Serial Killer Derrick Todd Lee #truecrime

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From 1998 to 2003, a vicious killer was on the loose in Baton Rouge Louisiana, taking the lives of at least 7 women, though many believe his rampage started earlier and he is suspected of several other cases in the area. During this time, another monster, Sean Vincent Gillis was also active in the area complicating the investigation. The primary method of attack was stabbing or slashing though he also beat and strangled victims to death. The killer would either talk his way into the victims home or break in but he left no sign of forced entry, then assault his victims before killing them. Even as he killed, the monster committed a variety of less severe crimes such as robbery and trespassing, but his arrests for these crimes did not stop his more than 10 years of murder. Often Sean Vincent Gillis is referred to as the other Baton Rouge Killer, so who was the first to hold that title?

Derrick Todd Lee, the Baton Rouge Killer

Derrick todd Lee was born in St Francisville Louisiana on November 5 1968 to an abusive father and overbearing mother. His parents were not his only problem, Derrick was mentally challenged and was put into special Ed classes. He was also mistreated by the other kids who called him names. Perhaps because of the pressures at home and school, Lee began acting out at a young age.

On November 8 1981, at age 13, Lee was arrested for burglary and vandalism. He also assaulted a woman around the same time. At 16 he was arrested on suspicion of murder, but was released without being charged. There was also an attempt at insurance fraud and in July of 1988, he was arrested for robbery serving a brief sentence in jail.

In 1988, Derrick also met a woman named Jaqueline Sims and the 2 got married on August 17. Their relationship was tumultuous, marked with domestic violence. On one occasion Lee threatened his wife’s father with a gun. Life went on in this fashion for a while, with Derrick committing petty crimes until 1998, when his aggressive and violent tendencies led him to commit the murders he would become known for, but there are earlier murders he is also suspected of committing.

On April 18 1998, a 28 year old woman named Randi Mebruer disappeared from her home in Zachary, Louisiana. Her home was drenched in blood, but her body was never found. She lived just blocks away from another woman who was killed in August of 1992. 41 year old Connie Warner’s body was found in September of that year. The cause of death was a skull fracture that resulted from blunt force trauma. A hurricane had washed any evidence left by her killer and this crime is considered unsolved though Lee is strongly suspected.

The second murder that Derrick Todd Lee is known to have committed occurred on September 23 2001. The body of 41 year old Gina Wilson Green was discovered the next day in her home near the campus of Louisiana State University. A coworker had come to check on her when Wilson did not show up for work. Investigators determined that she had been assaulted prior to being strangled. Her cell phone and purse had been stolen.

4 months later on January 14 2002, a man came home to find that his wife had been murdered. Geralynn Desoto was a 21 year old LSU student. She had been beaten, stabbed and slashed. Once again the monster had assaulted the young woman before killing her. The pace of the known killings adds credibility to the theory that Lee had many more victims that have not been solved.

On May 31st the killer struck again. Charlotte Murray Pace was another LSU student and the 22 year old was one of the youngest recipients of an MBA from the school. A roommate came home to a horrific scene- the apartment was drenched in blood. Pace had put up a heroic fight against her attacker receiving defensive wounds in the process. In the end she succumbed to blood loss after being stabbed more than 80 times in her neck, face and torso. Police immediately suspected a connection to the Green murder as the 2 women lived just a few blocks from one another, and dna testing confirmed that they had indeed been committed by the same killer.

The next person that Lee is known to have attacked survived the ordeal and was able to give police information about her attacker. On July 9th 2002, Dianne Alexander was alone at her home in Breaux Bridge. Derrick todd Lee approached the rural home and asked the young woman if he could use her phone.

Once Lee was inside and knew Dianne was home alone, he attacked her. She was beaten severely and Derrick began strangling her with a phone cord as he attempted to assault her. As he did so her son got home and caught the creature from the house. He saw the attackers vehicle then called for help.

After she had recovered enough to speak to police, Dianne described her attacker so investigators could put together a composite sketch. This along with dna evidence got the wheels turning for Derrick Todd Lees eventual downfall and arrest.

Only days later on July 12, Lee was once again on the prowl for another victim. 44 year old Pam Kinamore had been at her Briarwoods estates home in Baton Rouge when she vanished. 4 days later her body was discovered discarded under a the whiskey bay bridge. She had been assaulted and her neck was cut so violently that her head had been nearly severed.

Her husband had come home to find bloodstains and signs of a struggle. Once her body had been recovered the DNA was found to match some of the other open cases that investigators were working to solve. A length of telephone cord was found near her body, which came back as a match to the cord used in the attack on Dianne Alexander. But with the time it took to connect them to the man who attacked Dianne Alexander, the monster would take 2 more lives.

23 year old marine recruit Trineisha Dene Colomb was kidnapped from a cemetery as she visited her mothers grave on November 21 2002. She was found 3 days later in a patch of woods near Lafayette by a hunter. She had been assaulted like the previous victims and beaten to death. Her cause of death was found to be blunt force trauma to the head. A pool of blood was found 30 feet from where she was found, indicating that she had been dragged through the mud.

The last known victim of Derrick Todd Lee was 26 year old Carrie Lynn Yoder. She was kidnapped from her home, which was between the the homes of Pace and Green
on the night of March 3rd of 2003. The body of the LSU student was found 10 days later in Whiskey bay close to where Pam Kinemore had been discovered. The killer had beaten, stomped, and assaulted her then strangled her to death. Police believe she was thrown from the Bridge.

On May 5 of 2003, investigators collected a dna sample from Lee in convection with the murder of Connie Warner in 1992 and the murder of Randi Mebruer. On May 22 Dianne Alexander met with police and adjusted the hairline of the composite sketch and it was again shared through the media. Calls began pouring in, pointing the finger at none other than Derrick Todd Lee.

3 days later on the 25th the dna testing results came in. The dna taken from Lee was a match to that found on Gina Greene, Charlotte Pace, Pamela Kinemore, Trineisha Colomb, and Carrie Yoder. Dianne Alexander immediately recognized Lee in a photo lineup, and his picture was circulated.

Derrick fled Louisiana, but was arrested in Atlanta Georgia on May 27 2003. The DNA evidence was too strong for the defense to overcome and the guilty verdict was unanimous for the murder of Geralyn Desoto and Charlotte pace resulting in a death sentence. Due to the emotional strain on the victims families of reliving their loved ones last moments more prosecutors declined to push for additional trials.

During the penalty phase for his convictions, it was argued that because Lees IQ was below 70, he could not fully understand the seriousness of his actions. However due to his work history and the fact that he was able to obtain a truck driving license, this argument was rejected and he was sent to death row at the Louisiana State prison in Angola in December 2004.

He later developed health issues related to heart disease that led to him getting a pacemaker. On the 21 of January 2016, these difficulties led to Derrick Tods Lee being rushed to a hospital where he died.

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