'Freddy Krueger' serial killer found dead

A serial killer who fantasised about becoming movie murderer Freddy Krueger has been found dead, Broadmoor Hospital said today.

Daniel Gonzalez, 26, was found dead at 8.30am yesterday and a police investigation has been launched.

A hospital spokesman said: "Police attended the hospital to investigate, as is normal procedure when there is a death in custody.

"We will not comment further until a post-mortem investigation has been carried out."

In March last year Gonzalez was given six life sentences after being convicted of knifing to death four people and attempting to murder two others.

He carried out the random attacks over three days in September 2004.

His murder victims were Derek Robinson, 76, and his wife Jean, 68, from Highgate, north London, Kevin Molloy, 46, who was killed in Tottenham, north London, on September 17, 2004, and Marie Harding, 73, who was murdered two days earlier near Worthing, Sussex.

He was also jailed for life for trying to kill Peter King, 61, in Portscreek, Portsmouth, on September 15 and Koumis Constantino, 59, in Hornsey, north London, on September 17.

The Old Bailey was told he wanted to kill at least 10 people and fantasised about becoming a famous serial killer.

He was considered one of the most dangerous patients at the maximum security hospital.

Jurors decided that he was a drug crazed, cold-blooded murderer and not suffering from mental illness as he claimed.

When he settled into life at Broadmoor, the maximum-security hospital, he told a psychiatrist he still had time on his side, saying: "I think I will be out in eight to 10 years."

He once told police that he wondered what it would be like to be Nightmare On Elm Street's Freddy Krueger for a day and feigned mental illness long before the murders.

Copyright Press Association 2007

Don't miss the 24dash.com audio bulletins for the latest news and information - http://www.24dash.com/podcasts