"The Muswell Hill Murderer" Dennis Nilsen Pt. 1: Background

In the season 5 special of British Murders, I'm telling the story of "The Muswell Hill Murderer" Dennis Nilsen.

Nilsen was arrested on suspicion of murder in February 1983 after some of the other tenants at 23 Cranley Gardens called in a plumber to deal with their blocked drains.

The plumber found pieces of human flesh and bones in an outside maintenance hole and the waste pipe leading out of Nilsen's attic flat.

While en route to the police station, Nilsen told the officers that he thought he had killed 15 or 16 people.

In the first episode of this two-part special, I discuss Nilsen's background and upbringing, including his time in the Army and the Metropolitan Police.

Next week, I'll discuss the brutal murders themselves, the trial and the aftermath.

Intro music:⁣

David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣

https://linktr.ee/davidjohnbradymusic⁣

My recording equipment:⁣

Shure SM7B Vocal Microphone

Cloud Microphone Cloudlifter CL1

Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB Audio Interface

Rode PSA-1 Professional Studio Boom Arm

Sony CX450 Handycam

Recorded in:⁣

Hindenberg PRO

Edited in:⁣

DaVinci Resolve 17⁣

References:⁣

Dennis Nilsen. (n.d.). Crime+Investigation UK. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/dennis-nilsen

Dennis Nilsen. (2018, April 2). Biography. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/dennis-nilsen

Dennis Nilsen (Serial Killer) Biography. (n.d.). The Famous People. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/dennis-nilsen-10849.php

Domachowski, L. (2020, September 16). Dennis Nilsen’s cold childhood and death of grandfather turned his thoughts to murder. Mirror. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/dennis-nilsens-cold-childhood-death-22662449

Greep, M. (2020, September 18). Forensic psychologist who had phone conversations with serial killer Dennis Nilsen says he was necrophiliac due to “abnormal sexual development” in childhood and dismisses the idea he “killed out of loneliness.” Mail Online. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8747133/Forensic-psychologist-worked-Dennis-Nilsen-says-killed-necrophilia.html

Hamalienko, S. (2021, October 1). Twisted tales of psycho cops who killed – from Dennis Nilsen to “Werewolf Killer.” Dailystar.Co.Uk. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/twisted-tales-psycho-cops-who-25092441

Homer, A. (2021, August 18). The truth about serial killer Dennis Nilsen’s childhood. Grunge.Com. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.grunge.com/491057/the-truth-about-serial-killer-dennis-nilsens-childhood/

Ling, T. (2020, September 16). The truth behind The Real Des: The Dennis Nilsen story. RadioTimes. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/dennis-nilsen-true-story-real-des/

Livingstone, C. (2016, November 17). How a childhood trauma put Dennis Nilsen on the path to murder. The Press and Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/1086773/how-a-childhood-trauma-put-dennis-nilsen-on-the-path-to-murder/

Livingstone, C. (2018, May 13). Dennis Nilsen: A timeline of his life from Fraserburgh to Full Sutton. The Press and Journal. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/1084492/dennis-nilsen-a-timeline-of-his-life/

Mitchell, M. (2021, August 19). Who Was Dennis Nilsen’s Grandfather? “The Nilsen Tapes” Director on Dennis Nilsen’s Childhood. Newsweek. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.newsweek.com/dennis-nilsen-grandfather-nilsen-tapes-netflix-1621054

Psychological Profile. (n.d.). The Kindly Killer. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://dennisnilsen.weebly.com/psychological-profile.html

S. (2015, April 1). Dennis Nilsen – The Serial Killer caught by Dyno-rod. Snazbalz. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://snazbalz.wordpress.com/2015/04/01/dennis-nilson-the-serial-killer-caught-by-dyno-rod/

Swarbrick, S. (2020, September 12). Dennis Nilsen: Eight chilling facts about the Scottish serial killer. HeraldScotland. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18714724.dennis-nilsen-eight-chilling-facts-scottish-serial-killer/

Turner, L. J. (2020, September 16). Dennis Nilsen details that weren’t included in ITV’s drama Des. Digital Spy. Retrieved April 25, 2022, from https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a34024111/dennis-nilsen-des-childhood/