When Graff’s body was discovered, it was the centerpiece of a crime scene that probably haunted the memories of the detectives. “She lay diagonally across her bed, nude save for a pink blouse bunched up about her shoulders, her legs wide apart, the left extended directly forward, the other bent almost at right angles, dangling over the edge of the bed, a white slipper still on the foot,” writes Frank in “The Boston Strangler.”
Graff showed signs of being sexually assaulted. Her blouse looked like someone had forced it open and the assailant had left “teeth marks on her left breast.” Perhaps the most horrifying piece of evidence left behind was the pair of nylon stockings that the killer had used to strangle Graff. These garments had been used in combination with one of Graff’s black leotards to form a tight bow around her neck. Frank states that DeSalvo had made “an elaborate, flowing bow, like a circus clown’s bow-tie, and with the extra half hitch—the Strangler’s knot.”
Read Related Also: Michigan Man Charged With Murder of Girlfriend He Thought Was Cheating on Him
The police estimated that Graff was killed sometime “between 12:30 and 3:30 pm.” When investigators questioned the other tenants in the apartment building, they revealed some chilling clues.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
