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10 Things To Know About Lorenzo Gilyard

Serial killer Lorenzo Jerome Gilyard, Jr., is a former manager of a garbage company. Gilyard鈥檚 family history was troubled. His father Lorenzo was found guilty of rape in 1970. Shockingly, his brother Darryl E. was found guilty of a drug-related murder in 1989 and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. His sister Patricia D. Dixon, a sex worker, was found guilty of the murder of a client in 1983. She was given a 10-year sentence. Gilyard was a noted bully who occasionally beat up ladies in his younger years.

Gilyard had assaulted a friend鈥檚 13-year-old daughter and was a convicted child molester. He was accused of five rapes between 1969 and 1974, according to probation records, but was never found guilty.

Between 1977 and 1993, Gilyard is accused of raping and killing 13 women and girls. Beginning in 1977, a series of killings remained unexplained until 2003, when DNA evidence connected all 13 deaths. He earned the moniker 鈥淭he Strangler of Kansas City.鈥�

Let’s learn more about Gilyard

1. Lorenzo Exhibited Aggressive Behavior from an Early Age

Kansas City, Missouri is where Lorenzo Jerome Gilyard was born. One of the five children born to Laura and Lorenzo Gilyard, Sr.

Lorenzo had aggressive tendencies from a young age. He physically assaulted younger children and developed a reputation as a bully. This was because he was bigger than most of his contemporaries.

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2. He Dropped Out Of School After 10th Grade

After the 10th grade, Lorenzo was forced to leave school. This was due to his lack of self-control, subpar academic performance, and frequent absences.

3. Gilyard Hails from a Criminally Inclined Family

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Gilyard comes from a family that has a history of criminality. Before his conviction, both his brother and sister were found guilty of murder.

His father Lorenzo Sr. was found guilty of rape in 1970. His brother Darryl was found guilty of a drug-related homicide in 1989 and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Moreover, his sister Patricia, a prostitute was also found guilty in 1983 of killing a client and received a 10-year sentence.

4. Gilyard was Arrested on Charges of Assaulting and raping Several Girls

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Gilyard was detained in January 1969 on suspicion of molesting and raping a girl he knew. However, he was later freed after the two sides came to an understanding. The accuser withdrew her complaint after Lorenzo professed his regrets.

Two years later, Gilyard himself was detained once more for raping and assaulting a different lady; the victim claimed that he had choked her to unconsciousness. She recognized Gilyard as the offender in a lineup, but her testimony was deemed dubious. The charges were later dismissed.

In addition, he was also arrested for raping a 25-year lady in 1974. Unfortunately, the two parties reconciled and the charges were dropped. Gilyard was detained in 1979 after allegedly beating a young couple. He raped the girl and threatened to kill the girl鈥檚 fianc茅. Gilyard was found not guilty by a jury in his trial in September 1980 for lack of proof. This was even though the victims acknowledged him as their attacker.

5. Gilyard was Convicted of Sexual acts with a Minor

He was detained for raping a friend鈥檚 13-year-old daughter on the banks of the Missouri River. The rape accusations were dismissed when the victim altered her evidence. However, Gilyard was found guilty of sexual activities with a minor. He was sentenced to 9 months in the Jackson County jail instead.

6. He was Abusive in all His Marriages

Gilyard was detained in 1973 after being accused of assaulting his first spouse. Hill later told police that Gilyard had been both sexually and physically abusive to her throughout their marriage. He was eventually made to pay a fine and divorce his wife.

Gilyard later remarried, but his wife soon left him and requested a divorce. The second wife claimed that her husband had physically and sexually assaulted her. Gilyard married a third time in the latter half of the 1970s. He was detained for a serious assault on his third wife. However, he was released after paying a fine and receiving a divorce.

7. His first Murder Case was of a 17-year-old female

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Stacie Swafford a 17-year-old lady was his first victim. Stacie was a homeless runaway who had just moved to the city.

Her body, which showed symptoms of suffocation, was discovered at an empty lot one week after she was last seen alive on April 10, 1977. Swafford was a homeless transient who made a living off prostitution.

8. He was Connected with the Murders of Six Women by the Authorities

The investigating team successfully linked Lorenzo Gilyard to the murders of six local women. This was by analyzing the blood sample that was seized from him.

 He was also implicated in the murders of at least six additional women, according to circumstantial evidence. The women were killed between April 1977 and January 1993. They were all aged between 15 and 36.

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9. He Strangled His Victims with Various Items

He used wire, nylon stockings, laces, and other materials to strangle his victims. Moreover, he dumped their bodies ni abandoned structures. In numerous locations across Kansas City, including landfills, snowdrifts, abandoned structures, vans, fields, and parking lots, their bodies were dumped.

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10. He was Arrested and Charged with 12 First degree Murder Charges

The findings led to Gilyard鈥檚 arrest on April 16, 2004. 12 first-degree murder charges were brought against him. Gilyard鈥檚 counsel was successful in reaching a deal with the Jackson County Attorney鈥檚 Office in January 2007.

Their client would consent to a jury-free trial, which got started on March 5 of that year, in exchange for the death sentence being dropped. Gilyard was put on trial for seven first-degree murders.

The main emphasis of the case was the DNA evidence, which proved that he had sex with the victims just before they were slain, according to forensic criminal scientists.

Gilyard was given a life sentence without the possibility of release for the killings twelve days later. Before being sent to the Crossroads Correctional Center in July 2019, he began serving his life sentence at the Western Missouri Correctional Center.

The legendary serial killer Lorenzo Gilyard tormented the Kansas City region for more than ten years, picking out weak women to sexually attack and kill. His murderous rampage came to a halt in 1993, and DNA evidence that connected him to the killings led to his conviction for his crimes in 2007. The case of Gilyard serves as a reminder of the value of using all available resources, including DNA evidence, to locate and apprehend those responsible for horrible acts.