Vermont is the second least populated state in the United States with a population of less than seven hundred thousand people. It’s a bit surprising that a state this small can be home to multiple serial killers. In this article, we will look at the four most infamous serial killers in Vermont.
Israel Keyes
Israel Keyes was a complex American criminal active in multiple states, including Vermont, whose reign of terror ended in suicide while in custody in Anchorage, Alaska. Keyes’s disturbing criminal repertoire included serial killing, r*pe, arson, burglary, and bank robbery. A schizophrenic, he began his criminal journey with the violent s*xual assault of a teenage girl in Oregon during the late 1990s.
Keyes came to public attention when he was arrested for the murder of Samantha Koenig while awaiting trial. Keyes’s murder spree spanned across different regions, and his crimes showcased meticulous planning and avoidance of patterns. He had no specific victim profile, always killed in unfamiliar areas, and paid for things in cash to elude detection.
In 2012, Keyes was apprehended after kidnapping and murdering 18-year-old Samantha Koenig in Alaska. Demanding a ransom for her return, he dismembered her body and disposed of it in a lake. His apprehension came when he used Koenig’s debit card in Texas.
While in custody, Keyes committed suicide by self-inflicted wrist cuts and strangulation in December 2012. His twisted criminality, meticulous planning, and calculated avoidance of detection made him a unique and chilling figure in the annals of crime.
Gary Lee Schaefer
Gary Lee Schaefer, an American serial killer, committed three murders in Washington between 1979 and 1983. Though he confessed to two of these, he was only convicted of one and remains a suspect in the third. In January 1984, he received a prison sentence of 30 years to life.
Hailing from Vermont and associated with the fundamentalist Christadelphian Church, Schaefer encountered legal trouble during his time in the Navy, facing arson and drug possession charges. Despite an insanity plea, he was deemed fit for trial by Navy psychiatrists. He concealed violent s*xual obsessions beneath a quiet exterior upon discharge, ultimately erupting into criminal acts.
In 1979, Schaefer abducted and murdered 13-year-old Sherry Nastasia. In 1981, Theresa Fenton suffered a similar fate, while Deana Buxton survived an attack in 1982. Police zeroed in on Schaefer due to Buxton’s description. His final crime occurred in 1983 when he abducted Catherine Richards, s*xually assaulted her, and bludgeoned her to death.
Schaefer’s arrest followed his confession prompted by a letter from the last victim’s mother, leading to charges against him. In December 1983, he pleaded guilty to one murder and kidnapping under a plea agreement that dismissed charges in the other murder case.
James Allen Paul
James Allen Paul was a serial killer and robber responsible for three deaths in Vermont, New Jersey and Connecticut. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, James Allen was diagnosed with schizophrenia in the early 1960s. He resided in Cambridge, Maryland, for two decades, and married. In 1982, his wife filed charges against him twice, both dismissed.
Moving to New Jersey, James Allen Paul faced indictment for attempting to cash a stolen payroll check in January 1984. Authorities questioned him about a double murder, but their key witness vanished. Virginia Vickory’s body was found shot twice on May 15, 1984, in New Jersey, where she stayed at a motel.
James Paul, who had checked out the same day, was seen with her. On May 20, Robin White’s body was discovered in Portland, Connecticut, with a gunshot wound. George Call was found dead on May 22 in Vermont. Police arrested Paul on May 24 after wiretaps and evidence linked him to the crimes. He pleaded guilty to various charges, receiving a life sentence with a minimum of 30 years for the murder of Virginia Vickory, along with other concurrent sentences.
Connecticut River Valley Killer
The Connecticut River Valley Killer also dubbed the Valley Killer, is an unidentified serial murderer believed to have committed at least seven killings of young women in the Connecticut River Valley of the Northeastern United States between 1978 and 1988. During the interval between discovering the initial and second victims, a 36-year-old woman met a tragic end as she was fatally stabbed in a frenzied assault within her residence in Saxtons River, Vermont.
The killer’s activities left a trail of fear and death. Skeletal remains of victims were discovered in Kelleyville, New Hampshire, with forensic analysis revealing multiple stab wounds, indicative of the killer’s frenzied attacks. The murders, marked by common patterns of operation, dump sites, and distinct wound styles, caught investigators’ attention.
The spree seemingly ended in 1988 after a survivor’s encounter with the assailant. A key suspect, identified by a survivor, met his end in a murder-suicide in 2005, but the true identity of the Connecticut River Valley Killer remains an enigmatic puzzle.
Also Read: 5 Famous Serial Killers In New Mexico