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Jarvis Theodore Roosevelt Catoe (November 2, 1904 – January 15, 1943), sometimes referred to as the D.C. Strangler, was an American serial killer.[1]
Jarvis Catoe | |
|---|---|
 Press photograph of Catoe | |
| Born | Jarvis Theodore Roosevelt Catoe November 2, 1904 South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 1943 (aged 38) D.C. Jail, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Other names | "D.C. Strangler" |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 1 conviction; 8 admitted; 11 suspected |
Span of crimes | 1935–1941 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | District of Columbia and New York |
Date apprehended | August 29, 1941 |
Born in South Carolina on November 2, 1904, Catoe was the oldest of eight children and the son of a preacher.[2] He reportedly acted normally until he sustained a head injury in 1925. Afterwards he began to show odd behavior, and is believed to have killed his first victim just four years later. Catoe was twice arrested for exposing himself in public, and racked up numerous arrests for traffic violations.[2] Between 1935 and 1941, Catoe is believed to have raped and murdered at least eight women, and for the latter of the crimes he was executed via the electric chair.[3]
While the true number of Catoe's victims is unknown, it is speculated that he could be responsible for numerous murders in the D.C. area after moving there in 1929 to live with his brother. According to Catoe himself, his modus operandi was to visit landladies posing as a handyman, and once they took him to a room to do work he would strangle them to death.
