Thomas Otis Knight

Serial Killer

Thomas Otis Knight: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life and Background

Thomas Otis Knight was born on February 4, 1951, in Fort Pierce, Florida. He was the second of nine children in a family plagued by mental illness and violence. His father was a violent alcoholic who regularly beat his children and once raped Knight's sister in front of him. Knight's early years were marked by multiple arrests for theft, leading to a burglary conviction at the age of fifteen. At nineteen, he was committed to the Northeast Florida State Hospital in Macclenny, where he was diagnosed with drug and poison intoxication and paranoid personality disorder.

The Miami Murders

On July 17, 1974, Knight initiated a series of events that would mark the beginning of his violent criminal career. Armed with a rifle, he approached his employer, Sydney Gans, in a parking lot and forced him into his car. Knight then compelled Gans to drive to his Miami Beach home to pick up his wife, Lillian Gans. With both hostages secured, Knight directed them to a downtown Miami bank, ordering Sydney to withdraw $50,000 while he held Lillian hostage in the car. Although Sydney alerted bank staff, leading to FBI involvement, Knight managed to evade immediate capture. The police later found the Ganses' vehicle at a secluded construction site, with both victims fatally shot in the neck. Knight was apprehended approximately four and a half hours later, still in possession of the rifle and the stolen money.

• Sydney Gans: July 17, 1974 – Miami, Florida
• Lillian Gans: July 17, 1974 – Miami, Florida

Escape and Subsequent Crimes

While awaiting trial for the Gans murders, Knight and ten other inmates escaped from the Miami-Dade County Jail on September 19, 1974. During his time as a fugitive, Knight committed several armed robberies. On October 21, 1974, he and an accomplice robbed a liquor store in Cordele, Georgia. During the robbery, Knight shot clerk William Culpepper three times, resulting in his death. Another clerk, A.V. Norton, was shot twice but survived. The pair stole $640 in the robbery.

• William Culpepper: October 21, 1974 – Cordele, Georgia

Knight was added to the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on December 12, 1974, and was captured on December 31, 1974, in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Despite being heavily armed, he was apprehended without incident by an FBI SWAT team. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Sydney Gans Age: (64), Date of Death: 1974-07-17

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328. Thomas Otis Knight - FBI

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