[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. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. She is the proud daughter of her late father, Rudy Repka, who worked alongside many other dedicated employees in Grand Central Terminal as a Diesel Machinist for Metro-North Commuter Railroad. 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. Andre Rand left Willowbrook long before it closed. Thankfully, Andre Rands journey came to an end with a life term in prison, but the convicted kidnapper and suspected child serial killer left behind enough suffering that this story isnt at all uplifting. Sister Andr didnt feel the disease, so she wondered a lot why we were talking about the coronavirus every day, why she couldnt receive visits from us at the nursing home, or from relatives or fellow residents, Mr. Tavella added. Robert F. Kennedy had called Willowbrook a snake pit back in 1965, yet it took quite a few years to shut Willowbrooks doors. Two years later, when 11-year-old Tiahease Jackson vanished, Rand was once more the main suspect. The cops finally got a break in the investigation three years later. But Staten Island's terrifying reality. Despite being New Yorks smallest borough, Staten Island had more than its share of such institutions. ", Rand's defense attorney, Duane Felton, later described these statements as nothing more than"pretentious prison boasting. [5] She converted to Catholicism in 1923 at the age of 19. That Rand was employed to help children and then deliberately set out to hurt them is the scariest piece of the puzzle. Although the jury was unable to find him guilty of the murder allegation, they did find him guilty of first-degree kidnapping. The Scariest Places on Google Street View, This Kidnapper And Possible Killer Fueled The Terrifying 'Cropsey' Urban Legend. Rumors spread of Satan worship in the tunnels. There is no time limit in New York state for bringing first-degree kidnapping charges. If she surpasses age 122 years and 164 days, Randon would take over Jeanne Calments (the current record holder) spot for the worlds oldest person in history. Andre Rand (born Frank Rostum Rushan; March 11, 1944, also referred to in the media as "Cropsey") is an American convicted kidnapper of two children and suspected serial killer, currently serving two twenty-five years to life sentences in prison. [14] She felt this was a "sad honour", saying: "I feel I would be better off in heaven, but the good Lord doesn't want me yet." A massive search party commenced. Lucile Randon DC (French:[ly.sil .d]; 11 February 1904 17 January 2023), also known as Sister Andr (French: Sur Andr), was a French supercentenarian. Sister Andre has been in the media recently for surviving COVID-19. Rand dubbed the "Hannibal Lecter of Staten Island" is already serving 25 years to life for the kidnapping of another 12-year-old borough girl in 1988. Willowbrook was shut down, but some of its staff and inmates returned, living in a forgotten network of tunnels under the grounds. He will be 93 years old if he survives that long. Andre Rand or Frank Rushan is an American convicted kidnapper of two children and suspected serial killer from Staten Island New York currently . The city reportedly recognized her as an "honorary citizen" in 2019. Virginia Repka-Franco has been writing articles and stories since 2002. [15][16][17] Maria Branyas then became the world's oldest validated living person.[18]. Double-murderer Mario Mannino is serving 80 years to life. Catherine Labour nursing home in Toulon, a city in southeastern France, where Sister Andr resides. Today we're telling the story of Andre Rand, who is now known as the real life Cropsey from the Cropsey Legend, The pied piper of Staten Is. In 2004, just four years shy of becoming eligible for parole, Rand was put on trial once more this time for the 23-year-old case of Holly Ann Hughes. Thomas Fields was sentenced to 50 years to life in the 2008 case and is housed in Great Meadow Correctional Facility. But many who believe in his guilt also believe his tenure at a facility notorious for abuse later influenced his crimes against children. Kidnapper Andre Rand is serving 50 years to life. Alice Pereira, who is five years old, was the first. She also dedicated 28 years of service to orphans and elderly patients at a hospital in the Vichy, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region, the record reference source reports. It was able to accuse and convict Rand of the crime because first-degree kidnapping in New York has no statute of limitations. Patients, many of whom were children, lived in filth and disease. In the 1960s, Andre Rand worked as a custodian at Willowbrook State School in Staten Island. He is now completing two sentences of 25 years to life in prison. Staten Island man, Andre Rand, was found guilty of the kidnapping of innocent children. She will be 63 then. And finally, her favorite dessert: a raspberry and peach flavored Baked Alaska. Such is the story of Cropsey an urban legend that sprung to life in the form of Andre Rand. There may be many version of the story, but Cropsey seemed to belong to New York. Real places in the physical world that you should avoid at all costs, lest you never come back (alive). In the 80s, parents on Staten Island would make their children go . While Rand was granted freedom, Pereira vanished. Read this: Creepy History: 5 Insane Asylums And The Horrors That Happened There, Read this: This Is The Brutal Murder That Inspired 9-1-1, Read this: 50 Grisly, True Stories That Will Scare The Crap Out Of You, Reaching For Connection: How Instagram Changed My Life As I Faced My Crohns Diagnosis, 10 Urban Legends That Turned Out To Be True, 25 Twisted Urban Legends That Will Cause You To Lose Sleep Tonight (And Tomorrow Too). Somespeculatehe may have been involved in the disappearance of another young girl shortly after his release. Sanitary facilities were pitiful, filth was everywhere, abuse was common. [8] She moved to the Ste. Once abandoned, all sort of folks from kids out for a good time and ghost hunters invaded the grounds. Later some of this land would be sold to developers, and since 1993, the College of Staten Island has taken over 300 acres. How Staten Island got that particular name for their maniac is unknown. 