Portrait of John Agrue

Birthday profile

John Agrue

John Agrue, American serial killer (died 2009)

Born
September 11, 1947
Died
June 29, 2009
Zodiac sign
Virgo
Birth year
1947

About John Agrue

John William Agrue (September 11, 1947 – June 29, 2009) was an American murderer who was posthumously identified as a serial killer. He was convicted in 1966 of murdering his 15-year-old sister-in-law in Joliet, Illinois, and was later linked to a 1982 killing in Longmont, Colorado, after his parole from prison. He was arrested that year for an attempted kidnapping but was not charged in the Colorado homicide at the time due to a lack of evidence. After his death in 2009, DNA evidence identified Agrue as the killer of 94-year-old Orma B. Smith, and authorities later named him the primary suspect in the stabbing death of Susan Becker. Based on these findings, investigators stated that he was responsible for multiple killings and reexamined other cases for possible links. == Murder of Susan Marino == On July 21, 1966, an 18-year-old Agrue met with his 15-year-old sister-in-law Suzanne "Susan" Marino in downtown Joliet, Illinois and asked her to accompany him to Hammel Woods forest preserve. When they arrived there, he started making romantic advances towards her, but she rejected him. Angered, Agrue pulled out a small knife and stabbed her approximately a dozen times, killing her. Later that day, he admitted the murder to his wife, who initially did not believe his claims. To prove his guilt, he drove her to the crime scene and showed her where he had left Marino's purse and shoes.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

John Agrue timeline

  1. John William Agrue (September 11, 1947 – June 29, 2009) was an American murderer who was posthumously identified as a serial killer.
  2. On July 21, 1966, an 18-year-old Agrue met with his 15-year-old sister-in-law Suzanne "Susan" Marino in downtown Joliet, Illinois and asked her to accompany him to Hammel Woods forest preserve.
  3. After his death in 2009, DNA evidence identified Agrue as the killer of 94-year-old Orma B.

The world when John Agrue was born

John Agrue was born in 1947. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1947

  • #1 song"Near You" – Francis Craig
  • Top movieMiracle on 34th Street
  • Top TV showHowdy Doody
  • Best-selling bookThe Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentJackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
  • Top headlineJackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier
  • Technology milestoneTransistor invented at Bell Labs
  • Defining fadFlying saucer mania
  • Notable inventionPolaroid instant camera
  • World population2.47 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
  • Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
  • Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (BAA)
  • U.S. population144.1M

1947 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in John Agrue's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19472026
Gas$0.23$3.45/gal
Average home$7,800$435,000
Average income$4,700$67,500
Minimum wage$0.40$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$0.40$11.95
Postage stamp$0.03$0.73
Population144.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, CBS News, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.