Nathaniel Lipscomb

Serial Killer

Nathaniel Lipscomb: The Dawn Strangler

Early Life

Nathaniel Lipscomb, born in 1929 in Gaffney, South Carolina, had a troubled past marked by criminal behavior. He was known to be a persistent voyeur and had been jailed in his hometown for spying on a woman undressing. Additionally, he served a prison sentence in North Carolina for stealing a bike. After his release, he moved between Gaffney and Blacksburg.

Suspected Murder in Charlotte, North Carolina

On May 14, 1951, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mrs. Howard Maxwell was brutally murdered in her home. She was found with stab wounds over her left eye that penetrated into her brain, another in her breast, and her throat had been deeply slashed. Her 4-year-old daughter, Diane Maxwell, was also attacked but survived. Witnesses reported seeing a black man near the Maxwell household around the time of the murder. Nathaniel Lipscomb was arrested on May 27, 1951, for unrelated charges but confessed to the murder, claiming it was accidental. He later retracted his confession, and due to doubts about his mental state, he was sent for psychiatric evaluation. He was eventually released without trial and vanished from the area.

The Dawn Strangler Murders in Baltimore, Maryland

Between December 1958 and April 1959, Baltimore was terrorized by a series of murders targeting women. The victims were beaten, raped, and strangled in alleys near their homes during the early morning hours, leading to the nickname "The Dawn Strangler."

• Mae Hall: 38-year-old black woman found on December 9, 1958, in a neighbor's yard on 1300 East Eager Street. She had been strangled and was dead for several days before discovery.
• Lottie Kight: 57-year-old white practical nurse found on December 14, 1958, in a narrow alleyway near her home. A handkerchief was wrapped around her neck, and her fingers were bloodied, indicating a struggle.
• Pearl Weiss: 38-year-old black woman found on April 9, 1959, in an alleyway five blocks from where Kight was murdered. She had been strangled, with bruises on her neck and bloodied fingers. Her shoes were missing.

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Confirmed Victims: (3)

Mae Hall Age: (38), Date of Death: 1958-12-09

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Nathaniel Lipscomb - Wikipedia

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