On May 25, 1969, then-25-year-old Andre Rand was arrested for the kidnapping and attempted rape of a 9-year-old girl in the South Bronx. According to some of Rand's fellow inmates, he bragged about his similarities to serial killer Ted Bundy. Later some of this land would be sold to developers, and since 1993, the College of Staten Island has taken over 300 acres. Parents used the tale to spook their little ones at night go to bed, or Cropsey will get you. The eighties were in the grips of the Satanic Panic and it was said that Willowbrook was where devil worshipers had black masses on makeshift altars garnered from the ruins. 2022 AFP. Simply shuffle up, ask a question, and let the content roll. Lucile Randon, AKA Sister Andr, poses for a portrait at the Sainte Catherine Laboure care home in Toulon, southern France, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Cropseywas a mythical, boogeyman-typecharacter feared by the children of Staten Island. Andre Rands mother had struggled with mental illness and had lived, like poet Allen Ginsbergs mom, at the Pilgrim State Asylum. At that time she was reported to still eat chocolate and drink a glass of wine each day. But she also has a record to beat: that of Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 in Arles, southern France, at age 122 the oldest confirmed age reached by any human being so far. The plethora of stories seemed to gain traction as more and more city kids were transplanted into the suburbs, where instead of museums and other cultural attractions, they had the local institution looming large on the green landscape. Johnson, seen in this 1998 photo, was convicted by a jury in state Supreme Court, St. George, in December 1999. If she surpasses age 122 years and 164 days, Randon would take over Jeanne Calments (the current record holder) spot for the worlds oldest person in history. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Did he act alone? She said that Sister Andre had "a mission to serve others" and that "her deep faith helps her" keep going. He set up a campsite there, and he wasnt alone. I can say this because I was born there. There is a 2009 documentary about this case called "Cropsey" if you would like to use it as a source! During its 40 years of operation, Willowbrook repeatedly came under fire for the mistreatment of its students. Staten Island man, Andre Rand, was found guilty of the kidnapping of innocent children. His reportage would eventually become the documentary Willowbrook: The Last Disgrace. He will be eligible for parole in 2037, when. At least one of them, Andre Rand, is known as a notorious serial killer who has actually never been convicted of murder. Cop-killer Shatiek Johnson is serving 25 years to life. Cropsey is also the title of a brilliant documentary filmed by two Staten Islanders, http://cropseylegend.com/, who grew up hearing the legend. Sometimes a perfect suspect is not guilty. He lives in the woods. The operation seemed to be running nicely until officials noticed dubious conditions and strange medical procedures. Cutbacks in funding had left the residents of Willowbrook at the mercy of a skeleton crew of staff, many untrained, some of whom dedicated their careers to helping the disabled, and others who delighted in abusing the residents. Cortney Moore is an associate lifestyle writer on the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. ", Rand's defense attorney, Duane Felton, later described these statements as nothing more than"pretentious prison boasting. This maniac also apparently had a thing for killing gas station attendants and donning their uniforms. Sister Andr, who lives near the French city of Toulon, is also the world's oldest Covid-19 survivor. Anyone can read what you share. Hell be 57 then. That's 10 years, five months and 17 days . For all intents and purposes, the Staten Island boogeyman is still imprisoned today in connection with the abductions of Holly Ann Hughes and Jennifer Schweiger and wont be eligible for parole until 2037. Qiydaar Reddick, 33, is serving a sentence of 19 and two-thirds to 23 years in prison in Five Points Correctional Facility. Many people who experience the suffering of loved ones go into the helping professions. ", Horror Fans Rank Rotten Tomatoes's Best Horror Movies Of Each Year Since 1998. Mannino, seen in this 1998 file photo, was sentenced to more than 80 years to life in prison, which he is serving in Great Meadow Correctional Facility. Opened in 1938 it served as a home for disabled children until it was used as an army hospital during World War II, After the war, it was reopened again as Willowbrook School and the population of students swelled to unmanageable proportions. Kidnapper Andre Rand is serving 50 years to life. Andre Rand ended up with a life term in prison He was the first person ever convicted in the borough for killing a cop, the Advance reported. Andre Rand quickly took on as he tormented the residents of Staten Island by engaging in eerily identical behavior. 