William Heirens
'Lipstick Killer' William Heirens is shown in this mugshot from 2004. He died Monday at age 83. Wikipedia

'Lipstick Killer' William Heirens, the longest-serving prison inmate in Illinois who was tagged with the moniker because of a chilling message he made with lipstick at one of his victim's homes more than half a century ago, died Monday at 83, according to published reports.

Heirens was known as the Lipstick Killer because of a message police found at the apartment of one of his victims:

For heaven's sake, catch me before I kill more. I cannot control myself, the chilling message read.

The Cook County medical examiner's office in Chicago could not immediately be reached to confirm the report, but the office told the Chicago Tribune that Heirens died at a Chicago hospital after prison officials from the Dixon Correctional Center found him unresponsive.

An autopsy is planned for today, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, while the Tribune reported the examination may be conducted Wednesday.

Heirens was serving a three consecutive life sentences at Dixon for the 1945 killings of Frances Brown and Josephine Ross and the 1946 abduction , dismemberment and murder of 6-year-old Suzanee Degnan - a slaying that sent Chicago into shock, the Sun-Times reported.