Read The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers Online
Authors: Michael Newton
Tags: #True Crime, #Murder, #General, #Serial Killers
DISPOSITION: Unknown
DATE(S): 1995–96 VENUE: Ga./Wash. VICTIMS:
Four suspected
Palmer, Dr. William
(1824–56)
MO: Killed female neighbors and set fire to their apart-SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE/PC
ments; also shot a male motorist chosen at random DATE(S): 1890s–1908 VENUE: Staffordshire, Eng-DISPOSITION: Received life term without parole on land VICTIMS: 13+
two counts in Washington on Feb. 13, 1999
MO: Poisoner of relatives and acquaintances
DISPOSITION: Hanged June 14, 1856
Parks, Larry James
(1954– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC
Panchenko, Dr. Dimitri
(?–?)
DATE(S): 1996–99 VENUE: Manatee County, Fla.
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE
VICTIMS: Four
DATE(S): 1890s–1911 VENUE: Russia VICTIMS:
MO: Murdered a 35-year-old woman and her two
“Several”
daughters, aged four and seven; suspected in the MO: Physician who disposed of unwanted relatives for fatal shooting of a man at his home
a price
DISPOSITION: Three life prison terms
DISPOSITION: 15 years on one count, 1911
Paul, James Allen
(?– )
Parker, Calvin
(1969– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC/CE
SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: T MOTIVE:
DATE(S): 1984 VENUE: N.J./Conn./Vt. VICTIMS:
Sex./Sad.
Three
DATE(S): 2000 VENUE: San Diego, Calif. VIC-
MO: Shot two women and a 45-year-old man in sepa-TIMS: Two alleged
rate incidents; at least one victim robbed
MO: Raped, tortured and dismembered 29-year-old DISPOSITION: Life with 30-year minimum on guilty female roommate; prime suspect in the mutilation-plea to one count in N.J., 1984
murder of a 30-year-old woman found burned on a downtown streetcorner
Pavlovich, Milka
(d. 1935)
DISPOSITION: Condemned on one count, Aug. 12,
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-domes-
2002
tic
DATE(S): 1935 VENUE: Belovar, Yugoslavia VIC-
Parker, Gerald
(1955– ) AKA: Bedroom Basher TIMS: Six
SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
MO: “Black widow” poisoner of husband and other DATE(S): 1978–79 VENUE: Orange County, Calif.
relatives
VICTIMS: Six
DISPOSITION: Hanged, May 1935
MO: Home-invading rapist; bludgeoned females age 17–31, also killing a pregnant sixth victim’s full-Payne, Eric Christopher (1973– )
term fetus
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./CE
DISPOSITION: Confessed to rape, 1996; convicted on DATE(S): 1997 VENUE: Henrico County, Va. VIC-six murder counts, Oct. 1998; condemned, 1999
TIMS: Two
MO: Women age 51 and 63 raped/bludgeoned/robbed
Parker, Norman, Jr.
(1944– )
in their homes
SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC/CE
DISPOSITION: Twice condemned, 1997–98
390
Appendix A: Solo Killers
Peace, Charles Frederick
(1832–79)
Penton, David Elliott
(1958– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-felony
SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.
DATE(S): 1876 VENUE: Sheffield, England VIC-
DATE(S): 1985–88 VENUE: Tex./Ohio VICTIMS:
TIMS: Two
Four alleged
MO: Burglar who killed a woman in her home; in cus-MO: Pedophile slayer of girls aged 4–9
tody, he confessed the slaying of a policeman three DISPOSITION: Life prison term in Ohio for one mur-months earlier
der committed in 1988; trial pending on three
DISPOSITION: Hanged on Feb. 25, 1879
counts in Texas
Peeler, Russell, Jr.
