avatarKurt Dillon

Summary

Carroll Cole was a serial murderer and cannibal driven by a deep-seated hatred towards women, stemming from his troubled childhood and subsequent mental health issues, culminating in his execution following a life sentence for his crimes.

Abstract

Carroll Cole's life was a tragic tale of mental instability and violence, rooted in a childhood marred by bullying and a dysfunctional relationship with his mother. His early experiences led to a pathological hatred of women, manifesting in a series of murders and acts of cannibalism. Despite attempts to seek help and multiple commitments to mental hospitals, Cole's condition persisted, resulting in a killing spree across several states. His eventual capture and confession to 35 murders ended with a death sentence, which he faced with a notable lack of remorse, even requesting his brain be studied after his execution.

Opinions

  • Cole's childhood trauma, including bullying and a difficult relationship with his mother, is seen as the catalyst for his later violent behavior.
  • The article suggests that Cole's attempts to seek help were inadequate, as he was repeatedly diagnosed with various mental disorders but never received effective treatment.
  • There is an implication that the justice system failed Cole, as his obvious mental health issues and repeated attempts to get institutionalized were not managed appropriately, allowing him to continue his criminal activities.
  • The author may be hinting at a broader societal issue regarding the treatment of mental health and the potential for such cases to escalate without proper intervention.
  • Cole's lack of remorse and his request to have his brain studied after death indicate a level of detachment and a possible desire for notoriety or understanding of his condition posthumously.

The Mission of Cannibal Carroll Cole -To Rid America of Loose Women

Confessions of a self-confessed eater of people

Carroll Cole’s desperate attempts to seek help and his admission to mental hospitals couldn’t prevent his descent into becoming a deadly murderer and, at times, a cannibal.

During his formative years, he endured taunts due to his feminine name, exacerbated by his mother’s choice of clothing and roles. This upbringing instilled in him a deep-seated resentment towards women and those who mocked him.

“The kids made quite a thing of taunting me,” Cole recalled. “I felt the animosity, withdrawing more and more into myself.” One fateful afternoon, hidden beneath the porch at home, Cole briefly blacked out and awoke to find he had strangled the family’s puppy. Strangely, this act provided him with a perverse sense of relief, fueling his fantasies of violence towards women, including his mother.

Further torment led to a tragic outburst; he drowned a classmate, Duane, at the age of nine. The incident, which occurred at a lake near their Richmond, California home, was initially deemed an accident until Cole later confessed to the murder, expressing a lack of remorse.

His life was marked by a series of brushes with the law, ranging from vagrancy to arson. While his stint in the Navy was cut short due to gun theft, his troubles persisted on the civilian side, including shooting at cars along San Diego highways.

Cole reached out to the police, divulging his fantasies of strangling women, and voluntarily committed himself to various mental hospitals. The diagnosis of Antisocial Personality Disorder followed, with a doctor noting his fear of the female figure, requiring a violent act before any intimacy.

In 1960, he assaulted two couples with a hammer in a darkened lover’s lane, leading to subsequent stays in mental hospitals in 1961 and 1962. Diagnoses varied, with opinions ranging from schizophrenia to complex personality disorders.

Moving to Dallas, Texas, Cole married an alcoholic stripper named Neville Billie Whitworth in November 1963, despite his enduring hatred for women. The marriage ended in flames, fueled by Cole’s delusions of infidelity.

Throughout the years, Cole left a trail of violence across states, targeting vulnerable women. His encounters often culminated in brutal strangulations, with some cases involving acts of cannibalism.

Cole’s arrest during an attack on Sally Thompson marked a turning point. Although police initially attributed Thompson’s death to alcohol poisoning, subsequent investigations revealed Cole’s extensive criminal history.

Medical evaluations painted a grim picture. Cole was diagnosed with a character disorder, with little hope for significant personality changes. Evidence linked him to numerous brutal murders.

In 1984, Cole plotted an elaborate escape from the Texas state prison, but an accident in the woodshop thwarted his plans. Following his mother’s death that year, he was ready to confess and put an end to the violence.

On December 12, 1985, Carroll Cole was sentenced to life in prison without parole for first-degree murder. His conviction in Nevada led to a death sentence, carried out on April 12, 1985.

Trivia:

  • His last words: “It’s all right.” He confessed to a psychiatrist that he killed 35 people, almost all of them women he met in bars.
  • His requested last meal included a tossed salad with French dressing, jumbo shrimp, French fries, and Boston clam chowder.
  • Cole was raised in the Catholic faith.
  • His mother’s name was LaVerne.
  • He admitted that he felt compelled to kill “loose women” because they reminded him of his mother.
  • Upon being sentenced to lethal injection, he thanked the judge.
  • Before his death, Cole completed a 100,000-word autobiography and requested that his brain be studied.

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Originally published at https://www.theveritas7.com on September 20, 2023.

True Crime
Cannibalism
Murder
Serial Killers
Veritas True Crime
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