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Paul Michael Stephani

American serial killer

2 min read
Reviewed by GlyphSignal·Updated 2026-06-03·Methodology·Disclosure·Source·Contact

Why this is trending

Interest in “Paul Michael Stephani” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-06-03.

Categorised under Business & Economy, this article fits a familiar pattern. wt.cat.business.2

By monitoring millions of daily Wikipedia page views, GlyphSignal helps you spot cultural moments as they happen and understand the stories behind the numbers.

2026-05-05Peak: 3472026-06-03
30-day total: 5,563

Key Takeaways

  • Paul Michael Stephani (September 8, 1944 – June 12, 1998) was an American serial killer.
  • Stephani killed three women in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, and two other women survived Stephani's violent attacks.
  • His mother remarried when he was three years old, giving him a stepfather who was known to beat his stepchildren and sometimes throw them down the stairs.
  • He held down several jobs, but was fired from a janitor position at Malmberg Manufacturing Company in 1977.
  • Killings On December 31, 1980, Stephani beat Karen Potack in Saint Paul, Minnesota, inflicting severe wounds and brain injury.

Source note: This page combines GlyphSignal analysis with attributed reference material from Wikipedia. GlyphSignal adds trend context, traffic history, categorization, and editorial interpretation. See how we build these pages.

Source summary

Wikipedia

Paul Michael Stephani (September 8, 1944 – June 12, 1998) was an American serial killer. He was also known as the Weepy-Voiced Killer due to a series of telephone calls he made to police, anonymously reporting his crimes in a remorseful and high-pitched voice. Stephani killed three women in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, and two other women survived Stephani's violent attacks.

Paul Stephani was the second of ten children born into a Catholic family. His mother remarried when he was three years old, giving him a stepfather who was known to beat his stepchildren and sometimes throw them down the stairs. Stephani was married to Beverly Lider and fathered a daughter with her, but the couple soon divorced. He held down several jobs, but was fired from a janitor position at Malmberg Manufacturing Company in 1977. His first victim's body would be discovered near this building.

On December 31, 1980, Stephani beat Karen Potack in Saint Paul, Minnesota, inflicting severe wounds and brain injury. Stephani himself called police at 3 a.m. to report the attack, directing police to a location where "There is a girl hurt there."

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