Arnold Sodeman
Schoolgirl Strangler
Active for 6 years
(1930-1935) in Australia
4
CONFIRMED
VICTIMS
4
POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
- Summary
- Serial Killer Profile
- Serial Killer Type
- General Information
- Characteristics
- Childhood
- Cognitive Ability
- Incarceration
- Death
- 7 Timeline Events
- Serial Killers Active During Spree
- Boolean Statistical Questions
- 11 Books Written About Arnold Sodeman
- 5 External References
- Internal References
Arnold Sodeman (Arnold Karl Sodeman) an Australian serial killer known as the Schoolgirl Strangler.Sodeman confessed to the murders of four young girls between 1930 and 1935. He preyed on girls between the ages of 8 and 12. He lured at least two of his victims by offering to buy them ice cream and offered another victim a ride on his bicycle. Sodeman would gag, bound and strangle the girls to death. He disposed of the bodies by dumping them at multiple locations in Victoria, Australia. Arnold Sodeman was executed at Pentridge Prison in 1936.
Arnold Sodeman Serial Killer Profile
Serial Killer Arnold Sodeman (aka) Schoolgirl Strangler, was active for 6 years between 1930-1935, known to have ( 4 confirmed / 4 possible ) victims. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: Australia
Arnold Sodeman was born on December 12th 1899 in Hawthorn, suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was raised by both parents until (Age 13) when Arnold ran way from home. His father, Karl Sodeman, a German-born engineer who died in a mental institution. His mother, Violet Esther Wood, a Australian-born suffered from bouts of amnesia. Arnold Sodeman was physically abused at some point of his life.
He completed 7 years of school, no degree received. He married Bernice Cecilia Pope. He had one daughter born in 1928, Arnold (Age 28/29).
Prior to his spree he had commited crimes, served time in jail, and served time in prison. He was known to abuse alcohol.
In 1930 (Age 30/31) Arnold Sodeman started his killing spree, during his crimes as a serial killer he was known to strangle, rape, and murder his victims. At least one victim was tied, bound, or otherwise restrained during the crime. At the time of his crimes he was living with his wife and daughter in Melbourne and Gippsland, Australia, where he was known to work as a serial killer.
He was arrested on December 2nd 1935 (Age 35), sentenced to death by hanging at HM Prison Pentridge, former maximum-security prison in Victoria, Australia. He was convicted on charges of murder and other possible charges during his lifetime. Arnold Sodeman was executed on June 1st 1936 (Age 36).
Arnold Sodeman died on June 1st 1936 (Age 36), cause of death: capital punishment, executed by hanging at HM Prison Pentridge, former maximum-security prison in Victoria, Australia.
Profile Completeness: 95%
serial killers by profile completenessArnold Sodeman has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 5 years ago.
Arnold Sodeman a known:
( 651 killers ) SERIAL KILLER
The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. Serial Killer as defined by the FBI at the 2005 symposium.
( 308 killers ) RAPIST
Rape is usually defined as having sexual intercourse with a person who does not want to, or cannot consent.
( 251 killers ) STRANGLER
Strangulation is death by compressing the neck until the supply of oxygen is cut off. Stranglers kill by Strangulation.
