David Waters

Serial Killer

David Roland Waters: Murder, Kidnapping, Extortion and Betrayal

Early Life and a Pattern of Criminal Violence

David Roland Waters was born on March 24, 1947, in Peoria, Illinois. His criminal history began while he was still a teenager and continued, with periods of imprisonment and additional offenses, for most of his adult life. Waters became associated with at least five killings committed during two widely separated periods: the 1964 murder of a teenage boy in Illinois and four killings connected to the 1995 kidnapping and extortion of the family of American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair. The decades separating the crimes made Waters an unusual serial murderer. His later offenses were not random attacks committed for excitement or sexual gratification. They were carefully planned crimes motivated by revenge, financial gain and the desire to eliminate witnesses. Waters used his familiarity with the O'Hair family and their organization to organize a prolonged kidnapping that ended with multiple murders and the concealment of the victims' remains.

The Murder of David Gibbs

Waters committed his first known murder when he was approximately 17 years old. During the early morning hours of December 13, 1964, Waters was with 16-year-old David Gibbs and several other teenagers in Peoria, Illinois. Reports concerning the case state that the group had been drinking whiskey and inhaling ether when an argument developed. The confrontation escalated into a violent group assault. Gibbs was beaten to death, and Waters was arrested in connection with the killing. He was convicted and received a prison sentence, beginning a long cycle of incarceration and criminal activity. The murder later became important to the investigation of Waters because Madalyn Murray O'Hair publicly revealed details of his violent past after discovering that he had stolen money from her organization. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

David Gibbs Age: (16), Date of Death: 1964-12-13

David Roland Waters | Murderpedia