Lee Roy Martin

Serial Killer

Lee Roy Martin: The Gaffney Strangler

Overview

Lee Roy Martin was an American serial killer who murdered four women and girls in and around Gaffney, South Carolina, between May 1967 and February 1968. Known as the "Gaffney Strangler," Martin created widespread fear throughout Cherokee County and neighboring communities. His crimes were marked by abduction, sexual assault, strangulation and the concealment of his victims' bodies in isolated rural locations. Martin was not an unknown drifter passing through the region. He was a local resident, a husband and a father of three who worked at a textile mill. His seemingly ordinary life allowed him to move through the community without immediately attracting suspicion. The investigation took an especially disturbing turn when Martin began anonymously contacting a newspaper editor, claiming responsibility for the murders and directing authorities to hidden bodies.

Early Life and Warning Signs

Lee Roy Martin was born on April 25, 1937, in Gaffney, South Carolina. Relatively little reliable information is available about his childhood, but by adulthood he had established the outward appearance of a conventional family man. He married, had children and found employment in the textile industry that dominated the local economy. Martin had reportedly displayed violent behavior before the killings for which he became notorious. In 1957, when he was approximately 20 years old, he was accused of attacking a teenage girl in a wooded area. The incident did not result in a lengthy prison sentence, and Martin remained in the community. About a decade later, his violence escalated into a series of murders. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Annie Lucille Dedmond Age: (33), Date of Death: 1967-05-19

Lee Roy Martin - Wikipedia