The Hunt for John List (Part 2)
Morbid
Family background and upbringing
Hosts describe List's parents, his mother's overbearing nature, and how his childhood shaped his personality.
After killing his family in the winter of 1971, John List went on the run, initiating a worldwide manhunt that would last nearly twenty years before he was finally apprehended. In that time, the List case would become one of the largest and most notorious investigations since the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby.
References
Associated Press. 1972. "John List is still missing and local police are baffled." Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 22: 9.
—. 1972. "Highjack-slaying ties denied." Press of Atlantic City, January 15: 4.
Bailey, Bruce. 1972. "Worldwide hunt fails to find Wrstfield exec." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), June 11: 1.
Balog, Kathy. 1990. "The confession to his pastor was the most damning of all." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.
Benford, Timothy, and James Johnson. 1991. Righteous Carnage: The List Murders in Westfield. New York, NY: Scribner.
Bullock, Marilyn, and Bruce Bailey. 1971. "The Lists were a neighborhood mystery." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 11.
Chung, Connie. 2002. 1971 family killer breaks silence. February 20. Accessed August 1, 2026. https://abcnews.com/2020/story?id=132646&page=1.
Cohen, Robert. 1971. "'Daddy, you're all I have left...'." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 12: 1.
—. 1971. "Husband hunted in mass slaying." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), December 9: 1.
Douthat, Strat. 1989. "The fugitive." Los Angeles Times, June 18: 2.
Fiedler, Lore. 1973. "John List disappearance still unsolved." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 3: 11.
—. 1971. "Westfielder sought in slaying of 5." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.
Hampton, Pat. 1980. "After 9 years, John List still a suspect-and still a mystery." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 6: 5.
Hann, Christopher. 1989. "For stunned neighbors, news of arrest hits home." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 7.
LA Times Wire Service. 1989. "Suspect in family-slaying may be famed D.B. Cooper." Los Angeles Times, June 30.
McNeel, John M. 1976. "What ever happened to John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.
Romano, Mary. 1989. "For the family, a chapter closes, a wound reopens." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.
Stout, David. 2008. "John E. List, 82, killer of 5 family members." New York Times, March 25.
Sullivan, Joseph. 1990. "Slaying suspect saw 2 choices, doctor testifies." New York Times, April 7: 30.
—. 1990. "Suspect wrote about killing family in '71." New York Times, March 29.
Talmont, Tek, and Jill Vejnoska. 1990. "Attorney admits client is John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), February 15: 1.
The Courier-News. 1990. "Two specialists describe List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 10: 1.
The Courier-Times. 1976. "Psychic gleaned varied impressions of List." The Courier-Times (Bridgewater, NJ), October 15: 11.
Thompson, Robert. 1972. "List case unsoved after seven months." The Courier-News (Bidgewater, NJ), June 28: 1.
Vejnoska, Jill. 1990. "Defense: List killed with love in his heart." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 3: 1.
—. 1990. "Doctor recounts List's getaway." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 11: 1.
—. 1990. "Doctor: Stressed List just snapped." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 7: 1.
—. 1989. "FBI nabs John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), June 2: 1.
—. 1990. "Letter: List shot family, prayed." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), March 29: 1.
—. 1990. "List 'didn't trust God' to help him." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 6: 1.
—. 1990. "List guilty." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 13: 1.
—. 1989. "Prime-time spotlight focuses on long-time fugitve John Lisr." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), May 22: 1.
—. 1989. "Westfield cops hope TV can help catch John List." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), April 14: 1.
Wirt, George. 1977. "5-Year hunt: Cops 'haven't forgotten' slaughter of famil." The Star-Ledger (Newark, NJ), May 30: 10.
Yates, Terry, and Robert Thompson. 1971. "'Nobody knew them too well'." The Courier-News (Bridgewater, NJ), December 8: 1.
Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)
Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)
Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley
Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally
Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)
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