Edward Surratt

American Murderer, Rapist, and Suspected Serial Killer

Edward Arthur Surratt, born on August 8, 1941, in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, is a notorious American murderer, rapist, and suspected serial killer. He was convicted of a single murder and multiple rapes in 1978, but his dark legacy extends far beyond that. Surratt is considered the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders that spanned Pennsylvania, Ohio, and South Carolina between 1977 and 1978. In a shocking turn of events, after serving 29 years in prison, he confessed to six murders in 2007, yet no charges were filed against him. The circumstantial evidence against him was strong, but it wasn’t enough to lead to a conviction. Fast forward to 2021, and Surratt confessed to six more murders, leaving investigators in a web of chilling possibilities.

Quick Facts

• Full Name: Edward Arthur Surratt
• Born: August 8, 1941 (age 83)
• Place of Birth: Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, U.S.
• Convictions:
  • Murder x1
  • Burglary x1
  • Assault x4
  • Rape
• Criminal Penalty:
  • Life imprisonment x2 (South Carolina)
  • Life imprisonment x2 plus 200 years imprisonment (Florida)
• Details of Victims: 1–18+
• Span of Crimes: 1977–1978
• Country: United States
• States Involved: South Carolina (convicted), Pennsylvania and Ohio (suspected)
• Date Apprehended: July 2, 1978
• Imprisoned at: Marion Correctional Institution, Ocala, Florida

Biography

Edward Surratt's early life was marked by turmoil. Born into a family led by successful entrepreneur Arthur Surratt, Edward's childhood was overshadowed by an abusive environment. Despite showing academic promise at Aliquippa High School, where he graduated with honors, everything changed when he hit ninth grade. He lost interest in studies and began spending time on the streets, which set the stage for a life of crime that would evolve throughout the late 1950s.

In 1959, Surratt's first brush with the law came when he was arrested for disturbing the peace, a minor charge that resulted in just a fine. But his troubles escalated when chronic absenteeism led to his expulsion from school. After returning and finally graduating, he found himself in trouble again, this time for assaulting a police officer. He was sentenced to 14 months in SCI Camp Hill Range, a state prison in Cumberland County.

Upon his release, Surratt, with his parents’ financial backing, briefly attended Youngstown University in Ohio. Unsurprisingly, he quickly lost interest, and by 1963, he was expelled yet again. The following year, he was drafted into the Army, where his discipline issues continued. He was cited for injuring a fellow soldier and even abandoned his post. Ultimately, he was dismissed from the Army in August 1965.

Returning to Aliquippa, Surratt inherited his father’s business, but his inexperience led to bankruptcy. In a desperate bid to escape financial ruin, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in October 1966. By spring of 1967, he was deployed to Vietnam, participating in the brutal Tet Offensive. His time in combat was marked by trauma, culminating in a serious injury in 1969 that left him with a ruptured eardrum and a chest wound. Over his military career, he underwent treatment and was awarded the Gallantry Cross and Purple Heart for his service.

After the war, Surratt married and moved to North Carolina, taking a job as a truck driver. However, darker tendencies began to emerge. In 1973, he was arrested in Virginia Beach for attempting to rape a 13-year-old boy, a crime for which he was convicted and sentenced to less than four years in prison. He was paroled in January 1977, returning to Aliquippa once more.

Exposure

The investigation into Surratt heated up in April 1978, when he was working as a truck driver. During his routes, he drove through cities in Ohio and Pennsylvania, where a moral panic erupted over a series of unsolved murders—at least 27 killings that sent shockwaves through the community.

Surratt's first significant encounter with law enforcement came when he was arrested and interrogated. Despite the mounting evidence, he denied involvement in the murders and was released due to a lack of direct evidence. Everything changed on June 6, 1978, when he was spotted in Aliquippa driving the car of 66-year-old Luther Langford, who had been brutally murdered in his home just days earlier. Langford's wife survived the attack but bore the scars of the violent encounter.

When police attempted to apprehend him, Surratt resisted fiercely, even managing to escape from seven officers by hiding in a nearby metallurgical plant. Following this incident, he was placed on the wanted list. A subsequent search of Langford's car revealed crucial evidence: a baseball bat with Surratt's fingerprints and belongings belonging to Joseph and Catherine Weinman, a disabled Vietnam veteran couple murdered in their home in Pennsylvania just months prior.

The investigation continued to unravel, connecting Surratt to the murders of Frank Ziegler, Richard Hyde and his wife Donna, and more. The timeline of violence included a chilling New Year's Eve attack in 1977 in Breezewood, where three individuals were killed in a shotgun assault. Surratt's whereabouts on that day, confirmed by credit card receipts, further implicated him in the growing list of murders.

