The Internet’s First True Serial Killer

The horrifying story of John Edward Robinson.

Sal
Lessons from History
6 min readMar 19, 2021

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John Edward Robinson | Photo Credits: Investigation Discovery

If he was seen walking down the street, no one would look at him suspiciously: he was that ordinary. After looking into John E Robinson’s horrifying life, though, one is quickly reminded of what a sadistic psychopath is capable of. Something so dark and sinister that it begs the question: is that person really a human, or merely a monster in the shape of a person.

John Robinson was one such monster that preyed on the unfortunate circumstances that young women found themselves in and conned them into leaving their lives behind for a better future with him. Little did they know that behind the empty promises of a lavish lifestyle, there was something far more dangerous — a hammer that would result in the death of eight women.

John Robinson — ‘Man of the Year’ by Day, Killer by Night.

Robinson was born in 1943 near the city of Chicago and had a normal childhood. He even made it to London to sing for the Queen as an Eagle Scout and met famous celebrities, which made the local news. Robinson married at the age of 21 and started cultivating his image as a family man and someone that was invested in serving the community. He took up coaching jobs for several sports and also helped as a…

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Sal
Lessons from History

I am a History Educator and a Lifelong Learner with a Masters in Global History.