Mary Jo Brosley, a 33-year-old woman, was the first known victim of Samuel Little, one of the most prolific serial killers in U.S. history. Brosley, who was estranged from her family and struggled with alcoholism, met Little at a bar in Miami on New Year's Eve in 1970. Six months prior, she had been reported missing by her family in Massachusetts. Brosley had left her seven-year-old son behind in June 1970 without informing anyone, leading to her disappearance being reported.
Little, who had a long history of criminal activity, preyed on vulnerable women, often those marginalized by society, such as sex workers and drug addicts. He avoided using weapons, instead relying on his bare hands to strangle his victims, making their cause of death less obvious. Brosley was no exception—her body was found in a shallow grave, but her remains were not identified until 2017. A year later, Little confessed to her murder, providing detailed recollections despite the passage of time.
Little's crimes spanned decades, with him confessing to 93 murders between 1970 and 2005. Investigators have confirmed 50 of his confessions, and FBI analysts believe all of his claims are credible, even though some remain uncorroborated. His ability to evade justice for so long was due in part to his victims' circumstances—many were overlooked by society, and their deaths were often misclassified as overdoses.
Little was eventually convicted of multiple murders and sentenced to life in prison. His confessions provided closure for many families who had spent decades searching for answers about their missing loved ones. Brosley's family, who had last seen her in June 1970, finally learned of her fate nearly 50 years later. Her sister, Claire Coppolino, described Brosley's struggles with alcoholism and anorexia, noting that she weighed only 80 pounds at 5'4".
Little's case remains one of the most chilling examples of a serial killer operating undetected for decades, exploiting systemic failures in law enforcement and societal neglect of marginalized individuals. Brosley's tragic story is just one among many, highlighting the devastating impact of his crimes.
