A word of warning.

There are descriptions of violence in this episode that some listeners may find disturbing.

On June 14, 1962, Anna Slessers was having a quiet Thursday at her apartment in Boston.

She'd emigrated from Latvia more than a decade prior and was living alone following a divorce.

Anna was in her mid-50s and worked as a seamstress.

As this was slow that week, so she was reportedly sent home the day before and was told not to return until Monday.

Anna was expecting her son Yuris to pick her up that evening.

They were going to attend a memorial service.

In Latvia, June 14, is a national day of commemoration, honoring those who were exiled from the region during World War II.

The newspaper accounts of that night said that after eating dinner, Anna put on an op-ren record.

She undressed, changed into a robe, and began running a bath.

Then, she heard someone at the door.

It wasn't her son arriving early to take her to the service.

It wasn't a neighbor complaining about the music.

The person was a complete stranger, and he would be the last person to see her alive.

A serial killer in the making, an infamous one, the Boston Strangler.

From ABC Audio, this is Truth In Lies, the Boston Strangler.

A story about 13 victims, an inconclusive investigation, and lingering doubts over the guilt of the confessed killer.

I'm Dick Lair. I'm a journalist, and I've spent most of my career reporting in Boston.

It's been over 60 years since Anna Slessers was brutally murdered in her home.

She was the first victim in a gruesome killing spree that would plague Boston for 18 long months.

The investigation is still open to this day.

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