Nathaniel Burkett

Nathaniel Burkett (1946 – January 19, 2021) was an American serial killer who murdered four women in the Las Vegas Valley and his own mother in Mississippi between 1978 and 2002. Convicted of several crimes throughout his life, his exposure as a serial killer came in 2012 through DNA testing. He was convicted of three counts of murder in 2018 and died in prison in 2021.

Early life Nathaniel Burkett was born in 1946 in Picayune, Mississippi. His exact date of birth is not known as he used several different birthdays throughout his life. Burkett spoke little about his childhood, other than that he suffered from polio, which later caused him to walk with a limp; due to this, as an adult, he garnered the nickname "Criptoe". From 1965 until his arrest, Burkett resided between Mississippi and Las Vegas, Nevada.

Murders Between 1976 and 1979, Burkett racked up numerous arrests that consisted of battery, domestic violence, kidnapping, robbery, disorderly conduct, and rape.

In April 1978, Burkett sexually assaulted and strangled 22-year-old Barbara Ann Cox to death in Las Vegas. He discarded her nude body between a parking stall and a wall at 211 W. Wilson Ave, close to where he was living at the time. Cox's body was found on April 22 by Burkett's girlfriend. Shortly thereafter, police located Burkett, who was intoxicated and carrying a bottle of whiskey near the crime scene. He was reportedly displeasing to police and frequently blurted out that he did not have anything to do with the murder. He was found unfit to be interrogated and brought back to his apartment, where he passed out. Since there was no evidence to officially tie Burkett to Cox's murder, he was not charged or questioned again. That charge was later downgraded to manslaughter. Burkett was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1983.

In 1992, Burkett was released from prison and moved back to Las Vegas shortly after. On February 20, 1994, Burkett raped and strangled 27-year-old Tina Gayle Mitchell less than a mile away from where he had murdered Cox 15 years earlier. He attempted to hide the body under a pile of towels, but it was eventually found by a passerby.

Twice, in 1997 and 1998, Burkett was arrested for failing to register as a felon and to change his address. A witness to the crime came forward in March 2003, saying that he had witnessed the abduction. The witness, who was in jail, described how he saw Bousley follow Burkett behind the church. Then, ten minutes later, he saw Burkett walk away alone.

Police uncovered further evidence that implicated Burkett in the murder. He was arrested in October of that year, convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and served six years in prison. In 2004, Burkett was required to submit a sample of his DNA so it could be stored on file. In 2009, Burkett, then in his early 60s, was released from prison and began to live a quiet life, residing in his native Mississippi until his final arrest.

Aftermath Once arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder and later indicted on a third count related to the May 1994 murder of Althea Williams, Burkett pleaded not guilty. In 2018, Burkett pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.