Offender Record · OFF-2026-078
Sean Vincent Gillis (photo from the Radford University biography)
Sean Vincent Gillis
Also known as The Second Baton Rouge Killer, The Other Baton Rouge Killer
Sex
Male
Race
White
Born
1962
Custody
Incarcerated
States
LA
Custody
Incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)
Custody record at the facility
Gillis has been incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary since 2008. Sean Vincent Gillis is currently housed in preventative segregation at Louisiana State Penitentiary at his request, and due to him being a high-profile inmate and labeled a serial killer.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Sean Vincent Gillis (born June 24, 1962) is an American serial killer and sex offender who murdered eight women in and around Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 1994 until his arrest in April 2004. In his initial arrest, he was charged with three counts of first degree murder and three counts of ritualistic acts in the murders of 29-year-old Katherine Hall, 45-year-old Johnnie Mae Williams and 43-year-old Donna Bennett Johnston. He stood trial for these crimes on July 21, 2008, and he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison after the jury deadlocked in the penalty phase. He remains at Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola, in maximum custody housing.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Mar 21, 1994, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
First Degree Murder
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · East Baton Rouge Parish District Court · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole (later pleaded guilty to other murders)
Gillis' killing spree began on March 21, 1994, with the murder of 81-year-old Ann Bryan. He broke into her retirement home apartment and attempted to rape her. When she resisted, Gillis strangled her and stabbed her repeatedly. Court records indicate he slit her throat and stabbed her approximately 50 times.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis; Gillis Pleads Guilty in First Murder Trial; Where Is Sean Vincent Gillis Now?
Offense date Jan 04, 1999, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
First Degree Murder
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · East Baton Rouge Parish District Court · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole (conviction as part of trial)
Katherine Hall (29), a prostitute, was killed on January 4, 1999. Gillis told her he wanted oral sex to get her into his car. He put a zip tie around her neck to kill her. She tried to get away, but Gillis caught her and stabbed her 16 times. After she was dead, he undressed her and mutilated her body.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis
Offense date May 30, 1999, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (body found St. James Parish bayou)
First Degree Murder (confessed, not formally charged/convicted)
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · unknown · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: None - not tried; counted as confessed victim
Five years later, Gillis said he kidnapped and killed Hardee Schmidt, who was on a jog when she disappeared on the morning of May 30, 1999. An affidavit revealed that Gillis told police he hit Schmidt with his vehicle, strangled her with plastic wrap, and took her to a nearby park, where he sexually assaulted her. Schmidt's remains were found in a St. James Parish bayou two days after her murder.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis
Offense date Nov 12, 1999, Port Allen, Louisiana (body found in Iberville Parish)
Second Degree Murder
West Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney · West Baton Rouge Parish District Court · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30.1 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole
Joyce Williams (36), a prostitute, was killed on November 12, 1999. He killed her with a zip tie like he did his other victims. He took her to his home to mutilate her body and cut off body parts. For the first time, Gillis ate human skin from a victim, cutting off Joyce's nipples and eating them. Gillis pleaded guilty to the murder of Joyce Williams of Baton Rouge. The guilty plea to a charge of second-degree murder came Monday afternoon. Gillis will now face a mandatory life sentence in the Williams case.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Guilty Plea from Accused Serial Killer Sean Gillis; Gillis Pleads Guilty in First Murder Trial; STATE v. GILLIS (2008)
Offense date Jan 2000, Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana
First Degree Murder (confessed, not formally charged/convicted)
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · unknown · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: None - not tried; counted as confessed victim
Lillian Robinson (52), a prostitute, was killed in January 2000. He killed her in the same way and also took her to his home. He did not have enough time to mutilate her because Terri was getting off work soon, but instead played with her dead body and put his penis into her mouth. He took her to a deserted place away from Baton Rouge and dumped her body in the Atchafalaya Basin.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis
Offense date Oct 20, 2000, New Iberia/Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
First Degree Murder (confessed, not formally charged/convicted)
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · Lafayette Parish District Court · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole (pleaded guilty)
While visiting Christine, Gillis sees his next victim. After he visits, he kills his 6th victim, Marilyn Nevils (38). She was a prostitute and was killed the same way. He also took her dead body to his house and he showered with her corpse. Later, he took the body and left it on top of a levee without trying to hide it. On February 17, 2009, Gillis pleaded guilty to the murder of Marilyn Nevils, which he received another life sentence for.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis
Offense date Oct 09, 2003, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
First Degree Murder (confessed, not formally charged/convicted)
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · unknown · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: None - not tried; counted as confessed victim
Johnnie Mae Williams (45) was killed on October 9, 2003. Unlike his other victims, Johnnie had many people that were close to her and children. She had become a prostitute, though. Gillis picked her up because he knew her. She had cleaned his house a few times for money. Gillis killed her in the same way as his other victims. For the first time, he took a body part (her hands) from one of his victims. Gillis drove to another place to leave her body and just left her body exposed on top of an embankment.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis
Offense date Feb 26, 2004, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (body found near Ben Hur Road)
First Degree Murder
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office · East Baton Rouge Parish District Court · Docket unknown · La. R.S. 14:30 · Arrested Apr 29, 2004 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without parole
Donna Bennett Johnston, 43 years old, was Gillis's eighth and final victim. In February 2004, he raped her and strangled her with a nylon tie wrap. Gillis mutilated her body post-mortem, slashing her breasts, cutting off her left nipple, gouging out a tattoo on her right thigh, and severing her left arm at the elbow. An East Baton Rouge Parish jury found Sean Vincent Gillis guilty of first-degree murder in the 2004 strangulation death of Donna Bennett Johnston. It took the jury less than three-and-a-half hours Friday to bring in a new conviction against the serial killer.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent; Sean Vincent Gillis; Gillis found guilty of 1st degree murder
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
3
Victims convicted
8
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1994–2004
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control, Thrill
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
LA
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1962 – 1971 · Born and raised in Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1968 – 1980 · Catholic schools, including Redemptorist High School
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1971 – 1992 · Moved to new neighborhood in Baton Rouge; lived with mother Yvonne
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1980 – 1992 · Southland Corporation (7-11 convenience store chain), various jobs, community college for computer certification
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1992 – 2004 · Lived with girlfriend Terri Lemoine at Burgin Road address
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1992 – 1992 · Caught peeping into neighbor's window; arrested on outstanding warrants for traffic violations
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Apr 29, 2004 – present · Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola), preventative segregation unit, maximum custody housing
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1994 white Chevrolet Cavalier – White Chevy Cavalier used to transport victims
approx. 1994 – 2004
Identified tire tracks from this vehicle linked Gillis to multiple crime scenes
Timeline
Jun 24, 1962
Gillis was born June 24, 1962, in Baton Rouge.
