Ep. 45-The Women Who Fought Back: The Baton Rouge Serial Killer Derrick Todd Lee Pt. 2

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It was a case that paralyzed Louisiana with fear. For years, women across Baton Rouge and surrounding communities lived in terror as a predator methodically stalked and killed successful, independent women in their own homes. What made Derrick Todd Lee's reign of terror all the more chilling was how easily he gained his victims' trust – a simple knock on the door, a question about fictional neighbors, or a request to use the phone was all it took.

This episode delves deep into the twisted case of the Baton Rouge Serial Killer, revealing how a catastrophic profiling error led authorities to search for a white suspect while Lee, an African American man with a long history of peeping Tom arrests and domestic violence, continued his killing spree undetected. We explore the heartbreaking stories of Charlotte Murray Pace, stabbed 81 times in her townhome; Gina Wilson Green, found strangled just three doors away; and other victims whose lives were cut tragically short by a monster hiding in plain sight.

Perhaps most disturbing is how close Lee came to being caught years earlier. Former Zachary investigator David McDavid had suspected him in connection with earlier crimes, but lack of communication between law enforcement agencies meant these crucial insights never reached the Baton Rouge task force until it was too late. Only after new DNA technology revealed the killer's race did the investigation finally shift in the right direction.

The survivors and victims' families paint a devastating portrait of loss and the endless struggle for justice. Charlotte Murray Pace's mother described being unable to sleep in darkness after her daughter's death, while survivor Diane Alexander's brave testimony helped create the sketch that should have identified Lee years before his capture. Though Lee was eventually convicted and sentenced to death for Pace's murder, his death from cardiac problems in 2016 denied many families the closure of seeing him answer for all his crimes.

Listen now to understand how this predator operated for so long under the radar, and why this case stands as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences when crucial evidence is overlooked.

Source Material:

Dupuy, Kevin, January 21, 2016, Timeline of Events: Serial killer Derrick Todd Lee, https://www.wbrz.com/news/timeline-of-events-serial-killer-derrick-todd-lee/

Gast, Phil, January, 22, 2016, Convicted serial killer on Louisiana death row dies at hospital, https://www.cnn.com/2016/01/21/us/louisiana-serial-killer-dies

Gremillion, Nick, Jan 22, 2016, Acadiana woman recalls surviving attack by Derrick Todd Lee to KLFY in 2014, https://www.klfy.com/local/acadiana-woman-recalls-surviving-attack-by-derrick-todd-lee-to-klfy-in-2014/

CNN, May 29, 2003, Serial Killings suspect described as charming, https://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/05/28/serial.suspect/index.html

Court documents, Jan 16, 2008, https://law.justia.com/cases/louisiana/supreme-court/2008/05ka2098-opn-1.html

Appeal court documents May 16, 2007, https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/la-court-of-appeal/1316459.html