True Crime: John List, Family Annihilator
The Tragedy Of It All
He killed his family to hide his debt; unbeknownst to him, he was sitting on a treasure.
For John List, success was everything. Equally as important was his image and he did everything in his power to keep himself perceived well by those around him. Managing that image, however, took a lot of work and in 1971 it began to take a toll on his mind.
List had always been a meticulous planner and was always careful to weigh his options when making important decisions. Later in life, he would be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but traits of his illness were visible throughout his life in many of his choices and life decisions. So when his life began to unravel List felt cornered and set out to do the one thing that had always come easy to him: plan and execute whatever was necessary to make sure his life had as little interruption as possible.
After all, perception and image was everything.
After serving in the Army during WWII, List eventually found himself working as the Vice President at a bank in New Jersey. He and his family were regulars at their local church and he taught Sunday school. At the height of his success List was able to…
