The Storyville Slayer

Serial Killer

The Storyville Slayer: The Unsolved New Orleans Serial Murders

Overview

The Storyville Slayer is the name given to an unidentified killer, or possibly several killers, connected to a series of murders in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, during the early 1990s. The victims were predominantly Black women from economically vulnerable circumstances. Several were sex workers or had histories of drug addiction, although others had no known connection to prostitution or narcotics. Many of the victims were strangled, beaten, drowned, or suffocated. Their bodies were frequently abandoned in canals, drainage ditches, marshes, wooded areas, and swamps near highways west of Lake Pontchartrain. Prolonged exposure to water, heat, wildlife, and the humid Louisiana climate often caused extensive decomposition, destroying evidence and making identification difficult. Authorities investigated approximately two dozen suspicious deaths as potentially related, but the exact number attributable to one offender has never been established. At least 12 murders were commonly treated as part of the central series. Investigators eventually considered the possibility that the so-called Storyville Slayer was not a single person but a label applied to murders committed by more than one offender.

The First Known Survivor

The investigation began after a young Black woman survived an apparent attempted murder in July 1991. Her identity was withheld, and she was referred to publicly by the pseudonym "Brenda." She told investigators that she entered a man's automobile in the Algiers section of New Orleans. During the encounter, the driver attacked and strangled her until she lost consciousness. The assailant apparently believed that she was dead and left her on a street. After regaining consciousness, she reported the attack and helped police prepare a composite drawing. She described the offender as a muscular, well-dressed Black man of approximately middle age. His vehicle was described as a dark automobile, possibly a Buick Regal or Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Her account became important after women began appearing dead in and around the same general area. Investigators believed that the survivor might have encountered the person responsible for at least some of the murders. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

John Doe

Suspected Victims:

Danielle Britton Age: (17), Date of Death: 1991-08-04

Tyra Tassin Age: (21), Date of Death: 1991-09-03

Charlene Price Age: (28), Date of Death: 1991-09-22

Regina Oko Age: (37), Date of Death: 1991-11-21

Jane Doe No. 1 , Date of Death: 1991-12-14

Lydia Madison Age: (29), Date of Death: 1992-01-04

George Williams Age: (25), Date of Death: 1992-06-02

Brenda (Noah) Philson Age: (33), Date of Death: 1992-07-25

Regetter Martin Age: (29), Date of Death: 1992-09-22

Cheryl Lewis Age: (30), Date of Death: 1993-02-20

Delores Mack Age: (42), Date of Death: 1993-02-21

Jane Doe No. 2 , Date of Death: 1994-02-05

Jane Doe No. 3 , Date of Death: 1994-02-10

Stephanie Murray Age: (25), Date of Death: 1994-02-13

Jane Doe No. 4 , Date of Death: 1994-02-15

John Doe , Date of Death: 1994-02-02

Jane Doe No. 5 , Date of Death: 1994-04-02

Michelle Foster Age: (32), Date of Death: 1994-07-03

Stephanie Brown Age: (28), Date of Death: 1994-10-19

The Storyville Slayer - Spreaker