Dale Nelson
Encyclopedia
Dale Merle Nelson was a prolific Canadian
mass murderer who killed eight people (including five young children) and partially ate
one victim in 1970 following a drinking binge
and possible use of LSD.
in Creston, British Columbia
, married with three children. He reportedly was an abusive husband and a child molesting father. He was also known to become wild, very aggressive, and unpredictable when he drank to excess and used LSD.
An avid sportsman, the 31-year old fell into a depressed state in early 1970 and unsuccessfully attempted suicide. He subsequently spent two months at Riverview Hospital
in Coquitlam.
, drove to the Kootenay Hotel (a bar
), and then drank eight beers with friends. Friends say he chatted about the upcoming hunting season, and did not act unusual in any way. He left the tavern and picked up from Maureen McKay a 7 mm caliber
bolt action rifle
he had loaned to her, then drove back to Creston to purchase ammunition for the gun as well as more alcohol. He went to the King George Hotel (another bar), where he drank six more beers before joining his friends in a hotel room at 10:30 p.m. for more drinks.
Just after midnight, he drove to the home of his distant relative, Shirley Wasyk, knowing her husband Alex was not home. He beat Shirley with a home fire extinguisher
, and she cried out, "No, Dale, don't!" He tied Shirley's hands behind her back and left her on her bed, then gathered two of his three young relatives (Charlene, age eight, and Tracey, age seven) in the youngest girl's bedroom. Awakened by her mother's cry, 12-year old Debbie saw Nelson taking Charlene into Tracey's room. She crept to her mother and untied her hands, then took the fire extinguisher and returned to her own room. When she heard Tracey scream and then the sounds of Nelson at her door, she threw the fire extinguisher through her bedroom window and escaped—running to the McKay household. Maureen McKay quickly telephoned the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
.
When law enforcement officers arrived at the Wasyk home, Nelson's truck was still parked outside. Shirley had been beaten to death with the fire extinguisher, and Tracey had died from multiple stab wounds. Charlene had been set free in the woods nearby. The police immediately drove to the Nelson household where they evacuated his wife, Annette, and his children, fearing that they might be the next targets. When they returned to the Wasyk home 15 minutes later, they were "stunned" to realise that Nelson had still been at the scene of the crime and driven away with Tracey's body as soon as they had left.
Shortly afterward, Isabelle St. Amand, who lived a few kilometres down the road from the Wasyks, phoned the police to report "There's a man here with a gun." By the time police arrived, St. Amand, her common-law husband Ray Phipps, and their three sons (Paul, age 10; Brian, age seven; and Roy, age 18 months) had all been shot in the head. Their eight-year old daughter Cathy was missing, and police immediately launched a manhunt
employing bush pilots to scour the countryside for Nelson's truck. The vehicle was found on the afternoon of September 5 stuck in a ditch, and when police searched it they found a bloody hammer and dismembered remains of Tracey Wasyk scattered around the area. The 150 residents of West Creston were moved into Creston for their own safety, as police continued their search for Nelson.
Nelson was located late in the afternoon on September 6 in a shack in the woods near his home, and surrendered to police without incident. He told them that Cathy was dead, pointed out the location of her body on a map, and admitted committing all eight murders.
He was put on trial for the murders of eight-year old Cathy Rose St. Amand (whom he had also sodomised
) and seven-year old Tracey Wasyk (whose organs he tore out and attempted to eat).
Represented by attorney M. E. Moran, Nelson was found guilty in March 1971 despite a plea of criminal insanity brought about by his heavy drinking and addiction to LSD. He was sentenced to life imprisonment
. Prosecutors say that, should he win parole
at any time, they would put him on trial for the remaining six murders they say he committed.
Dale Nelson died of throat cancer while in prison.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mass murderer who killed eight people (including five young children) and partially ate
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
one victim in 1970 following a drinking binge
Binge drinking
Binge drinking or heavy episodic drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. It is a kind of purposeful drinking style that is popular in several countries worldwide,...
and possible use of LSD.
Life
Nelson was a loggerLumberjack
A lumberjack is a worker in the logging industry who performs the initial harvesting and transport of trees for ultimate processing into forest products. The term usually refers to a bygone era when hand tools were used in harvesting trees principally from virgin forest...
in Creston, British Columbia
Creston, British Columbia
Creston is a town of 4,826 people in the Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The town is located just a few kilometers north of the Porthill, Idaho border crossing into the United States and about a three-hour drive north from Spokane, Washington. It is about a one-hour drive...
