The Terrifying Tale of Donald Gaskins: From Bullying Victim to Serial Killer

Donald Gaskins spent his entire life fighting against bullying due to his small stature. In order to gain respect from his peers, he eventually resorted to spreading fear and terror, becoming a serial killer. On one hand, he carried out contract killings for payment, and on the other hand, he unleashed his sadistic tendencies in murder cases where he tortured his victims for days on end. Gaskins, who was executed in 1991, claimed to have killed over 100 people and showed no remorse until the end.

BACKGROUND

Donald Henry Gaskins, Jr. was born on March 13, 1933, in South Carolina, USA. His mother had numerous partners who often mistreated and physically abused him. His small stature earned him the nickname "Pee Wee" at an early age. Later, he claimed that he only learned his real name as a teenager.

Gaskins' education was marked by disputes with classmates, and he left school at the age of eleven. He found work at an auto repair shop and teamed up with two other boys who worked there. They called themselves "The Trouble Trio" and embarked on their own small wave of criminal activities, breaking into buildings and assaulting boys for fun. When they were caught, the group disbanded.

FIRST INCARCERATION

At the age of only thirteen, Gaskins' clumsy burglary ended with him striking a woman in the head with an axe. He believed he had killed her, but she survived. As punishment, Gaskins was committed to a reformatory until he reached adulthood. His small size, not even 5 feet tall, made him an easy target there. He claimed that he had been subjected to a group rape involving 20 people. To survive daily life, he offered sexual services in exchange for protection.

At the age of 18, Gaskins married and became the father of a daughter. He financed his life through insurance fraud, accepting payment to set fire to plantations for a family. When a young girl caught him in the act, he attacked her with a hammer. He was sentenced to six years in prison for attempted murder, and his wife divorced him as a result.

FIRST MURDER

During his time in prison, at the age of 20, Gaskins became a murderer for the first time. To avoid becoming a victim behind bars, he decided to slit the throat of another inmate. Claiming self-defense, he received only three more years. However, he escaped on the back of a garbage truck and joined a wandering preacher. He was eventually apprehended and did not regain his freedom until 1961 on parole.

Gaskins remarried and returned to petty crime. In 1963, he was arrested for the rape of a 12-year-old girl and returned to prison for five more years.

MURDER SPREE

In the year following his release, Gaskins began killing hitchhikers. His first victim was a woman he picked up in his car and propositioned for sex. When she responded with a mocking laughter, he proceeded to rape, mutilate, and ultimately kill her. From that point on, he maintained a killing spree with a rhythm of about six weeks between each murder. He became increasingly unrestrained and tortured his victims for longer periods before "putting them out of their misery." Sometimes he forced them to consume a last supper made from their own flesh.

In contrast to these brutal, torture-filled murders, there were others that had the style of an "execution." For example, he impulsively killed his 15-year-old niece and one of her friends, while he was hired and paid for other murders.

Perceiving his size as an obstacle, Gaskins found a way to dictate his own fate by taking the lives of others: "I have followed the same path as God. By taking lives and making others afraid, I became equal to God. By killing others, I became my own master. Through my own power, I achieve my own redemption."

ARREST

Gaskins' downfall came at the hands of an accomplice. As he took on more and more contract killings, he needed assistance in abducting people and disposing of the bodies. When a couple tried to extort him after unknowingly assisting him in a murder, he killed them. He also killed another unsuspecting couple who attempted to steal from him. He tasked Walter Neely with helping him dispose of the lifeless bodies.

Meanwhile, another murder investigation led the police to Gaskins, and they subsequently searched his apartment, where they found the victim's clothing. Neely was also brought in for questioning, and he confessed to his involvement while accusing Gaskins of further murders.

Gaskins confessed without resistance to his involvement in many more murders. On December 4, 1975, Gaskins led the police to a property he owned, where they discovered eight of his victims.

TRIAL AND CONVICTION

Gaskins was brought to trial on May 24, 1976, for eight counts of murder and was found guilty four days later, receiving seven life sentences. His terrifying reputation meant that no one would dare cross "Pee Wee" behind bars, but despite that, he accepted another contract killing in 1982. He killed a fellow inmate by giving him a radio that he had rigged with explosives. When the victim turned on the device, it detonated. Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1978, Gaskins was to pay with his life for this final murder.

The next 15 months were spent by Gaskins having a journalist transcribe his memoirs. In his autobiography, "Final Truth," he revealed that he had been given "permission to kill." He expressed no remorse for his actions and said of his own demise: "I don't mind dying, really. I've had a hell of a good life."

A few hours before his execution, Gaskins attempted to delay it by slashing his wrists. Despite having fresh stitches, he was still executed in the electric chair. Donald "Pee Wee" Gaskins died on September 6, 1991, at 1:05 a.m.

"When they put me to death, I'll die remembering the freedom and pleasure of my life. I'll die knowing others will come to take my place, and most of them will never get caught." (Donald Gaskins)