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. For all intents and purposes, the Staten Island boogeyman is still imprisoned today in connection with the abductions of Holly Ann Hughes and Jennifer Schweiger and wont be eligible for parole until 2037. He sets up interviews where hes serving time at Ossining Correctional (Sing Sing). But she also has a record to beat: that of Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 in Arles, southern France, at age 122 the oldest confirmed age reached by any human being so far. Cortney Moore is an associate lifestyle writer on the Lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. It surrounds this footage with the sparse available video of Rand, and uses many letters Rand wrote to the filmmakers claiming his innocence and suggested unanswered questions. 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. Rand was then living in a campsite on the heavily-forested grounds of Willowbrook, and was arrested on suspicion. [6][7] Her work as a governess and teacher at Versailles lasted until 1930 when she became governess for the Borionne family in Paris and then in Ardche, until 1944. Many swear Andre Rand did it, as he was seen in proximity to all of the victims. Did he have a partner in murder? New York filmmaker Harvey Weinstein was one of the original story writers, no doubt getting some inspiration from the campfire tales he heard as a child. The killer's name is Andre Rand, and he's currently doing time in a New York penitentiary. Shotgun killer Jason Scott is serving 25 years to life. She slept more than usual, but she prayed and remained asymptomatic. In October 2004, Andre Rand, now 72, was found guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, of abducting Holly Ann Hughes, 7, as she walked on a street in her Port Richmond neighborhood 23 years earlier on on July 15, 1981, near her home on Park Avenue and Ann Street in Port Richmond. Neighbors combed the empty lots and wooded parks of Staten Island. Holly Ann Hughes, at 7 years old, vanished on July 15, 1981. Hank Gafforio, then 21 years old, disappeared in 1984. Sometimes a perfect suspect is not guilty. Many people who experience the suffering of loved ones go into the helping professions. The first youth to go missing in the string of disappearances was 5-year-old Alice Pereira, who vanished in 1972 after playing with her brother. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS, On her 118th birthday, Randon told French news agency Agence France-Presse that shes "thinking of getting out of this business but they wont let me.". Born Lucile Randon in 1904 in Ales, also in southern France, Sister Andre's days are punctuated by prayer, mealtimes and visits from other residents and hospice workers as well as a steady flow of letters, almost all of which she responds to. Bundy's thing was women. Sister Andre, Lucile Randon in the registry of birth, the eldest French and European citizen, prays in a wheelchair, on the eve of her 117th birthday in 2021. I was reminded of the continuing outrage of the West Memphis Three. A new updated version of Cropsey called Slenderman, a mysterious child killing monster, who lives on in Creepypasta stories all over the web and in our nightmares. He is incarcerated in Otisville Correctional Facility and is first eligible for parole in October 2017. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The convicted killer, seen in this 2009 file photo, then tried to cover her tracks by running the gun through the dishwasher to erase her fingerprints, prosecutors argued. In 1972, a doctor who worked at Willowbrook, who was upset about the treatment of the patients, slipped local reporter, Geraldo Rivera, a key to the horrid institution. In 1969, he was arrested in the South Bronx after attempting to rape a young girl. Andre Rand was convicted of kidnapping Jennifer, but due to lack of physical evidence at the time, he could not be pinned to the murder. The victim testified Reddick kicked open the door to her apartment about 3:40 a.m., slashed her on the hand and thumb and dragged her outside to a neighboring yard near a cellar door. Inside the Antwerp Diamond Heist: A Sophisticated and Laundrie Family Attorney Filing Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Gulia Tofana the Italian Woman Who Used Poison Israel Keyes: Alaskas Creepiest Serial Killer, Police Arrest in Stabbing Death of Cash App Founder Bob Lee, Family of Murdaughs Dead Housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield Wants Body Exhumed, Citizen Sleuth: A Gripping Cautionary Tale About the Dangers of True Crime Podcasting. Rand was forced to locate employment after it closed. Pod Decks are the hottest new tool for podcasters looking to have more meaningful conversations or gamify their podcast. The stories get wilder the more people weigh in on the matter. Looking For The Best Rooftop Bar When You Travel? The New York Farm Colony, as a home where the indigent could earn their keep, and Sea View hospital, a place for tuberculosis patients, were located right near Willowbrook. NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP via Getty Images Andre Rand is a 79 years old American criminal from . 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