Miami Strangler

Serial Killer

The Miami Strangler: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Introduction

The Miami Strangler is the moniker attributed to an unidentified serial killer responsible for the murders of at least nine women in Miami, Florida, between 1964 and 1970. Despite the nickname, not all victims were strangled; some were bludgeoned or smothered. The murders appeared sexually motivated, as the victims were often found posed in suggestive manners. Despite extensive investigations, the perpetrator was never apprehended.

Confirmed Victims

• Mary E. McGreevy
  • Date of Death: August 17, 1964
  • Age: 64
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Smothered to death with a pillow in her home.
• Sylvia Valdez
  • Date of Death: March 8, 1965
  • Age: 38
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Found in her car with a black silk scarf around her neck; shot twice behind the right ear with a .22 caliber pistol.
• Bernadita Gonzalez
  • Date of Death: April 3, 1966
  • Age: 44
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Discovered floating face down in Levitz Lake; died from blunt-force trauma to the skull, possibly inflicted by a hatchet.
• Sherivon Dolores Wooten
  • Date of Death: August 16, 1969
  • Age: 21
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Found on a dirt road between two homes; strangled to death, with clothes hiked over her breasts and fingernail marks on her neck.
• Mary Louise Clark Danford
  • Date of Death: May 5, 1970
  • Age: 64
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Discovered in her home by friends; strangled, with sweater pushed up and underwear missing.
• Ruth Boehner
  • Date of Death: June 2, 1970
  • Age: 64
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Found in her apartment; died from blunt-force trauma to the head, neck, and jaw, and strangulation resulting in a broken hyoid bone.
• Mattie Ophelia Harris
  • Date of Death: August 5, 1970
  • Age: 84
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Strangled to death with a necktie in her kitchen; nightgown pulled up, and house ransacked.
• Regina Bonnanno
  • Date of Death: October 10, 1970
  • Age: 48
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Found bound to her bed with bra and scarf tied around her neck; panties stuffed in her mouth, head inside a pillowcase.
• Patrice Finer Newkirk
  • Date of Death: October 26, 1970
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Miami, Florida
  • Details: Discovered bludgeoned to death in the trunk of her car; skull damage compared to a fall from a building; piece of her dress tied around her neck.

Investigation

The investigation into these murders revealed several commonalities: all but one victim were white; the crimes occurred in downtown Miami; the victims died from strangulation, smothering, or bludgeoning; and the murders appeared sexually motivated. Investigators believed the perpetrator was a sexual sadist targeting vulnerable women alone in their homes. However, inconsistencies in the modus operandi, such as varying methods of killing and victim profiles, complicated the investigation. One suspect, Calvin Jones Jr., a truck driver recently released from prison, was questioned due to his connections with two victims. However, he was never charged, and the case remains unsolved. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (9)

Mary E. McGreevy Age: (64), Date of Death: 1964-08-17

    ...View 8 additional victims
Suspected Victims:

Mary Francis Sims Age: (31), Date of Death: 1971-03

Clara Jane Armaly Age: (25), Date of Death: 1971-09-12

Miami Strangler - Wikipedia

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