer either felt very little, or no guilt at all during and after committing these heinous crimes. These killings may likely have been a result of having absolutely no impulse control, and the fact that young children in at risk communities were seemingly targeted means the killer likely wanted to exert power over his victims.
Forensic Evidence and Criminal Profiling:
As far as forensic evidence is concerned, there was little to no available at the crime scenes that could lead the investigators to a positive identification of Charlie Chop-Off. Whoever the killer was, was careful and left minimal clues as to who they were.
As far as criminal profiling goes, there was a considerable amount of information to use including possible motives, nature of the crimes, and possible psychological profiles. The Victims were all of color and they were all eight to nine years old. Not only this, but most of them had their genitals mutilated by the killer as well. This meant that the nature of the crimes was most likely sexual and that the murderer had a strong feeling of wanting to be in total control and dominate their victims. This lead investigators to believe that the killer was a sadist and may have had a personality disorder of some kind. An antisocial personality disorder seemed to fit in well with what the investigators were seeing at this time.
The profile of the killer was written up by criminal profilers after making these observation. They came to the conclusion that the killer was most likely in their 20s or 30s and was male. They also thought that the killer would have already had a record of past violent behavior. This helped the investigators in their search and hopes to find the suspect due to the high likelihood that he would already have a criminal record. It was thought that the killer would have been a loner that had a difficult time making and keeping relationships, as well as having hatred and anger towards young African American and Hispanic boys.
The investigators, despite having a seemingly decent profile built on the suspect, never positively identified the killer.
The forensic evidence in the Charlie Chop-Off case = Next to nothing.
The criminal profiling of Charlie Chop-Off = Available, but not enough to identify the criminal.
The psychological profile of Charlie Chop-Off = Likely anti-social personality disorder with a sexually driven need to dominate others.
The Impact Felt by Society:
The Charlie Chop-Off murders proved to have a significant impact on society both during and after their time. The outrage and fear felt in the community was immeasurable, mostly due to the brutal way in which the children were murdered. The fact that the young boys were mutilated caused an uproar throughout, not only New York, but the entire nation as well. Parents became increasingly protective over their children and often would be too afraid to let them play outside or walk to and from school alone.
The fact that no one was ever convicted of all of the crimes associated with the Charlie Chop-Off murders meant that there was the possibility that the killer was still free and at large. This created an incredible sense of unease and insecurity within the community for years to come.
As well as the fear and unease felt by the community, there was also an increase of attention towards mental illness and the treatment of said issues. Erno Soto was said to be the most likely suspect for all of the Charlie Chop-Off Murders and he was frequently hospitalized for mental illness. This, of course, raised questions about how to better deal with these types of issues in order to lessen the risk of crimes being committed due to the mental illnesses.
It is safe to say that there was a very sizeable impact on the society in many aspects including mental health, child safety, and killers in general.
The Changes Made Because of This:
Even though the case is still considered to be unsolved, as there has been no convicted person for all of the crimes, there have been significant changes and impacts on law enforcement agencies with the ways that they handle crimes against children. While no direct changes were made as a result of this particular crime, as stated by law enforcement themselves; it comes with common sense that it surely had a strong impact.
One of the changes made, partially due to these murders, was the addition of the NYPD’s Missing Persons Squad in 1978. While it is not solely due to these cases, they did have a large impact on its implementation. The department is responsible for investigations of any case involving missing children in New York City.
Not only have there been changes to law enforcement forces, but there also has been an overall shift in public perception and awareness of missing children. This is the biggest and most prominent outcome as a direct result to these cases as the public was outraged that these, and other cases, were able to take place so easily for so long. The attention on resources, development of techniques, technologies, and tracking were increased in order to better defend against these issues. These included, but wasn’t limited to, DNA testing, advanced computer systems, and information sharing and communications about missing children’s cases.
The name "Charlie Chop-off" was not coined by the New York Daily News until March 1974, after the discovery of Douglas Owens' remains.
