Boston Strangler Detective Dies

Phillip J. DiNatale, the chief investigator in the Boston Strangler murders who quit the police force to serve as a consultant for a motion picture about the case, has died after a brief illness.

DiNatale, who was portrayed by George Kennedy in the 1968 film “The Boston Strangler” starring Tony Curtis, died Sunday at his daughter’s home, it was revealed today. DiNatale, 67, pieced together clues that could have helped convict Albert H. DeSalvo of being the Boston Strangler. Technically, the case remains unsolved because DeSalvo, serving time for unrelated crimes, was murdered in prison in 1973, before he could be tried.