Murder: True Crime Stories - SOLVED: America's Deadliest Serial Killer 2

Episode Date: June 10, 2025

He thought he’d gotten away with it all. But DNA, determined detectives, and one unexpected interview would finally expose Samuel Little as America’s deadliest serial killer. In Part 2, we trace the final chapter of Samuel Little’s reign of terror—and the investigation that changed everything. Murder: True Crime Stories is a Crime House Original Podcast, powered by PAVE Studios. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. For ad-free listening and early access to episodes, subscribe to Crime House+ on Apple Podcasts. Don’t miss out on all things Murder: True Crime Stories! Instagram: @murdertruecrimepod | @Crimehouse TikTok: @Crimehouse Facebook: @crimehousestudios X: @crimehousemedia YouTube: @crimehousestudios To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Crime House. Cracking just one cold case is a huge accomplishment. It means family members and loved ones can get closure, and an innocent victim can finally get justice. But what happens when that single case leads to dozens of others? After decades at large, Los Angeles detectives realized the killer in their custody was responsible for nearly a hundred murders. It was a monumental moment, but it wouldn't be so simple. With so many victims and so many different cases to prosecute, law enforcement had to figure out, would they be able to find justice for all of them? People's lives are like stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end, but sometimes the final

chapter comes far too soon and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories, a Crime House original. Thank you to our Crime House community. Please rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories to show your support. And to enhance your listening experience with ad-free early access to each two-part series plus bonus content, subscribe to Crime House Plus on Apple podcasts. New episodes come out every Tuesday. And if you're interested in more true crime stories from this week in history, check out Crime House The Show. Each episode covers multiple cases unified by the same theme, so every week you get something

a little different. This is the second of two episodes on the many victims of Samuel Little, thought to be the most prolific serial killer in US history. Even decades later, Samuel remembered each one of his victims, what they were wearing, what they looked like, and how he killed them. And there were many. Before his death in 2020, Samuel confessed to an astounding 93 murders. Last time I told you about Samuel's childhood and his descent into violence. I explained how Samuel targeted vulnerable women who he believed would never be found. For 35 years, he got away with it. But eventually, his luck ran out.

Today, I'll explore how Samuel was finally identified and convicted of murder. I'll also share how investigators realized they hadn't just found a killer, they'd captured the most lethal serial killer in America. Crime House Studios has released its first audiobook called Murder in the Media. Called through the lens of five heart-pounding murder cases, this thrilling audiobook traces the evolving and sometimes insidious role the media has had in shaping true crime storytelling. Murder in the Media is a Crime House original audiobook. Find it now on Spotify. In 1987, 47-year-old Samuel Little was living in Southern California, prowling the streets

for vulnerable women. By then he'd murdered countless people across the United States, and he'd come close to getting convicted twice. In one murder trial, a grand jury decided not to indict him, and the other he was acquitted. Part of the reason Samuel escaped justice was because of the victims he targeted. Samuel had a policy of going after women who were sex workers or drug addicts or both. In his mind, these were people on the fringes of society without loved ones or family members, people whose deaths would go unnoticed. And while Samuel was a cold-hearted killer without many close ties himself, there was

one person he seemed to truly love. He'd met his girlfriend and partner in crime, Aurelia Jean Dorsey, years earlier in 1971. And although she was about 30 years older than him, they seemed to be a perfect match. Since getting together, they'd traveled the country as a duo. Jean supported them by shoplifting, while Samuel sold the goods she stole. Skipping town regularly helped them stay one step ahead of the law, but in 1987, Jean was nearing her 80s and her health was declining. That's probably why for the first time in years they decided to stay put in Los Angeles,

but just because they weren't on the move, that didn't mean Samuel was idle. While Jean was getting sicker, Samuel continued to wreak havoc. Later he confessed to killing and sexually assaulting seven women in the Los Angeles area in 1987. But in 1988, he paused his rampage when Jean died of a brain hemorrhage. It seemed like her death led Samuel to reconsider his actions. According to him, he didn't murder anyone in 1989, which was unusual. Whether he was mourning Jean or just regrouping after losing her financial support, he was ready to move on from LA by

