Gordon Cummins, known as the "Blackout Killer," confessed to the murders of four women during a notorious killing spree in London amid the Second World War blackout, a confession uncovered more than 80 years after his execution. Cummins, a Royal Air Force airman, killed four women in a single week in February 1942, taking advantage of the city's blackout conditions, which were intended to shield Britain from German air raids but also created opportunities for crime.

Cummins’ written admission, found among official files but previously overlooked, was handed to a prison chaplain just 30 minutes before his hanging. In the note, he acknowledged the overwhelming evidence against him and advised against further investigation.

The blackout, which shrouded London in darkness by extinguishing streetlights and window illumination, contributed to rising criminal activity, including looting and sexual offenses. Author Robin Jarossi, who brought Cummins’s confession to light in his new book, described the blackout as ideal for lurking criminals and noted the challenges it presented to law enforcement.

The series of killings began on the night of February 8, 1942, with Evelyn Hamilton, a 41-year-old chemist traveling through London en route to a new job in Grimsby. Hamilton was strangled in an air-raid shelter in Montagu Place after being turned away from lodging. Her handbag and savings were stolen. Described as reserved and studious, she struggled to find accommodation on a cold night before encountering her killer.

The following night, Evelyn Oatley, 34, was killed in her Wardour Street flat. A former poultry farmer’s wife turned aspiring actress, she had later worked as a sex worker under the name Lita Ward. Her body was found mutilated, reflecting the brutality of the attacks.

Two nights after Oatley’s murder, Margaret Lowe, known as “The Lady,” was strangled and stabbed in her home. A widow supporting her teenage daughter’s boarding school fees through sex work, Lowe was regarded as refined and discreet, concealing her profession to protect her adopted daughter. On the day of her death, Lowe was last seen after visiting a butcher’s shop to prepare a family meal.

The final victim, Doris Jouannet, 32, was killed hours later in her Sussex Gardens flat. Married to a much older hotel manager, Jouannet also engaged in sex work and was last seen returning home after soliciting. Her husband found her body upon his return with the milk still on the doorstep.

Scotland Yard mounted a major investigation, with officials describing the string of murders as unprecedented. Pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury, who had extensive experience with murder cases, told the lead detective the perpetrator was “a madman on parade.” The breakthrough came when a dropped gas mask and a set of fingerprints linked Cummins to the crimes.

Cummins, aged 27 at the time, was regarded as a model serviceman and was well-liked among his peers, earning the nickname “the Duke.” However, behind this facade, he was a criminal who preyed on women during the blackout, targeting them for robbery and violence. Despite his outward appearance and family ties, Cummins’s double life ended in his conviction and execution for these brutal murders.