Prime Crime: Solved Murders - The Dayton Christmas Killings Pt. 1

Episode Date: December 21, 2022

In the early hours of Christmas Eve 1992, a senseless murder in Dayton, Ohio, marks the beginning of a rampage. What started as a desire for Christmas cash turns into a three-day killing spree that leaves six people dead. Even more shocking was that the brazen killers were just teens. A Parcast holiday special from Serial Killers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa. On behalf of everyone here at Parcast, I'd like to wish all of you a very happy holiday season. Without your support, none of this would be possible, and we can't thank you enough. To commemorate the season, we've prepared a two-part serial killers special we think you'll really enjoy. A real-life Christmas tragedy. 30 years later. We're looking back at the Ohio murder spree that captivated the nation, the Dayton Christmas killings. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised.

This episode includes discussions of drugs, sexual situations, and murder. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. It was around 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve, 1992, and Dayton Detective Doyle Burke was enjoying a Christmas Eve feast at his grandma's house. Or he was until his buzzer went off. It was the kind of disruption he'd been dreading. He worked homicide and it wasn't uncommon for him to get a lot of calls. He'd just been hoping maybe he'd make it through Christmas weekend this year. When he called in, the news was bad. There'd been a shooting in Northwest Dayton over on Neal Street. The crime scene was dark and the cold was biting. Pools of blood speckled the pavement around a

phone booths and an 18-year-old lay dying on the sidewalk. She'd been shot five times. It was freezing out, but the young woman had no shoes and no coat. suggesting someone had robbed her. However, the teenager's backpack was left at the scene and was searched. Police were able to find out who she was, a single mother and student named Danita Gillette. Burke and the police scoured the scene for clues. It seemed like a random attack or a robbery gone horribly wrong.

The only obvious evidence left behind were nine bullet casings. These casings were blazer aluminum, a kind of ammunition usually used for target practice. It wasn't exactly typical to see them at a crime scene, so they caught Detective Burke's eye. It was a small clue, but an important one, because the presence of these casings would eventually tell Burke that this wasn't a random attack at all. He'd soon learn that Danita was the second victim in a chaotic, vicious murder spree that would put the whole city of Dayton in jeopardy. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson. This is serial killers, a Spotify original from Portland. Parkast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're going to Dayton, Ohio, to examine the events leading up to a bloody Christmas weekend in 1992. I'm here

with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. In today's episode, we'll meet a group of teenagers living in Dayton, Ohio, who called themselves the downtown posse. We'll watch them evolve from rebellious, struggling teens into cold-blooded killers. Next time, we'll see them unleash a murder spree on the city of Dayton until the group's paranoia and violent outrage turns on their own friends. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. Own it all.

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Start selling now. Deepop where taste recognizes taste. Dayton, Ohio is a mid-sized city and was once known for its innovation. In the 1800s, Dayton had been a huge industrial hub. It's manufacturing and distrable. thrived through some of the country's toughest times, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and both world wars. But in the 1970s, the country's industries moved overseas, which hurt Dayton's

economy. Jobs left, industry dwindled, and layoffs were plentiful. As a result, many Daytonians moved to suburbia outside the city. But in Old Dayton, the residual impact of 1930s redlining practices, housing discrimination, and a roaring drug epidemic kept many struggling. And neatly separating the more affluent suburban communities from these struggling neighborhoods was the Miami River. By the end of the 1990s, Daytonians were three and a half times as likely to be impoverished than those in suburban areas like Montgomery County, and the youth were especially vulnerable. In 1990, 40% of children under 17 were living in poverty. The racial disparities were stark as well.

