Edward Surratt: The Interstate Murders of 1977 and 1978
Background
Edward Arthur Surratt was born on August 8, 1941, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. He became a truck driver whose work carried him through Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Carolinas and other parts of the eastern United States. During 1977 and 1978, investigators in several jurisdictions began examining whether his travel routes corresponded with a disturbing series of home invasions, sexual assaults, disappearances and murders.
Surratt has been convicted of murder, rape, burglary and violent assaults, although he was never prosecuted for most of the killings attributed to him. He later confessed to numerous murders in Pennsylvania and Ohio, but several of those admissions did not result in new trials because he was already serving multiple life sentences and additional prison terms totaling hundreds of years. Other crimes remain officially unsolved or are supported primarily by circumstantial evidence.
A Pattern of Home Invasions and Extreme Violence
The crimes associated with Surratt frequently involved isolated houses, married couples and attacks committed with firearms or blunt instruments. In several incidents, a male victim was killed while a female victim was assaulted, abducted or left missing. Investigators also noted that property was sometimes taken from the homes and later connected to Surratt or to vehicles he used.
His status as a truck driver made the investigation especially difficult. Surratt could move rapidly between states and communities without attracting immediate attention. Crimes that appeared unrelated to local detectives sometimes shared important characteristics, including forced entry, the use of shotguns, attacks on couples and evidence that the assailant had traveled through the area shortly before or after the killings.
The Weinman Murders
On September 30, 1977, Joseph Weinman, a 30-year-old disabled Vietnam War veteran, and his 29-year-old wife, Catherine Weinman, were found murdered inside their home in Marshall Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Both had been beaten to death. The brutality of the attack and the apparent lack of an ordinary domestic motive caused investigators to consider the possibility that the couple had been targeted by a roaming predator.
The Weinman case became particularly significant after items belonging to the couple were reportedly discovered in a vehicle connected to another homicide for which Surratt was later convicted. This physical link placed property from the Weinman home within Surratt's suspected sphere of activity, although he was never tried for their deaths.
The Disappearance of Linda Hamilton
On September 20, 1977, David Hamilton was killed at the home he shared with his wife, Linda Hamilton, in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Linda disappeared from the residence and has never been found. Authorities believed she had been abducted after her husband was killed.
Years later, Surratt claimed responsibility for killing both David and Linda Hamilton. He offered to lead investigators to Linda's remains as part of a proposed agreement involving his prison placement. The agreement was not accepted, and Linda's body was not recovered. September 20, 1977, is therefore the date of her disappearance and presumed death rather than a date confirmed through the discovery of her remains.
The Feeny Murder and Gregor Disappearance
On October 22, 1977, 17-year-old John Feeny was shot and killed in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He had gone to meet his 16-year-old fiancée, Ranee Gregor. Feeny's body was found, but Gregor vanished and has never been located.
In a later confession, Surratt said he killed Feeny and abducted Gregor. He claimed that he drove the teenager to a wooded area, threatened and sexually attacked her, shot her and concealed her body. Despite searches and interviews, investigators were unable to recover Gregor's remains. Her official case remains a disappearance, although Surratt described her as one of his murder victims.
The Davis Murders
John Davis, 63, and Mary Davis, 61, were found shot to death at their home in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, on November 10, 1977. The couple had been killed with a shotgun. Their deaths closely resembled other attacks on older married couples that were being investigated in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.
Surratt later confessed to killing John and Mary Davis. His admission strengthened investigators' belief that the same offender had crossed state lines repeatedly while committing residential attacks. However, the confession did not result in a new prosecution.
The Adams Case
On November 20, 1977, 29-year-old William Adams was found murdered at his residence in Fallston, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. His wife, Nancy Adams, was missing from the home. Investigators believed she had been abducted during the same attack in which her husband was killed.
Surratt confessed in 2021 that he killed William and Nancy Adams. Earlier reports described Nancy as a missing presumed murder victim. Her case illustrates a recurring feature of the crimes attributed to Surratt: the killing of a husband followed by the disappearance or alleged murder of his wife.
The Hyde Murders
Richard Hyde, 34, and his wife, Donna Hyde, were killed at their home in Moon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on December 4, 1977. Both were shot with a shotgun. The double homicide occurred during the same period in which police were investigating several attacks on couples in homes near the Pittsburgh area.
Surratt was considered a suspect because of the method of attack, the location and his known movements. Nevertheless, he was not charged with the Hyde murders, and the case remained among the homicides linked to him through investigative theory rather than a court judgment or a publicly documented confession.
The Breezewood Triple Murder
On December 31, 1977, Guy Mills, 64, his wife, Laura Mills, and 36-year-old Joel Krueger were killed in or near Breezewood, Pennsylvania. All three victims were shot with a shotgun. The killings occurred on New Year's Eve and became one of the most notorious multiple-homicide incidents connected to Surratt.
Investigators found evidence indicating that Surratt had been in the Breezewood area on the day of the murders. In 2021, he confessed to killing Guy Mills, Laura Mills and Joel Krueger. Prosecutors chose not to bring him back to Pennsylvania for trial because he was already serving sentences that ensured he would remain imprisoned for life.
The Murder of John Shelkons
On January 7, 1978, 56-year-old John Shelkons was shot and killed at his home in Baden, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. His wife, Catherine Shelkons, was severely beaten but survived. The attack again involved violence against a married couple inside their residence.
