Samuel Little
File:Samuel Little.jpg
Born (1940-06-07) June 7, 1940 (age 83)
Reynolds, Georgia, US
Other namesSamuel McDowell
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
Victims34–93[1]
Span of crimes
1970–82[2] – 1989–2005[2]
CountryUnited States
State(s)California and Texas (convicted)
12 others (accused)[2]
Date apprehended
September 5, 2012
Imprisoned atCalifornia State Prison, Los Angeles County

Samuel Little (born June 7, 1940) is an American serial killer who was convicted of the murders of three women in California between 1987 and 1989. Little is also suspected to have killed people in nine other states, starting in the 1970s. He claims to have killed as many as 93 people; investigators have linked him to at least 34 murders.[3]

Early life

Samuel Little was born on June 7, 1940, in Reynolds, Georgia, to a mother he claimed was a "lady of the night".[3] Soon after his birth, Little's family moved to Lorain, Ohio, where he was brought up mainly by his grandmother. He attended Hawthorne Junior High School, where he had problems with discipline and achievement.[4] In 1956, after being convicted for breaking and entering into property in Omaha, Nebraska, Little was held in an institution for juvenile offenders.[5]

Little moved to Florida with his mother in the late 1960s, working at various times as an ambulance attendant, a cemetery worker, or a day laborer. Having not continued his education after high school, Little spent most of his free time on the streets, engaging in robbery and petty theft to make a living. He took up boxing during his stints in prison and considered himself a prizefighter at one point.[6]

Crimes

In 1961, Little was sentenced to three years in prison for breaking into a furniture store in Lorain; he was released in 1964. By 1975, he had been arrested 26 times in eleven states for crimes including theft, assault, attempted rape, fraud and attacks on government officials.[7] He spent much of his time with prostitutes and pimps.

In 1982, Little was arrested in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and charged with the murder of 22-year-old prostitute Melinda LaPree, who had gone missing in September that year. A grand jury declined to indict Little for the murder of LaPree. However, while under investigation, Little was transferred to Florida to be brought to trial for the murder of 26-year-old Patricia Mount, whose body was found in September 1982. Prosecution witnesses identified Little in court as a person who spent time with Mount on the night before her disappearance. Due to mistrust of witness testimonies, Little was acquitted in January 1984.[6]

Little moved to California, where he stayed in the vicinity of San Diego.[8] In October 1984, he was arrested for kidnapping, beating and strangling Laurie Barros, 22 years old, who survived. One month later, he was found by police in the backseat of his car with an unconscious woman, also beaten and strangled, in the same location as the attempted murder of Barros. Little served only 2.5 years in prison for both crimes. Upon his release in February 1987, he immediately moved to Los Angeles and committed upwards of ten more murders.[9]

Little was arrested on September 5, 2012, at a homeless shelter in Louisville, Kentucky, after authorities used DNA testing to establish that he was involved in the murder of Carol Elford, killed on July 13, 1987; Guadalupe Apodaca, killed on September 3, 1987; and Audrey Nelson, killed on August 14, 1989. All three women were killed and later found on the streets of Los Angeles. He was extradited to Los Angeles, where he was charged on January 7, 2013.[10] A few months later, the police said that Little was being investigated for involvement in dozens of murders committed in the 1980s, which until then had been undisclosed. In connection with the new circumstances in Mississippi, the LaPree murder case was reopened.[11] In total, Little was tested for involvement in 60 murders of women committed in the territory of many US states.[12]

Trial and incarceration

The trial of Samuel Little for the murders of Elford, Nelson and Apodaca began in September 2014. The prosecution presented the DNA testing results as well as testimony of witnesses who were attacked by the accused at different times throughout his criminal career.[9][13] On September 25, 2014, Little was found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment without possibility of parole. On the day of the verdict, Little continued to insist on his innocence.[14] As of 2016, Little was serving a sentence at the California State Prison, Los Angeles County.[15]

