Charles Severance (serial killer)

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Charles Severance
Born
Charles Stanard Severance

(1960-09-25) September 25, 1960 (age 65)
Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S.
Alma mater
Political party Independent
Convictions Capital murder (2 counts)
First degree murder
Malicious wounding
Use of a firearm in the commission of a felony (4 counts)
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2 counts)
Criminal penalty Life imprisonment without parole
Details
Victims3
Span of crimes
2003–2014
Country United States
State Virginia
Date apprehended
March 13, 2014

Charles Stanard Severance (born September 25, 1960) is a convicted American serial killer whose crimes took place in Alexandria, Virginia, between 2003 and 2014. He was convicted by a Virginia court in 2016 of three shooting deaths and sentenced to life in prison plus an additional 48 years. [1] [2]

Contents

Trials

He was tried for the killings of three individuals: Ruthanne Lodato in 2014, Ronald Kirby in 2013, and Nancy Dunning in 2003. The case received considerable attention in the city because Severance (as convicted) attacked in broad daylight by knocking on victim's doors and killing those who answered with a .22 caliber firearm, with investigators eventually finding writings from Severance titled "Knock. Talk. Enter. Kill. Exit. Murder." [3] [4]

Severance was ultimately arrested on March 13, 2014, following the release of a police sketch taken after the shooting of Lodato. [5] Prosecutors alleged he did so out of hatred for elites in the generally wealthy city of Alexandria. [6]

In December 2016, Severance was granted leave by a judge to appeal his convictions on three counts of law. However, six months later, on May 23, 2017, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals of Virginia ruled unanimously to uphold the 2015 convictions. [7]

Political career

Prior to the killings, Severance ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Alexandria in a 1996 special election and 2000 as well as for Congress for the 8th district in 1996. On the campaign trail, Severance displayed unusual and erratic behavior. [8] Severance appeared at campaign events dressed entirely in black with a cloak and sunglasses and during Severance's campaigns for Mayor, the city manager and police chief assigned an undercover officer to follow Democratic candidate and eventual mayor Kerry Donley. [9] On several occasions during his campaigns, Severance became violent. In one instance during a forum in 1996, Severance picked up an American flag and pointed the spiked finial at Representative Jim Moran before running out of the building. At another forum in 2000, Severance punched one of the organizers. [8]

The focus of Severance's campaigns were juvenile mental health and psychotropic drug prescriptions. During his runs for mayor, Severance responded to nearly every question by transitioning to talk about these topics. [9] In a statement in 2000, Severance said a "plague of child and adolescent psychiatry" threatened to overwhelm Alexandria. He went on to say "Terrorism, child exploitation and adolescent abuse by child and adolescent psychiatrists who peddle dope for profit under the guise of academia and clinical practice must be eradicated." [10]

Electoral history

Alexandria mayoral special election, 1996
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kerry Donley (inc.) 5,030 88.18
Independent Charles Severance4908.59
Write-ins1843.23
Total votes5,704 100.00
Democratic hold
Virginia's 8th congressional district election, 1996
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jim Moran (inc.) 152,334 66.40
Republican John Otey64,56228.14
Reform R. Ward Edmonds6,2432.72
Independent Sarina Grosswald5,2392.28
Independent Charles Severance7400.32
Write-ins3030.13
Total votes229,421 100.00
Democratic hold
Alexandria mayoral election, 2000
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kerry Donley (inc.) 16,939 60.62
Independent Robert R. Peavey6,22336.74
Independent Charles Severance3792.24
Write-ins680.40
Total votes16,939 100.00
Democratic hold

See also

References

  1. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt. "Public Safety Virginia serial killer Charles Severance sentenced to life in prison". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Recently released 'The Parable of the Knocker' sheds new light on Charles Severance". April 22, 2020.
  3. ↑ Megan Cloherty & Amanda Lacone (October 8, 2015). "Prosecutors cite Severance's writings to connect 3 murders". WTOP.com. WTOP. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Commonwealth v. Severance". cite.case.law. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ Joe Kemp. "Serial killer? Alexandria cops link killing of Virginia music teacher to two other murders". NY Daily News. The Daily News. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  6. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt. "In case of alleged Alexandria serial killer, prosecutors must piece together a puzzle". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  7. ↑ Judges deny Charles Severance's appeal of Alexandria murder convictions, nbcwashington.com. Accessed November 4, 2025.
  8. 1 2 Lee Pope, Michael (April 22, 2020). "Recently released 'The Parable of the Knocker' sheds new light on Charles Severance". Northern Virginia Magazine. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  9. 1 2 "Former Mayor of Alexandria Recalls Interactions With Severance". NBC 4 Washington. March 14, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Alexandria". Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
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