The murderer convicted of killing a bar owner, taking four women hostage and forcing one of them to cut off the dead bar owner’s head during a drug-fueled crime spree three decades ago is seeking parole for a third time.
The New York Post, which dubbed now 53-year-old Charles Dingle the “Headless Body in a Topless Bar” killer after he committed the 1983 spree, reports the felon will ask a three-person parole board to spring him from the upstate Wende Correctional Facility.
Dingle was just 23 when he went on his bizarre rampage, entering Herbie’s Bar in Queens one April day and shooting owner Herbert Cummings to death while high on cocaine and alcohol.
Dingle robbed some customers and took four women hostage, one of whom he raped, and then forced another one of his hostages to extricate the bullet from Cummings’ skull so his gun couldn't be linked to it. Then he forced the woman to cut off Cummings’ head.
Dingle later released two of the hostages, forcing the other two to ride around with him – and Cummings’ severed head -- in a stolen cab. Eventually, he pulled over and passed out behind the wheel and the two remaining hostages were able to escape and alert police.
The 53-year-old man is serving a 25-year-to-life term after his convictions on murder, kidnapping, rape and robbery charges. His parole requests have already been denied twice.
Dingle has insisted he was unfairly convicted.