Who was Charlie Chop-Off?
Charlie Chop-Off’s identity is currently still unknown. He was a serial killer in the 1970s.
This was the main name given to a person that committed a series of murders between 1972 and 1974. Charlie Chop-Off killed young darker skinned boys between the ages of 8 and 10 years old in New York.
Was Erno Soto Charlie Chop-Off?
While Erno Soto has been considered to be a prime suspect in the case of Charlie Chop-Off, he was never officially charged of the murders. He was, however, a convicted murderer who was incarcerated in a New York State prison around the time of the Charlie Chop-Off murders. He was a violent criminal with a lengthy rap sheet and was released on more than one occasion during these killings.
In 1974, he was actually arrested for a failed attempt at kidnapping a Young Puerto Rican boy. During his time in incarceration, he confessed to murdering Cropper in Manhattan. While the details of the murder were, in fact, strikingly similar to those from the Charile Chop-Off killings, Soto denied any involvement in the rest of them.
Not only this, but the only living victim failed to identify him as the Charlie Chop-Off murderer without a doubt. He did, however, say that Soto looked like the attacker. Nonetheless, some investigators believed that Erno Soto may have been the one responsible for both of the cases.
No concrete evidence has been linked to Erno Soto and the Charlie Chop-Off killings, and the police investigation of Charlie Chop-Off is still currently ongoing at this time.
What Happened During the Charlie Chop-Off Murders?
The Charlie Chop-Off killer followed a typical pattern found throughout the murders. First, the killer lured the child victim away from a playground or their home, using money, candy, and/or toys as bait. Then the killer would take the child to a secluded area and sexually assault them. After they had done this, they would then mutilate the victim with a knife. This is where the nickname of “Charlie Chop-Off” came from. Then the killer would leave the body of the victim where they chose, often times in a public area so they could be found by a passerby. Places such as a park or alleyway were commonplace for bodies to be found from this killer.
These killings cause widespread pandemonium and fear in New York City. Specifically in Hispanic and African American communities there was a sense of panic about the seemingly targeted killings. These communities felt as if there was not enough being done about the case in order to cover ground on finding the killer and bringing them to justice.
As unfortunate as these killings were, they were among the most famous criminal cases in the United States.
How Many Children did Charlie Chop-Off Kill?
Charlie Chop-Off killed a total of 3-4 children as far as records, speculation, and evidence can tell.
While Erno Soto admitted to one of the known victims corelated with the Charlie Chop-Off killings, there were still 3 others that he did not take them blame for. This means that he either killed all 4 children and he was Charlie Chop-Off, or he killed one young boy and Charlie Chop-Off killed the other 3.
Was Charlie Chop-Off Ever Caught?
Officially, the answer to this question is no; Chalrie Chop-Off has never been positively identified, caught, or convicted.
However, if you believe that Erno Soto was the killer linked to these specific crimes, you will be happy to learn that he was caught on May 15th, 1974. He admitted to the murder of Steven Cropper (an 8 year old child). He was deemed unfit to stand trial and was sent to a mental institution in Manhattan. He had been a patient at the Manhattan State Hospital off and on since 1969.
What was the Motive Behind the Charlie Chop-Off Murders?
It is not fully clear as to what the exact motivation behind these killings was. Although, Erno Soto may very well have been the Charlie Chop-Off killer, and if this was true it would stand to reason that it would be due to acute mental insanity. On the other hand, no matter who it was, the was certainly a sexual aspect to the killings. There is surely something to be said about serial killers and mental illness.
With the mutilation of genitalia and sexual behavior with the boys, it is thought that this may have been a strong driving factor behind the murders. Killings that were sexual in nature, and thus the motive behind them.
One more idea behind the motivations for these particular murders is racially motivated attacking. The victims of these killings were of African-American decent or Hispanic. This stands out as a possible motive for the killings as well.