1990. And he was ready to keep killing. That July, 50-year-old Samuel Little met 30-year-old Zena Marie Jones at a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. She was a black woman with arched eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a fondness for red lipstick. It's not clear what Zena was doing at the motel or if she'd agreed to meet Samuel there, but once Samuel laid eyes on her, he convinced Zena to get in his car. Then he sexually assaulted her and strangled her to death. With Zena's body in the trunk, Samuel drove west towards the Mississippi River, which

borders Tennessee and Arkansas. Once he reached the Arkansas side of the bridge, he dumped Zena in the water. She floated in the Mississippi for three weeks before a fisherman discovered her body on July 28th, 1990, but after spending so much time underwater, it was impossible to identify her, and Zeena was buried as a Jane Doe. Samuel was long gone by then. He continued to crisscross the country, murdering wherever he went. He often returned to Ohio where he grew up, and California where he spent his final years with Jean.

That's where he was in June 1991, when he killed Alice Duvall in Long Beach. She was a sex worker in her early 40s. By August of the same year, Samuel was back in Cleveland where he came across 32-year-old Rose Evans. Rose had grown up in New York State but ran away to Ohio in 1975 when she was 16 years old. Still, she wasn't exactly missing. She called her sister Pam Smith regularly so her family knew where she was, but that

didn't mean she was safe. Over the next decade Rose partied hard and fell in with the wrong crowd. Eventually she got married, but it didn't help her get on the straight and narrow. Soon, she developed a drug addiction and turned to sex work. Even then, Rose's family didn't lose hope. They believed that one day she'd return to New York. Instead, Rose got into Samuel Little's bubble-top van around 3 a.m. on August 24, 1991. According to Samuel's later confessions, Rose knew she was in danger when Samuel asked

her to get in the back seat of the car. She resisted, telling him, You're going to kill me back there. Sadly, she was right. resisted, telling him, you're going to kill me back there. Sadly she was right. Samuel beat Rose, then strangled her. She fought until her last breath. When Rose eventually died, Samuel dragged her body into a field and left her there, face down.

51-year-old Samuel didn't dwell on the murder for long. Just a week later, on September 1st, 1991, he'd moved on to Akron, Ohio, where he killed thirty-four year old Roberta Tanderich. A couple of months later, he decided to pay a visit to Lorraine, Ohio, where he'd lived with his grandmother as a young boy. While he was there, Samuel stole a carton of cigarettes from a local shop. As he was running out of the store, he punched a bystander who was in his way. The person called the police who found and arrested Samuel.

He was charged with aggravated robbery, but somehow managed to avoid going to trial, likely by skipping town as soon as he made bail. That left Samuel free to resume his life on the road. By 1992, he'd returned to the Los Angeles area, where he killed at least two more women. Samuel traversed the country, killing whoever he wanted and taking what he pleased. He must have felt invincible. He'd gotten away with murder for so long, he probably thought he'd never get caught. He had no idea that there were people out there looking for him, and they wouldn't rest until Samuel Little was behind bars.

Calling all true crime lovers, Crime House has released its first audiobook called Murder in the Media. Told through the lens of five heart-pounding murder cases, this thrilling audiobook traces the evolving and sometimes insidious role the media has had in shaping true crime storytelling. From the discovery of America's first serial killer, to a shocking murder of a Hollywood legend, to a chilling disappearance that captivated the nation, each of these stories will change how you think about the relationship between the media and true crime, forever. Murder in the Media is a Crime House original audiobook. Find it now on Spotify.

