Jerome Dennis

Jerome Dennis (born December 14, 1966) is an American serial killer who kidnapped and murdered four women and a teenage girl in Essex County, New Jersey, from 1991 to 1992. At the time of the murders, he was on parole for a prior rape conviction. After his arrest, Dennis pleaded guilty and was later sentenced to life imprisonment in 1993.

Early life Dennis was born on December 14, 1966, the seventh in a family of nine children, and raised in the Columbus Homes in Newark.

After their initial arrest, Jerome and William confessed to having committed another two rapes the month before in October. The boys were charged as adults and stood trial together, in which their father testified on part of the prosecution. Jerome, then 14, was convicted in December 1981 for rape, false imprisonment and armed robbery, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, with the minimum release possibility being after 10 years.

Murders Dennis took up baking while incarcerated, and attended vocational cooking classes and a Bible study group. Soon after he moved into a home in East Orange, and was hired at Pleasantdale Bakery in West Orange, New Jersey as a porter.

Within two months of his release, on December 12, Dennis attacked 26-year-old Zelda Bailey, but she was not seriously injured and survived. Four days later, Dennis attacked 41-year-old Robyn Carter in Newark, raping, and strangling Carter to death. Her body was discovered the same day. Two months later on February 15, 1992, Dennis abducted 30-year-old Elizabeth Clenor, who was returning from a McDonald's where she had applied for a job. Dennis raped and bludgeoned her to death before disposing her body in an abandoned house.

Six days later, on February 21, Dennis attacked 30-year-old Stephanie Alston, and fatally stabbed her to death, then dumped her body approximately 50 yards from Clenor's body. The next day, on February 22, Dennis was armed with a knife when he attacked 23-year-old Khydijah Harris, who survived. At about six blocks away from her house, Dennis attacked Jones, raping and stabbing her to death, then throwing her body off a pedestrian overpass.

Between then and April 11, Jones' body was discovered along with the bodies of Clenor, Alston, and the youngest victim, 14-year-old Shakia Hedgespeth. They were found within blocks from one another along the Garden State Parkway but were proven to have been killed days apart.

Investigation Both the Newark Police Department and East Orange's became aware of Dennis' crimes, but did not know his identity yet. At the time, they falsely believed the serial killer had murdered seven women, whose bodies were found in rural areas around the New Jersey cities of Newark and East Orange, and two other women reported to have been assaulted at knifepoint by a man in the areas.

During the investigation, police in both cities announced to the public that an active serial killer investigation was underway. One of Dennis' lawyers stated that his client suffered from schizophrenia, and requested a psychiatric test on Dennis. Due to the plea other lesser charges were dropped. The plea agreement also allowed him to avoid a possible death sentence. Dennis received two consecutive and three concurrent life terms, with parole eligibility after 60 years. Dennis currently resides in New Jersey State Prison, and will become eligible for parole on April 10, 2052, when he is 85 years old.