Jake Kositchek was the Salem
Strangler. He was in love with, and engaged to marry Jessica Blake.
They seriously dated for about a year. When Jessica started flipping
into her Angel personality, Jake lost it and started strangling
women. He stalked Marlena during the time of his killings. He sent
her letters saying that the deaths of the women were Marlena's fault.
He also called in to her radio show, blaming her and telling her to
stop him. He also entered her office and left her a doll with a
broken neck, hung by a silk scarf from her curtain rod. This is when
Marlena first met Roman--he was assigned to protect her from the
Strangler, so he parked himself on her floor with his sleeping bag.
Eugene confessed to the stranglings in early 1982, after Roman found
his apartment walls covered with newspaper clippings about Marlena.
The stranglings continued once Eugene was hospitalized. Marlena
didn't believe he was guilty either, so he was later released. (This
is really how their friendship began - with her belief and trust in
him). Jake's final victim was Marlena's sister, Samantha. He held
Marlena hostage at the Gate house, which had been owned by Marlena
and Don. Marlena went there to do some thinking, Don had been there
grieving her "death" but when he realized she was alive, he went to
tell Roman. Jake had somehow followed her there, and when Don left,
he held her captive, threatening to kill her, until Roman showed up.
He and Roman struggled for the gun, and it went off, killing Jake.
His victims were:
Andre DiMera, Tony's identical
twin cousin (thanks to plastic surgery) was the Salem Slasher. He
stabbed his victims, poisoned them, and left a Raven's feather in
their hands. Andre masqeraded as Tony while the real Tony was chained
in a room in his penthouse. Andre, as Tony, wore a finely crafted
mask of Roman whenever he killed. Roman had to fake his death to work
on the case and clear his name. Roman lived in Eugene's basement and
continued to investigate. His victims were:
The hospital rapist was Ian Griffith. It was his frustrated obsession with Melissa that had driven him over the edge. (He was her former parole officer.) Mike was a suspect at some point. His victims were: (not in order)
The Riverfront Knifer was Harper Deveraux. His main target was hookers, because he felt he needed to rid the world of their "filth." He attacked all of his victims with a knife and stabbed them. The other suspects were Nick, Jack, "The Alien," and Alan Brand. Harper was apprehended on July 4, 1988 on the roof of Kayla's loft. He held Kim and Kayla hostage on the roof, but was overpowered by Shane and the Salem PD.
His victims were:
While he wasn't a killer, he was a serial criminal. Bo Brady was the Riverfront Raider, who worked to sabotage the Jencon Oil Corporation, which was run by Lawrence Alamain. Bo wanted revenge against Jencon because Shawn Douglas lost his hearing in an accident at Jencon's refinery site. Bo and Steve eventually teamed up against Jencon, and it was because of this that Steve was killed in an explosion meant for Bo (although Steve actually died from being poisoned in the hospital). For the full Riverfront Raider story, visit my Classic Storylines page.
Jonah Carver was The Pacifier, a vigilante who worked to clean up the streets of Salem. He'd capture criminals and tie them up or beat them up, leaving a pacifier around their necks. Lexie ran into him during one of the incidents, and she ended up helping him for a while. He was kicked out of medical school for his crime, but was later allowed to return to school. Lexie was kicked off the police force, but then decided to go to medical school.
Salem U undergrad Alan Harris looked squeakly clean but that altar-boy attitude was just a scam. Secretly, the deviant frat packer was majoring in victimization of women.
The victims: Alan Harris' first rape victim was a girl he'd known while he attended military school named Elaine Parker-Marshall. He later lured Carrie Brady to an isolated mountain cabin, and nearly raped her, then stalked another unsuspecting co-ed Wendy Reardon. Next he set his disturbed sights on Sami, and raped her, only because he couldn't have Carrie.
He was tried and was acquitted, but Sami got even and shot him in the groin. As a result, Alan would never be the same.
