These infamous criminals committed shocking crimes, and yet, they walk among us. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most notorious convicted criminals who, for one reason or another, were unexpectedly released from prison.
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00:00 "They tell you to kill someone. Did you think of saying no?"
00:03 "No, not at all."
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks
00:09 for the most notorious convicted criminals who, for one reason or another,
00:13 were unexpectedly released from prison.
00:15 "What does it say about the American justice system? That it's flawed?"
00:19 Desmond Lee
00:21 Desmond Lee was barely an adult when he was first arrested in 1990
00:25 for the murder of his landlady, Shirley Carr.
00:28 Lee maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty,
00:30 but he was ultimately convicted and handed a life sentence.
00:33 After serving only 14 years, Lee was released on lifelong parole in 2004.
00:39 That decision may have come as a shock to Carr's family,
00:42 but Lee's subsequent actions most likely would not have.
00:45 Less than five years later, Lee found himself charged with yet another murder,
00:49 this time that of his partner, Christopher Pratt.
00:52 Lee claimed the death was the result of a freak accident,
00:55 but a jury disagreed, convicting him of murder and imposing a whole life sentence.
01:00 Alexander Rubel
01:02 Between 1997 and 1998, Alexander Rubel, then a teenager,
01:07 committed a series of violent murders in Tallinn, Estonia,
01:10 resulting in the deaths of at least six people.
01:13 His first murder occurred on September 19th, 1997,
01:16 while he was under the influence of gasoline vapors
01:19 and driven by an uncontrollable urge to kill.
01:22 That urge was seemingly never satisfied as he continued to take lives,
01:26 with one case even involving the assistance of his father, Andrei Rubel.
01:30 Due to his status as a minor at the time,
01:33 Rubel was only sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, the maximum penalty allowed.
01:38 He was released in 2006 and reportedly still resides in Estonia,
01:42 although under a different name.
01:44 Vince Lee
01:45 "He heard a voice in his head he believed was God,
01:49 warning him about evil people, ordering him what to do."
01:53 The killing of 22-year-old Tim McLean by Vince Lee
01:56 remains one of Canada's most disturbing murders.
01:58 It occurred on July 30th, 2008, during a bus trip from Edmonton to Winnipeg.
02:03 While McLean was asleep, Lee, another passenger,
02:07 inexplicably took out a large knife and fatally stabbed him.
02:10 He then proceeded to commit unspeakable acts on McLean's remains
02:14 as the horrified driver and passengers,
02:16 who had all fled the bus earlier, looked on in terror.
02:19 "Ever since that night, I have nightmares."
02:23 Lee was eventually arrested,
02:24 but deemed not criminally responsible due to being diagnosed with schizophrenia.
02:28 He was confined to a mental health institution,
02:31 where he remained until his release in 2017.
02:34 "After years of medication and therapy,
02:37 doctors believe he presents little risk to the public."
02:40 Lee currently lives as a free man, under the new identity of Will Lee Baker.
02:46 Juha Valiakala
02:48 Regarded as one of Finland's most notorious criminals,
02:50 Juha Valiakala gained infamy for a 1998 triple homicide in Umsala, Sweden.
02:56 Valiakala had stolen a bike and was chased down to a local cemetery by the owners,
03:00 Sten Nielsen and his son, Fredrik.
03:02 There, Valiakala fatally shot both of them and later killed Fredrik's mother, Eva,
03:07 when she went looking for her husband and son.
03:09 He was later given a life sentence, during which he escaped from prison four times.
03:14 Despite his history, Valiakala was released on parole in February 2008,
03:19 only to be re-arrested just two months later for a slew of new offenses.
03:23 Eventually adopting the name Nikita Bergenström,
03:26 Valiakala passed away in 2023, although it's unclear if he died in prison.
03:31 Brian Lansing Martin
03:34 "A central mystery has dogged investigators from the outset of this case.
03:38 How did Martin get out of prison just three years into a 10-year sentence in 2013 for manslaughter?"
03:44 In October 2021, Brian Lansing Martin led Sheffield, Alabama police on a high-speed
03:50 chase that resulted in the death of one officer and severe injury to another.
03:55 But this wasn't Martin's first run-in with the law.
03:58 Back in 2013, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter for killing his own father
04:02 and received a 10-year prison sentence.
04:05 After just three years, Martin was released on good behavior.
04:08 However, an investigation into his prison records showed that Martin was anything but good,
04:13 as he had accumulated multiple disciplinary infractions.
04:16 "Our review of the records show he was involved in what prison officials labeled
04:20 a major discipline incident where he faced punishment and loss of good time."
04:24 In 2021, five years after his release,
04:28 Martin fatally shot William Mealback Jr., whom he had been caring for.
04:32 This sparked the police chase that led to his arrest and subsequent charge of capital murder.
04:37 "He was shooting me out on the street with a weapon, shooting a police. It's ridiculous.
04:41 He was convicted of manslaughter. He should be in prison."
04:44 Bill Cosby
04:45 Due to a legal technicality, disgraced actor and comedian Bill Cosby,
04:49 who is alleged to have sexually assaulted numerous women, walks free today.
04:54 "Just hours after the court's ruling, Cosby coming before cameras outside of his home,
04:58 celebrating his release after serving more than two years of a three to ten year prison sentence."
