#gerardjohnschaefer

[criminol]

Gerard Schaefer

Gerard John Schaefer Jr was an American murderer and suspected serial killer. He was convicted of two murders but suspected of many more.

Schaefer did not get on with his father who he believed favoured his sister. As a teenager, he began acting oddly; spying on neighbours, stealing women's underwear, cross-dressing and killing animals. As an adult, Schaefer was fired from a job as a high school teacher for 'inappropriate' behaviour and was turned down from priesthood. He began a career in law enforcement and became a patrolman in 1971 when he was 25.

On 21st July 1972, Schaefer picked up 2 teenage hitchhikers while on patrol. The following day he abducted the pair, took them into a forest and tied them to trees before threatening to kill them or sell them into prostitution. Schaefer was, however, called away on his radio and left the girls tied up vowing he would return. Luckily the teenagers escaped and went to the nearest police station, which was actually the station their kidnapper worked as. Schaefer was stripped of his badge and charged with false imprisonment and assault. After posting bail he was released.

Two months later, in September 1972, Schaefer abducted, tortured and murdered two teenaged girls and buried them in Oak Hammock Park. In December, Schaefer appeared in court concerning the earlier July abductions but was able to take a plea bargain resulting in a sentence of just one year.

In April 1973, over 6 months after their disappearances, the decomposing and mutilated remains of Schaefer's two victims were found. The girls had vanished while hitchhiking and had been tied to a tree. These similarities to Schaefer's abduction charges led the police to search his house.

In Schaefer's bedroom, the police found graphic stories written full of descriptions of rape, torture and murder of women who he frequently referred to as 'whores.' Additionally the authorities found personal possessions including jewellery, diaries and teeth from eight young women and girls who had gone missing in recent years. Some items of jewellery belonged to Schaefer's neighbour from when they were teenagers who vanished in 1969 and was later found to have been murdered. Schaefer was never charged with her killing.

Multiple other suspected victims have since been named, including two 14-year-old hitchhikers who vanished in 1972, one of whose jewellery was found in Schaefer's home and two 19-year-old hitchhikers who vanished in 1973 whos personal items were also found in his home.

Schaefer was convicted of just two murders and was sentenced to life imprisonment at Florida State Prison. On 3rd December 1995, Schaefer was found stabbed to death in his cell. Fellow cellmate Vincent Rivera was convicted of the crime.