In December of 1970, the community of Sumter, South Carolina, was shaken by the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Margaret 'Peg' Cuttino. A student at Alice Drive Middle School and the daughter of a prominent local businessman and politician, James Edwards Cuttino, her abduction and murder became a case that would linger in the minds of many for years to come. Peg was last seen on December 18, 1970, the last day of school before the Christmas break.
Her body was discovered nearly two weeks later in a wooded area behind a church, approximately twenty miles from her home. She was found wearing the same outfit she had on the day she went missing: a dark blue long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, a white cotton pant skirt, and a blue and white polka dot sash.
The investigation into Peg Cuttino's murder led authorities to a man named William 'Junior' Pierce. Pierce, described as a drifter with a low IQ, was already incarcerated in Georgia for other crimes when he became a suspect. He eventually confessed to Peg's murder, stating that he had abducted her from a hamburger stand and taken her to the Manchester Forest, where he killed her and concealed her body. In March 1973, Pierce was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison, a sentence he was to serve in addition to the life sentence he was already serving in Georgia. However, the conviction was not without controversy. Many in the community, including the county coroner, had doubts about Pierce's guilt, citing discrepancies in his confession and believing he was coerced into confessing to a crime he did not commit. Some viewed him as a 'scapegoat' for a series of heinous crimes in the area.
The case took another bizarre turn when Donald Henry 'Pee Wee' Gaskins, a notorious serial killer, confessed to the murder of Peg Cuttino in 1977. Gaskins, who was on death row for other murders, claimed he was ordered to kill the young girl. He provided details about the crime, some of which seemed to align with the evidence. Despite his confession, an appeal on behalf of Pierce in 1983, based on Gaskins' statements, was unsuccessful as the court found Gaskins' confession to lack credibility. Theories and doubts about who truly killed Peg Cuttino have persisted in Sumter County. While some believe justice was served with Pierce's conviction, which was upheld by the courts, others remain convinced that her real killer was never brought to justice. The case even garnered renewed attention when it was featured in the second season of the Netflix series 'Mindhunter,' which focused on the work of FBI agents who profiled serial killers like William 'Junior' Pierce.
