Morris Leland, 1953 January 9

After his release, he set up a crude camp on a river bank outside

of Portland. On the night of Aug. lL, 19119, he stole a car and went
looking for a woman, larly the next morning he spotted 15-year-old
schoolgirl Ihelma Taylor who was walking to a bus that would take
her and some other youngsters to Summer jobs gathering crops and
forced her at kwioxge the point of a knife to accompany him to his
camp. He repettedly beat and raped her until he prew tired and

then he tied her up and went to sleep. Miss Taylor loosened her
bounds while Leland slept and was in the process of attempting to
slip off when he woke up. He immediately grabbed an miam an iron
pipe and bludgeoned her unconscious before stabbing her to death,
Leland was captured the next day driving a stolen car and confessed
that he had killed the girl, He took the officers to where her body
.was hidden though he refused to view it himself. VYonvicted of mur-
der, he was sentenced to_be executed and he died in Oree

chamber on Jan. 9, 1953

_ UL

RUE DETECTIVE, April, 196), Pages 52

POLICE PILES, December, 1963, Page 2 2

1951 (ORE - MAG. EX.) _

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7

dernier
reg BEF Metall Oh Hebe, ABET F

TRUE DET

After his release, he set up a crude camp on a river bank outside
of Portland. On the night of Aug. l, 191)9, he stole a car and went
looking for a woman, larly the next morning he spotted 15-year-old
schoolgirl Thelma Taylor who was walking to a bus that would take
her and some other youngsters to Summer jobs gathering crops and
forced her at kwiowe the point of a knife to accompany him to his
campe He repeatedly beat and raped her until he brew tired and
then he tied her up and went to sleep. Miss Taylor loosened her
bounds while Leland slept and was in the process of attempting to
slip off when he woke up. He immediately grabbed an aia an iron
pipe and bludgeoned her unconscious before stabbing her to death.
Leland was captured the next day driving a stolen car and confessed
that he had killed the girl. He took the officers to where her body
was hidden though he refused to view it himself. Convicted of mur-
der, he was sentenced to_be executed and he died in Oregon's ¢
chamber on Jan, 9, 1953 (bb ud brrle dengl@

Lhe: G

TRUE DETECTIVE, April, Ih

POLLCH FILES, December, 1963.

1951 (ORE - MAG. EX.)

a

e
2
fy
E
E+

TRUE DET;

et up a crude camp on a river bank ow
on tee F ihe Of Aug. iy “sii, be stole a cara
Early the next morning he spotted
Baylor who was walking to a bus
her youngsters to Sumer jobs gathering crops
at tocioat the point of a Imife to accompany hin to |
pebtedly beat and ra he grew Seek
Big Hebe up and went to sleep, ifiss Taylor 1
jounds while Leland slept and was in the process o:
ip off when he woke up. t bed a:
igeoned her
S captured the

e
i
3
5
t
oF
a
8
ine:

Le alo
though he Bevis to view a £. Convict
I was sentenced tq er und pe died in Oregon's
pamiber_on 941953. 2 FLL
DETECTIVE, April,

FILES, Dec

LELAND, Morris ds page

Leland, a 22-year-old Portland, [re., white man, had been drrested
twice for Cuenta ie theft before he was 15-years-old, On the
night of Aug, 7, 191.2, a lady shipyard worker was returning to her
home in Bere a when she was forced into an automobile By a young
jXdeaeé man, driven to a secluded spot and sadisticly raped at
TKRAERSAKEY knife point. For over a year, rapes with a similar
modus operandi continued and there was no clue to the assailant
though the women who were raped agreed on a commondescription.
Finally, it was discovered that the rapist was driving a stolen
ear and the wietims were assembled to-look at a book containing
mug shots of car thefts. They positively identified Morris Leland
as the so-called "phantom rapist." Island was taken into custody
and sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was observed for 60
days before being S8hEXBREK returned to the court with the observa-
tLon that he was a menace to society though not -lefally insane. He
was then-sant- to-a-reformatory and released when he joined ths Army
in 19). His tenure in the service was brief as he received a medi-
cal discharge because of his abnormal personality. He was arrested
for car theft and forgery and-spent two years in prison before being
released on parole for the last time on July 30, 1919. 3Gtrybhex

LELAND, Morris f= We A pig ie

Leland, a 22-year-old Portland, Ore., white man, had been arrested
twice for automobile theft ee arde he was 15-years-old, On the
night of “ug, 7, 192, a lady shipyard worker was returning to her
home in Portland when she was forced into an automobile By a young
BERZXARARS man, driven to a secluded spot and sadisticly raped at
EROEEKEY knife point. For over a year, rapes with a similar
modus operandi continued and there was no clue to the assailant
though the women who were raped agreed on a commondescription.
Finally, it was discovered that the rapist was dtiving a stolen
car and the wietims were assembled to look-at a book containing
mug shots of car thefts. They positively identified Morris Leland
as the so-called "phantom rapist." Lgland was taken into custody
and sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was observed for 60
days before being S8HEXKREK returned to the court with the observa-
tion that he was a menace to society though not-lefally insane. He
was then -sint to-a-reformatory and released when he joined ths Army
in 19), His tenure in the service was brief as he received a medi-
cal discharge because of his abnormal personality. He was arrested
for car theft and forgery and-spent two years in prison befote being
released on parole for the last time on July 30, 1919. sGrcyther

ISLAND, Morris

Jala

white man, had been Srros
1d. On the
returning to her
bile By a young
caer spot and sad: a
over a year, rapes with a simi
and there was no clue to the assailant
Hen oh eis who were raped agreed on a_cannondescri pio
it
ear and the wictims were assembl.
mug shots of car thefts ni
as the so-called "phantom rapist." Island was t:
and sent to a psychiatric hospital where he was observed
_ Sea d to the court a
society though not

the observa~
q
aes en a reform atory and released ¥

egally insane
discharge because of his almomal personality
for car two years in fore

P
time on July 30, 19))9. @nother

heft_and. ae ry-and
released on parole e