We believe the more resources we can provide to digital volunteers and citizen solvers mean more citizen detective communities. In the 1980s, Harvey was a nurse's aid working at hospitals in Kentucky and Ohio, and he killed dozens of patients using cyanide, rat poison, and arsenic, according to WXIX. When the ship was evacuated to lifeboats, the U-Boat surfaced and fired shots at the lifeboats and ships. Asking for death was his way of admitting it,the task forces Taschner suggests. He was sentenced to death. The condemned murderers wife, Vera Katherine Pennell, did have standing, however. Only 12 of the 17 bodies were ever found. Technically, Charles Starkweather is a spree killer but that doesn't make him any less terrifying. John Wayne Gacy: The Killer Clown Image: Pixabay A performer who played "Pogo the Clown" at adolescents' gatherings, John Wayne Gacy was one of the most scandalous chronic executioners in America. Typically, theres some horrifying event in the life of a serial killer that explains how they became sociopaths. The prosecution called a downstate Delaware fisherman to the stand, who testified that he found a cooler floating at sea and kept it for his own use. He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 11 life sentences. The murder of Kitty Genovese, killed outside of her apartment while many of her own neighbors watched, shocked the public. They killed five people, who were at the housepregnant actress Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, and Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent. Simpson, but nothing ever came of it. He did not, however, confess. Why did he refuse to admit guilt but demand to be executed for the crimes? Thats the lingering mystery: Why?, A 1991 psychiatric evaluation submitted to the Delaware Supreme Court cleared Pennell of depression, paranoia and psychosis. Gabby Petitos Family Says There Is No Doubt Brian Laundrie Murdered Her. A police officer took her skull as a souvenir, and you were once able to visit it at the Dover Public Library. After she was caught, she was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison. The state responded by indicting Pennell for the murders of Meyer and Gordon, based on new evidence. My back all the way down into my groin. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? A few days later, Whisenhant returned to her body and mutilated it. Taschner immediately saw the blue carpet covering the vans interior. Known as a prostitute to local authorities, Gordon was last seen on Route 40, hopping into the passenger side of a blue Ford panel van. On Nov. 23, 1989, Thanksgiving Day, the jury reached a verdict. Christine Falling became known as the "Babysitter from Hell" when she choked and killed five children in the early '80s, including an 8-month-old baby. It's a silly name for a sadistic man who took pleasure in torturing women sexually. Before earning this moniker, he killed his grandparents at 15 and was in jail for two years. When finally caught, Hansen confessed to murdering 17 people but was only convicted for four. Ted Bundy is probably the most notorious serial killer of the 20th century. They were killed by a blow to the back of the head. The official cause of death was from "softening of the brain, due to melancholy,"but some say she died of the lingering effects of sweet revenge. Evidence that is most commonly included in Kent County homicide trials is completely dependent on the type of crime. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. Ross became a devote Catholic while in prison, and supported the death sentence against him saying he did not want to cause his victims families any more pain. In the mid-'80s the tropical utopia was gripped with fear when five bodies were found near water. Steven Pennell was arrested November 29, 1988, and convicted of the November 1987 murder of Shirley A. Ellis, and the June 1988 murder of Catherine A. DiMauro. He was looking right through me.. With roughly 60 members, it was the states third-largest police department for a time. No evidence of sexual assault was uncovered, but the autopsy did reveal that Ellis was tortured with work tools before she died. Herbert Baumeister led a double life. Since he did not commit just one, but continued in the same depraved manner on the others, this pleasure is evident., Deputy Attorney General Richard E. Fairbanks Jr. represented the state. Hauntings at this hotel include: While none of these things is necessarily sinister, the effect is definitely chilly! I dont know anyone who has ever worked for a government agency where money wasnt an issue. Aware of its connections to the murders, he jotted down the plate number. Mason ordered Charles Watson to take Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to go to Terry Melchers house and murder anyone who was there. Maurer initiated the lengthy appeals process, alleging that the fiber seizure was unconstitutional, among other things. (AP Photo/Tim Shaffer, Pool), This is a police handout photo of