Episode 18: The Troubled Childhood of Serial Killer "John Eric Armstrong"

Crimes from the Peanut Gallery

Summary This episode of the podcast covers the story of John Eric Armstrong, a serial killer from Detroit, Michigan. Armstrong targeted sex workers as his victims, taking advantage of their vulnerability and the difficulty in identifying them when they go missing. He was arrested fairly early in his killing spree and did not gain much notoriety in the press. Armstrong confessed to killing at least five women, but claimed to have killed more in different parts of the world. He was convicted of first-degree murder for one of his victims and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the others. He is currently serving life in prison without parole. Takeaways Sex workers are often targeted by serial killers because they are not easily identified and many go unreported when they go missing. John Eric Armstrong targeted sex workers as his victims and confessed to killing at least five women. Armstrong's early life was marked by abuse and trauma, which may have contributed to his violent behavior. He was arrested fairly early in his killing spree and did not gain much notoriety in the press. Armstrong is currently serving life in prison without parole. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background on Detroit 01:23 The Targeting of Sex Workers 09:14 From the Navy to the Detroit Metro Airport 12:53 The Murders and Investigation