Glennon Engleman
Encyclopedia
Dr Glennon E. Engleman (c.1928-1999) was a St Louis dentist
who moonlighted as a hitman
, concocting and carrying out at least seven murders for profit over the course of 30 years.
He was already serving two life sentences in a Missouri jail when he pleaded guilty to the murder of a man and his parents in a separate contract killing.
Engleman was a sociopath
; he once stated that his talent was to kill without remorse and he enjoyed planning and carrying out killings and disposing of the remains, in order that it would net him financial rewards.
Methods used to kill his victims included shooting, bludgeoning with a sledgehammer and car-bombing.
Engleman died in prison of a diabetes-related condition in 1999. The exact number of his victims is unknown.
Corbin Bernsen
played Engleman in Beyond Suspicion, a 1993 telemovie loosely based on the killings.
1963: Eric Frey, a business associate of Engleman at Pacific Drag Strip, which was owned by the dentist. Struck him with a rock, pushed him down a well, and used dynamite to blow him up afterwards. He then divided the insurance proceeds with Frey's widow.
1976: Peter J. Halm. Shot in Pacific, Missouri. His wife, Carmen Miranda Halm, a former dental assistant trainee who had worked for Engleman, ordered the hit to collect life insurance on Halm.
1977: Arthur and Vernita Gusewelle at their farmhouse near Edwardsville, Illinois. Arthur shot; Vernita bashed to death. Murdered their son Ronald in East St Louis 17 months later so his widow Barbera could claim the millions in life insurance
she had taken out on her husband, the sole heir to his parents' oil business. Barbara Gusewelle Boyle subsequently sentenced to 50 years' jail for the murder of her husband. She was released from the Dwight Correctional Facility on October 10, 2009.
1980: Sophie Marie Barrera, owner of south St Louis dental laboratory. Killed in car bomb explosion. Engleman owed her over $14,000. Accused by her son, Frederick Barrera, of her murder.
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
who moonlighted as a hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
, concocting and carrying out at least seven murders for profit over the course of 30 years.
He was already serving two life sentences in a Missouri jail when he pleaded guilty to the murder of a man and his parents in a separate contract killing.
Engleman was a sociopath
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
; he once stated that his talent was to kill without remorse and he enjoyed planning and carrying out killings and disposing of the remains, in order that it would net him financial rewards.
Methods used to kill his victims included shooting, bludgeoning with a sledgehammer and car-bombing.
Engleman died in prison of a diabetes-related condition in 1999. The exact number of his victims is unknown.
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
played Engleman in Beyond Suspicion, a 1993 telemovie loosely based on the killings.
Early life
One of four children, Engleman graduated in dentistry at Washington University, St Louis, in 1954. He had been admitted under the GI Bill, having previously served in the US Army Air Corps.Known victims
1958: James Bullock, 27, clerk. Shot near the St Louis Art Museum. Was married to Engleman’s ex-wife Edna Ruth, who upon Bullock’s death collected $64,000.1963: Eric Frey, a business associate of Engleman at Pacific Drag Strip, which was owned by the dentist. Struck him with a rock, pushed him down a well, and used dynamite to blow him up afterwards. He then divided the insurance proceeds with Frey's widow.
1976: Peter J. Halm. Shot in Pacific, Missouri. His wife, Carmen Miranda Halm, a former dental assistant trainee who had worked for Engleman, ordered the hit to collect life insurance on Halm.
1977: Arthur and Vernita Gusewelle at their farmhouse near Edwardsville, Illinois. Arthur shot; Vernita bashed to death. Murdered their son Ronald in East St Louis 17 months later so his widow Barbera could claim the millions in life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
she had taken out on her husband, the sole heir to his parents' oil business. Barbara Gusewelle Boyle subsequently sentenced to 50 years' jail for the murder of her husband. She was released from the Dwight Correctional Facility on October 10, 2009.
1980: Sophie Marie Barrera, owner of south St Louis dental laboratory. Killed in car bomb explosion. Engleman owed her over $14,000. Accused by her son, Frederick Barrera, of her murder.