Samuel Little by CAMILA MARQUEZ

Who is Samuel Little?

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:00:54 UTC

Born on June 7, 1940, in Reynold, Georgia but was raised in Lorain, Ohio. His childhood consisted of instability as his mother was a prostitute, and he was raised by his grandma. He struggled in school and began to act out in middle school which led to him dropping out. During his teenage years, he was arrested for fraud, driving under the influence, theft and assault. His primary deviance was shoplifting and burglary. This criminal lifestyle began to grow as he became more violent in his crimes. Little picked women whose disappearances attracted less attention like sex workers and drug addicts. He showed no guilt or shame for his actions and moved frequently to avoid being caught. He pleaded innocent during his trial for the murders of three women, however, he was later convicted of three counts of first-degree murder and three life terms without parole. He died in prison December 30, 2020 at 80 years old.

Modus Operandi

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:09:19 UTC

His targets were homeless women, sex workers, drug addicts. He would pick them up in bars or on the street. Little would lure them in with either free rides, drugs or alcohol and then he would drive to secluded areas like alleyways or quiet roads. He used little to no weapons during his attacks because it made it difficult to trace. He preferred strangulation because it was quieter and didn't leave marks. Little would then dump the body in areas where it would take time for it to be found. Finally, he would move to another city or state.

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:19:04 UTC

Little was an organized killer, although he didn't selectively pick a victim, he would go for a certain type of woman. He planned things beforehand by preparing his car or purchasing items to lure the women in. He killed women for 30 years undetected, which only made him more prepared for situations and increased his sophistication in the process. He smartly avoided weapons to avoid leaving evidence. He had a high level of criminal sophistication as he avoided police for decades and he remembered each face and locations which only demonstrated his careful attention to each crime. He enjoyed watching his victims struggle which indicates his pleasure in control and power. He most likely targeted vulnerable women because of his childhood, he resented women because his mom created instability and chose to become a prostitute. There is no evidence Little had unusual behavior, like all organized killer he moved on quickly and remained calm.

Victimology

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:22:28 UTC

Little chose women from a wide range of ages, late teens to early 40s. He chose black women more than other races. His choice of victims were always vulnerable and struggled to make ends meet. He spread across the country but mainly focused on cities in states such as: California, Florida, and Ohio.

Strain Theory

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:24:21 UTC

He was poor and had an unstable home life with little education, his path to success was not easy and wasn't the normal path. He most likely had a goal to become successful, rich and achieve a high social status.

Innovation

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:26:57 UTC

To reach his goal he stole, and assaulted women- this led to his career in becoming a serial killer.

Ritualism

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:29:47 UTC

He used the same method in his killings.

Retreatism

1147929 — 2025-05-23 06:30:53 UTC

Little was homeless multiple times, he used substances and avoided stability both professionally and personally.

Rebellion

1147929 — 2025-05-24 02:40:09 UTC

He rejects societal goal and replaced them with his own system of control, he showed no remorse and preferred power and domination

Control Theory

1147929 — 2025-05-24 02:43:20 UTC

1.) ATTACHMENT: No close family, friend or community connections

2.) COMMITMENT: He didn't go to school, keep a job, or plan his future- so he had nothing to lose.

3.) INVOLVEMENT: He wasn't involved in sports or church. He spent most of his time in jail or traveling.

4.) BELIEF: He didn't agree with certain laws or moral standards, he justified his murders by saying they wouldn't be missed.

Differential Association Theory

1147929 — 2025-05-24 02:44:44 UTC

He learnt certain behaviors in juvenile detention, and his behavior was most likely reinforced during his time in juvie and prison.

Labeling Theory

1147929 — 2025-05-24 02:46:20 UTC

His long criminal record made him be seen as a criminal, this constant reminder most likely pushed him to continue his criminal acts.