During late November 1994, a disturbing criminal surfaced in Salem who clearly had something against the Catholic faith and its practices. This criminal first showed up one evening at St. Luke's Catholic Church, wearing black boots, pants, sweatshirt, and gloves. With a sledgehammer, he decapitated three saint statues. Next, he burned the gifts the Bradys and Hortons had planned to give to the children at the Horton Center. Lastly, he burned down the majestic Christmas tree in Salem Place. The only lead the police had on this criminal was a Brady Fish Market matchbook. As time passed, The Desecrator was revealed to be Marlena, under the influence of Satan. She went on to chloroform Kristen, strip her naked, handcuff her to the altar at St. Luke's and paint red pentagrams on her. She nearly killed Bo and Billie during their wedding, as she loosened the chandelier, which fell, just missing them. She also burned down the church, with Tony, Kristen, and John in it. This was MarDevil's last shenanigan as The Desecrator. She was eventually found out and exorcised.
The
Salem Stalker (2003)
In the late summer/early fall of 2003, a serial killer began working in Salem.
The first victims were Bo and Hope Brady. While at a fashion show for Basic Black, the two were bludgeoned and left for dead. They were found soon after and following surgery, they were both on their way to recovery.
The next victim was Abe Carver. He was shot near his home and left for dead on the day of his son's christening. When he didn't appear at the church in time for his son's christening, his family and friends began looking for him. He was found by Roman and John, laying in his front yard, with a gunshot in his neck. While John called paramedics and began CPR, Roman headed back to the church to tell everyone that Abe had been found. While everyone at the church was shocked about what had happened to Abe, none of them was completely surprised. Tom's ghost had spoken Abe's name. Alice had visions and heard unsettling voices. Celeste had visions of the christening turning into a funeral, and of something terrible happening at the stroke of noon. Jennifer, while devastated, was nonetheless relieved that her own husband had not been the victim. Abe died a few days later.
The next victim was Jack Deveraux. Jack was knocked out by a gloved hand swinging a brick. Also walking, Maggie takes the same shortcut Jack did and eventually finds him on the ground, bleeding. Roman hears her scream and rushes to help, asking her to call 911. John and Bo are next on the scene and though Jack's heart stops, he's brought back to life with CPR. Jennifer calls Jack but when Bo answers, she hands the phone to Hope who learns about the attack on Jack. Bo finds the bloody brick and takes it for evidence before heading to the Kiriakis mansion. At the hospital later Jennifer pleads for Lexie to help Jack. As Lexie and the other doctors work on Jack, one mentions that he's an organ donor. Lexie later tells Jennifer that they need to operate on Jack. Before they can wheel him into surgery, he flatlines as Abby and Jennifer cry. Lexie advises Jennifer that while Jack made it out of surgery, he may have suffered brain damage and is now in a coma. Later, after Abby is taken away, Lexie explains to a shaken Jennifer that Jack is not going to survive and that his living will won't allow him to be kept alive artificially. Jennifer and Abby head to Jack's room to be with him. As Jennifer stands near Jack's bed, Lexie advises her that Jack is now brain dead and that she needs to determine if Jack can be an organ donor. While Abby doesn't want her to "kill her father," Jennifer eventually comes around and okays the procedure. As Abby cries,Jennifer nods to Lexie who shuts off Jack's life support, ending his life on October 14th 2003.
Hope escapes the serial killer once again, who tries to attack her in the police evidence room. She believes the killer is someone she knows!