According to a 2000 census, 30% of African American residents lived in poverty, as opposed to 17% of white residents. And it was in this divided, disintegrating city that a bitter, resentful teenager led a gang of fellow kids into ravaging Dayton with violence and terror. Marvellous Keane was born in 1973. His family seemed to be well-liked in the community. They were regular fixtures at their church where Marvellus was a choir boy. His brother Maurice was a year older, and by all accounts they were really close. Their mother, Bernice, mentioned that people thought the brothers were twins. There isn't a lot of information about the boy's father, but he apparently left Bernice

the same day that she brought Marvellus home from the hospital. He eventually ended up living in California. Bernice got married again to a man who periodically disappeared from the house for long periods of time. Despite this, Marvellus seemed attached to him and was distraught when that marriage also ended. Bernice would get married again, but the lack of a consistent father figure was likely something that Marvellous struggled with. Vanessa is going to take over in the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg.

According to a study done by the annual review of sociology, a father's absence in a mother's absence in early childhood, particularly for boys, can have a negative impact on their child's social emotional development. This can lead to increased risky behavior in adolescence. But in the first 17 years of Marvellous's life, he was what some might consider a model child, good student, very quiet, and somewhat religious. He spent his Sunday singing at the family's Pentecostal Church in Dayton. All that changed when he was 18. In March of 1991, Marvellis's 19-year-old brother Maurice was shot and killed. We don't know the details about his death, but apparently the incident happened during an attempted robbery. And according to Bernice, this took an immense

toll on her surviving son, who had a difficult time dealing with the death. Marvellous even vowed revenge at Marisa's funeral. Such intense grief at a young age is certainly traumatic. A Swedish study by European child and adolescent psychiatry says that one of the most important relationships during adolescent years is the connection between siblings. Losing a brother or sister during this time can lead to a greater risk of mortality and psychiatric problems throughout one's life. Another study by world psychology also found that this kind of loss resulted in, quote, a considerable mental disorder burden among surviving siblings. So while Marvellis was enduring grief over his brother's passing, it's also possible that the way he saw the world was changing.

Even more change was coming. After Marisa's death, Bernice sent Marvellus to California to live with his father. There's not a lot of information about Marvellis' life in California. He worked at a construction company and went to school where he graduated in March of 1992. So his life there seemed normal. His stepmother said, quote, he'd go to school, go to work, and come home, every day and every night. Except that his relationship with his father seemed to be strained. Marvellus' dad thought his son was, quote, behaving irresponsibly and eventually kicked him out after a year and a half in the summer of 1992.

Marvellous moved back to his mother's house in Dayton and found a job at a nursing home. Bernice seemed to think that the Marvellus, who returned, was a different kid than the one who'd left. She was adamant that the time her son had spent in California changed him. He was volatile, withdrawn, and spent a lot of his time in downtown Dayton. He found a group of friends there, kids who were runaways, drug dealers, and general lost souls. They called themselves the downtown posse. It seemed like his brief stint in California had given Marvellus the fresh start he needed. None of these kids knew that he came from a good family, used to get good grades, and had been a literal choir boy.

So with this clean slate, Marvellis created a new persona. He had a sharp box haircut, boasted about getting in with the Crips, and said he'd gone to jail. He even armed himself. Dayton psychologist Dr. Michael Williams thinks Marvellous studied the California gang scene while he lived with his father. Though there's no indication Marvellous was actually involved in a gang there, he possibly noticed the rampant violence that gave those power. According to Williams, this might have led Marvellous to develop, quote, a villainous alter ego

that he feels gives him status and recognition. The bonus was that in Dayton, he didn't have to contend with the actual Californian. porny gangs. He could invent his own. Friends commented on Marvellous's volatility, most of which seemed to be driven by the memory of Maurice. This grief must have been especially sharp when Marvellus turned 19, the same age his brother was when he was killed. According to one friend, quote, he just wanted to take revenge on people because of his brother's killing. It was all the anger built up inside. He made you scared of him because you didn't know if he was going to shoot you or not. He was always bragging and always showing off his guns.