Arrest

In late June 1978, Surratt made his way to Florida, where he stopped in Vilano Beach. On July 1, he broke into a home, terrorizing a family of three. In a horrific turn of events, he assaulted the adults and sexually violated their 15-year-old daughter. Instead of fleeing, he succumbed to intoxication and fell asleep in the bedroom. The father managed to escape his bonds and contacted the police, leading to Surratt's arrest at the scene without incident.

Throughout the investigation, authorities pieced together evidence linking Surratt to at least 18 murders, all characterized by similar methods of operation.

Trial

Surratt's trial in Florida began in the fall of 1978. On September 20, he was found guilty of burglary, assault involving rape, and making threats to kill. By October 27, he was sentenced to two life terms and an additional 200 years. His legal troubles didn't end there; he was later extradited to South Carolina to face charges for Langford's murder and the attempted murder of his wife. In 1979, he was again found guilty, earning two more life sentences.

During his first trial, Surratt confessed to the murder of John Shelkons, who had been shot in his home in Pennsylvania. He also admitted to attacking Shelkons' wife, who survived. Despite these confessions, prosecutors in Beaver County chose not to pursue charges against him in 1980, given his already lengthy sentences.

Aftermath

Edward Surratt spent the rest of his life in various Florida institutions. On May 8, 1993, during a transfer, he attempted to escape by attacking a police officer and seizing his vehicle. This failed attempt resulted in additional charges, and he was convicted in May 1994, receiving an extra 2.5 years in prison.

In 2007, Surratt made headlines again by confessing to an astonishing six more murders, including the killings of David and Linda Hamilton in Ohio and the brutal slaying of the Davis couple. He even claimed responsibility for the disappearance of 16-year-old Ranee Gregor after he murdered her boyfriend, John Feeny. Surratt offered to reveal the locations of the victims' remains in exchange for a transfer to a South Carolina facility with more lenient conditions, but authorities denied this proposal.

In a dramatic twist, in 2021, while incarcerated at Florida State Prison, Surratt confessed once more, this time to Pennsylvania State Police, about multiple additional murders. Notably, he admitted to the killings of William and Nancy Adams, Guy and Laura Mills, Joel Krueger, and John Shelkons. However, due to the life sentences he was already serving, district attorneys in Pennsylvania opted not to prosecute him further.

Sources

• "SERIES OF MURDERS SHOCKS PITTSBURGH". The New York Times. December 18, 1977.
• Guza, Megan (October 16, 2015). "Ohio officials reviewing trucker's routes after he's labeled serial killer". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• "Sought in S.C. murder". The Gaffney Ledger. June 14, 1978.
• Yablonski, Mike (July 26, 1978). "Coon links Surratt to 18 slayings in area". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• "PA State Police Details".
• Arnold, Richard (July 16, 1978). "Slay suspect Surratt a hometown mystery". The Pittsburgh Press.
• "Slay suspect remembered as likeable". Latrobe Bulletin. July 17, 1978.
• "Suspect in 1977 slayings never tried for them". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 8, 1987.
• Williams, Jonathan (June 9, 1978). "District man eludes police hunt, sought slayings in S.C. area". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Retchko, Bob (June 9, 1978). "Hunt for Slay suspect drags". The Pittsburgh Press.
• Boyle, P. J. (October 5, 1977). "Slain couple an inspiration, Kin Recall". The Pittsburgh Press.
• Warner, David (November 20, 1978). "Mystery murders, disappearances stump Police in region". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• "Suspects victims". The Pittsburgh Press. December 13, 1987.
• Retchko, Bob (June 8, 1978). "Slay suspect may be linked to area killings". The Pittsburgh Press.
• "Suspect captured in Florida". Latrobe Bulletin. July 6, 1978.
• "Area Slayings Suspect Seized: Surratt picked up in Florida". The Pittsburgh Press. July 5, 1978.
• "Truck Driver suspect in string of murders". Mansfield News Journal. July 10, 1978.
• "Florida gives Surratt 200 years for rape". The Pittsburgh Press. October 27, 1978.
• "S.C. Jury indicts Surratt in 1978 beating murder". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 1, 1979.
• "Edward Surratt, now in a Florida jail cell, may never return to Pennsylvania to face charges in a murder authorities say he has admitted". The Greenville Record-Argus. July 22, 1978.
• White Stack, Barbara (May 14, 1980). "Beaver County drops murder charge on Surratt". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• "Couple found Dead in Beaver Township". The Salem News. November 11, 1977.
• Harlan, Chico (February 7, 2007). "Serial killer admits to 2 Findlay deaths in 1977". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Gigler, Rich (October 22, 1978). "A year later questions haunt the parents of John Feeny". The Pittsburgh Press.
• "Florida inmate says he killed 6 in Pennsylvania in 1970s". June 2, 2021.

For further reading, you can check out the original article on Wikipedia.