(1972– )
Peoples, Louis James
(1962– )
SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE
SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-
DATE(S): 1998 VENUE: Bridgeport, Conn. VIC-
felony
TIMS: Three
DATE(S): 1997 VENUE: Stockton, Calif. VIC-
MO: Killed a man in drug dispute, May 1998; subse-TIMS: Four
quently killed a woman and her daughter scheduled MO: Stole pistol and badge from a policeman, used the to testify in that case
gun in a series of armed robberies and killed four DISPOSITION: Received a 105-year prison term on male victims aged 29–56
one count, December 1999
DISPOSITION: Condemned on four murder counts,
June 6, 2000
Peete, Lofie Louise Preslar
(d. 1947)
SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE-felony
Pereira, Francisco de Assis
(1967– ) AKA: Park DATE(S): 1910–44 VENUE: Tex./Calif. VICTIMS:
Maniac
Five
SEX: M RACE: H TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
MO: Profit-motivated slayer of husband, lovers, DATE(S): 1998 VENUE: São Paulo, Brazil VIC-coworker and employer
TIMS: 11
DISPOSITION: Acquitted of first killing on plea of MO: Rape-slayer of petite brunette females who lured self-defense; received life prison term for second victims by posing as a fashion photographer
murder, January 1921; paroled 1939; executed on DISPOSITION: Erroneous media report of Dec. 18, April 11, 1947
2000 claimed Pereira was killed by fellow inmates while awaiting trial; convicted on 11 murder counts
Peiry, Michel
(1959– )
in three separate trials, 2001–02, receiving a total of SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
268 years in prison
DATE(S): 1981–87 VENUE: Fla./Switzerland VIC-
TIMS: Three
Perkins, Reginald W.
(?– )
MO: Gay lust killer of teenage boys; bodies burned SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex./PC
DISPOSITION: Declared insane and confined to asy-DATE(S): 1982/2000 VENUE: Ohio/Tex. VIC-
lum, 1988
TIMS: Two suspected
MO: Serial rapist suspected of killing one teenage vic-Pekalski, Leszek (?– )
tim’s mother; later robbed and strangled his stepSEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
mother
DATE(S): 1984–92 VENUE: Poland VICTIMS: 70
DISPOSITION: Received life term plus 6–25 years, all confessed
concurrent, for raping an Ohio minor in 1982;
MO: Random slayer; attacked victims of both sexes paroled February 2000; condemned for his step-DISPOSITION: Convicted on one count, 1996; sen-mother’s murder, March 19, 2002
tenced to 25 years in psychiatric institution
Perry, Calvin, III
(1965–84)
Pennell, Steven Brian
(1957–92) AKA: Corridor SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
Killer
DATE(S): 1983 VENUE: Ft. Wayne, Ind. VICTIMS:
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
Five suspected
DATE(S): 1987–88 VENUE: New Castle County,
MO: Rapist home invader; bludgeoned victims age Del. VICTIMS: Five
11–78
MO: Torture-slayer of female prostitutes
DISPOSITION: Confessed prior to jailhouse suicide, DISPOSITION: Executed Mar. 14, 1992
Jan. 1984
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The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
Perry, George W. E.
(1892–1950)
Petrovs, Kaspars
(1975– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-felony
DATE(S): 1929–30 VENUE: Wis./Calif./La./Maine
DATE(S): 2001–04 VENUE: Riga, Latvia VIC-
VICTIMS: Four
TIMS: More than 38
MO: “Bluebeard” slayer of wives for profit
MO: Befriended, robbed, and murdered older women DISPOSITION: Life term in Wisc., 1931; died in DISPOSITION: Confessed 38 murders, Jan. 2005; life prison, Mar. 1950
sentence imposed May 12, 2005
Pesquet, Bernard
(1922– )
Pheach Phen
(1979– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: CE
SEX: M RACE: A TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC
DATE(S): 1941/74–76 VENUE: Rouen/Paris, France DATE(S): 1999 VENUE: Kompong Cham, Cambodia
VICTIMS: Six
VICTIMS: Five
MO: Bludgeoned man in robbery, 1941; killed victims MO: HIV-positive killer who drank the blood of vic-for profit, 1974–76, cementing corpses inside stair-tims as a “cure,” on the advice of native healers case of his home
DISPOSITION: Unknown
DISPOSITION: Life term, 1956 (paroled 1961); life term, 1984
Philipe, Joseph
(d. 1866) AKA: Terror of Paris SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
Peters, Damien Anthony
(1969– )
DATE(S): 1861–66 VENUE: Paris, France VIC-
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: S MOTIVE: PC-revenge
TIMS: Eight
DATE(S): 2001 VENUE: Perth, Australia VIC-
MO: “Ripper” of female prostitutes and a 10-year-old TIMS: Two
child
MO: Dismembered gay lovers aged 27 and 50 at his DISPOSITION: Guillotined, July 1866
flat following his HIV-positive diagnosis
DISPOSITION: Life prison term, December 2002
Phillips, Cindy
(1966– )
SEX: F RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
Peterson, Christopher Dwayne
(1968– )
DATE(S): 1981–98 VENUE: Kan./Tex./Colo. VIC-
SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC
TIMS: Three suspected
DATE(S): 1990 VENUE: Porter/Lake Counties., Ind.