Thomas Capano, taken in Wilmington Del., Wednesday, Nov. 12, 1997. The blast killed 1 spectator and injured over 100 others. A Delaware Superior Court judge sentenced the once wealthy and well-connected attorney to life in prison without parole for the 1996 murder of Fahey, who was scheduling secretary to then-Gov. As part of the Deparment of Corrections standard procedures, his bodyhas been turned over to the State Medical Examiners Office. In the '90s, Metheny would lure sex workers to his trailer to stab and strangle them. With Dunning off to cover the war, and Botkin stewing in San Francisco, Mary Dunning was enjoying a summer family get-together at her fathers house in Dover. Fahey's family reported her missing on June 30. When the shells did not sink the ship, they put it into its grave with another torpedo. The Pennell case would, in fact, be the first time DNA evidence was used in a criminal trial. At least one-third of those murders were tribal women. The killer then wrapped a ligature around her neck and repeatedly struck her over the head with a hammer. Please follow us on Facebook, for updates. Route40 was the only connection between the two victims. A task force was formed, complete with its own headquarters near the New CastleCounty airport. Meanwhile, other task-force members were trying to identify the strange fibers found on DiMauro. He was executed by lethal injection, the first person to be executed in Delaware after the death penalty was reinstated in the state in 1975. He appealed and the South Dakota Supreme Court (pictured) heard arguments about the case. Two years after his death, a small town in North Dakota learned Butler may have been a serial killer. It happened again seven months later. We do know that based on archived reports released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as well as local and state law enforcement agencies, it seems that the homicide rates in both Dover and Delaware as a whole seem to be rising every year. In 2017, he was sentenced to 360 years in prison. In 1891, Mary Pennington of Dover, daughter of former Delaware Congressman John Pennington, married John P. Dunning, a newspaper reporter. Each of the women was friends with Wallace's girlfriend or worked with him, and each had his name in their phone books. Delaware: The Chocolate Candy Murders Cordelia Botkin is not only the most notorious killer in Delaware history but the first to commit murder by mail. Roughly three months later, Finner was found dead near the Chesapeake & DelawareCanal, her body in such an advanced state of decay that a cause of death couldnt be determined. If that was ruled inadmissible, everything else wouldve been kept out under the fruit of the poisonous treelegal doctrine. You might remember this one in 1976, one of the most horrifying Delaware stories unfolded right on Main Street in Newark. Thank you! Crime rates in our small state hover around the national median, and its not common to ever fear for your life while exploring our beautiful state. Delaware's forts were an important part of the harbor defense protecting the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia. A psychology major, Bundy was described by his classmates as a master manipulator. She immediately identified the vehicle. She refused. It was registered to Pennell. Between the years of 1987 and 1988, Pennell preyed on the sex workers who worked on Route 40. Her body was completely hairless, a side effect of exposure to arsenic. "I know everyone wants to know why I committed these crimes. He was found guilty of raping and killing four women and was put to death in 1994. But the jury deadlocked on the Gordon case. He was sentenced to death and met the electric chair in 1989. When he went to the mans home in nearby Frankford, he found him beaten to death in a blood splattered room, [], Posted: December 9th, 2015 under Short Feature Story. It's hard to pin down Terry Peder Rasmussen. Capano, 61, apparently died of natural causes. Pennell asked if he could proceed without an attorney. Uncovered is where the most passionate true crime enthusiasts can learn from and teach others. Shawn Grate was taken out of the home in handcuffs and later confessed to killing five women. At just 17 years old, Robinson attacked and raped five women, killing three of them, The Morning Call reports. By 1980, the couple killed 10 teenagers in Nevada and California. Two of his kills took place in Nebraska when he worked with the Air Force and the third happened in Maine when he abducted an 11-year-old boy who went out for a jog. autobiography called "Final Truth: The Autobiography of a Serial Killer. Many of the most famous Delaware serial killers can easily be found on any top ten or other form of serial killer list, including list of serial killers in Delaware as well as Delaware serial killer list. The story of Polly Bartlett dates all the way back to 1868 and is surrounded by local lore. More than 200,000 unsolved cases have gone cold since 1980, and murder clearance rates