Steven Washington

Serial Killer

Steven Washington Jr.: The Window-Screen Rapist and Murderer

One of America's Youngest Serial Killers

Steven Washington Jr. was an American serial killer who murdered three elderly women and attacked at least two others in St. Petersburg, Florida, during a four-month period in 1963. Washington was only 15 years old when the crimes occurred, making him one of the youngest known serial killers in United States history. Newspapers referred to him as the "Window-Screen Rapist" or the "Window-Screen Rapist-Murderer" because he frequently entered his victims' homes through unsecured windows or damaged window screens. Washington targeted older women who were alone inside their residences. His attacks generally followed a recognizable pattern: he entered quietly through a window, confronted the occupant, sexually assaulted and beat her, and, in the fatal cases, strangled her. The victims ranged from 52 to 80 years old. The attacks created intense fear among elderly residents of St. Petersburg, particularly women who lived alone.

Early Life and Background

Steven Washington Jr. was born on July 27, 1948, in St. Petersburg, Florida. Relatively little reliable information is publicly available about his childhood or family background. Despite his young age, he was already married by the time of his arrest. In October 1963, during the period in which the murders were occurring, Washington married a 15-year-old girl named Gwendolyn. The couple reportedly had a daughter. Nothing about Washington's outward appearance immediately identified him as the person responsible for the escalating series of home invasions. His age was especially deceptive. Investigators were searching for a predatory offender who had violently overpowered several adult women, and the eventual discovery that the attacker was a 15-year-old boy shocked both law enforcement officials and the public. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Mary Pawliw Age: (75), Date of Death: 1963-09-25

Survivors:

Unnamed female Age: (52), Date of Attack: 1963-08-28

Unnamed female Age: (72), Date of Attack: 1963-09-03

Steven Washington - Wikipedia