Lee Roy Martin, most commonly known to South Carolinians as The Gaffney Strangler, was a serial killer in the upstate and also a family man with a wife and three children. He was convicted of killing four people, 2 women and 2 girls, during 1967 and 1968.
Unfortunately, one of his victims' husbands was originally convicted of her strangulation and murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. Martin called The Gaffney Ledger and took responsibility for the murder. Martin was subsequently arrested on February 27, 1968. Luckily, after Martin was arrested, Roger Dedmond was released from prison and his charges against him in the murder of his wife, Annie Lucille Dedmond, were dropped.
Martin claimed that he had a split personality that took control of him
While in prison, Lee Roy Martin was stabbed to death by fellow inmate, Kenneth Marshall Rumsey. He was incarcerated at Central Correctional Institution in Columbia, and the stabbing took place on May 31st, 1972.
Photos from his autopsy were leaked, and rumors were started that he died with a smile on his face. It's possible that his muscles just naturally sat in that position and settled down after death, but it's also highly likely that rigor mortis set in and caused the appearance of a smile. Rigor mortis is when your muscles stiffen after death.
Some believe that he was happy to be rid of his other personality, and others believe that it could have been a demonic gesture. No matter what is believed about his smile, his victims deserved to live their lives uninterrupted by his murderous monster.
Written By: Jennifer
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