In the winter of 1958, the city of Amsterdam, New York, was shaken by a brutal crime that would linger in the community's memory for decades. On the evening of January 21st, 46-year-old Dorothy Waterstreet was walking home from church, just a block and a half from the safety of her own doorstep. Tragically, she would never complete that short journey. Her body was later discovered in a vacant lot, the victim of a savage beating. The wife of a local undertaker, her violent death sent ripples of fear and disbelief through the small city.
The Amsterdam police launched an intensive investigation, questioning numerous individuals in an effort to find the person responsible for such a heinous act. The nature of the crime suggested a robbery, and the community was desperate for answers and justice. Suspicion soon fell upon a 16-year-old male named Lemuel Smith, who resided in the same neighborhood as the victim. As investigators delved into the case, evidence reportedly began to point towards his involvement. However, the path to justice took an unexpected turn when the district attorney's eagerness to secure a confession led to a mishandling of the investigation. Consequently, no formal arrest was ever made in connection with Dorothy Waterstreet's murder.
In the aftermath, Lemuel Smith relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, but his violent tendencies would not remain dormant for long. Later that year, he was arrested for the kidnapping and near-fatal beating of a 25-year-old woman. A witness intervened, and the victim survived. For this crime, Smith was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Although the murder of Dorothy Waterstreet officially remained unsolved, many investigators and community members firmly believed that Smith was responsible. His subsequent criminal history, which included multiple murders and assaults, painted the picture of a violent offender. While no one was ever formally charged, it is widely thought that Dorothy Waterstreet was the first victim of a notorious serial killer.
