On November 9th, 1971, accountant John List walked through his Victorian mansion in Westfield, New Jersey, and methodically executed his entire family: his wife Helen, his mother Alma, and his three children Patricia (16), John Jr. (13), and Frederick (15). He shot each in the back of the head, arranged their bodies in the ballroom with classical music playing, then vanished without a trace.
For 31 days, the bodies lay undiscovered in the 19-room mansion while neighbors assumed the family was on vacation. When police finally entered on December 7th, they found five decomposed bodies and a confession letter explaining John believed he was "saving their souls" from poverty and corruption.
John List disappeared for 18 years, living under the name Robert Clark in Colorado and Virginia, remarrying, and attending church every Sunday—until America's Most Wanted featured his case in 1989. A viewer recognized him, and the FBI arrested him the next day.
This is the complete story of one of America's most calculated family annihilations—a case that raises disturbing questions about pride, control, and what happens when a man values appearances more than human life.
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⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This video contains detailed descriptions of family violence and murder. Viewer discretion is advised.
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📍 CASE DETAILS:
• Date: November 9, 1971
• Location: 431 Hillside Avenue, Westfield, New Jersey
• Victims: 5 (Helen List, Alma List, Patricia List, John Frederick List, Frederick Michael List)
• Perpetrator: John Emil List (father/husband)
• Bodies undiscovered: 31 days
• Years on the run: 18 years (1971-1989)
• Captured: June 1, 1989 via America's Most Wanted tip
• Sentence: 5 consecutive life sentences
• Died: March 21, 2008 (age 82) in prison
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⏱️ TIMELINE:
0:00 - 5 Bodies, 31 Days
3:15 - Westfield, New Jersey 1971
7:20 - John List: The Perfect Accountant
11:45 - The Catalyst: Financial Collapse
15:30 - November 9th: The Murders Begin
23:50 - 31 Days of Silence
25:40 - The Manhunt & Discovery
27:45 - 18 Years as Robert Clark
29:50 - America's Most Wanted Captures Him
31:20 - Trial & Life Sentences
32:45 - The Aftermath: What Happened to Everyone
34:00 - The Philosophy: Pride vs. Love
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