By the mid-1990s, Samuel Little was in his 50s, but even then he didn't slow down. Over the next few years, he continued to murder unsuspecting women around the United States, including in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona. And while his compulsion to kill was just as strong as ever, his behavior did seem to get a lot stranger as he got older. Usually he left his victims' bodies in parks and empty lots, but occasionally he posed them almost like they were dolls. According to Samuel, in 1996 he killed a young, unhoused sex worker at a vacant home in Los

Angeles. After murdering her, he placed the woman in a bathtub, sitting upright with her shirt still on. She was never identified, and Samuel was never officially charged with her death. Whatever satisfaction Samuel might have gotten from displaying his victims in this way, it never seemed to be enough. For the next two years, he carried on his murder spree uninterrupted. But then in 1998, when he was 58 years old, Samuel's life took an unexpected turn.

The aggravated robbery he'd committed in Lorraine, Ohio back in 1991 finally caught up with him. The details are vague, but it seemed like there was still a warrant out for Samuel's arrest, and he found himself in police custody in Lorraine. Samuel struck a plea deal and served only two years behind bars. When he came out in the year 2000, the 60-year-old was different. Maybe something about turning 60 convinced him to change his ways. Or maybe he didn't think he could keep overpowering his victims the way he once had. Whatever his reasoning, Samuel didn't kill again for the next five years, but that didn't mean he'd completely overcome his urges.

In 2005, 65-year-old Samuel was on the road traveling in his RV, and he wasn't alone. A woman named Nancy Carol Stevens was with him. It's not clear if they were just friends or dating, but with her broad smile and short hair, 46-year-old Nancy resembled a younger version of Gene, Samuel's one true love. Still, that wasn't enough to keep Nancy safe. At some point that year, Samuel killed Nancy in a Walmart parking lot in Tupelo, Mississippi, then he left her body on the side of the road. Samuel never explained why he killed Nancy or why he bothered to befriend her in the

first place. Whatever the case, Nancy became his last known victim at the age of 65. Samuel Little retired from serial killing. But he wasn't done breaking the law. In 2007, when Samuel was 67 years old, he was arrested for cocaine possession in Los Angeles. He entered a guilty plea and was ordered to go to rehab. Samuel never showed up to the program, so a warrant was issued for his arrest. But finding him wasn't exactly a top priority for law enforcement.

As far as they knew, he was an addict, not a murderer. For the next five years, Samuel continued to move around the country. We don't know where he went, but he managed to avoid detection the entire time. Little did he know, his decision to skip out on rehab would come back to haunt him. In 2012, Detective Mitzi Roberts was assigned to the LAPD Cold Cases Unit, and one day that April she got very important news. There was a match for DNA evidence left on the bodies of two women who were murdered in Los Angeles in 1989, Audrey Nelson and Guadalupe Apodaca.

The results led Detective Roberts to 73-year-old Samuel Little. Over the years, Samuel's DNA had been collected in connection to various crimes, including the two murders he'd been tried for. Back then, testing wasn't advanced enough to do anything with them, but now those samples could be used to connect Samuel to his other victims, including Audrey and Guadalupe. However, there was a problem. Detective Roberts had no idea where Samuel was. From what she could tell, he had no job, no family, and no permanent address. So she started by gathering all his police records from over the years, and soon she learned he had a warrant out for skipping

his court-mandated rehab in 2007. Despite his drifter lifestyle, Samuel still had expenses, and Detective Roberts figured there was a good chance he was still using drugs, which meant he had to be getting money somewhere. That's when Detective Roberts realized he must be collecting social security. Soon she tracked down a Walmart debit card where those payments were being deposited. She looked closer and noticed the card had been recently used in Louisville, Kentucky. Detective Roberts had a location, and now it was time to take Samuel down. With the help of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the LAPD found Samuel on September 5, 2012.

He was arrested at the Louisville Homeless Shelter where he was staying, but Samuel was only being held on his old drug charge. LA's district attorney wasn't ready to go after him for murder yet. Even though his DNA had been found on those victims, that didn't necessarily mean he'd killed them. But in November, VYCAP, or the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program, found Samuel's DNA on another LAPD cold case victim, 41-year-old Carol Alford, who'd been murdered in 1987. Two might be a coincidence, but three was a pattern.