continue to drop. Steven Brian Pennell is the state of Delaware's only known serial killer. Maurer hadnt heard from his client in over a year, and he was as surprised as anyone when Pennell agreed to speak to the media before the execution. They tortured her for a month before she passed on, however, it's indistinct whether the men were at fault for her demise or on the other hand on the off chance that it was because of a medication glut. Looking further into the statistics on the same website, there were around 1,993 murders in Delaware from 1965 to 2019, and through the years, roughly 1,476 of those murders were solved, leaving around 517 unsolved murders in the state of Delaware alone. Although Harvey Robinson is known for being a young serial killer, Craig Price from Rhode Island was even younger. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Charlene got out of jail in 2013 after serving a 16-year sentence. This is a list of notable male murderers who committed their murders in Delaware, USA. He was found guilty on three murder charges and was facing the death penalty, but in 2000 it was overturned to a life sentence. Authorities found 22 bodies of men who the innkeeper had allegedly killed. His killing sparked a full panic in the small city. In 2017, he was beaten to death in prison. In summary, this means that in 2019 alone, around 423 individuals per 100,000 residents of Delaware were directly affected by violent crime. In 2011, Bill and Lorraine Currier were asleep in their home when Keyes broke in and caused a "blitz attack," waking them from their sleep and dragging them to his car. The survivors of the attack were brought to Lewes for treatment. Check out thisHaunted Road Trip To Visit Some Of The Spookiest Places In Delaware. All five of us were taken aback by his impassioned statements.. In the early '70s, Kemper started to pick up young hitchhikers who were Fresno State students. They only knew the suspect as "The Southside Strangler." into the stories you've heard before, and encounter many others you haven't, in ways that actually help. Jurors spent eight days reviewing the evidence, which is still the longest deliberation in Delaware legal history. He was sentenced to death and hanged in 1932. She also recalls a heartbreaking encounter with his daughter, who approached the officer during a stakeout and asked for a donation to a school fundraiser. He is currently serving his 10 life sentences in prison. He then shot her point blank in the head and dragged her body into a wooded area. Simmons was apprehended by the police after killing a bank teller, an oil company worker, and wounding 3 other people. When police arrived at the home, the place was filled with garbage to the ceiling. Sometimes he let the women go after torturing them. Rogers became known as the "Cross Country Killer" for killing his victims across multiple state lines. Mrs. C. Thinking it was from one of her friends, Mary opened the box and passed the chocolates around. Simpson, but nothing ever came of it. Henley confessed and told the police about his work with Croll. Instead, he was known as the I-5 killer after he murdered over 40 people along the interstate in Oregon state in the early '80s. However, during their one day trial held on April 8, 1935, May took responsibility for the crime and said "I drove the children to do it.". Welcome to HistoricalCrimeDetective.com [Est. According to various sources, in 2018 the violent crime rate in Dover, Delaware, was roughly 796.76 per 100,000 residents, and the Dover, Delaware, murders rate in 2018 was 10.59 per 100,000 residents. The medical examiner testified that the drugs in her system made her heart incapable of withstanding the shock of her beating. With equity for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underserved victims not prioritized in the true crime communitytogether we can do better. Every year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation publishes a Uniform Crime Report that details the crimes, crime rates, and crime locations in every state, county, and city, which includes a published report for crime in Delaware. He is still living out his life sentence. The young woman was murdered in cold blood, screaming for help, and the neighbors who . Thomas Warren Whisenhant was convicted of raping, mutilating, and murdering 3 women in Mobile County, Alabama in the 1970s. However, not all of our history is peaceful and calm. The lone witness to the abduction knew both Gordon and Pennell. Sign up for our weekly newsletter. Capano, 61, apparently died of natural causes. In February of that year, the state abandoned its efforts to seek capital punishment, opting to leave Capano imprisoned for life without parole. They had all been riding a train on which a fight broke out. Once caught, Charlene turned on Gerald in return for a shorter sentence. Each state has a connection to an infamous serial killer. His stabbings became national news when he crossed state lines to stab even more people. Since he was a minor