DAVID Wilson was a prison governor while serial killer Dennis Nilsen was in prison.
He has discussed details of his encounters with Dennis Nilsen and is now fronting new crime show In the Footsteps of Killers.
Who is David Wilson?
David Wilson, 64 is a former prison governor, now working as a professor of criminology at Birmingham City University. He has a PhD.
Criminologists work to explain criminal behaviour by analysing a host of areas (like economics) that have an impact on a crime.
David thinks that Dennis came across like “a weedy geography teacher” in person.
Explaining how he thought he was definitely sane, he said: “There was no evidence of mental illness, he was interested in power and control and the ultimate form of expressing that was through taking other people’s lives.”
How did David Wilson and Dennis Nilsen meet?
While working as an assistant governor, he got transferred to HM Prison Brixton.
It was here he met Dennis while he was in prison.
Their conversations made him confident that Dennis “was absolutely gay”.
He explained: “Homophobia is the constant to understand the significance of these crimes, and the failure of the police to catch this type of perpetrator.”
What did Dennis Nilsen say to David Wilson?
David spoke to Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning about his encounters with Dennis.
He said: “I was literally 23 years old when he first met me and came into my cell and I was a doctor of philopshy, I was in the age group of his victims.
“At a later date I interviewed him about another matter and when I finished the interview he leaned over the desk and said ‘Do you have to go?’
“He knew I knew those were his last words before he killed his first victim.”
After sharing this chilling comment, he admitted that he thought Dennis “fancied” him.
He also said that Dennis would “toy with him”.
When is he on In the Footsteps of Killers?
Wilson will front new Channel 4 docuseries In the Footsteps of Killers alongside Silent Witness star Emilia Fox.
The three-part documentary will look at three, real-life unsolved murder cases.
The pair will visit crime scenes and interview witnesses and suspects in order to get to the bottom of the crimes.
The first episode will air on Channel 4 on Wednesday, June 9.
