PEORIA  SERIAL KILLERS

                                     NORMAN  V.  KELLY

Serial killers in Peoria are pretty rare. From 1920 through 1950 I never found any in our history.  We had a few Serial car thieves, and “stick-up men” but they were never called serial criminals.  Most of our murders were domestically related and of course from tavern brawls and robberies.

We had a couple of Park Killers, that robbed and killed, but no serial killer was ever identified out of all that history.

 

Actually, in modern history of Peoria, we had three.  If you go by what the FBI says, that is a serial killer kills at least three people with intervals in between, you might want to eliminate one of these worthless guys.

 

                            JOSEPH  MILLER

 

Joe Miller was convicted of the murders of two women in Chicago in the 1970’s and like so many of these killers was paroled.  He came here to Peoria  and killed two women here in Peoria, Illinois. Police suspect him in at least 2 more and possibly even more than that. 

Authorities tell us that he was the first Serial killer prosecuted here in our County in Modern times. I know of all the murders in old Peoria and I would say that they are right. He certainly was one of the first that DNA evidence was used here as well.

Miller was convicted of murder here and sentenced to death row.  Our Governor commuted his sentence to Life In Prison.  He is still there.  Too bad the governor is not in there any more.

 

                     ARLIE  RAY  DAVIS 

Davis was convicted of a murder in Henry County

In 1995. Police in Peoria County suspected him of at least four, and maybe more murders in our area. 

Problem for Peoria was that none of his alleged victim’s bodies were ever found.  He died in prison as he was preparing to go in front of a Clemency hearing  in October of 2002.

 

                      LARRY  DEAN  BRIGHT

 

This killer fits all the criteria the FBI set out for Serial Killers. He zeroed in on women here in Peoria and murdered at least 8  during 2003 and 2004.  He confessed to killing eight but of course, he is suspected in other missing person cases.

 

Bright dumped his victims in fields in three counties and burned some of them in his own backyard. We will have to see if the county has to go through the incredible expense of trying this killer.

 

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