Murder at Dusk: How US soldier and smiling psychopath Eddie Leonski terrorised wartime Melbourne

by Ian W. Shaw

Far away from any World War II battlefront, the citizens of Melbourne lived in fear of a serial killer - the Brownout Strangler.May 1942: Melbourne was torn between fearing Japanese invasion and revelling in the carnival atmosphere brought by the influx of 15,000 cashed-up American servicemen. But those US forces didn't guarantee safety. Not long after their arrival, the city would be gripped by panic when the body of a woman was found strangled, partially naked and brutally beaten. Six days later another woman was found dead and her body told the same horrific story. A murderer was stalking the streets. As women were warned not to travel alone, an intense manhunt ensued. Not long after a third woman was murdered, American soldier Eddie Leonski was arrested. A calculating psychopath, he had a twisted fascination with female voices, especially when they were singing . . . Acclaimed author Ian W. Shaw brings World War II Melbourne to life, and takes us into the mind of the Brownout Strangler, and a very different kind of terror.'enthralling . . . makes for a fascinating read.' Canberra Times on Ian W. Shaw's The Rag Tag Fleet

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Australia, World War II, War, History

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2018

Reviews

[Rania T · Rating 4 out of 5]

When American troops were stationed at Royal Park in Melbourne Australia in 1942 after their entry into the Second World War, one of their Privates, Eddie Leonski became notorious for being one of the city's most feared serial killers. Dubbed the "Brownout Strangler" he took the lives of three innocent women. When he was finally caught, he was Court Martialled and sentenced to death by hanging at Pentridge; the only person to do so based on US Law.

Ian Shaw paints a fascinating account of life in inner-city Melbourne at the time and the resentment many local men had towards the way US soldiers behaved around women in the city at the time. Not only that but the intricacies of the court case that took place to try Leonski, and the sigh of relief when things finally returned to normal.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very light touch history. There's a good amount of narrative about the victims, who are often neglected, so that was an excellent feature. The research doesn't go too deep, and because of that it's unclear throughout where some of the information comes from, what's true and what's assumption. It is a good study of the period in which this happened, and it doesn't stray too much into the world context, appreciating there are other places to get that information. It's focused and moves at a good pace.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a paperback version of it.

[Shreedevi Gurumurty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edward Joseph Leonski (December 12, 1917–November 9, 1942) was a United States Army soldier and serial killer responsible for the strangling murders of three women in Melbourne, Australia in 1942. Leonski was dubbed The Brownout Strangler, after Melbourne's wartime practice of dropping the electricity voltage to conserve energy.Leonski was the first and only citizen of another country to have been tried and sentenced to death in Australia under the law of their own country.Leonski grew up in an abusive, alcoholic family with a history of mental illness.He was called up for the U.S. Army in February 1941 and arrived in Melbourne, Australia, on February 2, 1942. The Army had set up a temporary base (Camp Pell) in Royal Park just north of the city and the university.Leonski was a private in the 52nd Signals Battlion. On May 3, 1942, Ivy Violet McLeod's body was discovered in Albert Park. She had been beaten and strangled, but she had her purse with her.6 days later, 31-year-old Pauline Thompson was strangled after a night out. She was last seen in the company of a young man who was described as having an American accent.Gladys Hosking, 40, was the next victim, murdered on May 18 while walking home from work at the Chemistry Department at the University of Melbourne. That same night, another woman said that a dishevelled American man had approached her asking for directions, seemingly out of breath and covered with mud. This description matched the individual Thompson was seen with on the night of her murder, as well as the descriptions given by several women who had survived recent attacks.These survivors and other witnesses were able to pick Leonski out of a line-up of American servicemen.Leonski confessed to the crimes and was convicted and sentenced to death at a general court-martial on July 17, 1942. General Douglas MacArthur confirmed the sentence on October 14.Leonski was hanged at HM Prison Pentridge on November 9.His remains were eventually permanently interred in Section 9,Row B,Site 8 at Schofield Barracks Post Cemetery on O'ahu,his grave is located in a section of the facility reserved for prisoners who died in military custody.

[Zelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil has a smiling face and hides in the shadows.
Very well written and absorbing account of American soldier, Eddie Leonski, and how he became a feared serial killer on the streets of Melbourne during the brownout period of the second world war.
The author provides a chilling insight into what made this relentless killer tick. The author also provides a very realistic illustration of what life in Melbourne in the 1940's was like, and how the brownouts affected public safety.
Very detailed descriptions are given of the murders and other abhorent behaviours that Leonski committed. Throughout the whole book, the author manages to portray Leonski, not only as a cold blooded murderer, but also as a fallible human being.

[Erinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Dusk was a surprising and fascinating read about a case I’d never heard of before. It’s one of those stories that seems to have slipped through the cracks of public memory—unless you lived through the time it happened, it’s unlikely you’d know much, if anything, about it.

Ian Shaw does a great job of bringing the era and the case to life, capturing both the social climate and investigative work surrounding the crime. It’s an eye-opening reminder of how many compelling true crime stories remain relatively unknown outside their original communities.

For readers who enjoy uncovering lesser-known but equally chilling Australian true crime, this is definitely worth picking up. A hidden chapter of history that deserves the attention.

[Erinn Jarvis-McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at Dusk was a surprising and fascinating read about a case I’d never heard of before. It’s one of those stories that seems to have slipped through the cracks of public memory—unless you lived through the time it happened, it’s unlikely you’d know much, if anything, about it.

Ian Shaw does a great job of bringing the era and the case to life, capturing both the social climate and investigative work surrounding the crime. It’s an eye-opening reminder of how many compelling true crime stories remain relatively unknown outside their original communities.

For readers who enjoy uncovering lesser-known but equally chilling Australian true crime, this is definitely worth picking up. A hidden chapter of history that deserves the attention.

[H. Woodward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't the best true crime book I've ever read. However, it is a solidly useful account of the WW2 serial killer, Eddie Leonski. I find it interesting that as a true crime fan, I'd never heard of this US serial killer in Australia during the War. It's crazy to me that somehow we managed to export a horrible murderer to another Allied nation. There's a lot to unpack there. My main issue with the book is that I would have liked to know more about the victims. There's some explanation of each one's background, but I'd really like to see more information from family and friends. Also, I didn't particularly find the trial as interesting as other's might. But, I still learned a lot, and appreciate that.

[Z.K. Dorward]

I so, so wanted to get into this because it's a really interesting case. It's part of Australia's history. However the writing was so info-dumpy and kept going on about stuff that wasn't even important. (It's non-fiction, it's meant to be an info-dump, I get that).

The information wasn't even presented in a way that hooked you. It took 60-80 pages to actually get interesting. Which was the SECOND murder.

When Shaw actually got to the murderers, they sparked curiosity and the facts were presented well. But I found myself skim and speed reading something that I could look up online and read about in a twelfth of the time.

[Giovanna Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting deconstruction of Leonski and his reign of terror in Melbourne during the war. I remembered my father and grandmother talking about him, and how dad had known one of the murder victims (who worked in Melb Uni) & how gran was scared to go to her job. The 'reconstructions' were interesting, and used with the material that Shaw had access to & a good snapshot of what wartime Melbourne would have been like. Also interesting to read the process around Leonski's capture & trial, as well as detailing the medical 'sane' or 'insane' judgement process.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your typical true crime book but a fascinating study of cultural history - wartime Melbourne, Australian/US politics, the social norms of the day, and an insight into the mind of a serial killer. There are - sadly - so many parallels that still exist today around men's violence against women. Clearly well-researched with highly readable writing, this terrible moment from our history is a thoroughly an enjoyable and relevant read.

[felixexplody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a terrific read and extremely well researched. It brings to life a fleeting period of Melbourne’s history which isn’t often written about. There is also a level of detail about the the female victims which is often absent in true crime writing. Those stories in themselves were an interesting insight into the lives and experiences of women at that time.

[Leah Dickenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Melbourne native the book gave good insight into a short but significant time period in Melbourne and Australian life. What it didn’t do was give any significant insight into Eddie Leonski. The passage of time and the fact Leonski didn’t give much away means we really don’t see what was bubbling below the surface.

[Dillon Fisher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to read - perhaps the passing of time means that the intricate detail is lost and it’s more of a play by play factual account with limited suspense

[Ian Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely enthralling retelling of the horrific murders of 3 women in wartime Melbourne.

[Lisa]

I found this very hard to read. DNF for me

[Kellin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure of Eddie’s portrayal in this book and the proper information. There’s information available stating he was in cell 52 at Pentridge Prison where as nowhere in the book says this. It says he was kept at Melbourne goal, which actually closed long before Eddie even murdered anyone and only mentions his stay in the cells at pentridge a few days before his hanging. Otherwise states he was kept at city watch house. I find this confusing. I think there’s too little information available anywhere to really know who Eddie Leonski was and why he did what he did.