Many people struggle with losing a loved one, but it seemed like Marvellus was particularly traumatized by Maurice's death. Psychologist Robert Smith later diagnosed Marvellous with post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the National Center for PTSD, the disorder may be associated with an increased risk of violence. While Marvellous's diagnosis can be looked at as a contributor to his crimes, it should also be noted that the majority of those with PTSD have never been violent. So it's possibly a coincidence rather than correlation.

It's likely not PTSD that made him lash out, but other factors in his youth that could have led to substance abuse and PTSD. From the moment Marvellous got back to Dayton, he was living a double life. When he was with his friends, he was a leader in a group of rambunctious wayward youths who looked up to him. But then he'd returned to his mother's comfortable, loving house. In early December of 1992, Marvellus chose sides.

He quit his job at the nursing home and took up residence with his friends in an apartment at 159 Yuma Place. The headquarters of the so-called downtown posse. Coming up, we meet the other members of the downtown posse. Where is Daredevil? Am I? Don't miss the return of Marvel Television's Daredevil born again. So what's next? I'll be liberated

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now streaming only on Disney Plus. Now back to the story. By 1992, the city of Dayton, Ohio, had been in decline for around two decades, and nothing encapsulated that decline more than the historic arched Cade Square, or Dayton Arcade, a collection of beautiful old buildings that were eventually abandoned. The arcade was the ultimate symbol of a once booming city that fell on hard times, and many

Daytonians mourned the loss of the former gem. It was once a gathering place for their community and a source of pride. But during the early 1990s, it became another kind of gathering place, a wayward teenage kingdom. The city's youth had the run of downtown Dayton, according to Dayton homicide detective Dennis Murphy. There was a simple reason for this. Transportation. The school district's buses used the center of town near the arcade and the courthouse as a transfer point. That's where kids were supposed to jump off their school buses and board city buses that would take them home. Except some didn't get on those city buses. They just hung around downtown with their friends. What teen wants to rush home and miss out on the fun? This resulted in a

vibrant chaotic youth culture that used a decaying city as their playground. Police tried to patrol the area and shut down any criminal operations. They used foot, bicycle, and mounted patrols. Each of these methods have their drawbacks and benefits. Mounted patrol was on horseback and gave officers a really nice, high position to scope out the crowd, but they couldn't follow teens inside buildings. In particular, they couldn't disperse the kids that gathered in the arcade. Some of these youths were members of the downtown posse.

The group was full of school dropouts and runaways. Like their name suggests, they mostly hung out downtown. There, according to a friend, they sat and drank and bummed people for money. No one in the group had any money, but they all had ideas and time. When they weren't taking over the center of Dayton and Courthouse Square, the posse hung out at 159 Yuma Place, a public housing apartment on the west side of the Miami River. This spot was owned by a man named Bill McIntyre, but drifters and runaways filtered in and out constantly. This didn't earn them a great reputation in the neighborhood.

Many said the apartment was an established drug house. Police and neighbors might not have been huge fans of those who hung out at Yuma Place. But for the teens who lived there, it was the closest thing they had to a home. This family-like group dynamic is common in gangs. Many members consider their gang to be family. Tattoos of allegiances are common, and there's a sense of pride that seems to come with belonging to a unit. This is something that many members are missing in life outside of the group. And that's what Yuma plays provided.

Kids who have felt ostracized in their home lives or been flat out abandoned, could congregate and feel some kind of connection. In the downtown posse, it seemed like there were no rules. The group traded romantic partners, did drugs, and basked in the glow of a like-minded community. Some of these kids were locals who met amid the school bus exchange in downtown Dayton. Others were runaways, such as Marvellous's girlfriend, 16-year-old Laura Taylor. Laura was tiny in stature. Some called her sweet, but others thought she had a coldness to her. Perhaps her hardened demeanor was a defense mechanism, a way to compensate for her small size. Around September of 1992, Laura was expelled from the ninth grade and ran away.

