Peter Manuel (March 1, 1927 – July 11, 1958) was a U.S.-born serial killer who is considered one of the most psychopathic killers in British criminal history. He was the second last person to be hanged in Barlinnie Prison and the third last to be hanged in Scotland.
Early life
Born in New York to Scottish parents, Manuel and his family moved to Coventry, England in 1932. Considered a juvenile delinquent throughout childhood, Manuel's first jail term was at age 16 for sexual assault. He served further sentences for rape before moving to Glasgow, Scotland in 1953 to join his family, who had moved there. It was in Glasgow that he began his killing spree.
Murders
He was questioned in 1956 for the murder of 17-year-old Anna Knielands, who had been attacked with a length of iron and whose body was discovered on East Kilbride golf course. He was released without charge, but would later confess to the murder in 1958. On September 17, 1956, the bodies of 45-year-old Marion Watt, her 16-year-old daughter Vivienne, and Marion's sister Margaret were found dead at the Watts' home in Burnside, Glasgow. They had all been shot at close range. The police officer in charge suspected Manuel, who had been out on bail for a burglary at a local colliery. Manuel was questioned again to no avail and two weeks later was jailed for 18 months for the colliery burglary.
On his release, Manuel visited Newcastle Upon Tyne in early December 1957, where he shot and killed taxi driver Sydney Dunn. Returning to Glasgow, Manuel's random killings continued, and a real sense of fear gripped the city. On December 27, 1957, 17-year-old Isabelle Cooke left home to go to a dance but never returned. Her body was later found buried in a field. On January 1, 1958, Manuel gunned down 45-year-old Peter Smart, his wife Doris, and their 10-year-old son Michael in Uddingston. After the killing, he returned to the house frequently to rest up, help himself to food, and drive around in the family's car. He fed the murdered family's cat whenever he made one of his visits.
Trial
Twelve days later, Manuel was arrested when the new bank notes he took from the Smarts' home aroused the suspicion of a local bartender. The police traced the notes to Peter Smart and arrested Manuel, who was charged with seven murders. Having been brought to trial several times during his adulthood, he was a master at skillfully providing his own defense in court and escaped conviction more than once. He shifted blame from himself so skillfully that the innocent widower of one of his first victims was temporarily jailed on suspicion of having committed Manuel's crime. At his final trial at Glasgow High Court, Manuel again conducted his own defence but was unable to convince the judge of his insanity plea. He was found guilty in May 1958 of seven murders, although many connected with the case believe he killed up to 15 people. He was hanged at Barlinnie prison, Glasgow on July 11, 1958. His last words were, "Turn up the radio and I'll go quietly."
Scottish actor Brian Cox based his portrayal of Hannibal Lecter on Manuel in the movie Manhunter.