Edward Joseph Leonski (12 December 1917 – 9 November 1942) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

soldier and

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

responsible for the strangling murders of three women in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in 1942. Leonski was dubbed The Brownout Strangler, named after the practice of dimming or restricting outdoor lighting to make the city less visible to potential enemy aircraft during nighttime raids. This was part of a broader effort across Australia to implement air raid precautions. His self-confessed motive for the killings was a twisted fascination with female voices, especially when they were singing, and his claim that he killed the women to "get their voices". Leonski was initially arrested by

police, but was then transferred to U.S. military authorities for prosecution. He was court-martialed for murder under American military law, sentenced to death, and executed. Leonski was the first and only citizen of another country to have been tried and sentenced to death in Australia under the law of their own country.

Early life

The sixth child of

Russian-Jewish The history of the Jews in Russia and areas historically connected with it goes back at least 1,500 years. Jews in Russia have historically constituted a large religious and ethnic diaspora; the Russian Empire at one time hosted the largest po ...

immigrants John Leonski, laborer, and his Polish-born wife Amelia, née Harkavitz, in

Kenvil, New Jersey Kenvil is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Roxbury Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 1,806. History The Kenvil section of Ro ...

, Leonski grew up in an

abusive Abuse is the act of improper usage or treatment of a person or thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, ...

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

family. One of his brothers was committed to a

mental institution A psychiatric hospital, also known as a mental health hospital, a behavioral health hospital, or an asylum is a specialized medical facility that focuses on the treatment of severe mental disorders. These institutions cater to patients with ...

. According to a psychologist who interviewed Leonski during his trial, his mother had been overprotective and controlling. Leonski had been bullied by other neighborhood kids and called a

mama's boy ''Mama's Boy'' is a 2007 American comedy-drama film starring Diane Keaton and Jon Heder, and features music by Mark Mothersbaugh. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures for a limited release to certain regions of the United States. ...

. Accordingly, the psychologist ruled that Leonski's crimes were born of his resentment and hatred of his mother and thus constituted "symbolic

matricide Matricide (or maternal homicide) is the act of killing one's own mother. Known or suspected matricides * Amastris, queen of Heraclea, was drowned by her two sons in 284 BC. * Cleopatra III of Egypt was assassinated in 101 BC by order of ...

." Leonski worked for a time as a delivery boy.

Military service

He was called up for the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

in February 1941 and arrived in

, on 2 February 1942, after the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

had entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The Army had set up a temporary base (Camp Pell) in Royal Park just north of the city and the

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. Prior to departing to Australia, Leonski had assaulted a woman in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

, but was never disciplined for this.

Murders

On 3 May 1942, Ivy Violet McLeod, 40, was found dead in Albert Park, Melbourne. She had been beaten and

strangled Strangling or strangulation is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain by restricting the flow of oxygen through the trachea. Fatal strangulation typically occurs ...

, and because she was found to be in possession of her purse it was evident that

robbery Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take anything of value by force, threat of force, or use of fear. According to common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person o ...

was not the motive. Six days later 31-year-old Pauline Thompson was strangled after a night out. She was last seen in the company of a young man who was described as having an American accent. Gladys Hosking, 40, was the next victim, murdered on 18 May while walking home from work at the Chemistry Department at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. That same night, another woman said that a dishevelled American man had approached her asking for directions, seemingly out of breath and covered with mud. This description matched the individual Thompson was seen with on the night of her murder, as well as the descriptions given by several women who had survived recent attacks. These survivors and other witnesses were able to pick 24-year-old Leonski out of a line-up of American servicemen who were stationed in Melbourne. Leonski, a private in the 52nd Signal Battalion, was arrested and charged with three murders.

Trial and execution

Although Leonski's crimes were committed in Australia, the trial was conducted under American military law. Leonski confessed to the crimes and was convicted and

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

at a

general court-martial A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED Online. Ma ...

on 17 July 1942. American general

Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American general who served as a top commander during World War II and the Korean War, achieving the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. He served with dis ...

confirmed the sentence on 14 October, and a board of review, appointed by MacArthur, upheld the findings and sentence on 28 October. General Court-Martial Order 1 promulgated Leonski's death sentence on 1 November. In a departure from normal procedure, on 4 November, MacArthur personally signed the order of execution (in subsequent executions this administrative task was entrusted to MacArthur's Chief of Staff, Richard Sutherland). Leonski was

hanged Hanging is killing a person by suspending them from the neck with a noose or ligature strangulation, ligature. Hanging has been a standard method of capital punishment since the Middle Ages, and has been the primary execution method in numerou ...

HM Prison Pentridge HM Prison Pentridge, better known as Pentridge Prison, was an Australian prison established in 1851 in Coburg, Victoria. The first convicts arrived at the gaol in 1851. The facility closed on 1 May 1997, although some of the heritage-listed buil ...

on 9 November. His reported last meal was steak, eggs, toast, and coffee. Leonski's defence attorney, former Colorado lawyer Lieutenant Ira C. Rothgerber Jr., attempted to win an external review, even from the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...

