Derrick Todd Lee

Who is Derrick Todd Lee?

Derrick Todd Lee is a convicted serial killer, nicknamed the Baton Rouge Serial Killer.

He was linked by DNA to the deaths of seven women in the Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas in Louisiana, and in 2004 was convicted of the murders of Geralyn DeSoto and Charlotte Murray Pace. Newspapers have suggested Lee can be linked to other unsolved murders in the area, but the police lacked DNA evidence to prove these connections. After Lee's arrest, it was discovered that another serial killer, Sean Vincent Gillis, was operating in the Baton Rouge area during the same time as Lee.

Lee's methods varied with nearly each murder. Similarities between the crimes included the removal of cell phones from the victim's belongings, and a lack of any visible signs of forced entry into the location where the victim was attacked. Most of the murders were committed in the area around Louisiana State University. Two of the victims' bodies were discovered at the Whiskey Bay boat launch, approximately 30 miles west of Baton Rouge, just off Interstate 10.

ReliaGene Technologies Inc. linked Lee to the January 2002 slaying of Geralyn Barr DeSoto. ReliaGene analyzed DNA evidence under the fingernails of DeSoto and said the results of its testing linked Lee to the 21-year-old Addis, Louisiana woman’s death.