[13] On 19 April 2022, she became the world's oldest verified living person after the death of Kane Tanaka. Hell be 47 then. Robert F. Kennedy had called Willowbrook a snake pit back in 1965, yet it took quite a few years to shut Willowbrooks doors. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. As Europe's oldest known person, she turned 117 on Thursday, and has now accomplished. Andre Rand wasn't an escaped mental patient, but he did once work at Willowbrook State School, the Staten Island facility that the Cropseylegend centered around. The only body found in a shallow grave on the Willowbrook grounds was little 12 year old Jennifer Schweiger, a child with Downs Syndrome, whose remains were found after an exhausting 35 day search after her disappearance in 1987. Patients, many of whom were children, lived in filth and disease. Then one night, he escaped! Andre Rand, a janitor at the school, was homeless and living in a homemade tent on the grounds of the institution. While playing in her neighborhood, just a few miles southeast of Willowbrook, the toddler appeared to vanish into thin air. Rand was then living in a campsite on the heavily-forested grounds of Willowbrook, and was arrested on suspicion. Cop-killer Shatiek Johnson is serving 25 years to life. Before she became a nun, Randon worked as a teacher, a governess and a child care provider during World War II (Sept. 1, 1939, to Sept. 2, 1945), according to Guinness World Records. Prosecutors maintained Redmond-Mercereau slayed the victim because she was fed up with his gibes at her weight and housekeeping. Andre Rands mother had struggled with mental illness and had lived, like poet Allen Ginsbergs mom, at the Pilgrim State Asylum. Sister Andr, who is Europes oldest known person, became infected with the coronavirus last month as it swept through her nursing home in Toulon, in southeastern France. While Sister Andre does suffer from her limitations, "she prays a huge amount and rises above it all," said David Tavella, an activity leader at the hospice who has become her confidant. One of the three new episodes in Hulu's Missing covered the disappearance of Ethel Atwell and her possible abductor Andre Rand. After contracting the virus on January 16, the French nun fortunately didn't display any symptoms other than great fatigue. The stories get wilder the more people weigh in on the matter. His nickname is Rushan Frank. She loved to host parties and dinners for middle-class elites, often with musical entertainment. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Anyone can read what you share. Under the leadership of Pastor Andr Trocm of the Reformed Church of France, his wife Magda, and his assistant, Pastor Edouard Theis, the residents of the villages offered shelter in private. Staten Island man, Andre Rand, was found guilty of the kidnapping of innocent children. NYPL/Wikimedia Commons It was discovered that he kidnapped and killed a young girl with Down syndrome who resided at the institution. Rumors spread of Satan worship in the tunnels. Sister Andrs story has made headlines in France, providing some uplifting news in a country where thousands of nursing home residents have died. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Thomas Camerlengo, seen in this 2016 photo, was sentenced to 50 years to life behind bars which he is serving in Attica Correctional Facility. She said that Sister Andre had "a mission to serve others" and that "her deep faith helps her" keep going. The place was renamed the Staten Island Developmental Center in 1974 and it took ten more years for all of the patients to be discharged. Even though scary bedtime stories are a common and exciting aspect of early childhood for most people, these gloomy little tales quickly become unsettlingly real. "People say that work kills, for me work kept me alive, I kept working until I was 108," the Catholic nun told reporters Tuesday in the tea-room of the hospice where she lives in the Mediterranean city Toulon. The operation seemed to be running nicely until officials noticed dubious conditions and strange medical procedures. By this time Rand was homeless and living in a series of makeshift campsites. The Legend of Cropsey ended up not being a legend at all. In the 1960s, Andre Rand worked as a custodian at Willowbrook State School in Staten Island. He set up a campsite there, and he wasnt alone. But as the doc points out, Cropsey turned frighteningly real in the 1970s, when a local drifter named Andre Rand allegedly began attacking the children of Staten Island. Sanitary facilities were pitiful, filth was everywhere, abuse was common. One of his outposts was built in the woods behind his old stomping grounds Willowbrook State School. On July 9, 1987, a 12-year-old Down syndrome patient named Jennifer Schweiger was reported missing. Once abandoned, all sort of folks from kids out for a good time and ghost hunters invaded the grounds. The panel found Camerlengo guilty in May 1999 of clubbing his 75-year-old father, Anthony, to death and fatally stabbing his mother, Ann, 73, on June 26, 1990. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. The story usually starts with some ad lib prequel setup narrative about how a guy killed his family, in grisly fashion and then was put away. As for Rand, hes not talkingat least not about anything that makes sense. Although she is now blind and gets around in a wheelchair, she used to care for other elderly people much younger than herself. She will be 63 then. Cropsey is also the title of a brilliant documentary filmed by two Staten Islanders, http://cropseylegend.com/, who grew up hearing the legend. Andre Rand, who was born on March 11, 1944, in Manhattan, New York, is regarded as the most renowned criminal to have ever lived on Staten Island. Children would be dragged from the security of their homes and transported to an abandoned hospital by the shape. He could pump your gas with one arm and then reach in and grab you with his other appendage. Where Rands story takes a really weird turn is in 1966. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. Lucile Randon, AKA Sister Andr, poses for a portrait at the Sainte Catherine Laboure care home in Toulon, southern France, on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Andre Rand was long suspected to be involved in the case of missing woman Ethel Atwell, however, he would also be suspected in several other cases. The state of New York provided funding for this facility for young people with impairments. Shatiek Johnson was just 17 when he fatally shot Officer Gerard Carter on July 26, 1998, in West Brighton. Nursing home managers have restricted visits, or asked relatives to wear gowns, masks, gloves and glasses to protect residents. Andre Rand (born Frank Rushan; March 11, 1944) is an American convicted kidnapper of two children and suspected serial killer, currently serving 25 years to life in prison. And finally, her favorite dessert: a raspberry and peach flavored Baked Alaska. Sister Andr has lived through the 1918 flu pandemic, two world wars and many sad events, she once said. He was the first person ever convicted in the borough for killing a cop, the Advance reported. Rands first conviction for sexually molesting a nine-year-old girl, happened after he left employment at Willowbrook; however, one look at the drooling, bug-eyed Andre Rand outside the courthouse at his trials lets you know something wasnt right with him. Johnson, seen in this 1998 photo, was convicted by a jury in state Supreme Court, St. George, in December 1999. Later Rand was tied to at least three other disappearances, In 1972, 5-year-old Alice Pereira, in 1981, a 7-year-old named Holly Ann Hughes (Rand was later convicted of her kidnapping, but not her murder) , an . A young Geraldo Rivera revealed the institutions horrid conditions to the public in a 1972 expos. One of Rand's makeshift campsites was just 150 feet away. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Husband-slayer Elena Kiejliches is serving 22 years to life. While she is "proud" to be the world's oldest person, Sister Andre repeated on Tuesday that "it's not nice being old, because I used to like taking care of others, making children dance, and now I can't do that any more.". He was the real-life embodiment of "Cropsey," a boogie man who figured in the campfire stories and nightmares of many children in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and along the Eastern Seaboard. But Sister Andre is indeed the oldest "by a long way" of the confirmed super-centenarians, according to French longevity tracker Laurent Toussaint the next contender being a Polish woman aged 115. In the seventies and eighties, they had a string of mysterious child murders. Its something youll remember for the rest of your life. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole). Opened in 1938 it served as a home for disabled children until it was used as an army hospital during World War II, After the war, it was reopened again as Willowbrook School and the population of students swelled to unmanageable proportions. