Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace
Serial Killer Targeting Elderly Women
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Atlanta, Georgia
TIME PERIOD
1988-1989
VICTIMS
4 confirmed
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace, an American serial killer and burglar, committed a series of murders and burglaries targeting elderly women in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood between 1988 and 1989. His first known victim, 86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee, was found murdered in her home on August 28, 1988. Following her, 78-year-old Mattie Mae McClendon was discovered dead on September 10, 1988, with her death initially ruled as asphyxiation. The killings resumed in 1989, with 79-year-old Johnnie Mae Martin strangled on February 4 and 42-year-old Ann Kate Britt found dead on March 4. Pace was apprehended on October 2, 1992, and subsequently convicted of four murders, sentenced to death, and is currently imprisoned at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison. Significant evidence linking Pace to the crimes included the modus operandi of breaking and entering, as well as the physical similarities among the victims.
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace is believed to have targeted elderly women due to their vulnerability, which has led to speculation that he may have had a specific psychological motive for choosing such victims. Some investigators theorize that his initial burglaries escalated into murder, suggesting a pattern of escalating violence. Additionally, there are theories regarding potential links between Pace and other unsolved cases involving similar victims in the area during the same time period.
The Chilling Crimes of Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace
In the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1980s, a sinister shadow loomed over the Vine City neighborhood. Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace, born in July 1964, emerged as a feared serial killer and burglar. Over the span from 1988 to 1989, he targeted and brutally murdered elderly women, leaving a trail of terror in his wake. Among his burglary victims was none other than Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. Though convicted of four murders, Pace was suspected of a fifth, and the weight of his crimes led to a death sentence.
The Murders Begin
The terrifying saga unfolded with the discovery of 86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee. Living at 321 Simon St. S.E in southeast Atlanta, McAfee was found naked and lifeless on her bed. Her body, in a kneeling position, bore the horrifying marks of sexual assault and strangulation, executed with a combination of her bra and a rag. Law enforcement deduced that the crime occurred between the evening of August 27, 1988, and the early morning of the next day.
Tragically, the violence did not end there. On September 10, 1988, Mattie Mae McClendon, aged 78, was discovered dead in her apartment near the Atlanta University Center by her sister. She lay facing a pillow, with no overt signs of violence. However, a broken window signaled foul play, prompting detectives to investigate her death as a homicide. Alongside the case of Lillian Lawrence, another elderly woman who died under suspicious circumstances, McClendon's death was scrutinized, though ultimately found unrelated to Lawrence's. The cause of McClendon's demise was later determined to be asphyxiation by suffocation.
A brief lull in the murder spree lasted until February 4, 1989, when the quiet of the neighborhood was again shattered. Johnnie Mae "John-John" Martin, a 79-year-old retired nurse and beloved community figure, was strangled in her bed with a shoelace. Her house was searched by the killer, who had gained entry by forcing open a window. Her sister, Ruth Lindsey, alerted authorities after receiving no response to her calls.
The terror escalated on March 4, when 42-year-old Ann "Annie" Kate Britt was found naked and strangled with a sock by her sister. Like the other victims, Britt lived alone, and her home was found ransacked. The pattern was unmistakable: elderly women, living alone, homes broken into, followed by sexual assault and strangulation with an object. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) analyzed the collected physical evidence.
Among the potential victims of this spree was 77-year-old Mary "Miz Mary" Hudson, found strangled and beaten on September 18, 1992, in her duplex near the Georgia Dome. Unlike the others, Hudson was fully clothed and not sexually assaulted. Her fear of the local drug trade suggested another possible motive, leaving her death shrouded in doubt concerning Pace's involvement.
Arrest, Trial, and Sentence
Pace's criminal activities caught up with him on October 3, 1992, when he was apprehended for multiple burglaries in Vine City. His criminal history included drug possession and burglaries, with his most audacious act being the break-in at Coretta Scott King's residence on December 28, 1990, where he stole a radio. After pleading guilty on February 15, 1991, he served a brief prison term, described as a model inmate, and was released on July 11, 1991, due to overcrowding.
The turning point came after the September 30, 1992, robbery of 83-year-old Susie Sublett, where Pace threatened her with a .22 caliber pistol. By November 25, 1992, Atlanta Police Chief Eldrin A. Bell named Pace the prime suspect in the Vine City killings. The decisive evidence came from DNA analysis of semen samples, linking Pace to the crimes.
The trial began on February 20, 1996, with Attorney Herman Sloan presenting blood and hair samples from the crime scenes that matched Pace. Defense lawyer Nancy Mau contested the validity of the scientific evidence, arguing that Pace was merely a "convenient man." Nonetheless, the jury found Pace guilty on March 5, 1996, for the murders, attempted rape, and the King burglary. Despite pleas from his family and defense, Pace showed no emotion as he was sentenced to death. As of January 2025, Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace remains on Georgia's death row.
In the aftermath of these events, Coretta Scott King, affected by multiple burglaries, relocated from the Vine City family home to a condominium in Buckhead in January 2005, marking the end of an era for the King family in that neighborhood.
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First Murder Victim
86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee found murdered in her home.
Second Murder Victim
78-year-old Mattie Mae McClendon found dead, ruled a homicide.
Third Murder Victim
79-year-old Johnnie Mae Martin strangled in her bed.
Fourth Murder Victim
42-year-old Ann Kate Britt found naked and strangled.
Arrest of Pace
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace arrested for multiple burglaries.
Pace Named Prime Suspect
Pace identified as prime suspect in Vine City killings.
Trial Begins
Trial for Pace starts for the murders and rapes.
Pace Convicted
Lyndon Pace convicted of four murders and other crimes.
