Derrick Todd Lee Victims
Derrick Todd Lee was the Baton Rouge serial killer who murdered at least seven women between 1992 and 2003. DNA evidence finally linked the crimes and led to his arrest.
Derrick Todd Lee terrorized the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area from 1992 to 2003, murdering at least seven women. His victims ranged in age from 21 to 44 and were attacked in their homes.
For years, the FBI profiled the killer as a white male. This misdirection allowed Lee, a Black man, to operate undetected even as DNA linked multiple cases to the same perpetrator.
Lee was identified in May 2003 when his DNA, collected as part of a dragnet of local men, matched evidence from multiple crime scenes. He was arrested in Atlanta after fleeing.
Lee was convicted of two murders and sentenced to death. He died on death row in January 2016 from heart disease. His case highlighted how racial profiling assumptions in criminal profiling can hinder investigations.
Curated starting points for verifying and researching this case. Direct references are checked; search links are provided as further-reading aids. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information — see a case correction? Email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Have Information About This Case?
Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:
- FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
- The local police department or sheriff's office in Louisiana, or the state bureau of investigation
Tips can usually be submitted anonymously. To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.