, married with three children. He reportedly was an abusive husband and a child molesting father. He was also known to become wild, very aggressive, and unpredictable when he drank to excess and used LSD.
An avid sportsman, the 31-year old fell into a depressed state in early 1970 and unsuccessfully attempted suicide. He subsequently spent two months at Riverview Hospital
Riverview Hospital (Coquitlam)
Riverview Hospital is a mental health facility located in Coquitlam, British Columbia, operating under the governance of BC Mental Health & Addiction Services. Originally called The Hospital for the Mind, and then Essondale , Riverview opened in 1913 and had 4,630 patients at its peak...
in Coquitlam.
Murders
On September 4, 1970, Nelson drove into Creston, purchased six beers and a bottle of vodka at the liquor storeLiquor store
In the United States, Australia and Canada, a liquor store is a type of store that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages. In South Africa and Namibia these stores are generally called bottle stores....
, drove to the Kootenay Hotel (a bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
), and then drank eight beers with friends. Friends say he chatted about the upcoming hunting season, and did not act unusual in any way. He left the tavern and picked up from Maureen McKay a 7 mm caliber
7 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the cartridge....
bolt action rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
he had loaned to her, then drove back to Creston to purchase ammunition for the gun as well as more alcohol. He went to the King George Hotel (another bar), where he drank six more beers before joining his friends in a hotel room at 10:30 p.m. for more drinks.
Just after midnight, he drove to the home of his distant relative, Shirley Wasyk, knowing her husband Alex was not home. He beat Shirley with a home fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
, and she cried out, "No, Dale, don't!" He tied Shirley's hands behind her back and left her on her bed, then gathered two of his three young relatives (Charlene, age eight, and Tracey, age seven) in the youngest girl's bedroom. Awakened by her mother's cry, 12-year old Debbie saw Nelson taking Charlene into Tracey's room. She crept to her mother and untied her hands, then took the fire extinguisher and returned to her own room. When she heard Tracey scream and then the sounds of Nelson at her door, she threw the fire extinguisher through her bedroom window and escaped—running to the McKay household. Maureen McKay quickly telephoned the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
.
When law enforcement officers arrived at the Wasyk home, Nelson's truck was still parked outside. Shirley had been beaten to death with the fire extinguisher, and Tracey had died from multiple stab wounds. Charlene had been set free in the woods nearby. The police immediately drove to the Nelson household where they evacuated his wife, Annette, and his children, fearing that they might be the next targets. When they returned to the Wasyk home 15 minutes later, they were "stunned" to realise that Nelson had still been at the scene of the crime and driven away with Tracey's body as soon as they had left.
Shortly afterward, Isabelle St. Amand, who lived a few kilometres down the road from the Wasyks, phoned the police to report "There's a man here with a gun." By the time police arrived, St. Amand, her common-law husband Ray Phipps, and their three sons (Paul, age 10; Brian, age seven; and Roy, age 18 months) had all been shot in the head. Their eight-year old daughter Cathy was missing, and police immediately launched a manhunt
Manhunt (law enforcement)
In law enforcement, a manhunt is a search for a dangerous fugitive involving the use of all available police units and technology and sometimes help from the public....
employing bush pilots to scour the countryside for Nelson's truck. The vehicle was found on the afternoon of September 5 stuck in a ditch, and when police searched it they found a bloody hammer and dismembered remains of Tracey Wasyk scattered around the area. The 150 residents of West Creston were moved into Creston for their own safety, as police continued their search for Nelson.
Nelson was located late in the afternoon on September 6 in a shack in the woods near his home, and surrendered to police without incident. He told them that Cathy was dead, pointed out the location of her body on a map, and admitted committing all eight murders.
He was put on trial for the murders of eight-year old Cathy Rose St. Amand (whom he had also sodomised
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
) and seven-year old Tracey Wasyk (whose organs he tore out and attempted to eat).
Represented by attorney M. E. Moran, Nelson was found guilty in March 1971 despite a plea of criminal insanity brought about by his heavy drinking and addiction to LSD. He was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
. Prosecutors say that, should he win parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
at any time, they would put him on trial for the remaining six murders they say he committed.
Legacy
In 1972, Larry Still (a reporter for the Vancouver Sun who covered Nelson's trial) published The Limits of Sanity, a book about the murders; Nelson's family has disputed its accuracy.Dale Nelson died of throat cancer while in prison.
External links
- News photographer John Denniston's Web site, which contains photos of Nelson's arrest, crime scene photos, and images of the manhunt as well as commentary from friends of the victims and a statement from Dale Nelson's daughter