at the time, he has not been sentenced for those crimes. He would often lure them to him by faking an injury. In 1994, Capano was a partner at the Wilmington office of Saul Ewing LLP when he became involved with 28-year-old Anne Marie Fahey, the appointments secretary to then-Governor Tom Carper. The 1935 Delaware Execution of a Mother & Son Story by Jason Lucky Morrow Posted: December 9, 2015 On November 9, 1927, twenty-year-old Howard Hitchens of Georgetown, Delaware, was growing concerned for his uncle, Robert, whom he had not seen in several days. He also confessed to bombing an abortion clinic in Georgia, a lesbian bar in Georgia, and an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama resulting in the death of an Alabaman security guard and a police officer. A date was set for March 14, 1992. Authorities also link him to a couple's murder in Burlington, Vermont. Overridden with guilt, Matzke confessed to the murderers and served 20 years. A hearing was held to determine if the convicted murderer should be spared. Investigators were stumped. The man then beat 7-year-old Melissa Bennett to death, before attempting to kill 3-year-old Vanessa, who survived the attack but still has weakness on the left side of her body. But he was fired one night in 1994, apparently setting him down a murderous path. Harvey Robinson is known for being one of the youngest serial killers reported in the United States. Related:Lovers, murder and madness: Revisit Delaware's most sensational killings, Marys father had a chemist examine the unconsumed candy, and the chemist found that they were laced with arsenic. In 1987, when he was just 13 years old, he stabbed Rebecca Spencer to death. Rudolph would often use nail bombs where the nails would act like shrapnel. He also asked Gerry to help dispose of a blood-stained sofa and carpet into a dumpster, which was managed by a third brother, Louis. Here are some key policies likely to come up, Abbott Elementary will give Mural Arts Philadelphia a moment in the spotlight, Philadelphia news consumers want to see more crime, infrastructure, and education in local reporting, study finds. The famous rhyme makes it seem as if there has never been any doubt as to whether Lizzie Borden killed her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892. No one was ever charged. Ray would often record the torture on video. DiMauro was found completely nakedthat was the only difference. It was one of many secrets Pennell took to the grave. An article in The Boston Globe said it best: "He stabbed four of his neighbors to death in their own homes before he was old enough to drive.". Fahey was last seen alive on June 27, 1996, when she went to dinner with Capano in Philadelphia. While in Iowa, he lived with his mother who would often beat him. Here's a list of men, women, and, yes, even families who were serial killers in every state across the United States. Though he admitted to killing 36 women, it's speculated that the actual number of victims is much higher. Gerry owned a boat and, when it was sold, its two anchors were missing. The van stopped. For the most part, Delaware is a peaceful state. Sept. 28, 2016. They called him a "mindless monster," according to the Argus-Press. Other killers are so famous they are known all over the country, like Ted Bundy, the BTK Killer, and John Wayne Gacy. Gerry told police that Capano shot the cooler in order to sink it, but that the cooler remained afloat in the water. Capano instructed Louis to empty the dumpsters outside of their regular schedule. Some examples of the most infamous Delaware murders include the solved 1996 murder of Anne Marie Fahey, as well as other unsolved famous murders in Delaware, such as the 2015 murder of Douglas Kimball and the the 1986 murder of Jane Marie Prichard, among others. The perpetrator must have sensed a pleasure in the killings,he told the court. You'd pay an annual fee and receive a list of eligible lovers in your area. 7-year-old girl in Michigan was abducted and strangled to death, one of the first serial killers to be identified using FBI's newly developed profiling system, the couple killed 10 teenagers in Nevada and California, New Hampshire, he was known as "Bob Evans" who killed one woman and three small children, he killed upwards of 40 people over his 16-year career as a nurse, , he cut them into pieces and threw their bodies into lakes and ravines, The police were suddenly struck by a smell escaping from the trunk of his car, they found the bodies of six boys and young men buried under the floorboards. Capano was convicted of killing Anne Marie Fahey. However, in January 1999 the jury found Capano guilty of murder. The majority of the names on the list of Delaware murders on the Delaware State Polices cold case website may not soundfamiliar; however, a handful of the names on the list of all murders inDelaware, list of Delaware murders, and notorious Delaware criminals have seemingly become household names as time passes. He remains the only person to represent