Finally, the proposed theory that the killings were a part of a power trip comes to light. The victims were all young children and this lends possible validity to the theory of such vulnerable victims being chosen specifically in order to exert power and be in control.
It is possible that more than one of these aspects, or even all of them, are the reasons behind the Charlie Chop-Off murders.
What were the Victims' Ages and Genders?
All 4 of the Charlie Chop-Off victims were young boys aged 8-10 years old.
- Douglas Owens, 8 years old, African American boy, murdered on March 9th, 1972.
- Unidentified, 10 years old, African American boy, attacked on April 20th, 1972. (Only survivor)
- Wendell Hubbard, 9 years old, African American boy, murdered on October 23rd, 1972.
- Luis Ortiz, 9 years old, Puerto Rican boy, Murdered on March 6th, 1973.
- Steven Cropper, 8 years old, African American boy, murdered on August 17th, 1973.
When did the Charlie Chop-Off Murders Take Place?
These murders took place between March 9th, 1972 and December 22nd, 1973.
How did the Media Cover the Charlie Chop-Off Case?
There was a great deal of media coverage on this case in the newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, and more. In fact, newspapers from across the entire United States covered this story, not only those in New York City. There were interviews with investigators, political officials, witnesses, and others. There was a great deal of speculation and sensationalism of the topic.
Charlie Chop-Off was the given name of this serial killer in Manhattan, New York City. He is also known as "The Mad Barber" and "The Pied Piper of Manhattan."
Richard Cottingham was a different serial killer who was active in New York City and New Jersey during the same time period. He was arrested in 1980 for murdering a woman in a motel room in New Jersey, and subsequently confessed to a lot of other murders. Cottingham was convicted of his crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Some individuals thought that he may have been the one to blame for the Charlie Chop-Off murders, but he was never convicted of them or positively linked.
Charlie Chop-Off Victims' Families and Justice:
As far as justice goes on the side of the victims families, there was little to none to be found. As sad as it was, the killer was never caught which meant that the families of the victims never got any closer or justice for their beloved little children. Not only were they brutally murdered at such a young age, but there was no repercussion for the mad man that committed these horrible crimes as well.
True Crime Podcasts about Charlie Chop-Off:
True Crime Couple: Episode 10: Charlie Chop-off on Apple Podcasts
10 Minute Murder: Charlie Chop-Off on Apple Podcasts
In these podcasts you can hear about some of the true crime stories of the 1970s, specifically involving the Charlie Chop-Off killings.
Other Notable Unsolved Crimes in New York City History:
- Supreme Court Justice Judge Joseph Force Crater disappearance in 1930. On vacation in Manhattan in August of 1930, he disappeared without a trace.
- Robbery and murder of Brink’s armored car guards in 1981. $1,600,000 was stolen by a team of heavily armed men at the Nanuet Mall in New York where 2 guards were shot and killed as a result. Several of the team members were caught and convicted, but some of them are still at large.
- Arnold Rothstein was found dead in his hotel room in New York City. He was a well known gambler and organized crime figure.
- Rashawn Brazell was a 19-year-old man that was found in several different trash bags scattered across Brooklyn in 2005.
These are some of the more notable mystery murders in the 20th century. Unsolved murders in New York City are numerous, for sure, but some of them stand out among the rest. Historical crime in New York City is some of the worst in the United States, and these are just a few examples to show this fact.
Recap & Summary:
Now you know about this murder mystery in the 20th century that was one of the most infamous serial killer cases in the nation. The killer, name Charlie Chop-Off, was one of the most notorious serial killers in history. True crime in the United States is forever changed by this case, and you now know exactly why in detail.
From the crime scene investigation of Charlie Chop-Off to the psychology of serial killers overall, you got to obtain a much better understanding of these evil individuals and their horrible actions. Maybe now you can help in the cold case investigations and solve the Charlie Chop-Off murders.
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