Edward Joseph Leonski (December 12, 1917 – November 9, 1942) . Leonski is known as the “Brownout Strangler”, given Melbourne’s wartime status of keeping low lighting (not as stringent as a wartime blackout).
On May 3, 1942, Ivy Violet McLeod, 40, was found dead in Albert Park, Melbourne. She had been beaten and strangled, and because she was found to be in possession of her purse it was evident that robbery was not the motive.
Just six days later, 31-year-old Pauline Thompson was strangled after a night out. Gladys Hosking, 40, was the next victim, murdered on May 18 while walking home from work at the Chemistry Library at Melbourne University.
Leonski confessed to the crimes and was convicted and sentenced to death at a United States Army general court-martial on July 17, 1942. Leonski was hanged at Pentridge Prison on November 9, 1942, only the second American serviceman to be executed during World War II.
If these crimes had happened in England instead of Australia I’m sure inspector Christopher Foyle would have gotten involved. It is good that whoever was really assigned to the case got it solved before there were more victims.