That was enough to convince the district attorney to file charges against Samuel in the murders of Carole, Audrey, and Guadalupe. But Detective Roberts had read Samuel's files. She knew he'd gotten away with murder before, and she had no intention of letting that happen again. If she wanted the charges to stick, she needed rock-solid witness testimony. Later in 2012, Detective Roberts traveled to Mississippi. She tracked down two women who'd survived their encounters with Samuel in the early 1980s, Hilda Nelson and Leila McLean.

Hilda Nelson and Leila McLean. Both women were sex workers and they were very wary of law enforcement. Hilda had reported the assault back in 1982, but local police never followed up. Leila didn't even try going to the authorities. It took some time for Detective Roberts to convince them they could trust her, but eventually the two women agreed to testify against him. Samuel's trial began in September 2014, when he was 74 years old. With Hilda and Leila on the prosecution side, the jury learned how he habitually beat, side, the jury learned how he habitually beat, strangled, and sexually assaulted women. Unlike his previous trials, there was also conclusive DNA evidence to back up their claims.

Samuel had left traces of semen on two of the victims' bodies. In the third case, his DNA was found under the victim's fingernails, indicating a struggle. After a few weeks of proceedings, the jury announced their verdict. Samuel was guilty on all charges. At the time, California had the death penalty in place. However, Samuel was given three consecutive life sentences instead, because Detective Roberts and her colleagues needed him alive. They knew he was the key to solving even more cold cases, but they had no idea just how

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From Sony Music Entertainment and Campside Media, this is Catch Me If You Can, available now on the Binge. Search for Catch Me If You Can wherever you get your podcasts to start listening today. On September 25, 2014, 74-year-old Samuel Little was convicted of murdering Carol Alford, Guadalupe Apodaca, and Audrey Nelson. As the judge announced he would spend the rest of his life in prison, Samuel screamed out, I didn't do it! Detective Mitzi Roberts knew that was a lie. She couldn't resist making eye contact with Samuel after the verdict was read out.

She even gave him a wink. Samuel was furious. By then he was suffering from diabetes and heart failure and had to use a wheelchair, he couldn't lift a finger against the female detective who'd caught him. But Detective Roberts wore Samuel's hatred as a badge of honor. She laughed about it six years later in May 2018. She was preparing Texas Ranger James Holland for his first interview with Samuel Little. James had special training and experience in getting serial killers to confess, and he suspected Samuel had killed a woman in Texas, Denise Brothers. That gave the Texas Ranger's Department of Public Safety legitimate grounds to interview

Samuel. Texas Rangers Department of Public Safety legitimate grounds to interview Samuel, but James knew he had an uphill battle ahead of him. Samuel, who was now 78, incarcerated at a California state prison in Lancaster, California, still maintained his innocence, and he wasn't about to admit to even more crimes. Going into his meeting with Samuel, Detective Roberts advised James to dress casually. The less he looked and acted like a cop, the better. So James started by trying to make Samuel feel at ease. He called him Sammy and told him he went by Jimmy.

They shared peanut M&Ms. James reminded Samuel how delicious Texas barbecue was and promised to transfer him to a prison there where they could share a real dinner. The friendly Texas Rangers stayed away from all of Samuel's sore spots. Detective Roberts had warned him that Samuel shut down when people called him a rapist. Samuel didn't even like the word murder, so James called his crimes killings. He was careful not to show his disgust when Samuel referred to his victims as my girls. Finally, after hours of trying to get Samuel to let down his guard, he started talking.

Over two days, Samuel admitted to 20 murders, including that of Denise's brothers in Odessa, Texas. Later, Samuel would be convicted of killing her and given his fourth life sentence. And in September 2018, James made good on his promise to Samuel and the 78-year-old was transferred to a Texas prison. There he continued his interviews with James. Over the course of his time with Samuel, James had learned the serial killer had an extraordinary memory for his crimes. Decades later, he could still describe his victims' hairstyles, jewelry, clothing,

makeup, and physical features. Whenever police found a matching body, James made sure to praise Samuel for his memory. This strategy seemed to be successful, because before long Samuel asked for art supplies and began drawing portraits of his victims. His work wasn't sophisticated, but it was remarkably accurate. Investigators started publishing the paintings in hopes of identifying more victims. One of those portraits was broadcast on Channel 3 News in Memphis. It showed a black woman with arched eyebrows, permed hair, high cheekbones, and red lipstick. Bernice Tolley immediately recognized her mother, Zena Marie Jones.

