Michael Herbert Singh (born Rupert Sookman; February 25, 1945 – March 30, 2005) was a Trinidad and Tobago-born American serial killer who killed a girlfriend and two wives in New Mexico and Missouri from 1975 to 1982. Found not guilty by reason of insanity for the final murder, he was detained at a mental health clinic until 2005, when he was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate.
Early life
Rupert Sookman was born on February 25, 1945, in Trinidad and Tobago, one of seven children born to Indo-Trinidadian and Tobagonian parents. Little is known of his upbringing, but after finishing high school, he worked as an elementary and high school teacher before he and his family moved to Denver, Colorado, to avoid discrimination from the majority ethnic African population in Trinidad and Tobago. Shortly after the move, Sookman enlisted in the United States Army and fought during the Vietnam War, but was honorably discharged and returned to Denver, where he opened a clothing store. He later re-enlisted in the Army, but later left as he had difficulties adjusting and because his business had failed, leaving him without an income. Sookman then moved to Los Angeles, California, and changed his name to Michael Herbert Singh, but the exact date or reason for the name change is unclear.
Murders
Candace Starr
Sometime in 1975, Singh began a relationship with 16-year-old Candace Lynn Starr, but it was quickly soured by his violent behavior towards her and she eventually dumped him. Angered by this, he kidnapped her at gunpoint from her home in Los Angeles on September 21, dragging her into his van while Starr's two younger sisters watched in horror. For the next few days, Singh kept his ex-girlfriend as a hostage until they eventually wound up at a convenience store in Gallup, New Mexico. There, he drew a gun and shot Starr, killing her on the spot.
Immediately afterward, Singh got into his van and fled, but not before some witnesses were able to get a partial view of his face and the color of his van. This information was later relayed to the authorities, but as they were unable to gather more evidence or identify the victim, the case quickly went cold and was left unsolved for decades. Starr remained unidentified until November 2009, when her DNA was submitted to CODIS and subsequently matched her profile on The Doe Network.
Mary Singh
Following Starr's murder, Singh moved to Springfield, Missouri, where he soon married 29-year-old Mary Ann Spain, a divorcée with two children who worked as an operating room technician at the Cox Medical Center. Like with his previous relationship, Singh quickly became violent towards his newlywed spouse, which led to frequent arguments between the two. During one such argument on September 23, 1976, Singh pulled out a gun and shot Mary in front of her house before fleeing in his car. The murder was noticed by both of her children, with her 5-year-old daughter quickly alerting the neighbors, who in turn informed the police. An autopsy determined that Mrs. Singh had been shot once in the chin at close range, with three additional shots being fired into her chest and left arm.
Singh was arrested later that day along Route 63, not far from Houston. Upon inspecting his car, the officer located a pistol, and during questioning, Singh presented himself as an unemployed construction worker and listed his wife's home as his address. He was then extradited back to Missouri, where he was held on second-degree murder and $75,000 bail. Before his arraignment, Singh petitioned to have his prison diet changed to a vegetarian one, a request that was subsequently granted by the court.
Prosecution
Initially, Singh's trial was scheduled to start in March 1977, but due to a violent outburst during a hearing which required that the defendant be restrained by seven bailiffs, the presiding judge ordered that the proceedings should be adjourned until Singh could get a second evaluation. The previous day, he had shown signs of increasing agitation, paced around the courtroom and even uttered obscenities under his breath. When psychiatrists at the Fulton State Hospital deemed Singh sane, his trial date was pushed back to August 1.
In July, Singh filed a petition to have Circuit Judge James H. Keet disqualified from the proceedings, citing alleged prejudice against him. In response, Keet staunchly refused, filing a ruling explaining his decision. In response, Singh attempted to have his trial delayed again, claiming that he suffered from a physical ailment that prevented him from fully concentrating during the proceedings, but his request was denied.