It's unclear what her home life was like. But at least one source said that her family wanted to find her. After she left home, she needed a place to stay and was brought to Yuma Place by 28-year-old downtown posse member, Jeffrey Wright. If Marvellous was the intimidating leader of the group, Jeffrey was the posse's connector. He brought runaways like Laura back to Yuma Place and would sometimes sleep there and date girls who passed through. One of Jeffrey's relationships was with 20-year-old Heather Matthews. Marvellous likely met Heather while hanging around courthouse. Square sometime in November of 1992 after she was released from prison. Heather had grown up in Dayton,

raised by a single mother. Her parents were never married and she didn't know her father. Her family recalls Heather as a sweet child, but by the time middle school rolled around, she'd gotten in with one of those bad crowds. Drinking, drugs, and theft followed throughout her teen years until she was expelled from high school. She seemed like a nice kid, but easily corrupted by the dark side of the young. Perhaps that's because Heather was a follower. Even her own mother said, quote, as the old saying goes,

if somebody jumped off a bridge, she'd do it too. After Heather moved out of her mother's house, she was arrested for receiving stolen property. She served six months and was released in October 1992. Only a month later, Heather joined the Yuma Place gang and was reintroduced to drugs. Like we mentioned, she dated Jeffrey Wright for a bit. But eventually, 17-year-old Demarcus Smith became her boyfriend. We don't have a lot of information

about how DeMarcus grew up or where he was before 1992. We do know that he had violated his parole and that the police were looking for him. Like the other downtown posse members, he'd found refuge at the Yuma Place apartments. These four teens, Marvellous Keene, Laura Taylor, Heather Matthews, and DeMarcus Smith all seemed to be somewhat estranged from their families when they first met. Each of them had shown a tendency toward rebellion and a lack of care when it came to rules. Marvellis boasted about his supposed life in a gang. Laura had run away and Heather and DeMarcus had been to jail. Not to mention being surrounded by drugs and the occasional bout of violence

is enough to transform a wayward teen into a hardened criminal, especially when there are guns in the mix. As we noted earlier, Marvellous's introduction to the group at Yuma Place involved his carrying guns and bragging about them. It's not clear where he got these weapons, but it's possible simply having them made him the posse's key influencer. And Laura, who he was dating at the time, became something like his hardened and steely second in command.

Marvellous had confidence. He had his stories about gang life in California, and he had a dangerous weapon that gave him power over those around him. But it seemed like Marvellous's tough persona had a lot of cracks lurking just under the surface. He'd quit his job at the nursing home when he moved out of his mother's house, so he didn't actually have any money or means to survive, and his brother's death was still gnawing at him.

After all, he had promised to get revenge. It was starting to look like Marvellous had nothing to lose. Winter temperatures in Ohio commonly drop well below zero, especially during snowstorms, but December of 1992 had been unseasonably warm, Days were in the mid-40s, and sunny afternoons made the holiday spirit feel even more pronounced. Parades marched down Main Street, and a tree was lit in Courthouse Square. The newly reopened historic arcade was decorated with lights and greenery.

Seeing the formerly bankrupt building open again only added to the festive joy. However, in the days leading up to Christmas, temperatures dropped, especially at night when the setting sun gave way to a dark, biting cold. But according to the Dayton police force, some, especially the young, were not deterred from roaming about. In the frigid early morning hours of Christmas Eve, Laura and Marvellis were plotting. They needed to come up with a plan to make some quick money. It's not clear if there was a specific reason they needed funds quickly, but as teens with no jobs who were estranged from their parents,

the obvious first assumption is that the cash was a necessity. Others have suggested that the teens weren't necessary. after money on Christmas Eve. They were just bored. Teenage boredom isn't harmless. It can actually be pretty destructive. A 2003 study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse found that boredom is an influence on risky behaviors in teens,

