Geoffrey Griffin | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers

Geoffrey T. GRIFFIN

A.K.A.: "The Roseland killer"

Classification: Serial killer

Characteristics: Drug addict

Number of victims: 7

Date of murders: May

-June 2000

Date

of arrest: June 17,

2000

Date of birth: 1971

Victims profile: Female drug-addicted prostitutes

Method of murder: Strangulation / Beating

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Status: Sentenced to 100 years in prison on November 2005

November 15, 2001

Another suspect in Chicago was been charged with hunting and killing drug-addicted prostitutes. The new suspect, Geoffrey Griffin, 30, was charged with strangling or beating to death seven women during the summer of 2000. The charges came 17 months after he was initially jailed on suspicion of committing the slayings.

Griffin was charged two summers ago with first-degree murder in the killing of Angela Jones, a 32-year-old mother of seven, after he gave police a videotaped confession. Jones, whose body was discovered May 12, 2000, was the first of seven black, drug-addicted prostitutes who were found dead in abandoned buildings.

At that time, Griffin denied involvement in the other women's deaths, but police said he was responsible for the slayings even though there was no solid evidence. DNA test results later connected Griffin to each of the seven killings, said Lt. Joseph Murphy.

Suspect in serial killings gets 100-year sentence

November 06, 2005

A suspected serial killer has been sentenced to 100 years in prison for the 2000 strangulation of a woman on the city's South Side.

Judge Fred Suria convicted Geoffrey T. Griffin of Chicago last month in the death of Angela Jones after watching a videotape in which Griffin described how he squeezed Jones' throat during sex after the two smoked crack cocaine.

Suria acquitted Griffin of killing Beverly Burns even though the 34-year-old's shirt and jacket were spattered with her blood. Suria said at the time he was troubled by a lack of evidence at that crime scene.

Jones and Burns were among seven women killed in the summer of 2000. The women, most of whom were participating in activities such as prostitution and drug use, were found dead in abandoned buildings in the Roseland and Englewood neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side and in nearby Harvey.

Police labeled Griffin the "Roseland Killer" after he confessed to killing Jones. He is awaiting trial in the five other killings.

Suspected serial killer convicted, acquitted

September 22, 2005

A judge convicted a suspected serial killer of killing one woman but acquitted him of killing another even though the man's shirt and jacket were spattered with her blood.

In his verdict, Judge Fred Suria said that he was troubled by the lack of evidence at the crime scene against Geoffrey T. Griffin of Chicago and by the fact that there was no blood of the victim, Beverly Burns, at the scene.

Suria did find the 34-year-old Griffin guilty in the strangulation of Angela Jones after watching a videotape in which Griffin described how he squeezed her throat during sex after the two smoked crack cocaine.

Jones and Burns were among seven women killed in the summer of 2000. The women, most of whom were participating in high-risk activities such as prostitution and drug use, were found dead in abandoned buildings in the Roseland and Englewood neighborhoods on Chicago's South Side and in nearby Harvey.

Police labeled Griffin the "Roseland Killer" after he confessed to killing Jones. He is awaiting trial in the killings of five other women.

In acquitting Griffin in the slaying of Burns, the judge said he was bothered by the lack of evidence placing Griffin at the crime scene. During the trial, defense attorneys explained that Burns' blood could have gotten on Griffin when she had a bloody nose when the two were together. The judge said that there was no evidence of a bloody struggle in the building where Burns' body was found.

Griffin was arrested June 15 in the slaying of Jones, and Burns' body was not found until a week later. The judge said the body was so badly decomposed that it was impossible to determine when the woman died. The defense had argued that without knowing a time of death that Griffin could have been in police custody when the woman was killed by someone else.

While Griffin gave a statement about killing Jones, he gave no such statement about Burns.

Jeanna Burns reacted angrily to the verdict in the slaying of her mother.

"I hate you," she said to Griffin. "I hope you burn in hell."

Griffin is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 19. He faces up to life in prison for Jones' killing.

Offender Geoffrey T. Griffin

Katieslaw.org

Geoffrey Griffin has been charged with eight murders and one aggravated criminal sexual assault.

In December 1993, Geoffrey Griffin was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Felony). If Illinois required him to give a DNA sample after that felony arrest, a DNA match could have been obtained with the DNA evidence recovered from his first rape, thereby identifying him as the offender and the subsequent eight murders, one rape and one attempted rape would have been prevented.

Timeline of Events

On August 26, 1995, Geoffrey Griffin was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance.

On July 10, 1998, a 37-year-old woman was raped. She was forced into an abandoned building on the 6700 block of South Halsted. After being raped, she was beat into unconsciousness and left to die. DNA evidence was recovered from sexual assault kit.

THE FOLLOWING ARE 8 PREVENTABLE MURDERS, 1 RAPE & 1 ATTEMPT RAPE WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED HAD GRIFFIN’S DNA SAMPLE BEEN TAKEN ON AUGUST 26, 1995.

On July 11, 1998, a 36-year old woman was found murdered. She was found in the rear yard on the 7400 block of South Halsted, naked from the waist down. She suffered blunt trauma to the face and head. DNA evidence recovered from the sexual assault kit.

On February 7, 1999, a 22-year-old woman was raped. She was attacked in an abandoned building on the 10900 block of South Edbrooke. The offender raped her, then beat her in the head with a brick and burned her eyes. DNA evidence recovered from sexual assault kit.

On May 2, 2000, a 33-year-old woman was found murdered. She was raped, and then strangled to death on the 15800 block of South Park. She was found naked. DNA evidence was recovered from the victim’s fingernail clippings.

On May 12, 2000, a 32-year old woman was found murdered. She was found naked in an abandoned building on the 11800 block of South Yale. She was strangled to death. DNA evidence of the assailant was recovered from the sexual assault kit.

On May 17, 2000, a 32-year old woman was found murdered. Her body was discovered in an abandoned building on the 11900 block of South LaSalle. The murder’s jacket had the victim’s blood stains on it. DNA evidence was recovered.

On June 13, 2000, a 21-year-old woman was attacked. As she was in an abandoned building on the 11900 block of South Wallace, an offender attempted to rape her. She was struck with a knife, but escaped.

On June 16, 2000, a 29-year-old woman was found murdered. Her body was discovered in an abandoned building on the 10700 block of South Michigan. DNA of the assailant was recovered from the victim’s fingernails. Later matched.

On June 19, 2000, a 47-year-old woman was found murdered. Her body was found naked from her waist down and the cause of death was strangulation on the 20 block of East 113^th Place (occurrence May 25, 2000). DNA of the assailant was recovered from the victim’s fingernails.

On June 22, 2000, a 39-year-old woman was found murdered. Her body was found in an abandoned house on the 200 block of West 112^th Place (occurrence June 13, 2000). She was naked from waist down and the cause of death was strangulation. DNA evidence was recovered. The murder’s jacket had the victim’s blood on it.

On June 27, 2000, a 44-year-old woman was found murdered. She was strangled to death. Her naked body was found waist down on the 11000 block of South Edbrooke (occurrence June 13, 2000). The murder’s jacket had the victim’s blood on it.

Geoffrey Griffin was arrested on June 17, 2000. He has subsequently charged with eight murders and 1 aggravated criminal sexual assault. If his DNA sample had been taken on August 26, 1995, the 8 murders, 1 rape and 1 attempt rape would not have happened.