South Memphis Prostitute Killings

Serial Killer

The South Memphis Prostitute Killings

Overview of the Unsolved Murders

The South Memphis prostitute killings were a series of closely spaced shootings that targeted women involved in sex work in Memphis, Tennessee, during the opening months of 2011. Three women were killed near Mt. Carmel Cemetery between January 27 and February 24, while a fourth woman survived a similar attack on February 26. Memphis police concluded that the shootings were probably connected and warned that a serial killer might be operating in the area. The unidentified attacker appeared to take advantage of women who were working late at night and were willing to enter a stranger's vehicle. The victims were driven or followed to isolated places near cemeteries and industrial sections of South Memphis, where there were few witnesses and little nighttime traffic. The three murdered women were shot and abandoned within a relatively small geographic area. The rapid succession of the crimes, their similar circumstances and the victims' backgrounds led investigators to believe that one man was responsible. The killer has never been publicly identified or arrested. Although investigators obtained a description from the surviving victim and recovered physical evidence during the investigation, the case eventually grew cold. A woman found murdered in another South Memphis cemetery in September 2015 was later discussed as a possible additional victim, although detectives noted important differences between her killing and the 2011 shootings.

Victims and Known Attacks

• Tamakia McKinney, 31 January 27, 2011: McKinney was found shot to death at approximately 2:15 a.m. near Mt. Carmel Cemetery in South Memphis. She was a mother of two. Although she reportedly had no known prostitution arrests, members of her family acknowledged that she had become involved in sex work. Her death became the first confirmed killing in the series.
• Jessica Nicole Lewis, 28 February 20, 2011: Lewis was found inside Mt. Carmel Cemetery shortly after noon. A woman flagged down a Memphis police officer and directed authorities to the body. Lewis had been shot to death. Her killing occurred only a few weeks after McKinney was found near the same cemetery.
• Rhonda Wells, 44 February 24, 2011: Wells was found shot to death at approximately 5:45 a.m. while officers were patrolling the area around Mt. Carmel Cemetery. She had reportedly been living with her grandmother before her death. Wells was the third woman killed in less than one month and the second victim discovered within four days.
• Katrina Peterson, 26 February 26, 2011: Peterson was shot during an encounter with a man believed to be the same attacker. Despite her injuries, she escaped and ran approximately four blocks before reaching safety. She was taken to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis and survived. Her description of the gunman and his vehicle provided investigators with their most important eyewitness evidence.
• Juanita Gilmore, 25 September 16, 2015: Gilmore was found stabbed to death in a South Memphis cemetery more than four years after the original shootings. She had reportedly been involved in sex work in the past. Her death was publicly compared with the 2011 cases because of the location and her background, but investigators cautioned that the stabbing was considerably different from the earlier shootings. Police suggested that the personal nature of the attack could indicate that Gilmore knew her killer. Her case has not been conclusively connected to the 2011 series.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Tamakia McKinney Age: (31), Date of Death: 2011-01-27

Suspected Victims:

Juanita Gilmore Age: (25), Date of Death: 2015-09-16

Survivors:

Katrina Peterson Age: (26), Date of Attack: 2011-02-26

South Memphis prostitute killings - Wikipedia