himself before the state Supreme Court, and the only one to ask for death. Together we can reach 100% of WHYYs fiscal year goal. The mere sight of a woman enraged these feelings made them pulsate and grate in the pit of my stomach.". While on trial for his murders, he was described as "being a cold, calculating killer determined to kill as many women who worked as sex workers.". Do you remember when this story hit the news? Eric Robert Rudolph was an American domestic terrorist convicted of several anti-abortion and anti-gay bombings across the Southern United States between 1996 and 1998. It stopped a little farther down the road, stopped again and turned around. In just one instance, a Panamanian United Fruit Company ship "San Gil" was hit by a torpedo. He was found guilty on all 33 counts of murder and was put to death in 1994. Cordelia was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Billy Joel & Stevie Nicks floor seat tickets, Thomas Capano heads for the courthouse in Wilmington, Del., Friday, Oct. 9, 1998. Gordon's body washed up on the rocky banks of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal on Sept. 20. [4] Capano, the last known person to have seen Fahey alive, was the prime suspect. After Lopez's arrest in 1980, police found the graves of more than 50 of his preteen victims. As she walked along the corridor, a car pulled up and offered her a ride. The case was the first known murder of a state . In 1892, Fall River, Massachusetts buzzed with talk of the 19th century's most incendiary story - that well-to-do local couple, Abby and Andrew Borden, died at the hands of an axe-wielder. Eventually, an undercover cop was picked up by Pennell and she noticed his van was covered in blue carpet. Pennells next move shocked the world. Additionally, some of the currently unsolved central Delaware murders include the 2006 murder of Jay Stratton, the 2003 murder of Gregory Philip Love, the 1989 murder of Russell LeGates, the 2013 murder of Gregory Keiser Sr., and the 2012 murder of Jonathan Grioli, among others. The jury also deadlocked on the death penalty. One night, a group of slave raiders came to the mansion. Ray would bring his victims to this chamber and torture them sexually before murdering them, according to the Albuquerque Journal. They later found 11 bodies just 50 feet from his home. He was only found guilty of one murder and was sent to a mental institution. She was an illegal slave trader, involved in the kidnapping of both free and enslaved African Americans. Kim Magaraci graduated Rutgers University with a degree in Geography and has spent the last seven years as a freelance travel writer. These include the 1994 murder of Keith Haynes, the 2014 murder of Rogelio Hernandez, the 1969 murder of Lewis Wilson Harper, and the 1989 murder of Aurelio Maestri Reds, among countless others. When he was caught, he told the police everything about Payton's murder and even confessed to other murders: the deaths of Venora Hyatt and Patricia Hitt. Black children in the neighborhood were being targeted and murdered one-by-one, murdered her four former husbands, her brother-in-law, and ever her own daughter by poisoning. In California, he was "Gordon Jensen" where he killed two other women who were mothers of his babies. No one knew for years who killed four women in Southern Virginia. After picking up an undercover policewoman, fibres from the back of Pennell's van linked him to the crimes. Doss was sentenced to life in prison and died in 1965. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? DNA testing confirmed years later that Timothy Wilson Spencer was "The Southside Strangler." The border town of Delmar was an important railroad town in the late 1800s. He is currently serving four life sentences at the ADX Florence Supermax in Colorado. Two men whom he never met filed appeals on his behalf, but they were quickly dismissed for lack of standing. Since he worked as a clown performer for children's parties, he would often kill his victims while wearing the clown costume that he called Pogo the Clown. On March 14, 1992, the state of Delaware killed Steven Brian Pennell. No one would ever look at his background and see signs that this could happen. Patty Cannon lived in the Seaford area in the early 1800s. These killings occurred on separate days in. Fairbanks became so impassioned that we thought he would burst into tears,Moore recalls. However, Capano's other mistress, Debby MacIntyre, had bought a gun and admitted having supplied the weapon to Capano.[2]. Just as on previous stakeouts, men routinely approached Taschner. Most of us know that Fort Delaware was home to soldiers during the Civil War, but did you know about the horrific conditions they faced? We've collected five of the most notorious cold cases in American history, ranging from 1892 to 1996. . This list may not reflect recent changes . Manson was attempting to incite a race war, hoping to pin the murders on the Black Panthers. 