4) Anna would urge Ayn to try to get along with others for the sake of . In an email to Fox News Digital, Guinness World Records confirmed that Randon is the current world record holder for the "oldest person living (female)" and the "overall oldest person living.". Hell be 47 then. Although she is now blind and gets around in a wheelchair, she used to care for other elderly people much younger than herself. Andre Rand or Frank Rushan is an American convicted kidnapper of two children and suspected serial killer from Staten Island New York currently . The . Children would be dragged from the security of their homes and transported to an abandoned hospital by the shape. The cases of Tiahease Jackson, Alice Pereira, and Hank Gafforio all remain unsolved. Stories of other aging figures going through the pandemic have also provided tales of resilience, despair and hope. Lucile Randon lives in a retirement home in Toulon, a port city on southern Frances Mediterranean coast, which is home to more than 167,000 people. Afterward, they torched the home. Patients, many of whom were children, lived in filth and disease. Its something youll remember for the rest of your life. This in the face of their alibis and actual physical evidence suggesting the identify of another possible killer, who makes self-incriminating statements in two famous documentaries about the case, "Paradise Lost" and "Paradise Lost 2: Revelations." After the school's closure in 1987, Rand reportedly began camping out in the woods surrounding Willowbrook. Rand was charged with attempted rape but eventually plead guilty to sexual abuse in 1970 in order to receive a lighter sentence. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! He was eventually apprehended and served ten months in jail. Read this: Creepy History: 5 Insane Asylums And The Horrors That Happened There, Read this: This Is The Brutal Murder That Inspired 9-1-1, Read this: 50 Grisly, True Stories That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You, Reaching For Connection: How Instagram Changed My Life As I Faced My Crohns Diagnosis, 10 Urban Legends That Turned Out To Be True, 25 Twisted Urban Legends That Will Cause You To Lose Sleep Tonight (And Tomorrow Too). There is no time limit in New York state for bringing first-degree kidnapping charges. Neighbors combed the empty lots and wooded parks of Staten Island. Rand had a makeshift campsite nearby. One of the three new episodes in Hulu's Missing covered the disappearance of Ethel Atwell and her possible abductor Andre Rand. Despite being New Yorks smallest borough, Staten Island had more than its share of such institutions. She thinks to herself that Calment's record "is within reach, if she's going to stay on Earth, she might as well make it," he added. 2) But Anna was a social climber, excessively concerned about status and the opinions of others. Gonzalez, now 49, drove the getaway car used by the killer, his half-brother, Steven Morales, in the Mothers Day murder. Gonzalez, seen in this 2015 photo, is incarcerated in Washington Correctional Facility and is eligible for parole in April 2018. In the 80s, parents on Staten Island would make their children go . Andre Rand, seen in this 2013 state Corrections Department photo, is serving consecutive sentences of 25 years to life in Great Meadow Correctional Facility and is first eligible for parole in July 2037. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. For the kidnapping of multiple children, Rand had already served 10 months in jail at this point. This man, who emerged seemingly from myth, outraged a close-knit community with his crimes and will forever merge with legend as a cautionary tale. Happy Halloween! Already convicted of sexual abuse against a minor, he attracted the attention of searchers after the disappearance of Jennifer Schweiger, a young girl with Down syndrome. Born Lucile Randon in 1904 in Ales, also in southern France, Sister Andre's days are punctuated by prayer, mealtimes and visits from other residents and hospice workers as well as a steady flow of letters, almost all of which she responds to. He was a Boogie Man from central casting. His nickname is Rushan Frank. Birthday: March 11, 1944. Her mission lasted 18 years until she was sent to another hospital at La Baume-d'Hostun, Drme, for night duty in 1963. Ms Randon - who assumed the name Sister Andr when she became a nun in 1944 - died in her sleep at her nursing home in. But Staten Island's terrifying reality. