Daniel Gonzalez (spree killer)

Daniel Gonzalez (21 June 1980 – 9 August 2007), also known as the Freddy Krueger Killer and the Mummy's Boy Killer,^[3] was a British spree killer who murdered four people and injured two others during two days across London and Sussex in September 2004.

Gonzalez was inspired by horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th to become a "famous serial killer". He went on a drug-fuelled stabbing spree, attacking the elderly and infirm, writing about his experiences in letters to himself as "Zippy", his past nickname. His letters said how much he enjoyed the murders "...one of the best things I've done in my life", and how similar he was to the character Freddy Krueger.

Gonzalez's mother had previously written a letter to her MP criticising the fact that a serious incident had to occur before he could receive mental help. In her letter, she rhetorically asked "...does my son have to commit murder to get help?"

He was jailed for life in 2006 and committed suicide in a mental hospital the following year.

Early life

Daniel Gonzalez, who had an English Mother and Spanish father, was educated at Gordon House School, a privately run school in Woking. His parents separated in 1986 when he was six years old.^[1] Gonzalez left school with eight GCSEs and was known to be a good actor, a chess champion, but also a "dark and troubled boy."^[4] From the age of 17, Gonzalez received care because of his psychological problems and was treated by specialist mental health teams.^[5] By the age of 24, he was unemployed, friendless and using drugs. He spent all his time playing computer games and watching horror films.^[6]

Victims

On 15 September 2004, Gonzalez told 61-year-old Peter King, who was walking his dog with his wife in Hilsea, Portsmouth, that he was going to kill him.^[7] He was fought off and fled to Hove, where he stabbed 76-year-old Marie Harding while wearing a hockey mask, similar to the character Jason Vorhees. When the mask was taken in for evidence, it had Harding's DNA on it.^[8] After killing Harding, he returned to his home in Woking. He concluded that the reason for his failure to kill King was because his knife was too small.

Three days later, on 17 September 2004, Gonzalez travelled to Tottenham. At 5:30 am he left 46-year-old Kevin Molloy for dead after stabbing him in the face, neck and torso with a pair of large knives he had stolen from a department store. At 7:00 am he made a forced entry into the Hornsey house of Koumis Constantino, but was fought off after stabbing his arm.^[9] By 8:00 am he was in Highgate, where he randomly tried to gain access to houses. He succeeded in murdering an elderly couple, Derek and Jean Robinson,^[10] an experience he claimed was "orgasmic".^[11]

Arrest and trial

Gonzalez was arrested at 12:00 pm on 17 September 2004 at Tottenham Court Road Underground station after a decorator, who had seen him running naked and covered in blood from the Robinsons' house, reported him to the police.^[9] Whilst awaiting trial at Broadmoor Hospital, Berkshire, Gonzalez tried to bite himself to death and was viewed as being so dangerous that officers would accompany him in riot gear.^[4]

At the trial, Gonzalez tried to claim that he was not guilty by reason of insanity, although this was rejected.^[12] He was given six life sentences, with the trial judge recommending that he should never be released.^[13]

Death

After his arrest, Gonzalez attempted to kill himself by biting through an artery in his arm. ‘I have never seen anyone bite himself with that ferocity,’ said the inspecting doctor.^[14] He survived but committed suicide in his cell in Broadmoor Hospital, on 9 August 2007 by slicing his wrists with a makeshift blade which was found near to his body.^[15][16]

References