“The Killer Cop” Active in Florida in the 1970s
Gerard John Schaefer Jr., also known as the “Hangman” or “Killer Cop,” was a former sheriff’s deputy in Florida during the 1970s. He was suspected of being a serial killer responsible for the murders of many women. Schaefer’s crimes were carried out in the most brutal ways imaginable… His victims were often bound, gagged, and tortured for hours before being killed.
What makes Schaefer’s case even more disturbing is that he used his position as a law enforcement officer to gain the trust of his victims. He would often lure them under the guise of an arrest or a routine traffic stop. Schaefer’s reign of terror came to an end in 1973 when he was arrested and charged with the murders of two teenage girls. He was eventually convicted of their murders and sentenced to death. The true extent of his crimes, however, may never be fully known.