Arguably the worst serial killer the United Kingdom has ever known, Nilsen became infamous for embarking on a terrifying five-year killing spree while evading capture or detection—until the fateful day when the toilets in his apartment complex got clogged. If you’re a true-crime fan who’s titillated by that tidbit, then you’re going to want to dive into the feature-length Memories of a Murderer—which, according to Netflix, was culled using “over 250 hours of unheard recordings” that the gruesome killer made while behind bars. Despite Nilsen’s notoriety in the UK, American audiences likely know little about him—until now. Here’s what you need to know about Dennis Nilsen and Netflix’s Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes.
Who is Dennis Nilsen?
Born in Scotland in 1945, Nilsen grew up as a middle child to parents who got divorced three years after his birth. He and his siblings were raised with help from his maternal grandparents, who Nilsen once described as being “cold and dour;” however, he also held warm memories of his childhood and had called his grandfather his “great hero and protector.” After his grandfather’s death in 1951, Nilsen vividly remembered gazing at his remains in an open coffin. His childhood grew more troubled from there as he survived a near-drowning and came to realize he was gay, but chose to keep his sexuality hidden. After a stint in the armed services—and a falling-out with his mother and siblings over his sexuality—Nilsen relocated to London. During the half-decade span when he committed his crimes there, Nilsen worked as a local civil servant, but he’d briefly been a police officer. A detective who worked with him recalled he was a “real loner.” Nilsen murdered at least 12 young men—mostly gay and homeless, some underage—between 1978 and 1983 in London, England. He tried to kill several others, and when arrested, ultimately confessed to murdering 15 people. He was known as “the kindly killer” because he offered his victims alcohol or a place to sleep for the night before killing them through strangulation or drowning. Nilsen didn’t dispose of his victims’ bodies right away. He performed sexual acts with several of them and had a routine of bathing and sitting with the bodies before ultimately disposing them and burning them in his yard at 195 Melrose Avenue in Cricklewood, North London—until he moved. In his new apartment 23 Cranley Gardens in Muswell Hill (he was also called the Muswell Hill Murderer), he had a smaller area to work with, so he stored bodies under the floorboards and other parts of his residence. He also flushed some remains down the toilet; police once found a severed head inside a pot that had been boiled.
What is Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes about?
According to Netflix, viewers can expect a disturbing look into the mind of a serial killer. “The truth about how and why [Nilsen] killed has been the subject of much speculation in books and documentaries over the decades since,” Netflix explained in a statement. “Now, with unique access to a wealth of personal archives left in his cell after his death, including over 250 hours of never-before-published cassette tapes of his private recordings, this film will take us into Nilsen’s world.” Nilsen’s tapes were used to compile the documentary and flesh out his life from his childhood in Scotland, where he claims he discovered he was gay and was molested by his grandfather, to his murder spree in London when he was in his 30s. However, the documentary doesn’t seek to glorify Nilsen; instead, it also explores other aspects of the time period that allowed him to remain undetected for years.
Who directed Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes?
Michael Harte, director of the documentaries Don’t F**k With Cats and Three Identical Strangers, took on the project about the serial killer. As he listened to Nilsen’s tapes, Harte soon realized he was dealing with an “unreliable narrator." As he put it, “What I realized was that a lot of the things he was saying, more often than not, were being contradicted by other people, by the people I interviewed. But what I can try to understand is the fact that I could learn much more about why he got away with what he did. The second half the film is structured in such a way that that question starts to grow, why did he get away with it so long.”
Who is in Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes?
Nilsen himself makes an appearance through hundreds of hours of recordings from prison. Police weigh in, as do journalists who studied Nilsen’s case. There are also interviews with some of Nilsen’s survivors and the families of those he killed.
How was serial killer Dennis Nilsen caught?
Nilsen’s habit of flushing his victims’ body parts in his Cranley Gardens residence eventually became a problem. Neighbors—and Nilsen himself—complained that their drains were blocked, prompting a visit from a plumber who was shocked to discover bones and substances that resembled human flesh. Nilsen had a ready response though, reportedly telling the plumber, “It looks to me like someone has been flushing down their Kentucky Fried Chicken.” Returning the next day with a supervisor, the plumber noted that the drains were already cleared, except for ones connected to Nilsen’s apartment. When police arrived on the scene, they waited for Nilsen to come home and could smell rotting flesh. That’s when Nilsen directed them to two large plastic bags in a closet when they asked where the rest of the body was, not expecting to find several bodies.
Were there any Dennis Nilsen survivors?
A number of men managed to get away from Nilsen before being murdered. One almost-victim was reportedly let go after Nilsen attempted to strangle him with a zip from a sleeping bag.
What was Dennis Nilsen convicted of?
Nilsen confessed to killing 15 people. Ultimately, however, he was convicted of six murders and two attempted murders. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Is Dennis Nilsen still alive?
No. He died on May 12, 2018, at the age of 72 in York Hospital after complaining of stomach pains; he had a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, underwent surgery and later died because of a blood clot. His official cause of death was a pulmonary embolism and retroperitoneal hemorrhage. Nilsen passed away, lying in his own filth, two days after being admitted to the hospital. Nilsen asked that he be cremated and his cremains scattered over the same land where he burned some of his victims—but his next of kin, MarkAustin, refused that request. “I thought it was an insult,” Austin said. “When the time comes, I’m probably going to scatter his ashes in the sea in Fraserburgh.”
Did Dennis Nilsen feel remorse for his crimes?
In 2016, Nilsen wrote a series of letters to prominent U.K. newspapers, explaining why he never sought an appeal. “I will not lodge any appeal for release from prison as I owe it to my victims and to justice to serve out whatever time has been allocated to me,” he explained. Nilsen never seemed to understand his own motives for killing people in the first place. When he was once asked why he did it, he replied, “I’m hoping you will tell me that.”
Why is Dennis Nilsen’s dog called the “Last Victim of Dennis Nilsen”?
Bleep, the Border collie mix that Nilsen owned, was an unusual dog. She couldn’t bark and only spoke in “high pitched squeaks.” Less than a week after Nilsen was handed his life sentence, the dog was euthanized. She’s often called the “last victim of Dennis Nilsen.”
Will there be a movie about Dennis Nilsen?
In 2020, former Doctor Who and Broadchurch star David Tennant starred in the ITV drama Des. “He would have been rather smugly pleased he was on television,”Tennant said about the release of the film. “I think it’s right and proper it’s transmitting after he’s gone.” Why was the film called Des? That’s the nickname Nilsen liked.
How to watch Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
The Nilsen Tapes, which runs about 90 minutes, is available to stream exclusively on Netflix. Next, find out why Invisible Monsters: Serial Killers in America will be your new true crime binge—plus, how to watch.
