Joseph Michael Nissensohn

Serial Killer

Joseph Michael Nissensohn: Serial Killer Profile

Overview

Joseph Michael Nissensohn is a convicted American serial killer responsible for the brutal murders of at least four teenage girls in California and Washington during the 1980s and early 1990s. His crimes were marked by extreme violence, sexual assault, and the use of drugs to incapacitate victims. Nissensohn evaded justice for years due to a lack of evidence and transient lifestyle until cold cases were reopened with new forensic tools and witness testimonies.

Modus Operandi

Nissensohn targeted young, vulnerable girls—often runaways or girls from troubled backgrounds. He frequently used drugs such as methamphetamine to lure and control his victims. Most of the murders involved strangulation or stabbing, and he often committed the crimes in isolated areas like forests or remote roadsides. He had a pattern of enlisting female accomplices or girlfriends who were also drug users and complicit in the crimes.

Confirmed Victims

• Tammy Lynn Jarschke (13) and Tammy Marie Roach (14) Date: June 1981 Location: South Lake Tahoe, California Details: The two girls were last seen hitchhiking. Their bodies were discovered in a remote area near Highway 50. They had been sexually assaulted and murdered. Testimonies later linked Nissensohn to the killings, as he had confessed to acquaintances that he had sex with and killed the girls.
• Kathy Graves (15) Date: Summer 1989 Location: South Lake Tahoe, California Details: Kathy was a runaway who had stayed with Nissensohn and his then-girlfriend Cheryl Rose. Witnesses stated that after an argument, he took Kathy to a wooded area, shot her in the neck with a tranquilizer dart, and stabbed her to death. Her remains were found in 1990.
• Sally Jo Tsaggaris (46) Date: September 1990 Location: Tacoma, Washington Details: Tsaggaris, Nissensohn's girlfriend, was found dead in his van with a fatal stab wound. He was convicted of manslaughter in this case in 1991 and served time in prison.

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Confirmed Victims: (4)

Tammy Marie Roach Age: (14), Date of Death: 1981-06-24

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Joseph Nissensohn - Wikipedia

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