Sentenced to Death
Pace sentenced to death for his crimes.
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace, an American serial killer and burglar, committed a series of murders and burglaries targeting elderly women in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood between 1988 and 1989. His first known victim, 86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee, was found murdered in her home on August 28, 1988. Following her, 78-year-old Mattie Mae McClendon was discovered dead on September 10, 1988, with her death initially ruled as asphyxiation. The killings resumed in 1989, with 79-year-old Johnnie Mae Martin strangled on February 4 and 42-year-old Ann Kate Britt found dead on March 4. Pace was apprehended on October 2, 1992, and subsequently convicted of four murders, sentenced to death, and is currently imprisoned at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification State Prison. Significant evidence linking Pace to the crimes included the modus operandi of breaking and entering, as well as the physical similarities among the victims.
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace is believed to have targeted elderly women due to their vulnerability, which has led to speculation that he may have had a specific psychological motive for choosing such victims. Some investigators theorize that his initial burglaries escalated into murder, suggesting a pattern of escalating violence. Additionally, there are theories regarding potential links between Pace and other unsolved cases involving similar victims in the area during the same time period.
The Chilling Crimes of Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace
In the heart of Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1980s, a sinister shadow loomed over the Vine City neighborhood. Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace, born in July 1964, emerged as a feared serial killer and burglar. Over the span from 1988 to 1989, he targeted and brutally murdered elderly women, leaving a trail of terror in his wake. Among his burglary victims was none other than Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. Though convicted of four murders, Pace was suspected of a fifth, and the weight of his crimes led to a death sentence.
The Murders Begin
The terrifying saga unfolded with the discovery of 86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee. Living at 321 Simon St. S.E in southeast Atlanta, McAfee was found naked and lifeless on her bed. Her body, in a kneeling position, bore the horrifying marks of sexual assault and strangulation, executed with a combination of her bra and a rag. Law enforcement deduced that the crime occurred between the evening of August 27, 1988, and the early morning of the next day.
Tragically, the violence did not end there. On September 10, 1988, Mattie Mae McClendon, aged 78, was discovered dead in her apartment near the Atlanta University Center by her sister. She lay facing a pillow, with no overt signs of violence. However, a broken window signaled foul play, prompting detectives to investigate her death as a homicide. Alongside the case of Lillian Lawrence, another elderly woman who died under suspicious circumstances, McClendon's death was scrutinized, though ultimately found unrelated to Lawrence's. The cause of McClendon's demise was later determined to be asphyxiation by suffocation.
A brief lull in the murder spree lasted until February 4, 1989, when the quiet of the neighborhood was again shattered. Johnnie Mae "John-John" Martin, a 79-year-old retired nurse and beloved community figure, was strangled in her bed with a shoelace. Her house was searched by the killer, who had gained entry by forcing open a window. Her sister, Ruth Lindsey, alerted authorities after receiving no response to her calls.
The terror escalated on March 4, when 42-year-old Ann "Annie" Kate Britt was found naked and strangled with a sock by her sister. Like the other victims, Britt lived alone, and her home was found ransacked. The pattern was unmistakable: elderly women, living alone, homes broken into, followed by sexual assault and strangulation with an object. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) analyzed the collected physical evidence.
Among the potential victims of this spree was 77-year-old Mary "Miz Mary" Hudson, found strangled and beaten on September 18, 1992, in her duplex near the Georgia Dome. Unlike the others, Hudson was fully clothed and not sexually assaulted. Her fear of the local drug trade suggested another possible motive, leaving her death shrouded in doubt concerning Pace's involvement.
Arrest, Trial, and Sentence
Pace's criminal activities caught up with him on October 3, 1992, when he was apprehended for multiple burglaries in Vine City. His criminal history included drug possession and burglaries, with his most audacious act being the break-in at Coretta Scott King's residence on December 28, 1990, where he stole a radio. After pleading guilty on February 15, 1991, he served a brief prison term, described as a model inmate, and was released on July 11, 1991, due to overcrowding.
The turning point came after the September 30, 1992, robbery of 83-year-old Susie Sublett, where Pace threatened her with a .22 caliber pistol. By November 25, 1992, Atlanta Police Chief Eldrin A. Bell named Pace the prime suspect in the Vine City killings. The decisive evidence came from DNA analysis of semen samples, linking Pace to the crimes.
The trial began on February 20, 1996, with Attorney Herman Sloan presenting blood and hair samples from the crime scenes that matched Pace. Defense lawyer Nancy Mau contested the validity of the scientific evidence, arguing that Pace was merely a "convenient man." Nonetheless, the jury found Pace guilty on March 5, 1996, for the murders, attempted rape, and the King burglary. Despite pleas from his family and defense, Pace showed no emotion as he was sentenced to death. As of January 2025, Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace remains on Georgia's death row.
In the aftermath of these events, Coretta Scott King, affected by multiple burglaries, relocated from the Vine City family home to a condominium in Buckhead in January 2005, marking the end of an era for the King family in that neighborhood.
Sources
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
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First Murder Victim
86-year-old Lula Bell McAfee found murdered in her home.
Second Murder Victim
78-year-old Mattie Mae McClendon found dead, ruled a homicide.
Third Murder Victim
79-year-old Johnnie Mae Martin strangled in her bed.
Fourth Murder Victim
42-year-old Ann Kate Britt found naked and strangled.
Arrest of Pace
Lyndon Fitzgerald Pace arrested for multiple burglaries.
Pace Named Prime Suspect
Pace identified as prime suspect in Vine City killings.
Trial Begins
Trial for Pace starts for the murders and rapes.
Pace Convicted
Lyndon Pace convicted of four murders and other crimes.
Sentenced to Death
Pace sentenced to death for his crimes.