William Dathan Holbert
| William Dathan Holbert | |
|---|---|
| Born |
William Dathan Holbert September 12, 1979[1] Hendersonville, North Carolina, United States |
| Killings | |
| Victims | 5+ |
| Country | Panama |
Date apprehended | July 26, 2010[2] |
William Dathan Holbert (born September 12, 1979), also known as Wild Bill, is a self-confessed murderer from Hendersonville, North Carolina.
Prosecutors allege Holbert, a former associate of the National Alliance,[3] confessed to killing five people in Panama and one person in Costa Rica to get their money and properties. Prosecutors say Holbert befriended the victims, shot them in the head, buried their bodies, and then stole their homes and businesses. The bodies of Americans Mike Brown, his wife and child; Cheryl Lynn Hughes; and Bo Icelar were found buried on his property.
Holbert and his ex-wife, Laura Michelle Reese, were arrested by authorities as they attempted to make their way into Nicaragua via Costa Rica on July 26, 2010.[4][5][6][7]
Holbert now operates and chairs "Los Reos Unificados," a syndicated Christian inmate organization, on the national level in the Republic of Panama. Holbert also operates "Panama Human Rights," an international human rights organization for prisoners. In September 2014, Holbert's lawyer issued a statement saying that Holbert had been appointed Chaplain of the Catholic Church in the Public Jail of David; however, the Directorate General for Prisons immediately issued a statement of denial indicating that was not the case.[8][9]
In 2016, a detailed account of Holbert's crimes written by Nick Foster, "The Jolly Roger Social Club: A True Story of a Killer in Paradise," was published.[10]
References
- ↑ Winner, Don (July 28, 2010). "Identities of William Dathan Holbert and Laura Michelle Reese Confirmed - 100%". panama-guide.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ Hawkins, Kristal. "The real-life 'Hostel' murders". crimelibrary.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ "Ten Years After the Founder's Death, Key Neo-Nazi Group a 'Joke'". Huffington Post. July 25, 2012.
- ↑ Sheridan, Michael (August 2, 2010). "Fugitives William Dathan Holbert, Laura Michelle Reese busted in Panama as suspected serial killers". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-10-22.
- ↑ "William Dathan Holbert, Jailed American, Admits Killing 5 People In Panama Resort Area: Authorities". Huffington Post. August 2, 2010.
- ↑ "Wild Bill:Terror, Death Deception". Telemetro News. October 6, 2010.
- ↑ "Mission Statement". Panama Human Rights. May 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Desmienten que "Wild Bill" haya sido designado como capellán". telemetro.com. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ↑ Sabloff, Nicholas (August 5, 2010). "William Holbert Panama Murders: More Bodies Found At Hostel Of U.S. Man Accused Of Serial Killings". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ Foster, Nick, "The Jolly Roger Social Club: A True Story of a Killer in Paradise" (Henry Holt and Company LLC 2016).