Tony Costa

American homicide; found guilty of the murder of two women who had disappeared from Provincetown on 1/26/1969. He was later picked up for the theft of their car. He was linked with the disappearance of four other young women and had a prior conviction of assault and battery in the attempted rape of a 14-year-old girl in 1961. Tony was the son of a carpenter's mate in the navy who drowned when the boy was eight months old. His parents had been married for 16 years when Tony was born. When he was 22 months, his mom gave birth to a half-brother but shortly later, divorced her second husband. He later reported that he began to masturbate at 12 and had his first sex at 14. He graduated from high school at 16. Tony was pale with thick brown hair and delicate skin in contrast to heavy brows. He was 6' tall and 175 lbs and wore gold-rimmed glasses. On 11/18/1961, Tony entered the room of 14-year-old Donna Welch. When she resisted him, he beat her. He was convicted of attempted rape and assault and battery on 1/04/1962. On 4/20/1963, Tony married Avis (b. 10/15/1948) and five months later their son Peter was born. In June 1966, Bonnie Williams and Diane Leadoff disappeared after being with Tony in Hayward, CA. In January 1966, after he left a San Francisco apartment abruptly, Barbara Spaulding disappeared. On 5/24/1968, Sydney Lee Monroe disappeared. On 9/10/1968, the body of Susan Perry was found. Tony was jailed for failure to pay child support on 9/25/1968. On 11/22/1968, Christine Gallant, supposedly the great love of Tony's life was found dead of a pill overdose and drowned in the bathtub. On 1/26/1967, Mary Anne Winsock's was found dead. Tony was arrested for car theft on 3/05/1969 in Brooklyn, NY. His mom died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 12/21/1969 while Christmas shopping. Tony went to trial 5/11/1970 for the murders of Walsh and Winsock and was convicted of first-degree murder on 5/22/1970. He was found hanging in his prison cell by a leather belt on the evening of 5/12/1974. Link to Wikipedia biography