Real Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Theories Book III

The Butcher Baker of Alaska: Robert Hansen

Robert Christian Hansen(February 15, 1939 – August 21, 2014), known in the media as the"Butcher Baker," was an American serial killer.Between 1971 and 1983, Hansen abducted, raped, and murdered at least17 women in and around Anchorage, Alaska; he hunted many of them downin the wilderness with a Ruger Mini-14 and a knife. He was arrestedand convicted in 1983, and was sentenced to 461 years and a lifesentence without the possibility of parole.

Early life

Robert Hansen was born in Estherville,Iowa, in 1939. He was the son of a Danish immigrant and followed inhis father's footsteps as a baker. In his youth, he was painfullyshy, afflicted with a stutter and severe acne that left himpermanently scarred. Not receiving the attention he wanted from theattractive girls in school, he grew up hating them and nursingfantasies of cruel revenge.

Throughout childhood and adolescence,Hansen was described as being quiet and a loner, and he had adifficult relationship with his domineering father. Hansen started topractice both hunting and archery, and often found refuge in thesepastimes.

In 1957, Hansen enlisted in the UnitedStates Army Reserve and served for one year before being discharged.He later worked as an assistant drill instructor at a police academyin Pocahontas, Iowa. There, he began a relationship with a youngerwoman. He married her in the summer of 1960.

First crimes

On December 7, 1960, Hansen wasarrested for burning down a Pocahontas County Board of Educationschool bus garage, revenge for his unpopularity in high school. Heserved 20 months of a three-year prison sentence in Anamosa StatePenitentiary. During his incarceration, he was diagnosed withbipolar disorder (at that time called "manic depression")with periodic schizophrenic episodes. The psychiatrist who made thediagnosis noted that Hansen had an "infantile personality"and was obsessed with getting back at people he felt had wronged him. Hansen's wife filed for divorce while he was incarcerated.

Over the next few years, he was jailedseveral times for petty theft. In 1967, he moved to Anchorage,Alaska with his second wife, whom he had married in 1963 and withwhom he had two children. In Anchorage, he was well liked by hisneighbors and set several local hunting records.

In December 1971, Hansen was arrestedtwice: once for the abduction and attempted rape of a housewife, andagain for raping a prostitute. He pleaded no contest to assault witha deadly weapon in the offense involving the housewife; the rapecharge involving the prostitute was dropped as part of a pleabargain. He was sentenced to five years in prison; after serving sixmonths of his sentence, he was placed on a work release program andreleased to a halfway house.

In 1976, Hansen pleaded guilty tolarceny after he was caught stealing a chainsaw from Fred Meyer, anAnchorage department store; he was sentenced to five years in prisonand required to receive psychiatric treatment for his bipolardisorder. The Alaska Supreme Court reduced his sentence, and he wasreleased with time served.

Murder investigation

Hansen is believed to have begunkilling around 1972. His modus operandi was to pick up a prostitutein his car, and force her at gunpoint to his cabin, where he wouldrape her; he would then fly her out to a secluded area and "hunt"her as if she were wild game before shooting or stabbing her.