such as alcohol and substance abuse. According to one study, bored teens are 50% more likely to smoke, drink, and use illegal drugs. So maybe these two restless, unmoored teens, fueled by the holiday joy around them, needed an antidote to their boredom. They needed a thrill. Laura and Marvellis knew a 34-year-old General Motors machine operator named Joseph Wilkerson, and Laura thought they could bump some cash off him. She was certain he'd pay for sex. Laura appeared eager to prove herself. This plan was allegedly her brainchild, a chance to show

her boyfriend, Marvellous, that she could entice a man easily. So, Laura called Joseph and offered him proposition he couldn't refuse, an orgy with her and another girl. After Joseph agreed, Marvellous and Laura looped in Heather Matthews to come along. According to Heather, she thought they were going to rob Joseph for his car. At 4 a.m., the trio walked about three miles from Yuma Place to Joseph's home on Prescott Avenue. It was a small single-story house on a residential street. Joseph had two cars, too, a blue Pontiac Grand Am and a red Electra. Once the youths were inside, Joseph took his clothes off. The girls started to take theirs off too.

Joseph lay on his bed. The party was really getting started. Marvellus watched the fun unfold, knowing he had a secret. He'd brought a gun. Marvellus yanked out his 25-caliber firearm, full of aluminum blazer bullets. Joseph immediately pleaded for his life. life, begging Marvellus not to shoot him. It might have been nice to hear.

Joseph had his own house, all this stuff, two cars in the driveway. But at the moment, Marvellous was in control. Laura and Heather tied Joseph up using electrical cords. Then Marvellous told them to check out the house, see what they could take. The girls left the room. As Marvellous listened to the sounds of ransacking, he mulled over his options. They were certainly going to get a score, but Joseph, knew them. What was to stop him from calling the police when they left? Marvellus didn't want to go to

jail. So he took some pillows from the bed and placed them on the struggling man's chest, ignoring Joseph's pleas for his life. He wouldn't be pleading for long because Marvellous had decided to keep him quiet. Coming up, the Christmas Eve bloodbath begins. Now back to the story. 19-year-old Marvellous Keane pressed his gun into the pillows that covered 34-year-old Joseph Wilkerson's chest. His girlfriend, Laura, and their friend Heather were elsewhere in the house looking for valuables. And Marvellous was worried that Joseph would eventually wrap them all out. So Marvellous was going to have to kill him. At some point, Joseph told Marvellous that he had a gun in his garage, a 32 Derringer.

It's not clear why Joseph gave him this information, or what he had. hoped it would do, but once Marvellis retrieved the weapon and returned to the bedroom, he now had two guns to point at Joseph. Meanwhile, the girls had found some good stuff to steal, a microwave oven, small TV, phone, curling iron, and blow dryer. There were some Christmas gifts for Joseph's family they took, too. At some point, Heather and Laura heard a gunshot from Joseph's room. They ran in to find Joseph on the bed. He'd been shot through the heart. It was obvious what had happened, but it still didn't compute for Heather, who could only ask, did you shoot him or something? Marvellous's reply

was short. Yeah, I shot him. Let's go. But before they left, Marvellous handed Laura the derringer, the gun he'd just fired. She tried to shoot it at Joseph, but it wouldn't go off. So Marvellous handed her the other one. This time, it fired into Joseph's head. It's possible that killing Joseph was an act of self-preservation, like Marvellous had said, but it also may have been deeper than that. Psychologist Robert Smith, the same man who suggested Marvellis suffered from PTSD, also pointed out that Marvellous had passive-aggressive personality disorder, also called negativistic personality disorder. Some markers of this include resentment or envy, hostility, especially toward authority figures, and a feeling of being cheated. Today, passive aggression

is not officially a disorder, having been removed from the fifth edition of the diagnostic, and statistical manual of mental disorders. But even when looking at its personality trait, it can help explain why Marvellus might have felt threatened. Joseph had a car, a house, things. He was successful in society in a way that Marvellus and his friends were not. Therefore, his very existence may have antagonized Marvellous to the point of hostility. Afterwards, the three teens hotwired one of Joseph's two cars. Heather had experience with that kind of thing. With their stolen hall, the teens went back to Yuma Place around 7 a.m., but they likely felt high off the adrenaline that came with committing a crime. Plus, they had

