William Mcgriff

Serial Killer

William “Will” McGriff: The Georgia Killer Who Claimed Eleven Lives

Overview

William “Will” McGriff was an early twentieth-century American murderer whose reputation as a serial killer rests on three documented killings in Georgia and a series of additional confessions that were never conclusively verified. He was convicted of murdering William S. Washington and was also held responsible for killing Sylvester Phinney and Dan Showers during the same violent episode on July 11, 1911. While awaiting execution, McGriff reportedly claimed that he had killed at least eleven people across several Southern states. Historical accounts describe McGriff as a fugitive who moved through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida. His movements and the limited investigative resources available during the period made it difficult for authorities to confirm or disprove many of his statements. Some reports credited him with ten murders, while others stated that he confessed to eleven. Because most of the supposed victims were never publicly identified and no surviving court records conclusively tied him to those deaths, his true victim count remains uncertain.

The Triple Killing of July 11, 1911

McGriff’s confirmed crimes occurred in Georgia on July 11, 1911. The violence reportedly began after a disagreement connected to his employment or working conditions. McGriff confronted William S. Washington, a 31-year-old white man, and shot him several times. Washington’s wounds were fatal. The confrontation did not end with Washington’s death. McGriff also opened fire on two Black men identified as Sylvester Phinney and Dan Showers. Phinney was reportedly struck and killed immediately. Showers was shot in the abdomen and died from the wound. The three deaths occurred during the same episode, establishing McGriff as the person responsible for one of the most serious multiple killings recorded in Colquitt County during that era. After the shootings, McGriff fled. His ability to remain at large for an extended period contributed to later speculation about other killings. He reportedly traveled across state lines, stayed in rural communities and used the limited communication between law-enforcement agencies to avoid capture. Police departments and county sheriffs in the early 1900s did not possess modern fingerprint databases, centralized criminal records or rapid methods of sharing information, making it possible for a fugitive to disappear by changing locations.

Confirmed Victims

• William S. Washington, 31 — July 11, 1911 — Colquitt County, Georgia: Washington was shot several times following what was described as a work-related disagreement with McGriff. McGriff was ultimately convicted of Washington’s murder.
• Sylvester Phinney — July 11, 1911 — Colquitt County, Georgia: Phinney was shot during the same outbreak of violence that killed Washington. Contemporary summaries state that he died at the scene.
• Dan Showers — July 11, 1911 — Colquitt County, Georgia: Showers was shot in the abdomen during the attack and died from his injury.

McGriff’s Alleged Additional Murders

Shortly before his execution, McGriff reportedly confessed to killing numerous additional people. The precise number varies among historical accounts. Some state that he admitted to ten murders in total, while others place the number at eleven. He allegedly said that the killings occurred while he traveled through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. One of the most serious claims attributed to McGriff involved the killing of a law-enforcement officer in Tallahassee, Florida. The officer was variously described as a deputy sheriff or police officer. However, the available accounts do not consistently provide the officer’s name, the exact date of death or documentation proving McGriff’s responsibility. For that reason, the officer cannot be included among his confirmed victims. Other reported victims were described only as unnamed men killed during the 1900s or early 1910s. McGriff allegedly claimed groups of two or three victims in different states, but investigators were unable to match each statement to a specific homicide. His confessions may have included genuine admissions, exaggerations or attempts to build a frightening reputation before his death. Without victim names, locations and supporting evidence, the claims remain unresolved.

Questions About His Serial-Killer Classification

McGriff is frequently described as a serial killer because of his alleged confessions to murders committed across several states and over an extended period. However, his three confirmed victims were killed on the same date and during a single violent incident. By modern definitions, those documented deaths alone would be more consistent with a multiple or spree killing than a traditional series of murders separated by cooling-off periods. His classification as a serial killer therefore depends largely upon whether his later confessions were truthful. At least one historical summary has cautioned that the accuracy of his claims was doubted. No complete collection of police reports, indictments or identified victims has emerged to demonstrate that McGriff committed the additional killings. The possibility that he murdered other people cannot be dismissed, but neither can it be presented as established fact.

Capture, Trial and Conviction

McGriff was eventually captured and returned to Georgia to face prosecution. The strongest case against him concerned the death of William S. Washington. Witness accounts and the circumstances surrounding the shootings established McGriff’s responsibility, and he was convicted of murder in Colquitt County. Although he was associated with the deaths of Phinney and Showers, his death sentence was formally connected to Washington’s murder. Georgia courts imposed capital punishment, and attempts to prevent the execution were unsuccessful. As the date approached, McGriff reportedly spoke openly about his past and made the confessions that later caused him to be listed among the South’s early serial murderers.

Execution

William McGriff was executed by hanging on August 19, 1915, in Moultrie, the county seat of Colquitt County, Georgia. His execution occurred more than four years after the triple killing. Hanging was Georgia’s standard method of execution at the time, and executions were generally conducted under county authority before the state adopted electrocution as its primary method. McGriff died without providing enough verifiable information to resolve the identities of his alleged additional victims. If his confessions were accurate, several families may never have learned what happened to their relatives. If the claims were false or exaggerated, they nevertheless ensured that his name would be remembered as something more than that of a man convicted for a single episode of violence.

Legacy

The William McGriff case illustrates the difficulty of investigating mobile offenders during the early twentieth century. Separate counties and states maintained their own records, and reports of missing people or unidentified bodies were not stored in a national system. A person traveling under an assumed name could commit a crime in one jurisdiction and remain unknown to authorities elsewhere. Three victims can be identified with confidence: William S. Washington, Sylvester Phinney and Dan Showers, all killed in Georgia on July 11, 1911. The deaths attributed to McGriff beyond those men remain allegations based primarily on his own words. His case continues to occupy an uncertain place in criminal history, positioned between a documented triple murderer and a possible interstate serial killer whose full trail of violence was never proven.

Confirmed Victims: (3)

W. S. Washington , Date of Death: July 11, 1904

Dan Showers , Date of Death: July 11, 1904

Henry Green , Date of Death: July 11, 1904

Suspected Victims:

Three unnamed men , Date of Death: 1900s-1910s

Two unnamed men , Date of Death: 1900s-1910s

Unnamed man , Date of Death: 1900s-1910s

Unnamed police officer , Date of Death: 1910-1911

MCGRIFF William | Serial Killer Database Wiki | Fandom

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