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5 Shocking Facts About Albert DeSalvo: The DNA Evidence That Finally Confirmed The Boston Strangler

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As of December 23, 2025, the name Albert Henry DeSalvo remains synonymous with the terror that gripped Boston in the early 1960s, a man known globally as the infamous "Boston Strangler." For decades, the case was shrouded in doubt and controversy, with DeSalvo's confession to 13 brutal murders never fully satisfying investigators or the public.

The crucial turning point, which finally brought a measure of certainty to the decades-old mystery, arrived with the advent of modern forensic science. The 2013 DNA confirmation, a groundbreaking development, definitively linked DeSalvo to the murder of the final victim, Mary Sullivan, solidifying his place in true crime history and largely resolving one of America's most enduring serial killer cases.

Albert Henry DeSalvo: A Comprehensive Profile

Albert Henry DeSalvo’s life was a tragic trajectory from an abusive childhood to a notorious criminal career, culminating in his death while incarcerated. His biography reveals a complex figure whose criminal activities began long before the Boston Strangler murders.

  • Full Name: Albert Henry DeSalvo
  • Born: September 3, 1931, in Chelsea, Massachusetts
  • Died: November 25, 1973 (aged 42), at Walpole State Prison, Massachusetts
  • Parents: Frank DeSalvo and Charlotte DeSalvo
  • Spouse: Anna DeSalvo (married 1950)
  • Children: Two children (a son and a daughter)
  • Aliases: The Green Man, The Measuring Man
  • Known Crimes: Sexual assault, armed robbery, and the 13 Boston Strangler murders (confessed to, but only definitively linked to one by DNA)
  • Defense Attorney: F. Lee Bailey

The 'Green Man' and 'Measuring Man' Precursors

Before the Boston Strangler killings began in 1962, DeSalvo was already a known sexual predator operating under two distinct aliases.

The "Measuring Man" crimes, spanning from 1960 to 1962, involved DeSalvo posing as a talent scout or a maintenance worker. He would gain access to women's homes under false pretenses, claiming he needed to take measurements for modeling or apartment work, before sexually assaulting them.

The "Green Man" moniker came from a series of sexual assaults where DeSalvo would wear a green work uniform. It was for these non-fatal assaults, which were distinct from the Strangler murders, that DeSalvo was eventually brought to trial and convicted in 1967.

The Definitive DNA Evidence That Closed the Case (2013)

For decades, the case against DeSalvo for the Boston Strangler murders was circumstantial, relying heavily on his detailed confession, which was later recanted, and the testimony of his fellow inmate, George Nassar.

The breakthrough that removed all reasonable doubt for one of the victims came nearly 50 years after the crime.

In July 2013, investigators announced a definitive DNA match linking Albert DeSalvo to the brutal rape and murder of 19-year-old Mary Sullivan, the final victim in the Strangler series.

The Y-STR Match and Exhumation

The initial match was achieved through a controversial method: investigators secretly collected DNA from DeSalvo's nephew, which was then analyzed using Y-STR (Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat) testing. Y-STR analysis tracks DNA passed down through the male line, providing a familial link to the perpetrator.

The Y-STR profile from the nephew’s DNA matched the seminal fluid recovered from the crime scene of Mary Sullivan’s apartment. This powerful evidence prompted authorities to take the unprecedented step of exhuming Albert DeSalvo’s body from his grave.

Direct DNA testing on DeSalvo's exhumed remains—specifically from a femur and three teeth—yielded a perfect match to the crime scene evidence. This finding led Suffolk County prosecutors to state that there was "no doubt that Albert DeSalvo was responsible for the brutal murder of Mary Sullivan."

Confession, Conviction, and a Violent End

DeSalvo's connection to the Boston Strangler case began in 1965 when he was already in custody for the "Green Man" assaults. While incarcerated, he confessed to his cellmate, George Nassar, that he was the Boston Strangler.

Nassar relayed this confession to his attorney, F. Lee Bailey, who then represented DeSalvo. DeSalvo provided chillingly accurate details of the 13 murders that only the killer would know.

The 1967 Trial and Life Sentence

Despite his confession to the Strangler murders, DeSalvo was never tried for them due to the lack of physical evidence at the time. Instead, he stood trial in 1967 for the non-fatal sexual assaults and armed robberies associated with the "Green Man" crimes.

F. Lee Bailey famously used the Strangler confession as a defense strategy, arguing that DeSalvo was mentally ill and not criminally responsible for the Green Man crimes. The jury rejected this defense, and DeSalvo was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.

The Shocking Death in Prison

Albert DeSalvo's life sentence did not last long. On November 25, 1973, he was found dead in the infirmary of Walpole State Prison (now MCI-Cedar Junction).

The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds. The murder weapon was a makeshift knife, and the identity of his killer remains officially unresolved, though the death was widely attributed to an internal prison dispute.

DeSalvo’s violent end meant he never faced justice for the 13 murders he confessed to, leaving the case in a state of ambiguity until the definitive DNA evidence emerged in 2013, providing closure for the family of Mary Sullivan and marking a final, scientific validation of his guilt in that specific crime.

albert henry desalvo
albert henry desalvo

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