Thaddeus Charles Lewingdon: One of Ohio’s “.22-Caliber Killers”
Background
Thaddeus Charles Lewingdon was an American serial killer who, along with his younger brother Gary James Lewingdon, carried out a series of robbery-related murders across central Ohio in 1977 and 1978. The brothers became known as the “.22-Caliber Killers” because they repeatedly used .22-caliber handguns to shoot their victims. Their crimes occurred in several communities, including Newark, Granville, Fairfield County and Columbus, creating fear throughout the region as investigators struggled to connect the seemingly unrelated attacks.
Thaddeus was born in Ohio on December 22, 1936. He studied electronics and later worked as a technical specialist and maintenance employee for the Columbus Steel Drum Company. He had been married and was the father of three children. His outwardly ordinary life contrasted sharply with the violent crimes he later committed. By 1977, Thaddeus had gone through a divorce and was reportedly experiencing emotional and personal difficulties. Gary, who had financial problems and a history of minor criminal offenses, persuaded his older brother to participate in robberies.
The Beginning of the Murder Series
The brothers’ first known murders occurred during the early morning hours of December 10, 1977, outside Forker’s Café on Union Street in Newark, Ohio. Joyce Vermillion, an employee of the café, and Karen Dodrill, a customer and friend, were leaving the business when they were attacked. Karen had been celebrating her birthday before the shooting. Both women were repeatedly shot with a .22-caliber firearm, and their bodies were discovered outside the café.
The attack initially appeared to have no clear motive. There were no surviving eyewitnesses who could identify the gunmen, and investigators had little physical evidence other than the bullets and cartridge cases. The extreme number of shots fired suggested that the assailants intended to leave no witnesses. The murders would later be connected through ballistics to additional killings committed by the Lewingdon brothers.
The Franklin County Triple Murder
On February 13, 1978, the brothers entered the Franklin County home of Robert “Mickey” McCann, a 52-year-old nightclub owner. McCann was inside with his 77-year-old mother, Dorothy Marie McCann, and his 26-year-old girlfriend, Christine Hardman, whose surname has also appeared in some records as Herdman. All three were shot multiple times, primarily in the head and face.
The killings were exceptionally violent and appeared far more brutal than necessary to complete a robbery. Investigators recovered numerous .22-caliber cartridge cases from the residence. Items were taken from the home, reinforcing the theory that robbery was a motive, but the excessive gunfire raised questions about whether the brothers also derived satisfaction from terrorizing and killing their victims.
Ballistics testing linked the ammunition evidence from the McCann residence to the bullets and shell casings recovered after the Newark murders. Investigators now understood that the same killer, or group of killers, was moving between Ohio communities and attacking people without warning.
The Murder of Jenkins Jones
On April 8, 1978, Thaddeus and Gary targeted 77-year-old Jenkins Jones at his home near Granville in Licking County, Ohio. Jones was attacked while inside his residence. The brothers shot him and also killed several of his dogs before stealing money and valuables from the property.
The murder of Jones demonstrated that the killers were willing to enter private homes and eliminate anyone or anything that could interfere with their escape. The shooting of the dogs added another disturbing element to the crime. Investigators again recovered evidence associated with a .22-caliber weapon, strengthening the growing connection between the murders.
The Killing of Gerald Fields
On April 30, 1978, 35-year-old Gerald Fields was murdered in Fairfield County, Ohio. Fields was described in accounts of the case as a minister or clergyman. He was shot during another robbery attributed to the Lewingdon brothers.
By this stage, the killers had attacked women leaving a café, three people inside a home, an elderly man living in Granville and a clergyman in Fairfield County. The victims did not share a personal relationship with the brothers. Instead, the attacks appeared to be based on opportunity, isolation and the possibility of obtaining money or property.
The Murders of Jerry and Martha Martin
On May 22, 1978, the brothers attacked Jerry and Martha Martin at their home in northeast Columbus. Jerry Martin, age 47, was a vice president and general manager of a local business known as Perma-Stone. Martha Mae King Martin was 51 years old.
The brothers fired through a window screen into the residence, striking and killing the couple. They then entered or searched the home and stole valuables before leaving. The attack was carefully executed and left investigators with few immediate clues about the identities of the gunmen.
Ballistics analysis proved especially important after the Martin murders. Investigators determined that one of the .22-caliber firearms used in the attack had also been used in the earlier killings. Evidence indicated that a second .22-caliber gun had been fired during the Martin murders. This discovery strongly suggested that two offenders were participating in the crime series rather than a single roaming killer.
Verified Victims Connected to Thaddeus Lewingdon
- Joyce Vermillion, age 38 — Killed on December 10, 1977, outside Forker’s Café in Newark, Licking County, Ohio.
- Karen P. Braunbeck Dodrill, age 33 — Killed on December 10, 1977, outside Forker’s Café in Newark, Licking County, Ohio. The murder occurred on her birthday.
