John Martin Scripps

John Martin (born John Martin Scripps, 9 December 1959 – 19 April 1996) was an English spree killer who murdered three tourists—Gerard Lowe in Singapore, and Sheila and Darin Damude in Thailand—with another three unconfirmed victims. He posed as a tourist himself when committing the murders, for which British tabloids nicknamed him "the tourist from Hell". He cut up all his victims' bodies, using butchery skills he acquired in prison, before disposing of them.

Martin was arrested in Singapore when he returned there after murdering the Damudes. Photographs of decomposed body parts were shown as evidence during his trial, making it "one of the most grisly" ever heard in Singapore. He defended himself by saying that Lowe's death was an accident and that a friend of his killed the Damudes. The judge did not believe Martin's account of events and sentenced him to death by hanging, making him the first Briton in Singapore since the latter nation's independence to be given the death penalty.

Read more about John Martin Scripps:  Early Life, Criminal Career, Murder of Tourists, Arrest and Remand, Trial, Appeal and Hanging, Post-death Coverage

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