IN THE 1960s, TWO YOUNG JOURNALISTS helped a Boston serial killer known as the Boston Strangler gain notoriety.
Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole’s detailed reporting sparked debate.
Who was Loretta McLaughlin?
In the early 1960s, Loretta McLaughlin worked for the Boston Record American.
When single women started dying in their own homes, McLaughlin reportedly begged her editor to look into it.
When she and her coworker Jean Cole started digging, they reported the findings, much to the chagrin of the local cops.
They were the first to label the murderer as a serial killer, before the police did.
Critics claimed the women were providing a blueprint for anyone who wanted to replicate or confess to the murders.
The journalists claimed they were simply reporting facts in order to keep women safe.
What was Loretta McLaughlin’s cause of death?
Loretta McLaughlin continued to write for the Boston Globe and eventually rose to the position of page editor.
She died on November 23, 2018, at the age of 90, according to her obituary in the Boston Globe.
Details about her death were not immediately available.
She died at her home in Milton, Massachusetts.
Loretta McLaughlin and her role in the Boston Strangler case will be the subject of a new Hulu film premiering on March 17, 2023.
Loretta McLaughlin is played by Keira Knightley in the film.
The film, Boston Strangler, is now available on Hulu.
