Does anyone know if they caught the black male that strangled black women in New Orleans in 1992? He killed them, then stripped them naked and dumped them in illegal trash dumping sites. One of them lived and has permanent damage to her voice from the strangling. This case was on today's episode, 03/21/06.

This case always creeps me out.

I was wondering if they ever caught him too. I live in New Orleans, and I don't remember hearing about this.

This case always creeps me out.

Me too, it's very scary.

I was wondering if they ever caught him too. I live in New Orleans, and I don't remember hearing about this.

It's interesting that you've never heard about it, which makes it even scarier because there were probably a large percentage of residents there who hadn't either.

I actually found some info on the net about this. It reads:

"New Orleans Serial Killer" (24 +/-) There is a possible serial killer, or serial killers, roaming the streets of New Orleans logging in at 24 dead. The vicitms are mostly prostitutes who were strangled, their stripped bodies dumped in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and swamps further west of the city. The killings started in 1991. Most of the victims were abducted in Algiers and Treme, two of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. A New Orleans police officer, Victor Gant is the suspect in the murders of two out of 24 victims. While being investigated for two death -- one of which was his girlfriend -- Gant remained in the force in a desk job. After a domestic dispute with his current girlfriend Gant was suspended from the force.

On March 2, 1998, another suspect, Russell Ellwood was arrested in connection to two of the killings. Ellwood, a former cab driver, is suspected in eight more killings. However, authorities still believe more than one suspect was responsible for the string of prostitute slayings. "We never thought, from the beginning, that this was the work of one person."

I was suprised that there were arrests in the case and also suprised that a former police officer is one of the suspects.

I read up some more on the two people suspected. Former New Orleans taxi driver Russell Ellwood was sentenced to life in prison in '99 for the one murder they could pin on him. What was unsettling is in the article about Victor Gant (I'm unsure of the date) they said he continued to work for the police at a desk job while other cops tried to find evidence to link him to the killings. I hope that is an old article and that he isn't currently still allowed to be a cop until they can prove or disprove his part in the murders.

I remember Russell Ellwood but that still doesn't account for the other murders. And I know they weren't talking about Derrick Todd Lee because that was around Baton Rouge. Spooky.

I actually found some info on the net about this. It reads:

"New Orleans Serial Killer" (24 +/-) There is a possible serial killer, or serial killers, roaming the streets of New Orleans logging in at 24 dead. The vicitms are mostly prostitutes who were strangled, their stripped bodies dumped in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and swamps further west of the city. The killings started in 1991. Most of the victims were abducted in Algiers and Treme, two of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. A New Orleans police officer, Victor Gant is the suspect in the murders of two out of 24 victims. While being investigated for two death -- one of which was his girlfriend -- Gant remained in the force in a desk job. After a domestic dispute with his current girlfriend Gant was suspended from the force.

On March 2, 1998, another suspect, Russell Ellwood was arrested in connection to two of the killings. Ellwood, a former cab driver, is suspected in eight more killings. However, authorities still believe more than one suspect was responsible for the string of prostitute slayings. "We never thought, from the beginning, that this was the work of one person."

I was suprised that there were arrests in the case and also suprised that a former police officer is one of the suspects.

As I was watching that segment today, it crossed my mind that a police officer could be involved, especially in New Orleans which has a history of having a lot of dirty cops.

Oftentimes there are real quick statements on UM that don't get played up and I wonder whats the story behind that statement, or how did that knowledge and/or supposition come to be?


(PARAPHRASING): "Police believe he may have a strong knowledge of automotive repair"

What are the circumstance sthat would lead police to believe this? Perhaps he gave that impression to the survivor? Based on the re-enactment it didn't sem like they would have had much conversation. Maybe they have a suspect based on the survivr's description and some confidential informants have related that this guy talks up cars a lot or has worked on someone's car. Maybe there was even an instance where someone fitting that description was seen fixing his car near a body dump site, or police somehow gleaned that the killer had to do automotive repair on his car before fleeing the murder/body dump scene.




One of the other statements during this segment that sticks with me is at the very beginning of ti, and I think its utter hogwash (again, paraphrasing):

"According to some analysts there may be anywhere up to 100 serial killers working in America right now"

Man, there'd be bodies all over if that were true.

I wouldn't be surprised if a N.O police officer was a suspect. I live a little less than 2 hours away from N.O. The NOPD is notorious for being corrupt/crooked as well as alot of the politicians in the state of LA.

This case scared the holy hell out of me in 1992. It wasn't until 2003 when I could bear to watch the end of the segment with the police drawing of the suspect. The music they used with the surviving victim's final words, which really illustrated her intense fear of the man, followed by the sketch gave me chills. It was also one of the last (if not, THE last) UM segments to use the classic marble background when displaying a victim's picture or a police sketch. :(

I have checked the Doe Network to see if they had an entry for the victim found in December 1991 but was not identified by the time the case aired. They did not. I hope that meant she was identified.

