As such, amongst a literary sea of accounts devoted to the serial killer and his crimes, this book stands out as unique. With reference to his murders, Nilsen claimed that his emotional state upon the dates of the murders, in conjunction with the amount of alcohol he had consumed, were both core factors in his decision to kill. Nilsen was initially posted to a Jobcentre in Denmark Street, where his primary role was to find employment for unskilled labourers. Although Nilsen initially resented his stepfather (whom he viewed as an unfair disciplinarian) he gradually came to grudgingly respect him.

In January 2021, a former confidant of Nilsen's named Mark Austin revealed that an edited version of The History of a Drowning Boy was to be posthumously published by RedDoor Press. Croom-Johnson sentenced Nilsen to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve a minimum of 25 years' imprisonment. began to suspect his brother was gay and regularly belittled him in public—referring to Dennis as "hen" (Scottish dialect for "girl"). Prior to moving into Melrose Avenue, Nilsen negotiated a deal with the landlord whereby he and Gallichan had exclusive use of the garden at the rear of the property. Upon learning the young man was a tourist, Nilsen offered to show Ockenden several London landmarks, an offer which Ockenden accepted.Two months after the attempted murder of Ho, on 3 December 1979, Nilsen encountered a 23-year-old Canadian student named Kenneth Ockenden, [71] who had been on a tour of England visiting relatives. Throughout 1978, he devoted an ever-increasing amount of his time, effort and assiduity to his work, [54] and most evenings he spent consuming spirits and/or lager as he listened to music. Months later, the regiment was transferred to West Berlin, where, the same year, Nilsen had his first sexual experience with a female: a prostitute whose services he solicited. Reflecting on his killing spree in 1983, Nilsen stated that, having killed Holmes: "I caused dreams which caused death .

By 11 February, reporters from the Mirror had obtained photographs from Nilsen's mother in Aberdeenshire, [124] which appeared on their front page the following day. In another first, it provides an insight into his 35 years inside the maximum-security prison system, including his everyday life on the wings; his interactions with the authorities and other notorious prisoners; and his artistic endeavours of music, writing and drama.Nilsen was brought to trial on 24 October 1983, charged with six counts of murder and two of attempted murder. Nilsen became known as the Muswell Hill Murderer, as he committed his later murders in the Muswell Hill district of North London. After plying him with alcohol, [102] Nilsen invited Stottor to his flat, assuring his guest he had no intention of sexual activity. After the youth had fallen asleep in Nilsen's bed, Nilsen fashioned a ligature around his neck, then simultaneously sat on Duffey's chest and tightened the ligature with a "great force". All of Nilsen's murders were committed at the two North London addresses where he lived between 1978 and 1983.

Between October and December 1972, Nilsen lived with his family as he considered his next career move. For two days, Duffey's body was stowed in a cupboard, [77] before Nilsen noted signs of bloating; therefore, "he went straight under the floorboards". The cover may have some limited signs of wear but the pages are clean, intact and the spine remains undamaged. His attendance record was mediocre, although he frequently volunteered to work overtime, leading several colleagues to suspect he was something of a loner. Shortly after this incident, Nilsen's mother moved out of his grandparents' home and into a flat with her three children.Over two days, Bowden testified that, although he found Nilsen to be abnormal in a colloquial sense, he had concluded Nilsen to be a manipulative person who had been capable of forming relationships, but had forced himself to objectify people. By late-1978 he was living a solitary existence; he had experienced at least three failed relationships in the previous eighteen months, and he later confessed to having developed an increasing conviction that he was unfit to live with. One victim he could not name; [118] another he knew only as "John the Guardsman", [119] and the third he identified as Stephen Sinclair.

This testimony lasted until the following morning, when the prosecution included several exhibits into evidence.

Holmes' bound corpse remained beneath the floorboards for almost eight months, before Nilsen built a bonfire in the garden behind his flat and burned the body on 11 August 1979. The same day, Nilsen accompanied police to Melrose Avenue, where he indicated the three locations in the rear garden where he had burned the remains of his victims. The first of these, Paul Nobbs, provided testimony which the prosecution asserted was evidence of Nilsen's self-control and ability to refrain from homicidal impulses. Nonetheless, immediately prior to his dissecting the victims' bodies, Nilsen masturbated as he knelt or sat alongside the corpse.