The Milkshake Murderer: Rene Castellani

Thanks to the persistance of a VPD detective in an extremely difficult homicide investigation, Rene Castellani was convicted of the murder of his wife. He served her arsenic laced milkshakes and became known as the “Milkshake Murderer.”

*Obituary of Esther Castellani – The Province – July 12, 1965, page 24*

*Vancouver Sun – January 7, 1982, page 3*

Eve Lazarus, a Vancouver true-crime author has recently posted a two-part podcast called “Murder by Milkshake.” Listen to her account of this story here:

S2 E22 Murder by Milkshake Part 1 ““ Eve Lazarus

S2 E23 Murder by Milkshake Part 2 ““ Eve Lazarus

*Vancouver Sun – August 3, 1965, page 6*

*Vancouver Sun – August 4, 1965, page 2*

*Vancouver Sun – December 2, 1965, page 4*

*Vancouver Sun – December 2, 1965, page 5*

*Vancouver Sun – November 5, 1966, page 3*

*The Province – February 7, 1967, page 11*

*Vancouver Sun – October 6, 1967, page 1*

*Vancouver Sun – October 6, 1967, page 2*

Rene Castellani was convicted and sentenced to hang, however, in 1968, after the abolishment of capital punishment, his sentence was reduced to life imprisonment.

*Vancouver Sun – July 31, 1968, page 67*

Castellani was released from prison in May 1979. He died on January 4, 1982, of pancreatic cancer, in Nanaimo. He was survived by his second wife, Gail, and his daughter from his first marriage to Esther. The “other woman,” Lolly Miller, had remarried after his incarceration.