Mary Jeter Mathis, a 36-year-old African American woman and mother of five, was the first identified victim in the series of murders committed by Harrison 'Marty' Graham in Philadelphia between 1986 and 1987. Mathis, who struggled with drug addiction, was found strangled, her body among the seven decomposing remains discovered in Graham's North Philadelphia apartment in August 1987. The grim discovery was prompted by neighbors' complaints about a foul odor emanating from the residence.
Graham, a 28-year-old African American man with a history of mental health issues and substance abuse, had lured his victims—primarily vulnerable women battling addiction—into his apartment with the promise of drugs. He would then engage in sexual activity with them before strangling them. Rather than disposing of the bodies, Graham left them to decompose within his apartment, leading to the moniker 'The Corpse Collector.' The victims' remains were found in various states of decomposition, some piled atop each other, others hidden in closets or behind walls.
Following the discovery, Graham fled but surrendered to police on August 17, 1987, after his mother persuaded him to turn himself in. He confessed to the murders, providing details about each victim. In 1988, Graham was convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder and seven counts of abuse of a corpse. He was initially sentenced to death; however, his sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Graham died in prison in 2003 at the age of 45.