, but was unable to do so. Leonski was temporarily interred at several cemeteries in Australia. His remains were eventually permanently interred in Section 9, Row B, Site 8 at

Schofield Barracks Schofield Barracks is a United States Army installation and census-designated place (CDP) located in Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, Hawaii. Schofield Barracks lies adjacent to the town of Wahiawā, separated ...

Post Cemetery on the island of

O'ahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. His grave is located in a section of the facility reserved for prisoners who died in military custody.

Media portrayals

In the 1950s, the case was the subject of a two-episode radio dramatization titled "A Strong Man", which was part of a series titled ''D24''. In keeping with usual practice on the series, some names and details were changed, although the dramatization otherwise followed events faithfully. A 1986 feature film, ''

Death of a Soldier ''Death of a Soldier'' is a 1986 Australian historical crime drama film directed by Philippe Mora and starring James Coburn, Bill Hunter and Reb Brown. It dramatizes of the case of Eddie Leonski (Brown), an American soldier stationed in Au ...

'', directed by

Philippe Mora Philippe Mora (born 1949) is a French-born Australian artist and film director. Origin Mora was born in Paris, France in 1949 to a Lithuanian-Jewish mother and a German-Jewish father. He is the eldest son of artist Mirka Mora and her husban ...

, was based on Leonski, who was played by American actor Reb Brown. It is believed that the Australian

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

Albert Tucker's ''Images of Modern Evil'' series was somewhat influenced by Leonski's murders. The 2015 television program ''

Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer ''Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer'' is a British true crime television series, made by FirstLookTV. It examines the crimes of various serial killers and speculates what may have made them kill. The show regularly features psychologists Linda ...

'' (series one, episode one) focused on Leonski..

Footnotes

References

* Chapman, Ivan D., ''Private Eddie Leonski, the Brownout Strangler'', Hale & Iremonger, (Sydney), 1982.
Dower, Alan, "Women sang for this strangler", ''The (Melbourne) Herald'', (Saturday, 11 April 1953), p.14.

Killed to show his Strength, ''The (Perth) Mirror'', (Saturday, 19 April 1952), p.8.

Leonski, Enigma In Life And In Death, Carries His Secret To Grave: Singlet Vital Clue, ''The (Sydney) Truth'', (Sunday, 15 November 1942), p.14.
* Mallon, Andrew, ''Leonski: The Brown-Out Murders'', Outback Press, (Collingwood), 1979.
Mathews, Jack, "When the Whole Truth is Not Enough", ''The Age'', (Tuesday, 15 October 1985), p.14.

Mann, Harry, "'So Long Pal, They're Gonna Give Me A Face Lift!': Brutal Slayer Of 3 Women Joked On His Execution Day", ''The (Perth) Mirror'', (Saturday, 19 April 1952), p.8.
* Shaw, Ian W., ''Murder at Dusk: How US Soldier and Psychopath Eddie Leonski Terrorised Wartime Melbourne'', Hachette Australia, (Sydney), 2018.

National Archives of Australia

A472: W7493: Part 1: "''Court Martial of Edward J. Leonski Pages 10-338 excepting pp 192 & 193 which numbers were missed by the typist, and 240 which is missing''."

A472: W7493: Part 2: "''Transcript of Evidence - Leonski Murder Trial - U.S. Military Forces Pages 1-388 and covering letter''."
* A472: W7493: Part 3: "''Records of Trial Leonski, Edward J. U.S. ARMY Prosecution Exhibits Nos 1 and 51''." (NAA catalog entry)
A472: W7493: Part 4: "''Record of trial of Leonski, Edward J. Supplement A (Exhibits)''."
* A472: W7493: Part 5: "''Court Martial of Edward J. Leonski''." (NAA catalog entry) * A816: 1/301/542: "''Private E.J. Leonski''." (NAA catalog entry)
MP508/1: 4/702/943: "''Trials of American Servicemen for Crimes under Aust. Law Case of Pte E J Leonski''."

A5954: 287/6: "''Leonski Case. Representations to Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area. October 1942''."

Australian National Maritime Museum

* 00017254: ''Three page handwritten letter by United States soldier Private Edward Leonski'': page one of a letter, apparently addressed to "Rene", written while Leonski was in custody in Melbourne.
ANMM catalog entry
* 00017255: ''Three page handwritten letter by United States soldier Private Edward Leonski'': page two of a letter, apparently addressed to "Rene", written while Leonski was in custody in Melbourne.
ANMM catalog entry
* 00017256: ''Three page handwritten letter by United States soldier Private Edward Leonski'': page three of a letter, apparently addressed to "Rene", written while Leonski was in custody in Melbourne.
ANMM catalog entry

External links

* ttp://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150105b.htm?hilite=leonski Australian Dictionary of Biography Online {{DEFAULTSORT:Leonski, Eddie 1917 births 1942 deaths 20th-century executions of American people 20th-century executions by the United States military Executed people from New Jersey American people of Polish descent American people of Russian descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent Executed American serial killers Murder in Melbourne United States Army soldiers Executed military personnel United States military scandals United States Army personnel killed in World War II United States Army personnel who were court-martialed People convicted of murder by the United States military People executed by the United States military by hanging Prisoners and detainees of Victoria (state) People from Morris County, New Jersey Violence against women in Australia