Later confessions

On November 9, 2018, Little confessed to the 1996 fatal strangulation of Melissa Thomas.[16] On November 13, 2018, Little was charged with the 1994 murder of Denise Christie Brothers in Odessa, Texas, after having confessed the crime to a Texas Ranger in May 2018.[17] Little pleaded guilty to the murder on December 13 and received another life sentence.[18] The Ector County, Texas District Attorney and Wise County Sheriff's Office also announced on November 13 that Little had confessed to dozens of murders and may have committed more than 90 across 14 states between 1970 and 2005.[2][19] On November 15, 2018, the Russell County, Alabama District Attorney announced that Little had earlier that month confessed to the 1979 murder of 23-year-old Brenda Alexander whose body was found in Phenix City.[20] On November 16, 2018, Macon, Georgia sheriffs announced that Little had credibly confessed to the 1977 strangling murder of an unidentified woman and the 1982 strangling murder of 18-year-old Fredonia Smith.[21] In the fall of 2018, Little confessed to Louisiana State Police the 1982 murder of 55-year-old Dorothy Richards and the 1996 murder of 40-year-old Daisy McGuire; both of their bodies were found in Houma, Louisiana.[22] On November 19, 2018, Harrison County, Mississippi sheriff Troy Peterson said that Little had confessed to strangling 36-year-old Julia Critchfield in the Gulfport area in 1978 and dumping her body off a cliff.[23] On November 20, 2018, Lee County, Mississippi law enforcement officials announced that Little had admitted to killing 46-year-old Nancy Carol Stevens in Tupelo in 2005 and that the case would be presented to a grand jury in January 2019.[24] On November 21, 2018, Richland County, South Carolina authorities announced that Little had confessed to murdering 19-year-old Evelyn Weston whose body was found near Fort Jackson in 1978.[25] Little also confessed to having killed 20-year-old Rosie Hill in Marion County, Florida, in 1982.[3]

On November 27, 2018, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that a Violent Criminal Apprehension Program team had confirmed 34 of Little's confessions and was working to match the remainder of Little's confessions to known murders or suspicious deaths. Little began making the confessions in exchange for a transfer out of the Los Angeles County prison in which he was being held.[1][26] One included his confession to a previous cold case homicide in Prince George's County, Maryland, previously one of only two homicide cases in that county with unidentified victims.[27]

In December 2018, Little was indicted for strangling Linda Sue Boards, 23, to death in May 1981 in Warren County, Kentucky. Her body was found on May 15, 1981 near U.S. Route 68.[28] One of Little's victims was identified in December 2018 as Martha Cunningham of Knox County, Tennessee who was 34 years old when Little murdered her in 1975.[29]

On May 31, 2019, Cuyahoga County, Ohio prosecutors announced indictments, with four counts of aggravated murder and six counts of kidnapping, that accuse Little of killing Mary Jo Peyton in 1984 and Rose Evans in 1991 in Cleveland. Both victims were strangled and dumped.[30] The body of Rose Evans, 32, was found on August 24, 1991, in a vacant lot on E. 39th St., near Cedar Ave. Evans, of E. 61st St., had been strangled according to coroner Elizabeth K. Balraj. Evans left her small hometown of Binghamton, New York, when she was 17 with a group of friends visiting Cleveland. Pam Smith, Evans sister, said, then Rose Smith, got caught up with drugs and married a no-good husband who had her working the streets.[31] As for Peyton, an anthropologist had to create a model of what she looked like, but she remained unidentified until 1992 when Cleveland put her thumbprint in an FBI data base and got a match.[32] Little picked up Peyton at a bar near East 105th and Euclid avenues. He described her as a short, plump woman in her 20s with brown hair.[30] Little also confessed to killing another Cleveland woman in 1977 or 1978 which authorities are still working on that case.[30] He has also confessed to killing one in Akron; two in Cincinnati, one whose body was dumped outside of Columbus; and one woman he met in Columbus and disposed of in Kentucky.[30]