all this new stuff. They couldn't just sit at Yuma Place and do nothing. The teens had crossed a line. This wasn't some petty crime. They had taken a life. And while some might have panicked at this prospect, the posse seemed invigorated by it. They went to the arcade in downtown Dayton. That's likely when they met up with Heather's boyfriend, Demarchus Smith. According to one source, they all went to a restaurant to chat about who to rob next. We don't know what they told Demarchus or if he knew the group had just killed a man. It's likely that he did, considering that Marvellus and Laura were allegedly proud of what they'd done. Demarcus was a willing new audience they could brag about their exploits to.

And regardless of any intent to kill, DeMarcus seemed eager to join the group in getting a Christmas score. They soon settled on their next mark, and Laura was once again the bait. Outside, she waved down a stranger. Whatever gesture she used must have made it obvious. She was looking to provide her sexual services. It's not clear whether she actually intended to engage in sex work, or if she was just trying to get someone alone to rob. A stranger pulled over.

When she got in his car, he drove around for a while, until Marvellus and DeMarcus, in one of Joseph's cars, started tailing him. Once the stranger stopped, Marvellus and DeMarcus got out and approached, guns at the ready. The stranger saw them and immediately stepped on the gas. The teams fired at the car as it sped off while Laura jumped out of the passenger seat. The unsuccessful attempt, no doubt, felt anticlimactic. And even though they'd gotten some stuff from Joseph, they hadn't had any actual cash. They still needed money, so their night couldn't end just yet.

The foursome wandered around Dayton, looking for more opportunities. It was sometime around 10 p.m. when the kids walked by 18-year-old Danita Galette, standing at a telephone booth. Danita was staying at her brothers around the corner and had run to the booth to make a call. It's possible she was contacting her sister

since Danita's daughter was staying there. They allegedly noticed Danita's shoes, an expensive pair of beel sneakers, and wanted them. And the pricey apparel might have made these kids think Dinita would have some money on her. They made their

approach, guns drawn. Marvellus told Danita to take off her shoes and the flannel jacket she wore, which was borrowed from a friend. Demarcus collected the sneakers. Then Marvellus fired. Demarcus did too. Their bullets struck the 18-year-old all over her body, in her stomach, chest, leg, and hand. This was a young woman with no weapon, no knowledge of who they were or what they were up to. So while Joseph could potentially be seen as a threat, there was nothing for the woman. threatening about De Nita Galette. Her crime? Having nice shoes.

The posse took Danita's flannel coat and Fela sneakers. Then they fled, leaving the 18-year-old alone on the street in the dark, dying. Unfortunately for these amateur killers, when detectives arrived on the scene,

they immediately found some evidence. Nine aluminum blazer bullet casings. Marvellis' gun used these casings. Like we mentioned, these weren't normally found at crime scenes. since they're typically target practice ammunition. The teens didn't know it at the time, but this created a problem for them. Because they'd used the same gun at Joseph's, it meant those casings were at that crime scene as well.

Now, the police hadn't found Joseph's body yet, but it should be noted that the teens seemed to have no idea how sloppy they were. They'd already left a trail of evidence linking the two murders. Also, after DeNita was shot, a few witnesses mentioned seeing the teenagers running down the middle of the street, away from Neal Avenue. The smallest of the group, likely Laura, apparently swore at one of the witnesses as she went by. These kids probably weren't thinking about getting caught, because they didn't seem to try and cover their tracks. Instead, they went back to Yuma Place and partied with their friends. According to these friends, the Forsom was bragging about their crimes. They apparently said, we shot her. We shot her. Her referring to De Nita.

