Gerard John Schaefer
Gerard John Schaefer | |
|---|---|
September 1970 Wilton Manors police applicant photo of Schaefer | |
| Born | March 26, 1946 Neenah, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | December 3, 1995 (aged 49) Florida State Prison, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Multiple stab wounds to face, head, neck and body. Slash wound to throat. |
| Other names | Jerry Shepherd The Killer Cop The Hangman The Butcher of Blind Creek |
| Spouses |
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| Motive |
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| Convictions | First degree murder (2 counts) Aggravated assault |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 2–28+ |
Span of crimes | September 27, 1972 (confirmed) October 2, 1966 – January 11, 1973 (suspected) |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
Date apprehended | April 7, 1973 |
| Imprisoned at | Florida State Prison |
Gerard John Schaefer Jr. (March 26, 1946 – December 3, 1995) was an American murderer and suspected serial killer, known as the Killer Cop, the Hangman and the Butcher of Blind Creek, who was convicted of the 1972 murder and mutilation of two teenage girls in Port St. Lucie, Florida. He is suspected of up to twenty-six other murders.
Described by prosecutor Robert Stone as "the most sexually deviant person" he had ever encountered, Schaefer was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment at his 1973 trial, to be served at Florida State Prison. He was stabbed to death by a fellow inmate while incarcerated at this facility in December 1995.
Schaefer became known as the "Killer Cop" as he was a sheriff's deputy in Martin County, Florida, at the time of his initial arrest. He also became known as the "Hangman" due to his favored practice of binding restrained women to trees with a hangman's noose around their neck prior to their torture and murder.