The Baton Rouge killer was ultimately tried for only two of the murders he committed. As reported by The Advocate, Derrick Todd Lee was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Geralyn DeSoto on August 10, 2004, and sentenced to life in prison. Two months later, he was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Charlotte Murray Pace and sentenced to death.
According to The Advocate, the serial killer died of natural causes related to heart disease on January 21, 2016. At the time of his death, Lee, 47, was being housed on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.
READ RELATED: The Former President Of Cyprus Had His Grave Robbed A Year After His Death
In the years following his arrest, information about the Baton Rouge killer’s past, including his childhood, came to light. Although his past does not excuse Lee’s behavior, it provides some insight into who he was and what led up to his becoming a serial killer.
Lee was born to Samuel Ruth and Florence Lee on November 5, 1968, in St. Francisville, Louisiana. According to the book, “Blood Bath,” by Susan D. Mustafa, Tony Clayton, and Sue Israel, Florence was only 17 when her son was born. She and Samuel lived with her mother at the time. Although Samuel and Florence were only together for a couple of years and never married, they also had a daughter named Tarisha. Samuel was not listed as the father on either child’s birth certificate and the couple split soon after the Tarisha was born.
Source:
