True Crime On This Day September 30th

September 30th

On September 30th, in true crime, we have a serial killing dentist, a hijacking, armed robbery, cold cases, and missing persons.

1978

Finnair Flight 405, from Oulu to Helsinki, Finland, was hijacked in mid-air by unemployed building contractor Aarno Lamminparras. After recently declaring himself bankrupt, he decided hijacking a plane was the best way to get money.

He forced the pilot to fly to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he received his $168,000 (USD) ransom demand, along with a bottle of whisky.

All hostages were released, and the same pilot flew him back to Finland. Unsurprisingly, he was arrested at his own home the following day.

1979

In Omaha, Nebraska, just two weeks after escaping a prison in Arkansas, Donald Eugene Harding robbed a steakhouse and made off with over $80,000 (USD) in cash. Harding went on to kill at least six people in late 1979 and early 1980 before his recapture.

He was charged, convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes. Harding was executed in the gas chamber in Arizona on April 6^th 1992.

1980

In Kenai Peninsula County, Alaska, 19-year-old Frank H. Johnston disappeared without a trace. He had last been seen hitchhiking northbound on the Sterling Highway, headed towards California.

He had been picked up by an unidentified individual who may have been responsible for Johnston’s disappearance. Since the construction of the Interstates from the 1950s onwards, many hitchhikers went missing.

Serial killers used the new highways to kill and move bodies across State lines. It is suspected that Johnston was a victim of foul play and a victim of a roaming serial killer.

1981

In Salton City, California, 35-year-old Charles Thomas Denny disappeared after leaving his home to go treasure hunting. He was last seen by his roommate who claimed Denny had travelled to a remote desert area to search for treasure, as part of his hobby.

Denny’s vehicle was later found abandoned near Harper’s Well on Highway 78. Many theories have been put forward, but foul play has long been suspected. Despite an investigation into his disappearance, no trace of Denny has ever been found.

1982

In Costa Mesa, California, Dr. Tony Protopappas killed his patient, 23-year-old Kim Andreassen. He injected her with nine different anaesthetic drugs during an operation to remove her wisdom teeth.

It was Protopappas’ first confirmed victim. In less than four months during late 1982 and early 1983, two women and a 13-year-old girl died after they were put under anaesthesia while in his care.

He was arrested on April 9^th 1983 but was not charged with deliberately killing his patients. He was convicted of using anaesthesia procedures he knew were inherently dangerous and likely to cause death.

Protopappas was sentenced to 15-years to life and has been denied parole at every turn since.

1983

In Marseille, France, on September 30th, a bomb exploded at the Palais des Congrès exhibition centre, killing one person and injuring another 25. An international fair was taking place at the time of the explosion, which had been set off close to the American and Algerian display stands.

A raft of groups came forward to claim responsibility for the attack, including the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia and the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions. Later investigations discovered the groups were not responsible and the real bomber has never been found.