Paul John Knowles also known as The Casanova Killer, was an American serial killer tied to the deaths of 20 people in 1974, though he claimed to have taken 35 lives.
Paul John Knowles was a handsome man, six feet tall and red-haired, with his looks which were a "cross between Robert Redford and Ryan O'Neal” He was dubbed “The Casanova Killer” because of his good looks and charm.
Born in Orlando, Florida, his father gave him up to live in foster homes and reformatories after he was convicted of a petty crime. Knowles himself was first incarcerated at the age of 19, and in the years following, he spent more time in prison.
Knowles' cross-country murder spree began in Jacksonville on the night of his escape from a detention centre. He broke into the home of 65-year-old Alice Curtis, bound and gagged her, ransacked her home for money and valuables, then stole her car. Curtis choked to death on her gag.
On the street where he intended to abandon the car, Knowles recognized family acquaintances Lillian and Mylette Anderson.
Lillian was eleven years old, and her sister Mylette was seven. In fear that they would identify him, he kidnapped them both, strangled them, and buried their bodies in a nearby swamp.
The Murders continued ...
