Gerald Patrick Lewis

Serial Killer

Gerald Patrick Lewis: A Serial Murderer in Georgia and Alabama

Overview

Gerald Patrick Lewis was an American serial killer whose violent crimes crossed state lines and included murder, kidnapping, rape, robbery, attempted murder, and attacks on women who narrowly escaped with their lives. His known murders occurred primarily in Georgia and Alabama during the 1990s, although Lewis also claimed that his homicidal behavior began earlier. He commonly targeted women who were alone or working for escort services, arranging private meetings or approaching potential victims in public parking lots. His attacks frequently involved strangulation, stabbing, sexual violence, and efforts to conceal or abandon the victim's body. Lewis remained unidentified as a serial murderer until the April 1998 killing of Kathleen Bracken at a motel in Mobile, Alabama. Witness descriptions and information about the man last seen with Bracken led investigators to Lewis. Once he was jailed, he began giving detailed confessions that connected him not only to Bracken's murder but also to the disappearance of Misty McGugin and two murders in Georgia. His statements led police to previously undiscovered remains and allowed authorities to identify skeletal remains that had been held for years without a name.

Early Violence and the Massachusetts Attack

Lewis displayed extreme violence years before the murders for which he was eventually convicted. In 1987, while living in Massachusetts, he attacked a five-year-old girl in an elevator at his apartment complex. He strangled the child until she lost consciousness, but she survived. Lewis was charged with attempted murder and assault. Questions about his mental competency resulted in his placement at Bridgewater State Hospital, where he remained for approximately five years before serving additional time in prison. The attack established a pattern that would later be repeated against adult women. Lewis used surprise, physical control, and strangulation to overpower victims. After leaving Massachusetts and moving south, he accumulated convictions for theft-related offenses, possession of burglary or vehicle-theft tools, weapons violations, interference with government property, and driving under the influence. He was released from prison in Georgia in November 1997 and moved to Alabama. Within months, two women were murdered in motel rooms. ...

Confirmed Victims: (3)

Peggy Lynn Grimes Age: (22), Date of Death: 1993-09

Serial killer and rapist Gerald Patrick Lewis profiled on Evil Lives Here