Interestingly enough, Stack said that the killer targeted women "he believes are prostitutes" but didn't actually say if the victims were prostitutes or not. Also, in regards to Stack's statement about there being about 100 serial killers on the loose in the United States (a line also used in the New Hampshire serial killer case), I'm reminded of a recent John Walsh appearance on a talk show when he was asked about how many serial killers there are. I don't remember the number he gave but it was much higher than 100.

There is probably 15,000 murders in America each year. There is probably 200 to 300 serial killers out there.

There is probably 15,000 murders in America each year. There is probably 200 to 300 serial killers out there.

Source? Or are you going to stick with "is probably"?


Thinking about that statistic, I thought that if there are 100 serial killers then that would be 2 for every state in the US. On the one hand, that doesn't seem too far out there to be possible...but something in me just won't believe that right now there are 100 active serial killers.

I think if you take the literal, and outdated(?), "3 or more killings" definition of serial killer, then, yes, I would concur there are 100 or more "serial killers". Because then you would be counting: mob members, inner city gang members, drug traffickers, and other people who might have to kill people as a part of their "business operation".

I just still need convincing that there are 100 active serial killers of the "prostitute strangling" or "knife attack on a woman alone at a rest stop" model.

And isn't it so weird how we fixate on round numbers in this country? I mean would be any less shocking to say that there are 97 or 103 active serial killers at any given time? No, but it would sound weird wouldn't it? For some reason, nice and neat round numbers hold some sort of sway with us.

So did they ever catch this guy?

So did they ever catch this guy?

Here is a blurb I found about it:

"New Orleans Serial Killer" (24 +/-) There is a possible serial killer, or serial killers, roaming the streets of New Orleans logging in at 24 dead. The vicitms are mostly prostitutes who were strangled, their stripped bodies dumped in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and swamps further west of the city. The killings started in 1991. Most of the victims were abducted in Algiers and Treme, two of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. A New Orleans police officer, Victor Gant is the suspect in the murders of two out of 24 victims. While being investigated for two death -- one of which was his girlfriend -- Gant remained in the force in a desk job. After a domestic dispute with his current girlfriend Gant was suspended from the force.

On March 2, 1998, another suspect, Russell Ellwood was arrested in connection to two of the killings. Ellwood, a former cab driver, is suspected in eight more killings. However, authorities still believe more than one suspect was responsible for the string of prostitute slayings. "We never thought, from the beginning, that this was the work of one person."

Here is a blurb I found about it:

"New Orleans Serial Killer" (24 +/-) There is a possible serial killer, or serial killers, roaming the streets of New Orleans logging in at 24 dead. The vicitms are mostly prostitutes who were strangled, their stripped bodies dumped in New Orleans, Jefferson Parish, and swamps further west of the city. The killings started in 1991. Most of the victims were abducted in Algiers and Treme, two of the poorest neighborhoods of the city. A New Orleans police officer, Victor Gant is the suspect in the murders of two out of 24 victims. While being investigated for two death -- one of which was his girlfriend -- Gant remained in the force in a desk job. After a domestic dispute with his current girlfriend Gant was suspended from the force.

On March 2, 1998, another suspect, Russell Ellwood was arrested in connection to two of the killings. Ellwood, a former cab driver, is suspected in eight more killings. However, authorities still believe more than one suspect was responsible for the string of prostitute slayings. "We never thought, from the beginning, that this was the work of one person."

Whoa, so the cop killed two people he knew and tried to make them look like they serial killer did them to try to cover his tracks? That's ingenious. And the other killings were by even more suspects? (copycats too?)

Whoa, so the cop killed two people he knew and tried to make them look like they serial killer did them to try to cover his tracks? That's ingenious. And the other killings were by even more suspects? (copycats too?)

I always found this a little confusing. The same MO apparently in all the killings but they suspect more than one murderer? Not exactly the norm. That sounds like a great script for a movie - a serial killer roaming around and a rogue cop killing people as well but making it look like the work of the serial killer since he knows all the ins and outs of the murders.

Yes, it certainly does sound like a movie or TV show. Ahem* Dexter. ;)

I always found this a little confusing. The same MO apparently in all the killings but they suspect more than one murderer? Not exactly the norm. That sounds like a great script for a movie - a serial killer roaming around and a rogue cop killing people as well but making it look like the work of the serial killer since he knows all the ins and outs of the murders.
Did'nt the same thing happend in the case of the Boston Strangler. If I remember correct there was DNA evidence that Albert DeSalvo did nor kill all of them. The UM sequence suggested there were many killers (copycats)...

Did'nt the same thing happend in the case of the Boston Strangler. If I remember correct there was DNA evidence that Albert DeSalvo did nor kill all of them. The UM sequence suggested there were many killers (copycats)...

I don't believe that DeSalvo killed any of them.

I disagree with the police I thought Elwood did all the killings or at least the two not done by the Cop. Didnt the murders cease when Elwood got locked up?