Confirmed murders

Name Date of murder Date of conviction Location of murder
Mary Jo Peyton July 3, 1984 TBA Cleveland, Ohio
Carol Elford July 13, 1987 September 25, 2014 Los Angeles, California
Guadalupe Abodaca September 3, 1987 September 25, 2014 Los Angeles, California
Audrey Nelson August 14, 1989 September 25, 2014 Los Angeles, California
Rose Evans August 24, 1991 TBA Cleveland, Ohio
Denise Christie Brothers February 2, 1994 December 13, 2018 Odessa, Texas

Suspected murders

According to the FBI, Little confessed to the murders of the following individuals. He provided sketches for twenty-six of them. All of these individuals have not been confirmed to be linked to specific, known murders, unless noted.[33]

Name Date of murder Location of murder Notes
Unnamed white female 1970–71 Homestead, Florida Age unknown.
"Linda" 1971 Miami, Florida Black female, approximately 22.
"Marianne/Mary Ann" 1971–72 Miami, Florida Black female, approximately 18. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed female 1971–72 Miami, Florida Black female. Possibly affiliated with the air force.
Unnamed white female 1972 Prince George's County, Maryland Approximately 20–25. His confession was matched to a known Jane Doe case. Possibly from Massachusetts. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed white female 1973 Kendall, Florida Approximately 45, possibly from Massachusetts. Both 1973 victims are described to possibly have the first name "Sarah".
Unnamed black female 1973 New Orleans, Louisiana Age unknown. Possibly worked at a local restaurant.
Unnamed black female 1974 Savannah, Georgia Approximately 22 or 23.
Unnamed black female 1974 Cincinnati, Ohio Age unknown and dumps her body in Columbus, Ohio. Authorities working on case.[30]
"Emily" Mid 1970s Miami, Florida Black female, approximately 23 or 24. Possibly worked at the University of Miami.
Unnamed black female 1975 Knoxville, Tennessee Approximately 25.
Unnamed black female 1976–77 Wichita Falls, Texas Age unknown. Disposal location of body unspecified, stated to be near this city. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
"Jo" 1976–79 Granite City, Illinois Black female, approximately 26. May have picked her up in St. Louis, Missouri. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed black female 1976-79 East St. Louis, Illinois Age unknown. Possibly picked up in St. Louis, Missouri.
Unnamed black female 1976–79 or 1993 Houston, Texas Age unknown. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed black female 1977 Macon, Georgia Approximately 30-40. This confession was matched to an existing Jane Doe case.
Unnamed black female 1977 Pascagoula, Mississippi Approximately 35 to 45. Possibly met in Gulfport but native to Pascogoula and worked at a shipyard. Confession matched to an existing Jane Doe case.
Unnamed female 1977 or 1978 Cleveland, Ohio Unknown age which authorities are still working on that case.[30]
Unnamed black female 1977–78 Plant City, Florida Age unknown. Apparently met in the city of Clearwater.
Unnamed black female 1977 or 1982 Charleston, South Carolina Approximately 28.
Unnamed black female 1980–81 Dade County, Georgia Approximately 25–30. This confession was matched to a known Jane Doe case.
Unnamed black female 1980–84 Gulfport, Mississippi Approximately 22.
