Clarence Hill

Clarence Hill (November 10, 1910 – July 10, 1973) was an American serial killer who attacked couples at lovers' lanes in Duck Island, New Jersey, and the surrounding area between 1938 and 1942.

In 1944, he was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. A model prisoner, he was released from prison on health grounds in 1964 and died of throat cancer in 1973.

Personal life Hill was born on November 10, 1910, in Atlanta, Georgia. A former Sunday school teacher, he fathered two children. Hill was drafted into the Army on March 12, 1943.

Duck Island murders

On the night of November 8, 1938, 20-year-old Vincenzo "Jim" Tonzillo and 16-year-old Mary Myatovich were parked at a lovers' lane on the remote Duck Island when they were ambushed by a "short, stocky colored man" armed with a 12-gauge shotgun. The man demanded money, and when Tonzillo refused, he was shot dead. After Myatovich fled from the vehicle, she was shot in the lower body, chased down, and raped. Similar to the first murders, Kasper and Werner were out on their spouses. Both Kasper's wife and Werner's husband had "airtight alibis".

The final murders occurred in Hamilton Township on November 16, 1940, when 35-year-old Ludovicum J. Kovacs and 27-year-old Caroline Moriconi were found dead in their car parked in a wooded area off Cypress Lane. The couple, who were also involved in an affair, died from shotgun blasts.

Arrest, trial, and imprisonment After a lengthy investigation, the serial number of the shotgun was traced back to Hill. On December 29, 1944, exactly one year after his arrest, Hill was found guilty of first degree murder. After the jury recommended mercy, he received a life sentence. Pennsylvania requested an extradition to charge him with previous crimes he had allegedly committed, but the request was refused by New Jersey governor Richard J. Hughes.