- Robert “Mickey” McCann, age 52 — Killed on February 13, 1978, at his home on Ongaro Drive in Franklin County, near Columbus, Ohio.
- Dorothy Marie McCann, age 77 — Killed on February 13, 1978, at the Franklin County home of her son, Robert McCann.
- Christine Hardman, age 26 — Killed on February 13, 1978, at Robert McCann’s Franklin County residence. Her surname has also been reported as Herdman.
- Jenkins Jones, age 77 — Killed on April 8, 1978, at his home near Granville in Licking County, Ohio.
- Gerald Fields, age 35 — Killed on April 30, 1978, in Fairfield County, Ohio.
- Jerry Martin, age 47 — Killed on May 22, 1978, at his home in northeast Columbus, Ohio.
- Martha Mae King Martin, age 51 — Killed on May 22, 1978, at the northeast Columbus home she shared with her husband, Jerry Martin.
The Final Murder and the Break in the Case
During the fall of 1978, Thaddeus reportedly refused to continue participating in crimes with Gary. The final known murder in the series was committed on December 4, 1978, when 56-year-old Joseph Annick was shot and killed in his garage on the east side of Columbus. Annick was shot several times while working in the garage, and his credit card was stolen.
Joseph Annick’s murder was attributed to Gary Lewingdon acting alone rather than to Thaddeus. The stolen credit card provided the clue that finally ended the killing spree. On December 8, 1978, Gary attempted to use Annick’s card while purchasing merchandise at a discount store. A store employee recognized that the card had been reported stolen, and Gary was detained.
Once questioned, Gary began providing information about the murders and implicated Thaddeus in the first nine killings. Police arrested Thaddeus on December 11, 1978. Searches of property associated with the brothers uncovered firearms, stolen belongings and other evidence connected to the victims. Ballistics examinations linked the recovered weapons to the murder scenes, while relatives identified property that had been taken from the victims’ homes.
Confession, Convictions and Sentences
Gary and Thaddeus initially denied responsibility after they were formally charged. The physical evidence against them, however, was overwhelming. Investigators possessed the suspected murder weapons, ballistic matches, stolen property and statements connecting the brothers to the crimes.
In February 1979, Thaddeus admitted responsibility for the murders of Joyce Vermillion, Karen Dodrill and Jenkins Jones, as well as related thefts. He received life sentences for those killings. He was later prosecuted in Franklin County for complicity in the six additional murders committed during the McCann triple homicide, the killing of Gerald Fields and the murders of Jerry and Martha Martin.
Thaddeus ultimately received multiple consecutive life sentences. He was held responsible for nine murders. Gary was prosecuted for his role in the series and for the separate murder of Joseph Annick, bringing the brothers’ combined confirmed victim total to ten.
Methods and Motive
The primary motive behind the Lewingdon murders was robbery. The brothers stole cash, credit cards, valuables and household property from their victims. However, the level of violence went far beyond what was necessary to commit theft. Victims were frequently shot multiple times, often in the head or upper body. Some crime scenes contained a large number of shell casings, showing that the brothers continued firing after their victims had already been incapacitated.
The use of small-caliber firearms allowed the brothers to carry easily concealed weapons. At least one gun was reportedly fitted with a homemade silencing device. Their choice of victims also made the crimes difficult to solve. They generally attacked strangers in locations away from their own homes, reducing the likelihood that investigators would discover a direct personal connection.
The brothers moved between counties, striking in bars, homes, garages and isolated residences. This geographic movement initially caused the crimes to appear unrelated. Ballistics testing eventually exposed the pattern by showing that the same weapon had been used in multiple murders.
Death in Prison
Thaddeus Charles Lewingdon remained incarcerated for the rest of his life. He died from lung cancer on April 16, 1989, at the prison hospital in Orient, Ohio. He was 52 years old.
Gary Lewingdon also remained under state custody. He experienced serious mental-health and behavioral problems after his conviction and was transferred for psychiatric treatment. He died in Columbus on October 24, 2004, from complications associated with heart disease.
Legacy of the Case
The crimes of Thaddeus and Gary Lewingdon became one of the most notorious serial-murder cases in Ohio history. Their year-long campaign left ten people dead and caused residents across central Ohio to fear that an unknown gunman could strike anywhere. The attacks were especially alarming because the victims appeared to have been selected largely at random and were often killed inside places where they should have felt safe.
The investigation also demonstrated the importance of forensic ballistics. Although the brothers avoided leaving obvious personal connections at the scenes, the bullets and cartridge cases created a trail between the murders. The discovery that two firearms had been used in the Martin killings helped investigators realize that they were searching for two offenders.
Ultimately, the use of a stolen credit card exposed Gary and led police to Thaddeus. The brothers’ arrest ended a violent series of crimes that had lasted almost exactly one year. Thaddeus Charles Lewingdon was convicted as a participant in nine murders, while the tenth and final killing was committed by Gary after Thaddeus had reportedly withdrawn from their criminal partnership.