05:03 In 2005, well before the allegations surfaced publicly,
05:07 Cosby faced a civil lawsuit from one of his accusers, Andrea Constand.
05:11 Cosby was convinced to testify during the deposition by then-district attorney Bruce
05:15 Castor, who assured him that criminal charges would not be pursued.
05:19 However, in 2018, after Constand's allegations led to a criminal trial,
05:24 Cosby was found guilty using his own statements as evidence.
05:27 Three years later, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned this conviction,
05:31 ruling that Cosby's due process rights had been violated.
05:34 "Bill Cosby cannot be retried again for these charges."
05:38 Although cleared of criminal charges in that case, Cosby still faces multiple civil lawsuits.
05:43 "I was really shocked. I was really shocked,
05:46 disappointed. What does it say about the American justice system? That it's flawed?"
05:52 David McCreevy
05:53 "In relation to David McCreevy, 'Friday the 13th' wasn't just a gothic movie, but gothic reality."
06:01 After being dismissed from the Navy and kicked out by his parents,
06:04 David McCreevy moved in with his friend Clive and his wife Elsie.
06:07 With Clive and Elsie both working long hours,
06:09 McCreevy took on the responsibility of babysitting their three children.
06:13 However, on the night of April 13th, 1973, McCreevy tragically killed the three in a
06:18 drunken rage, claiming he was provoked by the incessant crying of one of them.
06:22 "To this day, sometimes I sit and it goes through my head and it's still hard to believe what
06:29 happened and what he actually done to them."
06:34 He pleaded guilty to all three murders and was sentenced to multiple life terms.
06:38 The case gained renewed attention in 2013 due to reports about McCreevy being considered for parole.
06:45 Despite the controversy surrounding his possible release, McCreevy was deemed rehabilitated
06:50 and granted parole in December 2018.
06:53 "He was refused parole on nine occasions and the parole board this time have decided that his risk
07:00 is low enough that he could be trusted to serve the rest of his life sentence outside of prison."
07:06 Sammy Gravano
07:07 "Sammy the Bull is a serial murderer. He's a psychopath and a sociopath."
07:13 Sammy Gravano, commonly known as Sammy the Bull, was deeply entrenched in a life of crime,
07:18 as the underboss of the powerful Gambino crime family.
07:21 For years, Gravano served as the right-hand man to John Gotti,
07:25 only to later play a pivotal role in his downfall.
07:28 "They tell you to kill someone. Did you think of saying no?"
07:32 "No, not at all."
07:35 Convinced that Gotti intended to frame him for certain murders,
07:38 Gravano struck a deal with the FBI and testified against his former boss.
07:42 Gotti was sentenced to life without parole, while Gravano received a five-year sentence
07:47 and was released in 1994. Subsequently, he entered into witness protection but soon
07:53 reverted to criminal activities, resulting in a 20-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.
07:58 He was released again in 2017 and currently operates a YouTube channel and podcast.
08:04 "You don't worry about a final judgment?"
08:06 "I'll worry about that that day and we'll see what happens."
08:11 Carla Homolka
08:12 The true story of Paul Bernardo and Carla Homolka was no fairy tale. Both harbored deep,
08:19 dark secrets that once revealed would send shockwaves through civilized society.
08:24 Between 1990 and 1992, Carla Homolka and her then-husband Paul Bernardo sexually
08:30 assaulted and murdered three girls in Ontario, Canada. Shockingly, one of the victims was
08:35 Homolka's own younger sister, Tammy. Although Bernardo was the mastermind,
08:39 Homolka actively participated in carrying out the crimes. However, after their arrest,
08:45 she claimed to have acted under duress, but this was later proven to be a lie.
08:49 "With little evidence against Bernardo for the murders,
08:52 prosecutors felt they needed a witness to convict him."
08:56 "The only way to put Paul Bernardo in prison was to believe Carla Homolka's story."
09:01 Nevertheless, Homolka testified against Bernardo and pleaded guilty to the lesser
09:06 charge of manslaughter, resulting in a 12-year sentence. In July 2005, Homolka was released to
09:12 much public outrage. These days, she resides in southwestern Quebec, where she remains known as
09:18 Carla Homolka, despite an earlier unsuccessful attempt to change her name. "To hear that some,
09:24 a person like that is here, it's..." "Many neighbors just learned that through media reports this week."
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09:45 Pedro López
09:48 It is still unknown just how many people Pedro López killed during his murderous spree across
09:53 Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. While authorities have confirmed 110 deaths, López himself claims
09:59 the actual victim count could be well over 300. "As proof, he agreed to show police the gravesites
10:05 of his victims." Hence, he is considered one of history's most prolific serial killers. López was
10:11 finally convicted of the murders in 1980 and sentenced to 16 years in prison, the maximum
10:17 penalty in Ecuador at the time. "About 20 years after Pedro López was arrested in Embato,
10:23 Ecuadorian officials changed the maximum sentence for murder from 16 years to 25 years."
10:29 He was released in 1994 and deported to Colombia where he was confined to a mental health hospital
10:35 before being let out on bail four years later. However, López vanished and has not been seen
10:41 since 1999, though he remains a suspect in several murders. "In October 2002,
10:47 Interpol released an advisory on behalf of the Colombian authorities, stating they were looking
10:53 for López." Did we miss any other notorious criminals who are walking free today? Let us
10:58 know in the comments below. "Today, innocence came to Mr. Cosby."
11:03 [Music]