Jerry Lee Little

Serial Killer

Jerry Lee Little Jr.: The St. Louis Serial Killer

Early Life and Criminal History

Jerry Lee Little Jr. was born in 1956 in Marks, Mississippi. When he was approximately four years old, his family moved to St. Louis, Missouri. His father died not long after the move, leaving Little and his siblings to be raised primarily by their mother. Little struggled in school, frequently missed classes, and ended his formal education after completing the sixth grade. Little began accumulating a serious criminal record while still a teenager. In 1971, at approximately 15 years old, he was arrested and convicted of rape. He received a five-year juvenile sentence and was paroled in 1974. His release was brief. Within weeks, Little participated in a robbery and gang rape, resulting in another conviction and a 20-year prison sentence. Little served much of that sentence at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center. He was paroled in early 1984 and attempted to establish a more conventional life. He married a woman he had met while incarcerated, obtained housing, and found work. However, in 1986, he was arrested in Kansas City for possessing marijuana. Because the arrest violated the conditions of his parole, he was returned to prison. Little was released again in August 1987 and went back to St. Louis, where he worked at a car wash and attended night school.

The Pattern of Violence

Between December 1985 and April 1988, four women connected to Little through religion, housing, charitable work, or school were killed in St. Louis. The victims differed in age and background, but investigators found important similarities among the crimes. Little was familiar with each woman or had an opportunity to approach her without immediately causing alarm. Several victims were sexually assaulted, and strangulation was a recurring method of killing. The personal connections were especially significant. One victim had served as an assistant prison chaplain at an institution where Little had been incarcerated. Another worked in the same apartment building where Little lived. A third resided in that building, while the final victim had attended night school with him. These connections allowed Little to enter spaces in which a stranger might have been challenged or refused entry. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Rose Jackson Age: (60), Date of Death: 1985-12-19

Jerry Little - Wikipedia