206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Description
See any errors? Let us know!Lee Roy Martin: The Gaffney Strangler
Introduction
Lee Roy Martin, also known as the "Gaffney Strangler," was an American serial killer who terrorized the town of Gaffney, South Carolina, in 1967 and 1968. His reign of terror was marked by brutal killings that shocked the community and ultimately led to his arrest and conviction.The Murders
Lee Roy Martin's victims were all young women whom he kidnapped, assaulted, and murdered. His crimes were especially chilling because he taunted police and the media, calling in to report the locations of the bodies.Victims
- Nancy Carol Paris (Age 20) - January 1968
- Kidnapped and murdered.
- Her body was found in a wooded area outside Gaffney.
- Nancy Christine Rhinehart (Age 14) - February 1968
- Kidnapped while walking home from school.
- Her body was discovered strangled and left in a rural area.
- Opal Diane Buckson (Age 14) - February 1968
- Kidnapped and murdered in the same month as Nancy Rhinehart.
- Her body was also found in a secluded area.
- Joyce Diane Ford (Age 15) - February 1968
- Abducted and killed.
- Found in the same general location as the other victims.
Victims
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Confirmed Victims: (4)
Annie Lucille Dedmond Age: (33), Date of Death: 1967-05-19 ...View 3 additional victims
Links to Additional Sources (12)
See any mistakes? Let us know!Killer's Details
Lee Roy
Martin
April 25, 1937 Gaffney, South Carolina, United States
May 31, 1972 (aged 35) Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Stabbed to death by fellow inmate Kenneth Marshall Rumsey
Male
White
The Gaffney Strangler
Life imprisonment (x4)
4
1967 - 1968
South Carolina
February 15, 1969
Central Correctional Institution
07/03/2025










