Jeffery Joseph Daugherty

Serial Killer

Jeffery Joseph Daugherty

Overview

Jeffery Joseph Daugherty, whose first name also appears as Jeffrey in court records, was an American serial killer responsible for a violent robbery and murder spree in Florida and Pennsylvania during February and March 1976. Born on September 26, 1955, in Detroit, Michigan, Daugherty was only 20 years old when the killings occurred. Within less than three weeks, he murdered five confirmed victims, seriously assaulted several other people, and committed numerous robberies while traveling with his girlfriend, Bonnie Jean Heath. The confirmed murders began in Florida on February 23, 1976, and ended in Pennsylvania on March 11, 1976. Robbery was a recurring element in Daugherty's crimes. Store clerks, business owners and other people encountered during his travels were targeted for relatively small amounts of money and property. Several victims were killed even after Daugherty had obtained what he wanted. His offenses crossed state lines and involved both firearms and a knife. Daugherty was finally arrested in Virginia on March 12, 1976, one day after his final confirmed murder.

The Murder of Carmen Abrams

Daugherty's first confirmed murder occurred on February 23, 1976, at an Easy Way food store in Flagler County, Florida. Carmen Abrams, a store employee reported to have been 68 years old, was working when Daugherty committed a robbery. During the crime, Daugherty shot Abrams and also shot and seriously wounded her husband. Carmen Abrams died from the attack, while her husband survived. The Abrams murder became the beginning of a rapid series of killings associated with Daugherty. Years later, on July 31, 1980, he pleaded guilty in Flagler County to the first-degree murder of Carmen Abrams and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Her confirmed date of death was February 23, 1976. ...

Confirmed Victims: (5)

Carmen Abrams Age: (68), Date of Death: 1976-04-05

Jeffery Joseph Daugherty