Charles Starkweather

Lore & Background

Starkweather was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, the fourth of seven children of a working-class family. He was born with genu varum, a mild birth defect, and claimed he was teased for a speech impediment. He excelled only in physical education, where he found an outlet for rage against bullies, and later began bullying others. He dropped out of high school in his senior year and worked at a newspaper warehouse and as a garbage collector. He hid the bodies and placed a note reading 'Everybody is sick with the flu' in the window. The pair remained in the house until January 27, when police broke in and found no one.

Reader's Guide

Charles Starkweather's significance lies in his role as one of the earliest spree killers to achieve national notoriety, with media outlets openly condemning him. Criminologists and psychologists have analyzed his case to understand spree killers' motivations and precipitating factors.

Did You Know?

• Starkweather was born with genu varum, a mild birth defect that caused his legs to be misshapen.
• His great-great-grandfather, George Anson Starkweather, was a U.S. Representative from New York.