Next, Mickey and Maggie Horton were attacked by the killer. Maggie was unable to sleep on Halloween night, even though she had the sleeping pills she didn't take them because she was a recovering alcoholic. She was being guarded by an officier outside the house. They (Mickey and Maggie) had the alarm set so she felt safe enough to make her way downstairs to get a snack. When she went into the kitchen she saw someone at the door. She must have known the person or at least felt safe enough with the person because she let them in even though she knew Mickey would disapprove of letting anyone in. She refused to believe any of the suspects were the killer so she could have let anyone in. Maggie made a plate of cheese and crackers and served it with warm milk. The officer checked on her. Plus Hope called Mickey and talked to him but no one seemed to know Maggie had let the killer in. But Maggie didn't know she was in danger herself. She didn't know until the killer approach her. She noticed the bottle. She reminded the killer that she didn't drink because she was in Alcoholics Anonymous for (20 years). Then she peered into the person's eyes and that is the moment she saw the pure evil in the eyes. Then at the moment she realized her mistake of letting the killer in. The cops at the Salem PD are watching it all on the computer thanks to the killer! Mickey goes downstairs only to find Maggie beaten and slashed by a liquor bottle. As he tries to call for help, he is stabbed with a scalpel. Shawn and Mimi arrive at the police station and he identifies the kitchen in the video feed. Bo, Hope, Shawn and Mimi try to reach Officer Kent at the Horton's. Kent finally moves inside and finds Maggie and Mickey bleeding on the kitchen floor, then the killer attacks him, too. Bo and Hope finally arrive and find the three barely alive. Hope finds the bottle used in the attack and questions Mickey, but he never saw the killer's face. They all realize Maggie must have known and trusted the intruder. At the hospital, Alice, Caroline and Jennifer wait as Lexie tries to save Maggie's life. Mickey's wound was only minor. Maggie finally regains consciousness and it looks as if she will name the killer, but her mind is distracted due to her injuries. Later, Lexie calls Mickey into the trauma room; Maggie has taken a turn for the worse. The Horton family gathers around Maggie's deathbed. Mickey says goodbye and she passes away peacefully. He, Hope and Jennifer share memories of his beloved wife.
Caroline Brady was killed next, in the first death by poison. The killer taunted Bo about his failing to protect his mother. Roman, Hope and Jennifer give eulogies for Abe, Jack and Maggie, respectively. As the service concludes, the church is plunged into darkness. A fourth coffin arrives before the lights go on again. The nameplate says Caroline Brady and she comes face to face with her skeletal remains. The funeral party leaves the church but Caroline stays behind with Grandpa Shawn, Bo, Hope and Roman there to guard her. Later, Bo and Roman catch an intruder in the church, but it turns out to be only Victor sneaking in to express his concern and love for Caroline. Bo and Roman are finally ready to escort Caroline out of church -- and into Victor's waiting bulletproof car -- but she goes into the chapel to say one last prayer. Minutes later, Bo's PDA beeps and he is notified that his mother's time is up. Bo goes into the chapel to get his mother and finds her dead. She passed away while kneeling in prayer. Caroline's death in the church rocks the Brady family to the core. The autopsy shows the cause of Caroline's death to be poisoning. Bo and Hope realize she must have been poisoned at the pre-funeral reception at the pub -- all six suspects who are free (Rex was in jail) stopped in at one time or another. They also figure that the killer stole the prescription drug used to poison Caroline from Maggie's house the night of her attack.
The next victim was Cassie DiMera. Cassie figures out who the killer is! She emails Rex that she knows who is framing him and she is going to the police. She then leaves Roman a message to meet her at the police department, but he can't find her anywhere. Meanwhile, Cassie gets a call from the killer and is shocked that he/she knows she is about to tell the police. Lucas, Kate and Sami all make mysterious phone calls at the same time we see Cassie receive her call. At the Salem Fall Celebration, Lucas, Roman, Shawn and Sami are there when Cassie's bloodied, dead body falls from a piñata. Kate is standing nearby, in shock, clutching a bloody knife.
Roman Brady was the next victim.
Tony DiMera was the next victim. He was mauled by a tiger, then poisoned by Marlena at the hospital. This was when we first learned that Marlena was the killer.
Doug Williams learned Marlena was the killer. He headed to the cemetery to leave a message at Tom's grave that Marlena was the killer. Marlena found him there and killed him.
Alice Horton then found Doug's note at the graveyard, with help from Tom's ghost. Marlena realized Alice was onto her, so she paid Alice a visit.
According to Days execs, Alice will be the last victim of the serial killer, but is not going to be the last Salemite to be killed.
Soapcity has an ongoing list of the suspects in these crimes