Jerry Marcus

Serial Killer

Jerry Marcus: The Tuskegee Strangler

Overview

Jerry Marcus was an American serial killer who operated across parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee during the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1951, Marcus became known as the "Tuskegee Strangler" after investigators connected him to the deaths of several women. He confessed to seven killings, although law-enforcement officials suspected that his actual victim count may have been considerably higher. Some investigators estimated that he could have been responsible for as many as fifteen deaths. Marcus was particularly dangerous because he did not initially appear threatening. People who knew him often described him as quiet, friendly, helpful and dependable. He had participated in athletics, attended college and held a variety of jobs. Marcus reportedly understood that his calm and unassuming manner made women feel comfortable around him. He used that trust to place victims in vulnerable situations before attacking them. The full extent of Marcus's crimes remains uncertain. His movements took him through several Southern states, and his confessions included killings for which little public documentation survives. Although he admitted responsibility for multiple deaths, only a limited number of victims have been publicly identified by name and firmly connected to him through court proceedings, confessions or later investigations.

Early Criminal Conduct

Marcus displayed sexually violent behavior years before his arrest for murder. In 1971, while connected to the Tuskegee area, he attacked a female student who lived on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. He was prosecuted for assault with intent to rape, although a jury ultimately convicted him of the lesser offense of assault and battery. He was fined and sentenced to six months in jail. This early conviction demonstrated that Marcus was capable of approaching and assaulting women long before authorities recognized him as a serial killer. According to later accounts, his first admitted murder also occurred during the early 1970s. However, the publicly available information does not identify every person included in his confession, and the exact circumstances of his earliest claimed killings remain unclear. ...

Confirmed Victims: (2)

Francine Laverne Davis Age: (30), Date of Death: 1984-10-31

Suspected Victims:

Wybett Chambers Age: (25), Date of Death: 1986-05-15

Wydeane Brown Ellerbee Age: (26), Date of Death: September 16, 1986

The Tuskegee Strangler: The Nicest Serial Killer They Ever Met eBook