In the mid-1980s, a 29-year-old African American woman named Robin DeShazor tragically became a victim of the serial killer Harrison Graham in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Graham, who was known to prey on vulnerable women, would lure them to his apartment with the promise of drugs. DeShazor was one of seven women who fell victim to his horrific acts. Her remains were later discovered in Graham's squalid apartment, which had become notorious due to the smell of decomposing bodies.
The investigation into her death revealed that Graham had strangled his victims either during or after sexual encounters. The gruesome discovery of the bodies in his apartment, some of which he had kept for extended periods, highlighted the depravity of his crimes. DeShazor's identity was confirmed through her dental records, a grim task for forensic investigators. Another woman who claimed to have lived with Graham testified that he had bragged about killing DeShazor and having sexual relations with her corpse because she had threatened to leave him.
Harrison Graham was eventually apprehended and confessed to the murders of seven women. On August 17, after a call from his mother who convinced him to turn himself in, police met him on a street corner where he surrendered. During his interrogation, he provided a ten-page written confession. He waived his right to a jury trial, placing his fate in the hands of a judge.
Graham was found guilty on seven counts of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. Despite his defense team's arguments regarding his mental health and substance abuse issues, the evidence against him was overwhelming. He received six death sentences and one life sentence. However, the court ruled that he would serve his life sentence first, meaning he would not be executed.
