Charles Joseph Whitman was a mass murderer in the United States who became known as the Texas Tower Sniper. Whitman killed his mother and wife with knives in their respective homes on August 1, 1966, then went to the University of Texas at Austin with multiple firearms and began shooting at people indiscriminately. Do you know what they find in Charles Whitman’s autopsy?
Before his 16-person murder spree, Charles Whitman left a note requesting an autopsy to see if there was a biological explanation for his actions and increasingly intense headaches. An autopsy revealed that he had a “pecan-sized” brain tumor.
Who is Charles Whitman?
Charles Whitman had previously served as a Marine sharpshooter. Whitman, who was taught to handle guns at a young age, was a good student and Eagle Scout who left home to join the Marines shortly after his eighteenth birthday in 1959. He’d grown up with a perfectionist, demanding father who possessed a violent temper and thus required an escape.
Whitman served in the Marine Corps before enrolling at the University of Texas, where he eventually studied architecture. Whitman, suffering from mental illness and outbursts of rage, murdered his mother and wife and, on August 1, 1966, went atop a 300-foot tower, targeting people in the area. He eventually murdered 16 people and injured many more before being killed by police who stormed the building. (Source: History)
The Story Behind the Monster
Charles Whitman brings a cache of firearms and ammunition to the observatory platform atop a 300-foot tower at the University of Texas and shoots 46 people, killing 14 and injuring 32. Whitman, who had murdered his wife and mother the night before, was eventually shot to death after brave Austin police officers, including Ramiro Martinez, charged up the tower’s stairs to apprehend the attacker.
Whitman, a former Eagle Scout and Marine, began to experience serious mental problems after his mother abandoned him in March 1966. On March 29, he told a psychiatrist that he was experiencing uncontrollable outbursts of rage. He allegedly said to this doctor that he considered going to the tower with a rifle and shooting people. Unfortunately, the doctor did not investigate this red flag.
Whitman wrote a note about his violent tendencies and had a simple request after his death.
After my death, I wish an autopsy on me be performed to see if there’s any mental disorders
Charles Whitman
The note described his hatred for his family and his intention to kill them. Whitman went to his mother’s house and stabbed and shot her that night. When he returned home, he stabbed his wife to death.
After stopping at a gun store to purchase ammunition boxes and a carbine, Whitman returned to the tower the following day, armed with several pistols and a rifle. He went to the observation platform with food and other supplies, killing the receptionist and two tourists before unpacking his rifle and telescope and hunting the people below.
Whitman, a skilled marksman, could hit targets from 500 yards away. He continued firing for 90 minutes while officers looked for a chance to shoot at him. They eventually shot and killed him. By the end of his rampage, 14 people had been killed, and more than 30 had been injured.
(Source: History)