Paul John Knowles

Born and raised in Florida, Paul John Knowles spent a lot of time in prison for minor crimes. In 1974, just after finishing a sentence, he moved to San Francisco to marry a woman who he had been in contact with, but the woman called off the wedding when the woman met him. Very angry, Knowles moved back to Florida were he was arrested for a bar fight. He managed to escape, and then launched a terrifying killing spree. On 26th July 1974, Knowles robbed the home of elderly woman Alive Curtis, killing her when she suffocated on the gag in her mouth. Knowles was suspected, so he went to leave town. Before leaving, he kidnapped and murder 11-year-old Lillian Anderson and her sister 7-year-old Mylette Anderson. Knowles dumped the bodies and headed for Atlantic Beach, Florida. There he strangled Marjorie Howe in her home. Two days later, he picked up a hitchhiker, who was never identified, and raped and strangled her.

Knowles laid low until 23rd August, when he broke into a home and strangled Katherine Pierce while her 2-year-old son watched. Much to the surprise of investigators, he spared the boy's life. Knowles finally left Florida for Ohio, where he killed a man he met in a bar, later dumping the body in the woods. Heading West again, Knowles shot a couple on a campsite in Nevada, then killed a female motorist in Texas three days on. In Alabama, Knowles met Ann Dawson, who he followed for a few days before killing her on 29th September. Then in Virginia, he shot Doris Hovey, aged 53. He picked up a pair of hitchhikers and was ready to kill them when he was pulled over by a patrol car. The officer let Knowles drive on, even though the car was stolen. Knowles let the couple go.

Then, something very strange happened. Knowles made an appointment with his lawyer, during which he recorded a confession, admitting to his crimes. However he refused to turn himself in, and continued his killing spree. Knowles met a man named Carswell Carr and, having being invited into Carr's home, he stabbed him. Knowles turned on his 15-year-old daughter, who he raped and strangled. On 8th November in Atlanta, Knowles met a British journalist named Sandy Fawkes. He stayed with her for a while then moved on, leaving her unharmed. (Fawkes later wrote a book about Knowles, and her time with him). Over the next few days Knowles was forced into two separate confessions by different officers, one of which ended in the officer and a hostage being shot in the head just outside of Georgia. Knowles was finally arrested after he crashed his car. In custody, Knowles admitted to over thirty murders. The very next day, Knowles picked his handcuffs while being transferred to a maximum-security facility, and was shot dead by an FBI agent.