Howard Unruh - the Walk of Death Murderer

October 19th sees the 15th anniversary of the death of Howard Barton Unruh (January 21, 1921 to October 19, 2009).

Unruh was an American mass murderer who shot and killed 13 people and left numerous others wounded, during a 20 minute walk through his neighbourhood in Camden, New Jersey, USA on September 6, 1949. The incident became known as the Walk of Death and remains the deadliest mass shooting in New Jersey history.

The massacre aftermath

He saw active service in the US Army across Europe in the latter part of WWII and was remembered by his section chief as a first class soldier who never drank, swore or chased women, and spent much of his free time reading the Bible and writing letters to his mother.

He was honourably discharged having been greatly decorated, however when returning home to the USA, his father and brother both indicated his wartime experiences had left him moody, nervous and detached.

At 9.20am on September 6, 1949, armed with a Luger P08 pistol. he left his apartment and set off down River Road in Camden where he started shooting at people, seemingly at random. It is believed that he thought many of his neighbours were mocking him which consequently fuelled a greater sense of paranoia and rage.

Trenton Psychiatric Hospital

Unruh was declared criminally insane after the incident and spent the rest of his life at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital where he died at the age of 88 after 60+ years of confinement.

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