Unnamed black female 1981 Atlanta, Georgia Approximately 35–40. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed white female 1982 New Orleans, Louisiana Age unknown
Unnamed white female 1983–84 Atlanta, Georgia Approximately 26 and may have been from Griffin, Georgia. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed female 1984 Near Columbus, Ohio Unknown age which authorities are still working on that case. Disposes of her body in Northern Kentucky.[30]
Unnamed black female 1984 Atlanta, Georgia Approximately 23–25 and possibly a college student. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed white female 1984 Northern Kentucky Age unknown. Possibly picked up from Columbus, Ohio. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed black female 1984-mid 1990s West Memphis, Arkansas Approximately 28 or 29. May have been picked up in Memphis, Tennessee. Little provided a sketch of this victim. Confession matched to a known Jane Doe case. The family of Zena Maria Jones recognized this sketch as their missing relative. A man named Anthony Jones also stated the sketch resembled his mother, who was killed in 1997.[34]
Unnamed black female 1984 San Bernardino, California Approximately 18–23.
Unnamed black female 1984 Fort Myers, Florida Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1984 Tampa Bay, Florida Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1984 Savannah, Georgia Approximately 23.
Unnamed black female 1987 Los Angeles, California Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1987 Los Angeles, California Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1987 Los Angeles, California Approximately 19.
"Granny" 1987 Los Angeles, California Black female. Approximately 50.
Unnamed black female 1987 Los Angeles, California Approximately 22 or 23.
Unnamed black female 1987 Los Angeles, California Approximately 26 or 27.
Unnamed black female 1987 – early 1990s Monroe, Louisiana Approximately 24. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed Hispanic female 1988 or 1996 Phoenix, Arizona Approximately in her 40s. May have been native to the area. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed black female 1990–97 Pine Bluff, Arkansas Age unknown.
"Alice" 1990-91 Los Angeles, California Black female. Approximately 40-45.
1991 Unnamed female Akron, Ohio Age unknown. Authorities working on case.[30]
Unnamed black female 1991–92 Los Angeles, California Approximately 20–22. May have been from San Francisco.
Unnamed black female 1992 Los Angeles, California Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1992–93 Los Angeles, California Age unknown.
Unnamed Hispanic female 1992–93 Los Angeles, California Approximately 24 or 25. May have been from Phoenix.
Unnamed black female 1992–93 North Little Rock, Arkansas Age unknown.
Unnamed black female 1996 Los Angeles, California Approximately 23–25.
"T-Money" 1996 Los Angeles, California Black female. Approximately 23 or 24.
Unnamed white female 1996 Los Angeles, California Approximately 23–25. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed black female 1996 Los Angeles, California Approximately 25.
"Ann" 1997 Phoenix, Arizona White female, age unknown. Little provided a sketch of this victim.
Unnamed female Date unknown Cincinnati, Ohio Age unknown and authorities working on case.[30]