1. His first bombing was at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1973, a 7-year-old girl in Michigan was abducted and strangled to death. They were given the name "Sex Slave Killers.". After being brought into custody Hansen confessed to raping over 30 women, and murdering 17. When Dunning, who had returned from the war, was shown the note from the candy box, he immediately said, Cordelia.. While they are truly troubling, these sad, scary stories are a reminder to be thankful for each good, peaceful day that we have in our beautiful home state. An expert in the corporate arena, Hamermesh had never handled a criminal case. In 2002, he was in jail for fraud and convinced the FBI to let him out as an informant. If you travel the swamp trail alone, you might hear the screams of the young runaway who was raped and killed here in the 1870s she still haunts these woods. Despite the fact that the victims died near Dover, Delaware, the residents of Lewes would have to follow the trial from afar. One of the world's most prolific serial killers might still be out there. She petitioned the American Civil Liberties Unions Delaware chapter to argue for a stay of execution. Currently, there is no definite way to know how many murders in Delaware 2021 as well as how many murders in Dover, Delaware, 2021 yet. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The autopsy told a macabre story of torture and mutilation. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast). Ed Kemper is a particularly brutal serial killer who killed 10 young people, earning him the title "The Co-ed Killer." She walked to a more secluded area. They had a deal. Simmons covered the bodies with coats and his best table cloth, wrapped the babies in plastic and left them in the abandoned cars, before going to his local bar for a drink. In fact, he was called "The Candy Man." As the bodies began to pile up, investigators struggled to find the culprit. Do any specific names or examples come to mind when you think of famous Delaware murders? In an interview with the Daily News in 2010, Rifkin said, "I was surprised I didn't get caught sooner.". [5], Investigators did not have a murder weapon or a body, nor any evidence that Capano had purchased a gun. He broke their bones, bit them, and sometimes acted on his cannibalistic instincts. In some homicide cases, detectives are able to collect enough Kent County murders evidence to charge someone with the murder and bring them into Kent County murders trial. It was making me ache. Love love loved this. Alex, Im so in love with this book! The attorney alleged the review was neither thorough nor comprehensive, and that time was needed for a more complete evaluation. He was eventually murdered in prison. Kimball was the last to see all of them alive. Whisenhant declined having any final words when he was eventually put to death. According to Project: Cold Cases statistics for Delaware, there are currently roughly 517 unsolved murders in Delaware dating from 1980 to 2019. His Senate office released this statement: TomCapanos death does not change the fact that Anne Marie was taken from us far too soon. The sleepy town of Bear was jolted awake when a serial killer was on the loose, killing women that he picked up along Route 40. She was one of the loveliest, kindest persons Ive ever hadthe privilege of serving with. Shortly after that, now-retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee sentenced Capano to death. Charlie Weems, Ozie Powell, Clarence Norris, Andrew Wright, Leroy Wright, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Haywood Patterson, and Eugene Williams were the nine "Scottsboro Boys." The nine Black teenagers, aged between 13 and 19, were accused of raping two white women. The police were suddenly struck by a smell escaping from the trunk of his car. 2001). Some believe his stabbings were racially motivated because the majority of his victims were African American. They called him the "Chameleon" because he went by so many names and aliases. Before his execution, he even penned an autobiography called "Final Truth: The Autobiography of a Serial Killer." Also, some examples of unsolved murders in Dover, Delaware, include the 2014 murder of Christopher Gillis, the 2007 murder of Jerome Hill, the 2016 murder of Tyler Parton, and the 1986 murder of Lonnie Hill, among many others. He scared everyone because he was killing with reckless abandon at random. Steven Brian Pennell is the state of Delawares only known serial killer. In January 2006, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed Capano's conviction but remanded the case for sentencing because the death penalty was imposed by a non-unanimous jury verdict. Ed Gein seems like a character out of a horror movie. Between 1948 and 1980, Cole strangled and killed 13 women across multiple states because he said it felt like he was killing his mother, according to the Sioux City Journal. Pennell delivered a terse argument for his own death, filled with biblical quotes. 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