America has a dark and checkered past. From mass shootings to serial killers, the country has some of the most prolific and brutal killers ever recorded.
According to the FBI, a murderer becomes serial when they kill two or more people in separate events. While the majority of serial killers commit their crimes for the thrill and "enjoyment," others are done out of anger and financial reward. Though it's easy to think that nothing bad like that has happened in South Carolina, the Palmetto State has seen plenty of heinous crimes through its history.
So, who are some of the most notorious criminals and serial killers in South Carolina history?
Donald Henry "Pee Wee" Gaskins Jr.
Donald Henry Gaskins Jr., also called "Pee Wee," is considered the most prolific serial killer in the history of South Carolina. His disturbing crimes include killing at least 14 victims ages 2 to 45 throughout the 1970s. He was sentenced to death and executed by way of the electric chair in 1991.
Lee Roy Martin aka The Gaffney Strangler
Lee Roy Martin was known as the Gaffney Strangler for the crimes he committed during the 1960s. Police originally believed the husband of one victim was the killer, but when a phone call to a local newspaper led police to the body of another woman, they knew the had the wrong guy. They eventually found Martin by tracing license plate that another would-be victim wrote down. Martin was convicted of killing four young women and received four life sentences in 1969. However, his time in prison didn't last long. He was stabbed to death by another prisoner in 1972.
Larry Gene Bell
Larry Gene Bell was convicted for strangling and killing two juveniles in 1985. What sets him apart from other double murderers is that he believed he was Jesus Christ and forced his victims to write a "Last Will and Testament" before they died, according to Murderpedia. He was executed in 1996, still claiming to be Jesus Christ. He was the last person in the state to die by the electric chair.
Dylann Storm Roof
In 2015, Dylann Roof walked into a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and opened fire, claiming nine lives in an effort, he claimed, to ignite a race war. Police arrested him after a manhunt, and he confessed to the murders. In 2017, he was sentenced to death for federal hate crimes. He also pleaded guilty to murder and received nine life sentences without parole.
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