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The Unsolved Crimes of South Florida's Serial Killer

Theodore Mitchell

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Gerard Schaefer, South Florida Serial Killer The Flat Tire Murders: Unsolved Crimes Of A South Florida Serial Killer

The Flat Tire Murders: Unsolved Crimes of a South Florida Serial Killer

by Michael P. Burns

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	8820 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
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Print length	:	239 pages

Gerard Schaefer was one of South Florida's most prolific serial killers. He was convicted of murdering four young men in the 1970s, but he is believed to have killed many more.

Schaefer was born in Wisconsin in 1946. He had a troubled childhood and was often in trouble with the law. In 1968, he moved to South Florida and began working as a nurse. He quickly developed a reputation for being a charming and charismatic man, but he also had a dark side.

In 1972, Schaefer was arrested for the murder of 18-year-old hitchhiker Robert Lawson. He was convicted of the crime and sentenced to life in prison. While in prison, Schaefer confessed to killing three other young men: David Neal, Mark Carman, and Patrick Conley. He also claimed to have killed many more people, but he never revealed the names of his other victims.

Schaefer died in prison in 1995. Despite his confession, the murders of David Neal, Mark Carman, and Patrick Conley remain unsolved. These unsolved crimes are a reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary people.

The Victims

Robert Lawson, 18, hitchhiker, murdered in 1972
David Neal, 20, college student, murdered in 1973
Mark Carman, 19, college student, murdered in 1974
Patrick Conley, 19, college student, murdered in 1974

The Investigation

The investigation into Schaefer's crimes was one of the largest and most complex in South Florida history. Detectives interviewed hundreds of witnesses and suspects, and they searched dozens of locations. Despite their efforts, they were unable to solve the murders of David Neal, Mark Carman, and Patrick Conley.

In 1995, Schaefer confessed to killing the three young men. He claimed that he had picked them up while they were hitchhiking and that he had killed them in his apartment. He said that he had disposed of their bodies in various locations around South Florida.

Despite Schaefer's confession, the murders of David Neal, Mark Carman, and Patrick Conley remain unsolved. Detectives have been unable to locate their bodies or find any other evidence to corroborate Schaefer's claims.