The Storyville Slayer: Part I
Anyone who re-watches old episodes of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ from the 1980s and 1990s knows that a good portion of the cases that appeared on the show’s original run have either been solved or at least updated. When FilmRise released the episodes on Amazon Prime, producers did their due diligence in piecing together any updates from the cases and showing them at the end of the segment.
So, when a segment that originally aired on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ in 1992 about a serial killer that may have claimed 27 victims is not followed up with an ‘update’ but just a fade-out to the next segment, the next logical step for the viewer is to pause the episode and Google the case to find out more information.
But what happens when there really isn’t any more information? ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ just referred to him as the “New Orleans Serial Killer.” Unfortunately, according to FBI statistics gathered by Crime Capsule, Louisiana is ranked 7th in “most serial killers produced,” so ‘New Orleans Serial Killer’ is not specific enough. By searching the known victims’ names, a moniker appeared: The Storyville Slayer.
This name may be somewhat misleading, since the first few victims were attacked and murdered in the Algiers neighborhood in New Orleans. However, once a police sketch was released to the media in October of 1992, the killings stopped for five months. Then, a new slew of murders occurred in Tremé. Tremé was once home to New Orleans’ red-light district, Storyville. Although the district was ‘shut down,’ many sex workers continued to operate in that neighborhood.
Although the ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ segment aired in 1992, the murders continued until 1995. Coincidentally in August 1995, the New Orleans Chief of Police at the time, Richard Pennington, announced in a news conference that “a serial killer was stalking the city and was believed to be responsible for at least 24 murders.” We’ll get back to that next week.
For now, we will focus on the first 8 victims. All victims were Black women between the ages of 17-38. Most of them were drug users, sex workers or lived in areas that sex workers frequented. At the start of the attacks, the killer struck about once a month. The victims were all strangled, left nude, face-down in or near illegal dumping sites. 7 of the 8 victims were found within a 3-mile radius of one another.
The Victims
1. “Brenda”—attacked July 1991
The first victim of the Storyville Slayer is the only known survivor. Speaking anonymously to ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ under the name Brenda, she recalled the harrowing night of her attack. She said she was abducted near Memorial Park Drive and Nevada Street in Algiers. Brenda stated that she pretended she was dead so her attacker would leave. Six hours later, she awoke to find herself covered with garbage and discarded tires. Her windpipe was permanently damaged. In an interview with investigators, she described the suspect as a “clean cut, well-dressed black male with a muscular build” and that he may have been driving a blue Buick.
2. Danielle Britton, 17—August 4, 1991
Just weeks after Brenda’s attack, the body of Danielle Britton was discovered in a ditch along Nevada Street in Algiers. According to the autopsy, she was beaten and strangled. ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ stated that the autopsy also showed that she was strangled and raped approximately 12 hours before her body was discovered. ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ states that Britton was last seen outside of a bar called Neva’s Rendezvous, getting into a car with a man. The car was a blue, late-model Buick Regal or Monte Carlo.
3. Tiera Tassin, 21—September 3, 1991
Not much is known about Tiera Tassin, but fingerprint records from a prior drug arrest were used to identify her. Her murder would not be connected to the same killer until after the ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ segment aired.
4. Charlene Price, 28—September 21, 1991
Just one mile from where Danielle Britton’s body was found, Charlene Price was discovered in Behrman Park in Algiers. She had been beaten and strangled, left nude, face-down. According to ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ it’s unknown if she ever did sex work, but a family member told police she had a history of drug abuse.
5. Regina Okoh, 37—November 21, 1991
Regina Okoh, who was from Algiers, was discovered near St. Joseph Street in the town of Harvey. According to her autopsy, her death was attributed to strangulation and acute cocaine intoxication. New Orleans Police Department records showed that she had previous arrests for prostitution. Okoh’s murder was not connected to the same suspect at the time ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ aired.
6. Jane Doe #1, approx. 20—December 14, 1991
While Unsolved Mysteries claims that Jane Doe #1 was the killer’s fourth victim, subsequent investigations revealed that she was his 6th victim. She was found deceased in Algiers near Behrman Highway, near where Danielle Britton and Charlene Price’s bodies were discovered. Her autopsy revealed that she was 5’2”, 125 pounds, and had protruding front teeth. Her cause of death was strangulation.
7. Lydia Madison, 29—Jan 4, 1992
According to ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ Lydia Madison was found dead beneath the South Claiborne Avenue overpass near Earhart Boulevard, which was 8 blocks away from police headquarters. Madison had prior arrests for drugs and prostitution, and her cause of death was ruled as strangulation.
8. George Williams, 25—Jun 2, 1992.
George Williams was a transgender woman, and it is unclear if she went by that name. In police reports from the time, Williams is referred to as a ‘he,’ but by all accounts, Williams presented herself as a woman. She worked as an exotic dancer in the French Quarter and had prior arrests for drugs and burglary. The murder was not connected to the other murders until years later.
The reign of terror by the Storyville Slayer was far from over. Part II to come next week.