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Two years later, when 11-year-old Tiahease Jackson vanished, Rand was once more the main suspect. Many swear Andre Rand did it, as he was seen in proximity to all of the victims. Andre Rand, a former Willowbrook ward attendant from 1966 to 1968, was found guilty of kidnapping five separate children, with the body of 12-year-old Jennifer Schweiger found in Willowbrook. She was infected with the respiratory virus on Jan. 16, 2021, but she recovered in three weeks and was able to celebrate her 117th birthday. Tom Moore, the 100-year-old British Army veteran who became a national hero during the pandemic by raising tens of millions of pounds for Britains National Health Service, died of the coronavirus last week, prompting countless tributes in the country and beyond. Age : 79 years old Birth Sign : Pisces. Parents used the tale to spook their little ones at night go to bed, or Cropsey will get you. Alice Pereira, who is five years old, was the first. Is Riding A Citi Bike In NYC Safer Than Riding A Personal Bicycle? Shes recovered, along with all the residents here, said David Tavella, the spokesman at the Ste. As Toulon mayor Hubert Falco told her that she was "an object of pride and an example to the whole world," she was making sure that he had safely stowed the chocolates and traditional Provence sweets that people had brought for her. The first surprise happened on July 10, 1972. But the sister, long feted as the oldest European before the death of Japan's Kane Tanaka at age 119 left her likely to be the longest-lived person on Earth, is not above a little indulgence. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Acres and acres of crumbling old buildings had lots of history. This classification is mostly a result of his heinous criminality, which involved young children. City dwellers who went off to camp or moved to the suburbs no doubt heard the story of dat guy with da hook! He was going to come get you. Many residents have remained isolated for nearly a year, unable to spend Christmas holidays with their families. Last year, she even survived a COVID-19 infection, becoming a symbol of hope for people from around the world. This article originally appeared on The Lineup. He was spotted by other inmates using the bedding for sicko sex, lead prosecutor Mario Mattei said in Staten Island Supreme Court. Naming Gotham: Who Does New York City Honor, and Why? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. After learning about these particular reports, his defence attorney convinced him to revise his entire tale. Rand was a janitor at Willowbrook from 1966-1968. Personal life [ edit] Lucile Randon as a child c. 1907-1910 Willowbrook, one of the largest mental institutions in the world, was also one of the worst; Geraldo Rivera won fame for a TV special with footage of its half-naked children scattered on the floor, rocking back and forth in misery. She had previously been the oldest woman in Europe when she turned 117 but now has the title after the death of Kane Tanaka, a Japanese womanthe Guinness World Records confirmed her title as the worlds oldest person on record on Monday. In this version of the urban legend, Cropsey is a disfigured camp counselor, out for revenge. Mr. Tavella said Sister Andr remained patient during weeks of isolation although the talkative nun inquired a few times about when she could see people again. Rand, born Frank Rushan, worked as a janitor at the Willowbrook State School, an institution for mentally disabled children not far from the ruins of Seaview. "Cropsey" is a creepy documentary with all the elements of a horror film about a demented serial killer, and an extra ingredient: This one is real, and you see him handcuffed in the film, not merely empty-eyed, shabby and stooped, but actually drooling. Andre Rand was arrested on charges of kidnapping Schweiger nearly a month later on August 4 and was placed under a 30-day psychiatric evaluation. It wasn't found on the earlier search, and he'd been in jail ever since. Randon is the worlds oldest COVID-19 survivor, according to Guinness World Records. Which Animated Disney Movie Should Get A Horror Adaptation Next? [13], Randon died in her sleep at her nursing home on 17 January 2023, at the age of 118 years and 340 days as the fourth-oldest verified person ever. The people of Staten Island heard in the film seem unconcerned by the possibility of Rand's innocence. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Prosecutors said Fields, seen in this 2008 photo, was previously convicted in an unrelated case in 2001 of two prior rapes committed when he was 15 years old. QUEEN ELIZABETH'S BIRTHDAY: BY THE NUMBERS. LONDON'S OLDEST WOMAN TURNS 108, SAYS COVID-19 IS 'NOTHING COMPARED TO WORLD WAR I'. 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