Personal life

Little had a long-term girlfriend, Jean, since deceased, who supported them both through shoplifting for years.[35]

Health

Little uses a wheelchair, and suffers from diabetes and a heart condition.[35]

In the Media

Sam Little's crimes are detailed in an episode ("Bomb Grade") on the podcast "My Favorite Murder" on April 4, 2019.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "ViCAP Links Murders to Prolific Serial Killer". FBI. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Justice. November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Fieldstadt, Elisha (November 14, 2018). "Suspected serial killer Samuel Little may be connected to at least 90 murders". NBC News. New York City: NBC. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Williams, Timothy (November 26, 2018). "He Says He Got Away With 90 Murders. Now He's Confessing to Them All". The New York Times. New York City: The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  4. ^ Caniglia, John (April 8, 2013). "Sam Little, who grew up in Lorain, is linked to serial killer probes". Cleveland.com. Cleveland: Advance Publications. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Associated Press (April 7, 2013). "Timeline retraces the whereabouts of a career criminal, alleged serial killer". Fox News. New York City: Fox Corporation. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Abdollah, Tami (April 7, 2013). "More cases connected to L.A. serial killer suspect". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Honolulu. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  7. ^ "Timeline retraces the whereabouts of a career criminal, alleged serial killer". Associated Press. April 7, 2013 – via Fox News.
  8. ^ "Exclusive: LAPD arrests serial killer suspect from 1980s". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tronc. January 7, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Kim, Victoria (September 1, 2014). "Women's testimony called 'blueprint' to serial killer suspect's behavior". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tronc. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  10. ^ "Man Linked to Three Cold Case Murders" (Press release). Los Angeles, California: Los Angeles Police Department. January 7, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  11. ^ "Cross-Country Killer: Samuel Little Tied to Cold Case Murders in 10 States?". The Hollywood Gossip. April 8, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  12. ^ Opabola, Maru I. (April 2, 2013). "Local records chief hailed for helping crack nationwide cold case". The Gainesville Sun. Gainesville, Florida: New Media Investment Group. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  13. ^ Havens, April M. (September 4, 2014). "Former Pascagoula prostitutes testify of escapes from convicted serial killer Samuel Little". gulflive.com. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  14. ^ Gerber, Marisa (September 25, 2014). "L.A. serial killer gets 3 life terms, screams, 'I didn't do it!'". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California: Tronc. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
  15. ^ "LITTLE, SAMUEL - AV2258 - 76 - 11/24/2014 - Lancaster".
  16. ^ "Arrest made in 1996 murder of Opelousas woman". KATC.com. November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  17. ^ Rojas, Nicole (November 14, 2018). "Killer Samuel Little Charged in 1994 Texas Cold Case". MSN. Microsoft. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "Serial killer who confessed to 90 murders pleads guilty in Texas woman's 1994 death". NBC News. New York City: NBC. Associated Press. December 13, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  19. ^ Williams, Timothy (November 26, 2018). "He Says He Got Away With 90 Murders. Now He's Confessing Them All". New York Times. New York City: The New York Times Company. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  20. ^ Williams, Chuck (November 15, 2018). "Almost 40 years after Phenix City murder, California serial killer makes a confession". Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia: McClatchy. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  21. ^ Kovac, Joe Jr. (November 16, 2018). "Skeletal remains of slain Macon women linked to suspected Georgia-born serial killer". The Telegraph. Macon, Georgia: McClatchy. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  22. ^ "Mass murderer implicated in 3 Louisiana deaths confesses to 90 killings spanning 4 decades". The Advocate. Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Georges Media. November 15, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  23. ^ Fitzgerald, Robin (November 19, 2018). "She was strangled, thrown in a Coast dirt pit in 1978. Now a suspected serial killer has confessed". Sun Herald. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  24. ^ "Man who confessed to 90 deaths says he killed Decatur woman in 2005". The Decatur Daily. Decatur, Alabama: Tennessee Valley Printing Co., Inc. November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  25. ^ Bland, David Travis (November 21, 2018). "Serial killer likely murdered Columbia woman in 1978, sheriff says". The State. Columbia, South Carolina: McClatchy. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  26. ^ Levenson, Eric; Johnston, Chuck (November 28, 2018). "A convicted murderer says he killed 90 people and got away with it. The FBI believes him". CNN. Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Retrieved November 29, 2018. In all, Little confessed to about 90 murders in that interview and in others, according to the Texas Rangers and the FBI.
  27. ^ Bui, Lynh (November 29, 2018). "Serial killer Samuel Little says a 1972 unsolved Maryland case is among 90 he got away with, police say". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Nash Holdings. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  28. ^ Story, Justin (December 13, 2018). "Convicted serial killer charged in 1981 death of Smiths Grove woman". Bowling Green Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  29. ^ Hickman, Hayes (December 16, 2018). "Knox woman's death dismissed as natural until serial killer Samuel Little's confession". Knoxville News Sentinel. Knoxville, Tennessee. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dissell, Rachel; Caniglia, John (May 31, 2019). "Serial killer Samuel Little confesses to killing multiple Ohio women, 3 in Cleveland". Cleveland.com. Cleveland: Advance Newspapers. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  31. ^ Kleinerman, Ellen Jan (August 26, 1991). "WOMAN STRANGLED, CORONER SAYS". Cleveland.com. Cleveland: Advance Newspapers. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  32. ^ Woge, Mary Jayn (October 15, 1984). "Anthropologist tackles puzzle of corpse's face". Cleveland.com. Cleveland: Advance Newspapers. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  33. ^ "ViCAP Links Murders to Prolific Serial Killer". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
  34. ^ "Another family tells police serial killer's sketch of victim is their loved one". WREG.com. February 23, 2019. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  35. ^ a b Lauren, Jillian (December 20, 2018). "The Serial Killer and the 'Less Dead' The only reporter who's talked to Samuel Little tells how he was caught — and why he almost got away". The Cut. New York City: New York Media, LLC. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
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