She had gone missing in 1990 when Bernice was just five years old. After seeing her mother's portrait, Bernice reached out to law enforcement. They used DNA evidence to confirm that the unidentified body pulled from the Mississippi River decades ago was, in fact, Zena. The revelation sparked a cold case gold rush. All around the country, police departments looked through their old files for possible matches to Samuel Little.

With his declining health, the race was on to solve as many cases as possible while he was still alive. In October 2018, an investigator from Ohio named Richard Bell flew to Texas to meet Samuel. He wanted to talk to Samuel about several unsolved murders in the Cleveland area. Samuel agreed to speak with Richard on the condition that he didn't seek the death penalty. At this point, Samuel was nearly 80 years old and his health was failing. Even if he did receive the death penalty, he'd probably pass away from natural causes before then. So Richard granted his request and Samuel started talking.

One of the first victims Richard asked him about was Mary Jo Payton. She was just 21 years old when she was murdered in 1984. Initially she was buried as a Jane Doe, but in 1992 a fingerprint match revealed her identity. Now Richard wanted to know how she died. He showed Samuel a photo of Mary Jo. Samuel recounted how he met her at a bar where he propositioned her. She got into his car and he drove to a warehouse where they had sex. Afterwards Samuel strangled her to death and threw her body down a stairwell. With one murder solved, Richard had Samuel look at 32-year-old Rose Evans' mugshot.

She was the woman who didn't want to get into the back of Samuel's van. He admitted to killing her too. But it was strange, Samuel almost seemed proud of Rose as he remembered how she tried to fight back. In the wake of these confessions, the state of Ohio decided to formally charge Samuel with the murders of Rose Evans and Mary Jo Payton. A separate case was filed for another Ohio victim, Annie Lee Stewart. In August 2019, 79-year-old Samuel entered guilty pleas for all three cases. The authorities in Ohio kept Richard's promise not to seek the death penalty.

Instead, Samuel got three more life sentences. It didn't change anything for him, who was already serving life, but it did bring justice for his victims' families. Rose's sister, Pam Smith, spoke about how glad she was that Samuel had finally been brought down. It also helped cement Samuel's status as one of the worst murderers in the country's history. In October 2019, the FBI announced that Samuel Little was the United States' most prolific serial killer with an astounding 93 credible confessions. Over the next year, other police departments considered bringing even more charges against him, but with so many victims, it was hard to decide which cases should be prioritized.

Prosecutors spoke with surviving family members and considered their wishes. But before any of those charges could be pursued, Samuel died in prison on December 30, 2020. He was 80 years old. While no cause of death was given, it was probably related to his diabetes and heart disease. And although Samuel will never be charged with another murder, the FBI has continued to work on identifying all of his victims. The FBI has shared his confessions on their website. It even features portraits of some victims.

If you or anyone you know remembers a woman who disappeared between 1970 and 2005, please visit our show notes and click the link to the Samuel Little page on FBI.gov. The authorities believe there are at least 40 victims left to identify, and they've asked the public to help, so share the link with family and friends too. At this point, it's the best form of justice we can offer their loved ones, and to make sure Samuel Little continues to answer for his crimes, even beyond the grave. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories.

Come back next time for the story of a new murder and all the people it affected. Murder True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media at Crime Houseouse. Don't forget to rate, review, and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Murder True Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to CrimeHouse Plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free, and instead of having to wait for each episode of a two-part

series, you'll get access to both at once, plus exciting bonus content. We'll be back next Tuesday. Murder True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy, and is a Crime House original powered by PAave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories team, Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benedon, Natalie Pertsofsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Yelena Waugh, Beth Johnson, and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening.