John Getreu

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John Arthur Getreu
John Getreu.jpg
Born
John Arthur Getreu

(1944-08-26) August 26, 1944 (age 77)
Newark, Ohio, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Susan Getreu
​
​
(m. 1970; div. 1978)​

Lynda Getreu
​
​
(m. 1978; died 2003)​

Unnamed wife
​
(m. 2008)​
Conviction(s)Rape, second-degree murder (1963)
Statutory rape, Santa Clara County (1975)
First-degree murder (2021)
Criminal penaltyRape, second-degree murder sentence (as juvenile): 10 years (1963), Served: 3 years.
Statutory rape sentence: 6 months (1975), Served: 6 months.
First-degree murder sentence: 7 years to life (2021)
Details
Victims15 year old Margaret Williams at a US base in West Germany (1963), Leslie Marie Perlov (1973), Janet Ann Taylor (1974) + more
Span of crimes
1963–1975
CountryWest Germany, United States
State(s)California
Date apprehended
November 20, 2018
Imprisoned atWasco State Prison

John Arthur Getreu (born August 26, 1944) is an American murderer and possible serial killer who was convicted of one murder in 1963 that took place in West Germany. He is also charged with two more murders, committed in California between 1973 and 1974, which means he could be an international serial killer.[1][2][3] He was sentenced for one of the murders, and has yet to stand trial for the other.[4] He is currently serving life imprisonment at Wasco State Prison.[5]

Crimes[]

Convicted:

  • June 8, 1963, rape and murder of 15-year-old Margaret Williams at a U.S. base in West Germany.[6] Getreu, who was convicted in the German court system, was tried as a juvenile in 1964 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released in 1969 and returned to the U.S.[7]
  • January 19, 1975, rape of a 17-year-old Girl Scout in Palo Alto, for which he took a guilty plea deal for statutory rape, paid a $200 fine, and was sentenced to six months in jail.
  • March 1974, murder of 21-year-old Janet Ann Taylor, the youngest daughter of former Stanford athletic director Charles Taylor. Janet was found strangled along Sand Hill Road in the foothills, near Woodside, above the campus in an area now known as the Dish. He was found guilty of the murder on September 15, 2021, and was sentenced to 7 years to life in prison for the murder on November 5.[8]

Suspected:

  • 1969 attempted murder of then–19-year-old Sharon Lucchese.[9]
  • 1973 sexual assault and murder of 21-year-old Leslie Perlov in Stanford, California (charged in November 2018 based on DNA evidence). The Perlov murder had many suspects in the case, but all were ruled out until November 24, 2018, when Getreu was arrested by authorities after crime scene DNA was linked to him through the genetic genealogy work of CeCe Moore using the site, GEDmatch.[10] After that, the Taylor murder DNA was linked to Perlov DNA, so Getreu is now being charged with both murders. Getreu pled not guilty to both murders and was scheduled to go on trial for the Perlov murder in September 2020. However the trial was postponed due to Getreu falling ill with a brain aneurysm. The trial was rescheduled for January 7, 2021 but was again rescheduled for 2022.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Media[]

The case against Getreu was covered in detail, along with the murder of Arlis Perry, in a February 2020 episode of Casefile True Crime Podcast.[7]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Suspected serial killer charged in 2nd Stanford cold case homicide from the '70s". Los Angeles Times. May 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "'She fought desperately': Arrest in 1973 killing of Stanford grad after DNA genealogy probe". The Mercury News. November 21, 2018.
  3. ^ Dremann, Sue. "He was a married hospital technician and a Boy Scouts leader. Was former Palo Alto resident John Getreu also a serial killer?". paloaltoonline.com.
  4. ^ "Getreu found guilty of murdering woman in 1974". Retrieved September 26, 2021.
  5. ^ Inmate Locator, inmate BR0562
  6. ^ "'She fought desperately': Arrest in 1973 killing of Stanford grad after DNA genealogy probe". The Mercury News. November 21, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Case 137: Arlis Perry". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. February 22, 2020. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  8. ^ "Man sentenced in San Mateo County cold case murder". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  9. ^ Luciano, Phil. "Luciano: Does Journal Star caller have insight to possible serial killer?". Journal Star.
  10. ^ Salonga, Robert (November 21, 2018). "'She fought desperately': Arrest in 1973 killing of Stanford grad after DNA genealogy probe". The Mercury News. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "Alleged serial killer lands in hospital before trial | News | Almanac Online |".
  12. ^ report, Daily Journal staff. "September 2020 trial date set for alleged murder in cold case". San Mateo Daily Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  13. ^ Lee, Lloyd. "Alleged serial killer pleads not guilty in 1973 murder case". www.almanacnews.com. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Alleged serial killer John Getreu to stand trial after brain aneurysm | News | Palo Alto Online |".
  15. ^ "Alleged serial killer's trial delayed while defense seeks state Supreme Court decision on DNA evidence | News | Palo Alto Online |".
  16. ^ "John Arthur Getreu Today: Where Is He Now in 2021? | Heavy.com".
  17. ^ "'Stanford murders' conviction renews hope for justice in 2nd alleged victim's cold case - ABC News".
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