David Elliott Penton

Serial Killer

David Elliott Penton: Serial predator who targeted children across Texas and Ohio

Overview

David Elliott Penton (born February 9, 1958) is a convicted child murderer whose known crimes span 1984–1988. After the 1984 killing of his infant son in Texas, he fled while on bond and later was convicted in Ohio for the 1988 abduction-murder of 9-year-old Nydra Ross. In 2003 he was indicted in North Texas for three additional child murders from the mid-1980s and, in January 2005, he pleaded guilty to those murders to avoid the death penalty. He remains incarcerated, with Texas three consecutive life sentences to begin after his Ohio term; he is eligible for parole in Ohio in 2027.

Method and pattern

Penton typically targeted very young girls in or near their apartment complexes or neighborhoods. The attacks involved abduction, sexual assault, and strangulation; bodies were often left in secluded outdoor areas such as fields, lots, or water inlets. Investigators later connected cases by offender description, vehicle details, and timelines that placed Penton in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and in Ohio during the crimes.

Confirmed victims and cases

• Michael James Penton (2 months) — Killeen, Texas; killed November 23, 1984. Penton pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the shaking death of his own son and received a five-year sentence before fleeing during his appeal.
• Christi Lynn Meeks (5) — Mesquite, Texas; abducted January 19, 1985; body located April 3, 1985 in Lake Texoma (Deer Haven Cove). She had been raped and strangled. Penton later admitted responsibility in a Texas plea.
• Christie Diane Proctor (9) — North Dallas/Plano, Texas; disappeared February 15, 1986 while walking to a friend’s home; skeletal remains found April 9, 1988 beneath a discarded mattress in a Plano field. Penton pleaded guilty in 2005.
• Roxann Hope Reyes (4) — Garland/Murphy, Texas; abducted November 3, 1987 while picking wildflowers behind her home; body found May 19, 1988 in a vacant lot in Murphy. Sexual assault and strangulation were determined; Penton was indicted in 2003 and pleaded guilty in 2005.
• Nydra Anntionette Ross (9) — Dayton/Marion, Ohio; vanished March 31, 1988; remains recovered September 15, 1988 in a Marion County creek bed. Evidence included blood traces in Penton’s van; he was convicted in Ohio in 1990.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Christie Proctor Age: (9), Date of Death: 1984-10-01

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Suspected Victims:

Shannon Sherrill Age: (6), Date of Death: 1986-10-05

Amber Nicole Crum Age: (2), Date of Death: 1983-12-26

Angelica Maria Gandara Age: (11), Date of Death: 1985-07-14

Ara “Niecie” Denise Johnson Age: (5), Date of Death: 1986-04-02

David Elliott Penton - Wikipedia

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