Christopher Dwayne Peterson

Serial Killer

Christopher Dwayne Peterson: The Shotgun Killer

Background

Christopher Dwayne Peterson, later known as Obadyah Ben-Yisrayl, was born on January 20, 1969, in Gary, Indiana. He became associated with a brief but deadly series of shotgun attacks that terrorized communities across northwestern Indiana during the final months of 1990. Newspapers and investigators referred to the unidentified attacker as the "Shotgun Killer" because the victims were repeatedly shot at close range with a 12-gauge shotgun. Seven people were killed between October 30 and December 18, 1990. Another man survived a similar shooting. The attacks occurred at gas stations, a motel, an automated teller machine, a roadside toll booth, a parked automobile and a tailor shop. Several victims were working alone or handling money when they were attacked, leading investigators to conclude that robbery was a significant motive in at least some of the crimes. Peterson was eventually convicted of four of the seven murders. He was separately tried and acquitted of charges involving the other three deaths. Because of those acquittals, the entire seven-victim series should not be described as legally proven to have been committed by Peterson. Nevertheless, investigators and prosecutors treated the crimes as part of the same shotgun-murder investigation.

The First Two Killings

The series began on October 30, 1990, with two fatal shootings committed only a few hours apart in Lake County. Lawrence Mill, an insurance agent, was found shot inside his automobile outside American Legion Post 66 in Griffith. There were no known eyewitnesses to the killing. Approximately two and a half hours later, Rhonda L. Hammersley was attacked while working at a gas station in Cedar Lake. She was shot in the station's parking area. A witness described the gunman as a slender, clean-shaven white man with long, stringy brown hair. This description later became a major point of controversy because Peterson was Black and did not resemble the person described by the witness. Peterson was prosecuted for the murders of Mill and Hammersley but was acquitted. Ronald J. Harris was also implicated in connection with the two October 30 attacks and was ultimately convicted for his involvement. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Lawrence Mills Age: (43), Date of Death: 1990-10-30

Christopher Peterson (serial killer) - Wikipedia