MO: Alleged “black widow” slayer of husbands and VICTIMS: Seven confessed
lovers for profit
MO: Shotgun slayer of white victims in random attacks DISPOSITION: Convicted on Jan. 26, 1999 of hiring a DISPOSITION: Condemned on four counts, 1991–92
hit man to kill her husband in Colorado; charges ACCOMPLICE: Ronald J. Harris (1969– ) convicted pending in Kansas and Texas
in 1991 as shooter in one of seven murders and accomplice in a second
Phillips, John Paul
(?– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
Peterson, Davie Elliott
(1958– )
DATE(S): 1975–81 VENUE: Carbondale, Ill. VIC-
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.
TIMS: Four suspected
DATE(S): 1988–97 VENUE: Ohio/Tex. VICTIMS:
MO: Rape-slayer of women age 21–30
Four suspected
DISPOSITION: Condemned on one count
MO: Drifter who kidnapped and murdered children DISPOSITION: Life term in Ohio for the 1988 murder
Picchioni, Ernesto
(?– ) AKA: Monster of Nerola of a nine-year-old girl; trial pending in Texas on three SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
murder counts, including a three-year-old victim DATE(S): 1946–47 VENUE: Nerola, Italy VICTIMS: 16
Petrov, Dr. Maxim
(1964– )
MO: Lust killer of women; buried victims in his garden SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: CE-felony
DISPOSITION: Convicted; sentence unknown
DATE(S): 2000–02 VENUE: St. Petersburg, Russia VICTIMS: Ten
Pierce, Alexander
(?–?)
MO: Physician who drugged 50 elderly victims before SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: PC-non-looting their apartment, killing those who awoke specific
prematurely
DATE(S): 19th century VENUE: Australia VIC-
DISPOSITION: Life sentence imposed, December 2002
TIMS: Five
392
Appendix A: Solo Killers
MO: Escaped convict; killed/cannibalized fellow fugi-DATE(S): 1991/1999 VENUE: Hamilton, Ontario
tives
VICTIMS: Two
DISPOSITION: Hanged
MO: Murdered his first wife in 1991; dismembered a 34-year-old woman in 1999; arrested when his sec-Pierce, Charles E. (d. 1999)
ond wife found body parts at home
SEX: M RACE: Unk. TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex.
DISPOSITION: Died in jail of a drug overdose, Febru-DATE(S): 1960s–1970s VENUE: New England
ary 2000, while negotiating a plea bargain on two VICTIMS: Three confessed
murder counts
MO: Pedophile employed with a traveling carnival, imprisoned for the 1969 murder of a 13-year-old girl;
Pitchfork, Colin
(1960– )
subsequently confessed murders of two more girls SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
DISPOSITION: Life sentence on one count, 1980; died DATE(S): 1983/86 VENUE: Leicester, England VICin prison, Feb. 13, 1999
TIMS: Two
MO: Rape-slayer of 15-year-old girls
Pietrzak, Stanley
(1954– )
DISPOSITION: Double life term on guilty plea, 1988
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: Sex./PC
DATE(S): 1976–98 VENUE: Calif./Wash. VIC-
Pizzuto, Gerald Ross
(1973– )
TIMS: Three
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: N MOTIVE: CE
MO: Convicted sex offender whose wife and girlfriends DATE(S): 1985 VENUE: Idaho/Wash. VICTIMS:
died or vanished in his company; charred bones of Four
last victim found in furnace at an apartment build-MO: Victims of both sexes shot/bludgeoned in robberies ing where Pietrzak served as custodian
DISPOSITION: Condemned on two counts, 1986; also convicted of grand theft and robbery
DISPOSITION: Convicted of molesting two girls aged five and nine in 1990; received 40-year term for
Player, Michael
(1960–86) AKA: Skid Row Slayer murder of his second missing lover, November 2000
SEX: M RACE: B TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-nonspe-
cific
Pinkerton, Jay Kelly
(1969–86)
DATE(S): 1986 VENUE: Los Angeles, Calif. VIC-
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
TIMS: 10
DATE(S): 1969/80 VENUE: Amarillo, Tex. VIC-
MO: Shot homeless men, age 23–66
TIMS: Two
DISPOSITION: Suicide by gunshot, Oct. 10, 1986
DISPOSITION: Executed May 15, 1986
Pleil, Rudolf
(d. 1958)
Piper, Donald
(1963– )
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex./Sad.
SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: Sex.
DATE(S): 1946–50 VENUE: Germany VICTIMS:
DATE(S): 1997–98 VENUE: Des Moines, Iowa
25 confessed