Jarvis Catoe

Jarvis Theodore Roosevelt Catoe (November 2, 1904 – January 15, 1943), sometimes referred to as the D.C. Strangler, was an American serial killer. Between 1935 and 1941, Catoe is believed to have raped and murdered at least eight women, and for the latter of the crimes he was executed via the electric chair.

Born in South Carolina on November 2, 1904, Catoe was the oldest of eight children and the son of a preacher. He reportedly acted normally until he sustained a head injury in 1925. Afterwards he began to show odd behavior, and is believed to have killed his first victim just four years later. Catoe was twice arrested for exposing himself in public, and racked up numerous arrests for traffic violations and other offenses. He served four months in jail after being convicted of two counts of indecent exposure in May 1935. In December 1935, he was convicted of another two counts of indecent exposure and served an additional five months in jail. After Catoe's confession, the police stated that Smith may have been wrongfully convicted. However, appeals by Smith were dismissed after Catoe retracted his confession. In 1936, Smith was sentenced to 5 to 7 years in prison after being convicted of raping a woman in 1935. He had also faced charges of housebreaking, larceny, and bigamy in other cases.

While the true number of Catoe's victims is unknown, it is speculated that he could be responsible for numerous murders in the D.C. area after moving there in 1929 to live with his brother. According to Catoe himself, his was to visit landladies posing as a handyman, and once they took him to a room to do work he would strangle them to death. He was convicted of first degree murder and rape in the March 8, 1941, slaying of Rose Abramowitz.