Who Was John List?
So who exactly was the real man behind this fake identity? Well, it turned out that this painfully boring, churchgoing accountant was in reality… a painfully boring, churchgoing accountant. Okay, so John List wasn’t exactly a master of disguise.
Man on the Run
From that relatively bland origins story, we’re jumping back forward in time to the early 1970s, when the story of John List took an unexpected turn. That’s when the FBI raised the alarm: our mild-mannered accountant was on the run, to be considered highly dangerous.
The Trail Goes Cold
The abandoned vehicle was the last trace of John List for years. By the 1980s, any hope of capturing the fugitive accountant had gone up in smoke, much like the opulent mansion house where he and his family had lived in Westfield, New Jersey, during the final years of his past life.
The Bust
The result was lifelike visage of what John List should conceivably have looked like almost 19 years after anyone last saw him. This model made a relatively brief appearance on the May 21st 1989 episode of America’s Most Wanted, following a segment of reenactments of the events of 1971.
Westfield Bound
Let’s flashback again to the mid 1960s, when John List’s American Dream was at its peak. He’s just landed that executive role at the New Jersey bank, and now has the money to move his family into one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in the affluent town of Westfield.
The Horror at Breeze Knoll
Throughout November 1971, the mansion at 431 Hillside was eerily quiet. Neighbours saw the lights in the windows all night, but no sign of anyone coming or going. Not even the milkman walked up the driveway — the family had left him a note saying they’d be gone for several weeks.
Hell House
The teachers explained all this to Officers Haller and Zhelesnik, who were about to find themselves wrapped up in their very own gothic horror story. It fell to them to find a way inside the creaky old house, and discover the fate of the occupants.