Arnold Sodeman
Serial Killer Profile:
Updated: 2019-02-08 Collected by Killer.Cloud
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Arnold Sodeman |
| Nickname: | Schoolgirl Strangler |
| Victims: | 4 - 4 |
| Years Active: | 1930 - 1935 |
| Ages Active: | 30/31 - 35/36 |
| Active Countries: | Australia |
| Convicted Of: | murder |
| Life Span: | 1899 - 1936 |
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Sexual Preference: | heterosexual |
| Astrological Sign: | ♐ Sagittarius Nov 22 - Dec 22 |
| Birth Month: | December |
| Marital Status: | married Bernice Cecilia Pope |
| Children: | one daughter born in 1928, Arnold (Age 28/29) |
| Living With: | his wife and daughter in Melbourne and Gippsland, Australia |
| Occupation: | serial killer |
| Childhood Information | |
|---|---|
| D.O.B.: | Dec 12, 1899 |
| Given Name: | Arnold |
| Birth Location: | Hawthorn, suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Birth Order: | N/A |
| Siblings: | N/A |
| Raised By: | both parents until (Age 13) when Arnold ran way from home |
| Birth Category: | N/A |
| Mother: | Violet Esther Wood, a Australian-born suffered from bouts of amnesia |
| Father: | Karl Sodeman, a German-born engineer who died in a mental institution |
| Cognitive Ability | |
|---|---|
| IQ: | N/A |
| Highest School: | 7 years of school |
| Highest Degree: | no degree received |
| Incarceration | |
|---|---|
| Arrested: | Dec 2, 1935 (Age 35) |
| Convicted: | N/A |
| Sentence: | death by hanging |
| Prison Location: | HM Prison Pentridge, former maximum-security prison in Victoria, Australia |
| Executed: | Jun 1, 1936 (Age 36) |
| Previous Crimes: | TRUE |
| Previous Jail: | TRUE |
| Previous Prison: | TRUE |
| Death Information | |
|---|---|
| Death Date: | Jun 1, 1936 (Age 36) |
| Manner of Death: | capital punishment |
| Cause of Death: | executed by hanging |
| Death Location: | HM Prison Pentridge, former maximum-security prison in Victoria, Australia |
| Killed In Prison: | FALSE |
| Suicide: | FALSE |
7 Timeline Events of Serial Killer
Arnold Sodeman
The 7 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Arnold Sodeman. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline.
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| Dec 12 1899 | Arnold Sodeman was born in Hawthorn, suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. #18991212 |
| Dec 12 1919 (Age 20) | 20th Birthday |
| Dec 12 1929 (Age 30) | 30th Birthday |
| 1930 (Age 30/31) | Arnold Sodeman started his serial killing spree. #1930 |
| 1935 (Age 35/36) | Arnold Sodeman ended his serial killing spree. #1935 |
| Dec 02 1935 (Age 35) | Arnold Sodeman arrested. #19351202 |
| Jun 01 1936 (Age 36) | Arnold Sodemanwas executed.cause of death:capital punishment,executed by hangingat HM Prison Pentridge, former maximum-security prison in Victoria, Australia. #19360601 |
Back to top Serial Killers Active During
The following serial killers were active during the same time span as Arnold Sodeman (1930-1935).
Serial Killers By Active Year
| 40 / 40 ANSWEREDSerial Killer Boolean Questions: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killer Question | Killer Answer | Total Answered | ||
| living with children | TRUE | 268 | ||
| physically abused | TRUE | 231 | ||
| alcohol abuse | TRUE | 226 | ||
| previous crimes | TRUE | 367 | ||
| previous jail | TRUE | 352 | ||
| previous prision | TRUE | 336 | ||
| rape | TRUE | 453 | ||
| bound | TRUE | 406 | ||
| strangle | TRUE | 443 | ||
| suicide | FALSE | 225 | ||
| killed in prison | FALSE | 218 | ||
| father drug abuse | FALSE | 192 | ||
| mother drug abuse | FALSE | 195 | ||
| xyy | FALSE | 81 | ||
| problems in school | FALSE | 221 | ||
| teased in school | FALSE | 218 | ||
| physically defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| speach defect | FALSE | 300 | ||
| head injury | FALSE | 299 | ||
| psychologically abused | FALSE | 224 | ||
| sexually abused | FALSE | 226 | ||
| drug abuse | FALSE | 226 | ||
| psychologist | FALSE | 258 | ||
| forensic hospital | FALSE | 257 | ||
| previous killed | FALSE | 208 | ||
| kill at killers home | FALSE | 320 | ||
| kill at victims home | FALSE | 323 | ||
| used weapon | FALSE | 453 | ||
| used gun | FALSE | 451 | ||
| torture | FALSE | 426 | ||
| stalk | FALSE | 418 | ||
| blindfold | FALSE | 363 | ||
| sex with body | FALSE | 430 | ||
| mutilated | FALSE | 447 | ||
| ate part of body | FALSE | 451 | ||
| drank blood | FALSE | 442 | ||
| posed body | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem body part | FALSE | 365 | ||
| totem personal item | FALSE | 354 | ||
| robbed | FALSE | 418 | ||
Books that Mention Arnold Sodeman
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Stranglers
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Rapists
RJ Parker Ph.D.