Surratt admitted killing John Shelkons and attacking Catherine. Pennsylvania authorities considered prosecuting him, but the case was eventually dropped after officials concluded that his existing life sentences and lengthy Florida prison terms made another trial unnecessary. Surratt repeated his responsibility for the killing during later discussions with investigators.
The Langford Murder
On June 1, 1978, 66-year-old Luther Langford was beaten to death at his home near Columbia, South Carolina. His wife was also attacked but survived. A baseball bat was identified as the murder weapon, and evidence connected Surratt to Langford's automobile.
Several days after the killing, Surratt was seen in Pennsylvania driving Langford's car. When police attempted to arrest him, he resisted and escaped into an industrial area near the Ohio River. He remained at large until he was captured in Florida. Surratt was later convicted of Langford's murder and received additional life sentences.
The Florida Home Invasion
On July 1, 1978, Surratt entered a family home near Vilano Beach, Florida. He restrained and assaulted the occupants and sexually attacked the family's 15-year-old daughter. Instead of immediately fleeing, he remained inside the house, consumed alcohol or drugs and fell asleep.
The girl's father managed to free himself and contact law enforcement. Police entered the residence and arrested Surratt on July 2, 1978. The capture ended the period during which he was suspected of moving between states and committing violent attacks. He was convicted in Florida of burglary, rape-related assault and other offenses, receiving two life sentences plus approximately 200 additional years in prison.
Known, Confessed and Suspected Victims
- Frank Ziegler – Shot to death on September 27, 1977, near Marshall Township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Surratt was investigated as a suspect but was not charged.
- Joseph Weinman – Beaten to death on September 30, 1977, in Marshall Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
- Catherine Weinman – Beaten to death on September 30, 1977, in Marshall Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
- David Hamilton – Killed on September 20, 1977, in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Surratt later confessed.
- Linda Hamilton – Disappeared from Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio, on September 20, 1977. Surratt claimed he killed her, but her remains have not been found.
- John Feeny – Shot to death on October 22, 1977, in Findlay Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Surratt later confessed.
- Ranee Gregor – Disappeared on October 22, 1977, in connection with the Feeny murder. Surratt claimed he abducted and killed her, but her remains have not been recovered.
- John Davis – Shot to death on November 10, 1977, in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Surratt later confessed.
- Mary Davis – Shot to death on November 10, 1977, in Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. Surratt later confessed.
- William Adams – Murdered on November 20, 1977, in Fallston, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Surratt confessed in 2021.
- Nancy Adams – Disappeared during the November 20, 1977, attack in Fallston, Pennsylvania. Surratt later confessed to killing her.
- Richard Hyde – Shot to death on December 4, 1977, in Moon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Surratt was investigated but not charged.
- Donna Hyde – Shot to death on December 4, 1977, in Moon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Surratt was investigated but not charged.
- Guy Mills – Shot to death on December 31, 1977, near Breezewood, Pennsylvania. Surratt confessed in 2021.
- Laura Mills – Shot to death on December 31, 1977, near Breezewood, Pennsylvania. Surratt confessed in 2021.
- Joel Krueger – Shot to death on December 31, 1977, near Breezewood, Pennsylvania. Surratt confessed in 2021.
- John Shelkons – Shot to death on January 7, 1978, in Baden, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Surratt admitted responsibility.
- Luther Langford – Beaten to death on June 1, 1978, near Columbia, South Carolina. Surratt was convicted of the murder.
Confessions Decades After the Crimes
In 2007, Surratt admitted responsibility for several killings, including the Hamilton, Feeny, Gregor and Davis cases. He reportedly sought an agreement that would transfer him from Florida to a prison in South Carolina. He offered to identify burial locations and provide further information, but authorities did not accept his proposed terms.
In 2021, Surratt again spoke with investigators and confessed to six Pennsylvania murders: William and Nancy Adams, Guy and Laura Mills, Joel Krueger and John Shelkons. Officials stated that his accounts contained information supporting his involvement. Prosecutors in the affected counties nevertheless declined to pursue new charges because Surratt was already serving multiple life sentences.
Unresolved Questions
Although Surratt has been described as a serial killer, the exact number of his victims remains uncertain. He was convicted of Luther Langford's murder, confessed to numerous additional killings and was investigated in connection with still more. Some cases contain strong circumstantial evidence, while others rest largely on similarities in method, geography and timing.
The disappearances of Linda Hamilton and Ranee Gregor remain especially troubling because neither woman's remains have been recovered. Surratt claimed to know where they were buried, but his descriptions did not lead to their discovery. As a result, their families were left without physical confirmation of what happened to them.
Legacy of the Investigation
The Edward Surratt investigation demonstrated the difficulty of recognizing an interstate serial offender before law-enforcement agencies could rapidly share records and forensic information. Individual murders were originally handled by separate police departments in Pennsylvania, Ohio and South Carolina. Only after Surratt's arrest did investigators begin comparing the attacks, his employment records, his travel history and property recovered from vehicles associated with him.
Surratt remains imprisoned under sentences that effectively guarantee he will never be released. His confirmed conviction, repeated confessions and suspected connections to numerous unsolved killings have made him one of the most disturbing traveling offenders associated with the Pennsylvania and Ohio murder investigations of the late 1970s.
