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"Walk of Death" Mass Murder Suspect Howard Unruh Dead at 88
By Gary C. King in Mass Murder, homicide
Thursday, Oct. 22 2009 @ 11:28AM
Howard Unruh.jpg
Mass murder suspect Howard Unruh has died at age 88.

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Howard Unruh, 88, was known by historians and those in law enforcement as the modern face of mass murder following a horrific shooting rampage that unfolded during a 20-minute time span in the 3200 block of River Road in the Cramer Hill section of East Camden, New Jersey. 

That section of River Road became known as the "walk of death" after Unruh threatened his mother, with whom he lived, with a wrench and left their home with a 9mm pistol he had purchased in Philadelphia for $37.50. The incident occurred in September of 1949. Unruh died this week of natural causes at age 88.


Although Unruh was never found mentally competent to stand trial, he spent the rest of his life as a committed mental patient at Trenton State Hospital after being diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.

Born January 20, 1921 in Haddonfield, Unruh graduated from high school as an average student.  He worked for Curtis Publishing Company following graduation, and then was employed for a short time as a sheet-metal worker for the Philadelphia Naval Base in 1942, the same year he enlisted in the Army.

During his stint in the Army, Unruh served in a field artillery unit and occasionally as a tank gunner with the 342nd Armored Field Artillery in Europe during World War II, which is when his fascination with guns was believed to have begun.  At the time of his rampage, several of his Army commanders described him as a good soldier who did not drink or smoke and followed orders.  He earned a good conduct medal and two bronze stars during his military service.

Some people, including his brother, James, believe the war had caused him to snap.  He wasn't the same after coming home, was nervous, and just did not act like he did before he left for the war.  However, later, mental health professionals said that his mental illness existed before he ever joined the Army.

He never worked at a job when he returned home, but moved in with his mother, listened to classical music, began collecting guns and built a target practice shooting range in the basement of their home.

On the morning of his rampage, police said he left home with a dazed look on his face and walked along River Road shooting at pedestrians, at passing vehicles, and through the windows of businesses.  He even walked into some businesses and shot the proprietors while leaving customers unharmed. He did not stop killing until he ran out of ammunition.  All-in-all he claimed the lives of 13 victims that morning, including three children.  When he was finished, he barricaded himself inside his mother's home until police arrived and smoked him out with tear gas.

Following his arrest, Unruh told detectives that he planned the murderous spree while sitting through three showings of a double-feature at a Philadelphia movie theater.  The movies he saw were The Lady Gambles and I Cheated the Law.  He had compiled a hit list that targeted several business owners, and fired on several people who had simply crossed his path.

Unruh, who has no known survivors, was 28 when he committed the murders.  He has outlived many of the people who witnessed his killing spree, and is considered by some as having been the first single-episode mass killer in the U.S.