Gary James Lewingdon

Serial Killer

Gary James Lewingdon: The .22 Caliber Killer

Early Life

Gary James Lewingdon was born on February 14, 1940, in Ohio, USA. Little is known about his early years. After graduating from high school in 1958, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served until 1962, including a stint in Vietnam. Upon returning, he led a marginal lifestyle, engaging in low-skilled labor and facing multiple arrests for petty theft, indecent exposure, and illegal possession of weapons. In 1977, he married a local nightclub waitress and moved to Kirkersville, Ohio, where he worked as a repairman for Rockwell International Tool Division in Columbus.

The .22 Caliber Killings

Between December 1977 and December 1978, Gary Lewingdon, along with his older brother Thaddeus, embarked on a series of brutal murders across central Ohio. Their weapon of choice—a .22 caliber pistol—earned them the moniker "The .22 Caliber Killers." The brothers targeted strangers, often in their homes, and exhibited extreme overkill, firing multiple shots into each victim.

Victims

• December 10, 1977: Joyce Vermillion (37) and Karen Dodrill (33) – Shot multiple times outside Forkers Cafe in Newark, Ohio, as they left after closing. Their bodies were discovered frozen in a snowbank the following morning.
• February 12, 1978: Robert "Mickey" McCann (52), Dorothy McCann (77), and Christine Herdman (26) – Found dead in McCann's residence at 4187 Ongaro Drive, near Columbus. All three suffered multiple gunshot wounds; the crime scene was particularly gruesome.
• April 8, 1978: Jenkin T. Jones (77) – Murdered in his rural home near Granville, Ohio. He was shot six times, including twice in the head. The assailants also killed his four dogs.
• April 30, 1978: Gerald Fields (35) – A priest shot and killed in Fairfield County.
• May 22, 1978: Jerry Martin (47) and Martha Martin – The couple was shot through a window screen in their northeast Columbus home. Jerry was the vice president and general manager of "Perma-stone."
• December 4, 1978: Joseph Annick (56) – Shot five times in his garage on Columbus's East Side. This murder was committed solely by Gary after a fallout with Thaddeus.

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Confirmed Victims: (9)

Joyce Vermillion Age: (37), Date of Death: 1977-12-10

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Gary and Thaddeus Lewingdon - Wikipedia

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