Vermont Serial Killers
ColdCaseIndex documents 3 serial killers whose murders took place in Vermont, with first known killings from 1978 to 2001. 2 of them were caught; 2 linked case files document their victims. The earliest series is Connecticut River Valley Killer (1978) and the most recent is Israel Keyes (2001). Profiles are added in order of public interest, so this page is not a complete census of the state.
All 3 profiles
Connecticut River Valley Killer
The Valley Killer
Unidentified. At least seven women were stabbed to death in the Connecticut River Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont between 1978 and 1987, and a pregnant woman survived a 1988 attack.
Gary Schaefer
Gary Lee Schaefer
Died in prison. Gary Schaefer was convicted of the 1983 murder of 11-year-old Katy Richards in Springfield, Vermont, confessed to a 1981 killing and was charged in a third.
Israel Keyes
Died before trial. Israel Keyes was indicted for the 2012 kidnapping and killing of Samantha Koenig in Anchorage, confessed to murdering Bill and Lorraine Currier in Vermont and five others, and died by suicide in custody in…
At a glance
| Name | Alias | State | Active | Convicted | Confessed | Suspected | Legal status | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut River Valley Killer | The Valley Killer | New Hampshire, Vermont | 1978 to 1988 | — | — | At least 7 women killed; 1 woman attacked and survived | Unidentified | At large |
| Gary Schaefer | Gary Lee Schaefer | Vermont | 1979 to 1983 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Convicted | Died in prison |
| Israel Keyes | — | Alaska, Vermont | 2001 to 2012 | 0 | 8 | 11 (FBI, 2013) | Died before trial | Suicide |