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In 1972, journalist Geraldo Rivera revealed the deplorable conditions at Willowbrook, which had a history of overcrowding, disease, and abuse. Kidnap suspect Andre Rand arriving at Staten Island Supreme Court. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. When asked the secret to longevity, the worlds oldest person told reporters that she has a glass of wine every day and that chocolate is her guilty secret. But many who believe in his guilt also believe his tenure at a facility notorious for abuse later influenced his crimes against children. One of his outposts was built in the woods behind his old stomping grounds Willowbrook State School. The kids from Staten Island, however, had a more personal story, their local maniac had a name, Cropsey. They also had the depressing legacy of Willowbrook State School in their borough. A town was terrified as a result of these unsettling happenings, which was made worse by the fact that no one was found guilty or identified as the culprit. Andre Rand is led out of state Supreme Court, St. George, in handcuffs in 2004 after the opening of his trial in the disappearance of Holly Ann Hughes. She lived in a nursing home in Toulon, France, from 2009 until her death. Acres and acres of crumbling old buildings had lots of history. [4] In 2021, she said she was happy at her home, although she wished to join her grandparents and brother Andr in heaven. only to refuse to see the visitors when they arrive. Andre Rand left Willowbrook long before it closed. Cropsey. Chicago Announces Its Summer Festivals And Events Lineup, Europe Summer TravelAirline Prices Booming By Up To 50%, Norway Coastal Cruise: How Havilas New Ships Compare With Hurtigruten, Discover The Rich Flavors Of Turks And Caicos At This Luxurious Providenciales Hotel. Schweiger had Down syndrome and had left her home on what was supposed to be a short walk. He sets up interviews where hes serving time at Ossining Correctional (Sing Sing). The 5 Scariest Monster Urban Legends In The U.S. Creepy History: Journey To The Island Of The Dolls, Creepy History: 5 Insane Asylums And The Horrors That Happened There. Staten Island was convinced. After contracting the virus on January 16, the French nun fortunately didn't display any symptoms other than great fatigue. A real-life bedtime story about a boogeyman-like monster with a hook for a hand was told to Staten Island children, and that is how the mans dark and perversely fascinating life began. New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. In May 2009, a jury found Janet Redmond-Mercereau 47, guilty of fatally shooting her husband, Supervising Fire Marshal Douglas Mercereau as he slept inside their Tarring Street home in Oakwood on Dec. 2, 2007. Long Shadows of a Borough's Boogeyman. The fourth was Hank Gafforio, a 22-year-old with a low IQ who was last seen with Rand at a diner in 1984. Others cry in his defense that it was a convenient frame up. The second was 7-year-old Holly Ann Hughes, who according to witnesses, was spotted with Rand on the day of her disappearance in 1981. A new updated version of Cropsey called Slenderman, a mysterious child killing monster, who lives on in Creepypasta stories all over the web and in our nightmares. [10][2][11], After the death of Honorine Rondello on 19 October 2017, she became the oldest living person in France. Her living siblings included three older brothers and a twin sister named Lydie, who died a year after they were born. Staten Island pulled together as a community and many are still searching for the remains of these victims so that the families can have some semblance of closure. Rapist Qiydaar Reddick is serving up to 23 years. Authorities quickly arrested the man and charged him with murder. As a young adult, Randon converted to Roman Catholicism and worked as a governess, teacher, nun and missionary before retiring at the age of 75 in 1979. The victims also deviate from the Cropsey urban legend narrative and even the Willowbrook child abuse story, as these children were never patients, nor were they scouts on a camping trip. He is now completing two sentences of 25 years to life in prison. It surrounds this footage with the sparse available video of Rand, and uses many letters Rand wrote to the filmmakers claiming his innocence and suggested unanswered questions. Thomas Fields was convicted in March 2010 of two counts of predatory sexual assault for raping an 18-year-old girl on Nov. 7, 2008, in Mariners Harbor. Many still believe that there are hidden human remains lying underneath the weeds, trash, and bramble on the Willowbrook grounds. John Rispoli, stretch-pants strangler, is serving 25 years to life. 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