Serial Homicide: Australian Serial Killers
Jay Robert Nash
World Encyclopedia of 20th Century Murder
Mark Finnane
JV Barry
Robin Odell
Murderers' Row
Geoffrey McGeachin
St Kilda Blues
Robert M. Kaplan
The Prophet of Psychiatry
11 Books that mention Serial Killer
Arnold Sodeman
| ISBN10 | Book Title | Author | Killers Mentioned | Killers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1733630600 | Serial Killer Stranglers | Kevin Smith | 164 Total Including Juana Barraza | 164 |
| 1733630619 | Serial Killer Rapists | Kevin Smith | 266 Total Including Ramadan Abdel Rehim Mansour | 266 |
| 1987902211 | Serial Homicide: Australi... | RJ Parker Ph.D. | 4 Total Including Robert Joe Wagner | 4 |
| 1590775325 | World Encyclopedia of 20t... | Jay Robert Nash | 20 Total Including Joachim Georg Kroll | 20 |
| 086840845x | JV Barry | Mark Finnane | Arnold Sodeman | 1 |
| 0752471287 | Murderers' Row | Robin Odell | 7 Total Including Larry Eyler | 7 |
| 0857972286 | St Kilda Blues | Geoffrey McGeachin | Arnold Sodeman | 1 |
| 0992457904 | The Prophet of Psychiatry | Robert M. Kaplan | Arnold Sodeman | 1 |
| 1291006168 | The Glencaple Murder's | Paul Weightman | 61 Total Including Serhiy Tkach | 61 |
| 1537832727 | Arnold Sodeman | Jack Rosewood | Arnold Sodeman | 1 |
| 1743772912 | A Scandal in Bohemia | Gideon Haigh | Arnold Sodeman | 2 |
Arnold Karl Sodeman ((1899-12-12)12 December 1899 – (1936-06-01)1 June 1936), also known as the School-girl Strangler, was an Australian serial killer who targeted children. He confessed to four killings before being executed at Pentridge Prison, Victoria in 1936. Sodeman was the second of eleven people to be hanged at Pentridge Prison after the closure of Melbourne Gaol in 1929.
External References
- Q4795262 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Dec 11, 2018.
- Arnold Sodeman on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Dec 11, 2018.
- Juan Ignacio Blanco, Arnold Karl SODEMAN on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Dec 11, 2018.
- George Marshall Irving, Arnold Karl Sodeman on adb.anu.edu.au, Retrieved on Dec 11, 2018.
- The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) 02 Apr 1936, Page 4 on trove.nla.gov.au, Retrieved on Dec 11, 2018.
Internal References
Arnold Sodeman is included in the following pages on Killer.Cloud the Serial Killer Database
- #11 of 21[ Page 1 ] of Serial Killers active in Australia
- #25 of 43[ Page 2 ] of Sagittarius Serial Killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #29 of 45[ Page 2 ] of Serial Killers with birthdays in December
- #64 of 651[ Page 5 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
- #190 of 250[ Page 13 ] of Serial Killer Stranglers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #232 of 307[ Page 16 ] of Serial Killer Rapist sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #251 of 651[ Page 17 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
- #475 of 651[ Page 32 ] of serial killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #557 of 651[ Page 38 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
- Statistics:
- Serial Killers Statistics, charts Arnold Sodeman is included in: Active Serial Killers by Country, Serial Killers By Gender, Age of Serial Killer by Date, Killers By Astrological Sign, Killers By Birth Month, Serial Killers IQ Level, Highest Degree Achieved, Sexual Preference, Mannor of Death, Active Serial Killers by Year and Statistical Boolean Questions.
- Years Active: