Photo Credit: Marcia Straub | Getty Images

Donald Henry Gaskins: What Did the American Serial Killer Do?

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.

Donald Henry Gaskins was a notorious criminal who committed murder and rape. Hailing from the state of South Carolina, his methods of killing were stabbing, drowning, shooting, and poisoning.

The court ultimately convicted Gaskins of murder. However, he had already been to prison for reasons such as burglary, assault, and statutory rape. In May 1976, with the help of a Florence County jury, he was sentenced to death by the electric chair. However, the South Carolina Supreme Court overturned the punishment. After Gaskins pleaded guilty to the murders of several people, he received 10 concurrent life sentences.

He was sent to the Central Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, where he murdered an inmate using a C4 explosive. This led the court to hand him a second death sentence. According to The New York Times, Donald Henry Gaskins was executed on September 6, 1991, at 1:10 a.m. in the electric chair.

Season 3, Episode 1, of Born to Kill?, titled Pee Wee Gaskins Jr.: Meanest Man in America, discussed the violent crimes of Donald Henry Gaskins in detail. This episode aired in 2011.

Why was Donald Henry Gaskins nicknamed Pee Wee?

Donald Henry Gaskins was called “Pee Wee” due to his short stature. Reportedly, as an adult, his height was between 5 ft 4 inches and 5 ft 5 inches. Furthermore, he weighed close to 130 lbs.

Born on March 13, 1933, in Florence County, South Carolina, Gaskins’ mother was named Eulea Parrott. As a young boy, Eulea did not pay too much attention to him. Furthermore, he faced abuse from a male relative. People who knew this serial killer described him as a con artist and an expert manipulator.

Movie News
Marvel and DC
X