206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
⚠️ Warning: Viewer Discretion Advised ⚠️ The following section contains detailed information about serial killers, their crimes, and case details. Some content may be disturbing or graphic, including descriptions of violence, criminal behavior, and sensitive subject matter.
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.
...Read More
Victims
See any mistakes? Let us know!
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