The Dentist Hitman: Glennon Engleman

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by tpksstories

by tpksstories

Glennon Edward Engleman(February 6, 1927 – March 3, 1999) was an American hitman.Engleman, a United States Army veteran and a St. Louis dentist,planned and carried out at least seven murders for monetary gain overthe course of 30 years. He was already serving two life sentences ina Missouri state prison when he pleaded guilty to the murder of a manand his wealthy parents in a separate contract killing that occurredin Illinois. Engleman was a sociopath, once stating that his talentwas to kill without remorse, and he enjoyed planning and carrying outkillings and disposing of the remains in order that it would net himfinancial rewards. His first known killing occurred in collaborationwith his ex-wife. His ex-wife Ruth married another man, raised hislife insurance and then Engleman killed him, both sharing thebenefits. Later he would repeat these tactics for other murders.

Engleman would use his financial worth,sex and charm to manipulate women he was close to, ex-wives, loversand his dental assistant, in helping him formulate and executeelaborate murder schemes. This led to one of his lovers, BarbaraBoyle, being convicted as an accomplice and serving less than half ofa 50-year sentence. Another accomplice, Robert Handy, was alsoconvicted and served time in prison. Methods used to kill his victimsincluded shooting, bludgeoning with a sledgehammer and explosives.The exact number of his victims is unknown.

He is the subject of Susan Crane Bakos1988 book Appointment for Murder. The cases against him werere-enacted in a rare, two-part episode of the crime documentaryseries "The FBI Files".

Early life

Engleman was born the youngest of fourchildren, his father was a member of the United States Air Force. Hewas raised in the middle class and lived in a nice home that hisparents owned. Academically he was an above average student inschool, but he didn't excel in any specific subject.

He graduated in dentistry at WashingtonUniversity in St. Louis, in 1954. He had been admitted under the GIBill, having previously served in the US Army Air Corps.

Known victims

1958: Engleman is suspected ofthe death of James Stanley Bullock, 27, a clerk for Union ElectricCompany of Missouri and part-time student. Shot near the St. LouisArt Museum. Edna Ruth Bullock (née Ball) and James Bullock weremarried on June 28, 1958, they had been married for five and halfmonths on the date he was murdered. Edna Ruth Bullock was Engleman'sex-wife prior to her marriage with James Bullock, she collected$64,000 ($580,000 in 2020) from James Bullock's life insurance.

1963: Engleman is suspected inthe murder of Eric Frey, a business associate of Engleman at PacificDrag Strip, in which Frey and the Engleman were partners. Englemanstruck him with a rock, pushed him down a well, and used dynamite toblow him up afterwards. He then divided the insurance proceeds withFrey's widow.

1976: Peter J. Halm. Shot inPacific, Missouri. His wife, Carmen Miranda Halm, a former dentalassistant trainee who had worked for Engleman and known him sincechildhood, ordered the hit to collect a $60,000 ($271,600 in 2018)policy of life insurance on Halm.

1977: Arthur and VernitaGusewelle at their farmhouse near Edwardsville, Illinois. Arthur wasshot; Vernita bashed to death. Engleman then murdered their sonRonald Gusewelle in East St. Louis, Illinois 17 months later so hiswidow Barbara Gusewelle Boyle could claim the millions in lifeinsurance she had taken out on her husband, the sole heir to hisparents' oil business. Boyle collected approximately $340,000($1.46M in 2018) following her husband's murder.[citation needed]Boyle was convicted in her husband's murder but was acquitted ofkilling his parents. She was subsequently sentenced to 50 years inprison for the murder of her husband. She was released from theDwight Correctional Center on October 10, 2009. Robert Handy, theaccomplice, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit the threeGusewelle killings and was sentenced to 14 years and served his timein prison. Engleman confessed to the three killings while in prison.

1980: Sophie Marie Barrera, owner ofSouth St Louis Dental Laboratory. Killed in car bomb explosion.Engleman owed her over $14,000 ($45,860 in 2018). On 25 September1980, a jury in federal court found Engleman guilty in the murder ofBarrera. Engleman was accused of her murder to authorities by herson, Frederick Barrera.

Family and death

Engleman was married twice, first toEdna Ruth and then to Ruth Jolley, with whom he had a son, DavidEngleman. His first marriage Edna Ruth was when they both planned anddecided on their method of killing. Edna Ruth Ball married anotherman, raised his new husband's life insurance, Engleman killed him andthey both shared the profits. Edna Ruth was never prosecuted due tolack of evidence.

In March 1999, Engleman, 72, waspronounced dead in the infirmary of the Jefferson City CorrectionalCenter, where he had a history of treatment for diabetes. A spokesmanfor the center said his death had been anticipated.

In media

Books

Appointment for Murder - Story ofthe Killing Dentist (1989), by: Susan Crain Bakos.

Television

Engleman's killings inspired thebasis for the 1996 film, The Dentist.

The story was told in the episode"Concealed Abscess" on the Investigation Discoveryseries Deadly Dentists, which aired December 8, 2017.