Dennis Nilsen the Man Who Forgot his Victims
He lived with his victims for months, hiding the smell with air freshener.
Dennis Andrew Nilsen was a Scottish serial killer and necrophile, who murdered twelve young men between 1978 and 1983. He carried out his murder spree in London. This week, ITV started a three-part series called Des. The short series shows the life of Dennis Nilsen. What has surprised me, is the number of people who have no prior knowledge of the atrocities Nilsen committed.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 4th November 1983. At the time it was recommended he served 25 years, this was later changed to a whole life sentence. Nilsen died at the age of 72, still in prison.
Early Life
Nilsen was born on 23rd November 1945 he was the second of three children. His mother was Elizabeth Duthie Whyte and his father Olav Magnus Moksheim, he would later adopt the name, Nilsen. The marriage was not a happy one, many thought it had been a rushed union. The couple divorced in 1948 and Nilsen was brought up by his mother and her parents.
Nilsen was described as a quiet, adventurous child. He states his earliest memories were of family picnics in Scotland. He was particularly close to his grandfather and described him as his hero. In 1951 his…
