Samuel Little

Serial Killer

Samuel Little: The Most Prolific Known Serial Killer in United States History

Overview

Samuel Little was an American serial killer whose crimes extended across the United States for more than three decades. Born Samuel McDowell on June 7, 1940, in Reynolds, Georgia, Little spent much of his life traveling from city to city while committing thefts, assaults and other offenses. Although he repeatedly came into contact with law enforcement, the full extent of his crimes remained hidden until late in his life. Little confessed to 93 murders committed between approximately 1970 and 2005. The Federal Bureau of Investigation determined that his confessions were credible and matched him to at least 50 homicide cases. Investigators continued examining other confessions after his death because many of the women he described had never been identified or were connected to cases that had originally been classified as accidents, overdoses or deaths from undetermined causes. Little primarily targeted women who were living in vulnerable circumstances. Many were experiencing homelessness, poverty, substance dependency or involvement in sex work. A large percentage were Black women whose disappearances and deaths received limited publicity. Little understood that the deaths of marginalized women were less likely to generate intensive investigations or widespread media attention, allowing him to continue killing for years without being recognized as a serial offender.

Early Life and Criminal History

Little was raised largely in Lorain, Ohio. He experienced behavioral problems from an early age and was placed in a juvenile institution after being convicted of breaking and entering while still a teenager. During adulthood, he drifted throughout the country and accumulated an extensive criminal record involving burglary, shoplifting, fraud, drug offenses, armed robbery and attacks against women. He was arrested dozens of times in numerous states. Despite the frequency of his arrests, Little often received relatively short sentences or avoided convictions in the most serious cases. His constant movement made it difficult for individual police departments to recognize patterns linking crimes committed hundreds or thousands of miles apart. Little had boxed during his younger years and possessed considerable physical strength. According to investigators, he often struck his victims before strangling them. Because strangulation did not necessarily leave immediately recognizable wounds, some deaths were mistakenly attributed to overdoses, exposure or natural causes. The lack of gunshot or stab wounds also made it easier for his crimes to remain undetected. ...

Confirmed Victims: (50)

Annie Lee Stewart Age: (32), Date of Death: October 11, 1981

Suspected Victims:

Marianne (Air Force Base Girl) Age: (18), Date of Death: 1972

Columbus Jane Doe , Date of Death: 1974

Kat (Georgia) Age: (22-23), Date of Death: 1974

Emily (Florida) Age: (23-24), Date of Death: 1974 or 1975

Knox County Jane Doe Age: (25), Date of Death: 1974 or 1975

Wichita Falls Jane Doe Age: (25-28), Date of Death: 1976

Jo (Illinois) Age: (26), Date of Death: 1976

St. Louis Jane Doe , Date of Death: 1976-12

Clearwater Jane Doe #1 , Date of Death: 1977 or 1978

Pascagoula Jane Doe Age: (35-45), Date of Death: 1977 or 1978

Charleston Jane Doe Age: (27-29), Date of Death: 1978-09

Cleveland Jane Doe Age: (17-25), Date of Death: 1978

Gulfport Jane Doe Age: (22), Date of Death: 1980-08

Atlanta Jane Doe #1 Age: (35-40), Date of Death: 1981

New Orleans Jane Doe #1 , Date of Death: 1982-09

New Orleans Jane Doe #2 , Date of Death: 1982-09

Fort Myers Jane Doe , Date of Death: 1984-05

Clearwater Jane Doe #2 , Date of Death: 1984-05

Savannah Jane Doe Age: (20), Date of Death: 1984-05

Atlanta Jane Doe #2 Age: (23-25), Date of Death: 1984-05

Los Angeles Jane Doe #1 Age: (17-23), Date of Death: 1984

Inglewood Jane Doe (Granny) Age: (50), Date of Death: 1987-01-31

Los Angeles Jane Doe #2 Age: (22-23), Date of Death: 1987-01-31

Los Angeles Jane Doe #3 Age: (25), Date of Death: 1987-02-01

Los Angeles Jane Doe #4 Age: (23), Date of Death: 1987

Los Angeles Jane Doe #5 Age: (19), Date of Death: 1987

Los Angeles Jane Doe #6 Age: (26-27), Date of Death: 1987

Monroe Jane Doe Age: (24), Date of Death: 1987

Phoenix Jane Doe Age: (40), Date of Death: 1988

Los Angeles Jane Doe #7 Age: (20-22), Date of Death: 1991-1992

Linda (Los Angeles) Age: (23), Date of Death: 1991-1992

Los Angeles Jane Doe #8 , Date of Death: 1992-1993

Los Angeles Jane Doe #9 Age: (24-25), Date of Death: 1992-1993

Las Vegas Jane Doe Age: (40), Date of Death: 1993

Helen (California) Age: (25), Date of Death: 1996

Sheila (California) Age: (23-25), Date of Death: 1996

T-Money (California) Age: (23-24), Date of Death: 1996

Los Angeles Jane Doe #10 Age: (23-25), Date of Death: 1996

Ann (Arizona) , Date of Death: 1997

Donna or Sarah Age: (22-25), Date of Death: 1971-04-19

Prince George County Jane Doe Age: (22-25), Date of Death: 1972-05

Linda Bennett Age: (25), Date of Death: 1988-05-06

Survivors:

Leila McClain

Tonya Jackson

Hilda Nelson , Date of Attack: July 1980

Laurie Barros Age: (22), Date of Attack: October 1984

Samuel Little - Wikipedia