Harvey Carignan, also known as the Want Ad Killer, operated with a chilling efficiency that spanned multiple states, yet he never achieved the notoriety of serial killers who preyed in major media markets. His crimes, however, were no less brutal. Carignan believed he was on a divine mission to rid the world of women he deemed immoral, a twisted conviction that led to a string of murders across Alaska, Washington, and Minnesota.
Early Life and Criminal Beginnings
Born in 1927 in Fargo, North Dakota, to a single mother, Carignan faced challenges from the start. He was small, suffered from a facial twitch, and was a chronic bed wetter. According to true crime author Ann Rule, he had an imaginary friend named Paul. His mother eventually married and had another son, but Carignan was shuttled between relatives before returning home at age 11. His bed-wetting persisted, and he began stealing. At age 11, he was sent to reform school, where he spent seven years until he turned 18.
Military Service and First Murder
Upon leaving reform school, Carignan enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. On July 31, 1949, he raped and killed 57-year-old nurse Laura Showalter, beating her to death. Less than two months later, he attempted to rape another woman, but she escaped. Arrested and convicted in 1950, Carignan was sentenced to hang. However, a detective had promised him leniency if he confessed, leading to an overturned death penalty. He was sent to Alcatraz, where he served eight years before being released on April 2, 1960.
A Pattern of Violence
After his release, Carignan moved to Seattle and continued his criminal career with burglary and assault. He was sentenced to another 15 years but was released after just five. He married twice in Seattle, both marriages ending in divorce. By 1970, his hatred for women had intensified. He murdered church lady Eileen Hunley, raping and bludgeoning her to death. Carignan claimed God had commanded him to kill "whores and harlots," a belief his lawyer would later use in his defense.
The Want Ad Method
In 1973, Carignan began using want ads to lure victims. Kathy Miller answered a help-wanted ad for his gas station and disappeared. Her nude body was later found wrapped in plastic, her skull crushed by hammer blows. Seattle police pressured him until he left town. During a traffic stop in California, he was placed near the scene of six unsolved murders, but no charges were filed. He fled to Minneapolis, where he continued his attacks.
Final Victim and Capture
Katherine Schultz, 18, was Carignan's last known victim. On September 24, 1974, she vanished after college classes. Her body was found in a cornfield the next day, her skull pulverized by hammer blows. Police in Washington and Minnesota collaborated, and survivors identified Carignan in lineups. Upon arrest, detectives discovered maps with 181 red circles across Canada and the U.S., some marking murder scenes similar to his crimes. He was charged with Schultz's murder, attempted murder, and aggravated sodomy.
Trial and Imprisonment
At his February 1976 trial, Carignan's insanity defense failed. He was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison. The judge remarked, "Your crimes are so gross that there is no point in commenting on them." Carignan replied, "Don't comment on them, then." He died in March 2023 at the Minnesota Correctional Facility at age 95, after nearly 50 years behind bars.
