Between 1980 and 1982, Minneapolis residents lived in fear of Paul Michael Stephani, a serial killer who earned the nickname 'Weepy-Voiced Killer' for making emotional calls to police after each brutal attack. His reign of terror included attacks with screwdrivers and ice picks, and he ultimately confessed to multiple murders before his death.
First Attack on New Year's Eve
His first attack occurred on New Year's Eve 1980, when 20-year-old Karen Potack, a University of Stevens Point student, was walking home from a nightclub. She was struck on the head with a wrench and left for dead. Police received a call at approximately 3 a.m., with a sobbing voice saying, "There's a girl hurt here," before hanging up. Potack survived but suffered memory loss.
Subsequent Murders and Calls
On June 3, 1981, the body of 18-year-old Kimberly Compton was found in woods. She had been stabbed 61 times with an ice pick and strangled with a shoelace. The killer called police, saying, "God damn, will you find me? I just stabbed somebody with an ice pick. I can't stop myself. I keep killing somebody." Calls were traced to a payphone, but the caller was never found.
On July 21, 1982, 33-year-old Kathleen Greening was found dead in her bathtub. Her death was initially ruled an accident. The fourth victim, 40-year-old nurse Barbara Simons, was stabbed to death on August 5, 1982, after offering a man a cigarette at a bar. The killer called police, saying, "I'm sorry I killed that girl. I stabbed her 40 times."
Capture and Confession
Stephani's last known attack was on 19-year-old Denise Williams, who fought back with a glass bottle and escaped. He sought medical treatment for a facial wound, and the St. Paul Fire Department noted "aural similarities" to the killer's calls. He was identified as 37-year-old Paul Michael Stephani and arrested. He was found guilty of murdering Simons but not linked to others due to insufficient evidence.
In 1997, Stephani, diagnosed with cancer, confessed to killing Compton, Simons, and Greening. He provided details about Greening's home only the killer would know, and her address book contained "Paul S" with his phone number. He died in 1998 at Oak Parks Heights maximum security prison.
