James Gregory Marlow

Serial Killer

James Gregory Marlow: The Folsom Wolf

Background and Criminal History

James Gregory Marlow was an American serial killer whose violent criminal career culminated in a rapid series of kidnappings, robberies, sexual assaults, and murders during the autumn of 1986. Known by the self-styled nickname "The Folsom Wolf," Marlow committed his most notorious crimes with Cynthia Lynn Coffman, a woman he met shortly after his release from prison. The couple traveled through several states, supporting themselves through theft, robbery, and other crimes before their conduct escalated into repeated acts of lethal violence. Marlow was born in 1957 and had accumulated a lengthy criminal record before meeting Coffman. He reportedly began stealing as a child and spent much of his adult life moving through jails and prisons. His previous offenses included burglary, armed robbery, escape, and attacks in which victims were threatened with knives. In 1980, he was sent to Folsom State Prison in California for a series of home invasions and robberies. While incarcerated, he embraced white-supremacist beliefs and cultivated the intimidating identity that led to his "Folsom Wolf" nickname. Coffman met Marlow while visiting another prisoner. After Marlow was released, the two began a relationship characterized by heavy methamphetamine use, instability, and violence. They married and traveled together, frequently using stolen vehicles and living with acquaintances or in inexpensive temporary accommodations. Coffman later claimed that Marlow dominated, assaulted, threatened, and psychologically controlled her. Prosecutors, however, argued that she knowingly participated in selecting victims, restraining them, stealing their property, and concealing the crimes.

The Beginning of the 1986 Murder Spree

By October 1986, Marlow and Coffman were in Southern California. Their victims were generally women traveling alone, often near banks, shopping areas, or automatic teller machines. The couple's methods allowed them to obtain money, automobiles, bank cards, and personal property while also reducing the likelihood that a victim could immediately alert police. The abductions occurred in public places, yet the victims were quickly forced into vehicles and taken away from possible witnesses. The first known victim in the series was Sandra Ann Lee Neary, a 32-year-old wife and mother from Costa Mesa. On the evening of October 11, 1986, Neary left home to withdraw money from her bank. Her husband and young daughter waited for her, but she did not return. Her abandoned automobile was later found in a parking area. On October 24, hikers discovered her decomposed body near Corona in Riverside County. Investigators determined that she had been strangled. Her disappearance established the pattern that would be repeated during the following month: a woman vanished while conducting an ordinary errand, her vehicle was abandoned or stolen, and her body was left in a remote location. On October 28, 1986, Pamela Simmons, 35, disappeared in Bullhead City, Arizona. Simmons was believed to have been abducted near an automatic teller machine or shopping area. Her vehicle was found abandoned near police headquarters, while her body was discovered off Arizona State Route 68, approximately five miles outside Bullhead City. The circumstances closely resembled the Neary case. Simmons had been isolated, robbed, and killed before her remains were left along a roadway outside the city. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Sandra Neary Age: (32), Date of Death: October 11, 1986

Suspected Victims:

Gregory Hill Age: (28), Date of Death: 1986-07-07

A murdering couple is sentenced to death | August 30