Present in the group were some other key figures who will come to know, Nick Woodson, Marvin Washington, and Wendy Cottrell. Not much is known about Marvin, but Nick was a local in Dayton and had family living nearby. Wendy was a runaway, having left home after finding out she was pregnant. She joined the posse at the same time as Laura, having also been brought into the fray by Jeffrey Wright. What's important about all this is that Laura, Marvellis, DeMarcus, and Heather were not keeping their murderous exploits quiet. They were telling anyone who would listen. Maybe that's because they were finally the ones in control.

The others at Yuma Place needed to know who was in charge, the people with the guns who had no issue using them. Later that night, Heather's ex and Yuma Place staple, Jeffrey Wright, arrived. There are a few different versions of the events that followed, the first of which was that Jeffrey was looking for Heather. Upon his arrival, he got into a heated argument with DeMarcus, Heather's current boyfriend. Some sources say that Jeffrey allegedly beat Heather up, and that was the reason for the altercation. Another version of the incident claims that this altercation happened in front of Yuma Place.

A friend of the posse said that Jeffrey simply knew too much, and that was why DeMarcus attacked. Whatever the details, the end result was the same. Demarcus pulled out a gun. Upon seeing the weapon, Jeffrey apparently ran, making it to the courtyard before DeMarcus shot him four times in the legs. DeMarcus, Marvellis, Laura and Heather possibly thought Jeffrey was dead, but he wasn't. He survived the incident, and at least two other people, Wendy and Marvin, saw the whole thing. Jeffrey's shooting was now another piece in a growing trail of evidence leading to the four youths. As seems typical of this case, accounts different.

as to what happened next. The four likely knew the gunshots would draw unwanted attention, so they had to get out of there. Yuma Place was only a couple blocks away from a police station. Allegedly, fellow posse member Nick Woodson offered his aunt's house as refuge, but the posse decided against it. According to one source,

the group fled to Joseph Wilkerson's house briefly before returning to Yuma Place for the night. Another source said the gang spent the entire night at Joseph's, their first victim. The latter made it. be the most likely because the teens eventually seemed to use Joseph's house as a home base. One source alleges that Marvellis said that they, quote, partied at Joe's house for two or three days and ate his food.

He went on to say that they had a great time and even showed other people the body. These other people included Wendy and Marvin, who the for some invited over to join in their revelry. According to the book, The Christmas Killings 40 Hours to Justice, Laura's urging was, quote, Hey, put some drama in your life. As Christmas Eve drew to a close, it's possible the teens were plotting their next move in the same house where their first victim decayed in his bed.

But they were beyond caring about things like that. Killing Joseph and Anita had opened up the world to them. They didn't have to panhandle anymore to approach strangers and ask for money in Arcade Square. Now they could take it. Maybe for the first time of their lives, they were in control of their own destiny. not the wealthy people across the river, or the police, or their families.

The downtown posse were now the ones who had all the power. Tomorrow was going to be a very good Christmas. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back soon with part two of the Dayton Christmas killings when the downtown posse unleashes another bout of horror on Christmas Day. For more information on the Dayton Christmas killings, Amongst the many sources we used, we found The Christmas Killings, 40 Hours to Justice, by Stephen C. Grissmer, Judith M. Mansour, and Dennis A. Murphy, extremely helpful to our research.

You can find all episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Stay safe out there. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast, executive produced by Max Cutler, our head of programming is Julian Borrow. Our supervising sound designer is Russell Nash with Nick Johnson as our head of production and Quality Control by Spencer Howard. Ben Bishop is our supervising editor and Derek Jennings is our writing lead.

This episode of Serial Killers was written by Kate Murdoch, edited by Greg Castro, fact-checked by Mary Mathis, researched by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood, produced by Bruce Kitovich and sound design by Carrie Murphy. Our hosts are Greg Polson and me, Vanessa Richardson. Today's lesson is on the Arco Rewards app. Try to stay with me. The fundamentals are simple. Earn at least $0.5 a gallon in rewards,

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