1980
Gillis arrested for the first time for criminal trespass at age 18.
1980
Gillis has a long criminal history dating back to 1980 when he was charged with criminal trespass.
Mar 21, 1994
Gillis' killing spree began on March 21, 1994, with the murder of 81-year-old Ann Bryan. He broke into her retirement home apartment and attempted to rape her. When she resisted, Gillis strangled her and stabbed her repeatedly.
Jan 04, 1999
Gillis killed Katherine Hall (29), a prostitute, using a zip tie around her neck and stabbing her 16 times.
May 30, 1999
Gillis kidnapped and killed Hardee Schmidt on the morning of May 30, 1999. Gillis hit Schmidt with his vehicle, strangled her with plastic wrap, and took her to a nearby park, where he sexually assaulted her.
Nov 12, 1999
Gillis killed Joyce Williams (36), a prostitute, with a zip tie and later mutilated her body, eating parts of her.
Jan 2000
Gillis killed Lillian Robinson (52), a prostitute, in the same manner and took her body to his home before dumping it in the Atchafalaya Basin.
Oct 20, 2000
While visiting his goddaughter in New Iberia, Gillis killed Marilyn Nevils (38), a prostitute, and took her body to his house before leaving it on a levee.
Oct 09, 2003
Gillis killed Johnnie Mae Williams (45), a prostitute he knew because she had cleaned his house for money, and severed her hands as trophies.
Feb 26, 2004
Gillis killed his eighth and final victim, Donna Bennett Johnson (43), using a zip tie, mutilating her body, and taking photographs of her.
Apr 28, 2004
On April 28, investigators interviewed and got DNA swabs from a number of people who owned vehicles with specific tire models, including Gillis. When Gillis's DNA sample matched the DNA found on the hairs of two of his victims, police arrested him the next day.
Apr 29, 2004
In the early morning hours of April 29, 2004, a SWAT team arrested Gillis.
Jun 10, 2004
Gillis indicted for the murder of Donna Bennett. The prosecution was seeking the death penalty.
Jul 14, 2004
Gillis indicted for the murder of Joyce Williams.
Aug 2007
Gillis pleaded guilty to the murder of Joyce Williams of Baton Rouge. The guilty plea to a charge of second-degree murder came Monday afternoon. Gillis will now face a mandatory life sentence in the Williams case.
Jul 21, 2008
The trial of Sean Gillis begins in Baton Rouge for the murder of Donna Bennett Johnston.
Jul 25, 2008
An East Baton Rouge Parish jury found Sean Vincent Gillis guilty of first-degree murder in the 2004 strangulation death of Donna Bennett Johnston. It took the jury less than three-and-a-half hours Friday to bring in a new conviction against the serial killer.
Jul 31, 2008
Jurors in the Sean Vincent Gillis trial could not come to a unanimous decision to sentence the convicted killer to death, automatically sentencing him to life in prison.
Feb 17, 2009
On February 17, 2009, Gillis pleaded guilty to the murder of Marilyn Nevils, which he received another life sentence for.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Gillis, Sean Vincent“Sean Vincent Gillis born June 24, 1962 in Baton Rouge, LA; comprehensive biographical timeline documenting arrests, employment, relationships, and confessed crimes from 1962 to 2009.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Sean Vincent Gillis“Sean Vincent Gillis (born June 24, 1962) is an American serial killer and sex offender who murdered eight women in and around Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 1994 until his arrest in April 2004.”
News report · A&E ·
Where Is Sean Vincent Gillis Now?“Sean Vincent Gillis is currently housed in preventative segregation at Louisiana State Penitentiary at his request, and due to him being a high-profile inmate and labeled a serial killer.”
News report · Oxygen ·
Serial Killer Sean Vincent Gillis Strangled Women“In the early morning hours of April 29, 2004, a SWAT team arrested Gillis. He was ultimately convicted of the murders of Donna Bennett Johnston and another woman named Joyce Williams.”
News report · Daily Crime ·
Murder of eight women in Baton Rouge by Sean Gillis“Throughout the period of the murders, Gillis was living with his partner of ten years, Terri Lemoine. Lemoine, who would later testify at her boyfriend's trial, did not know about his crimes.”
News report · WAFB News ·
Both sides give reaction to Gillis sentencing“Jurors in the Sean Vincent Gillis trial could not come to a unanimous decision to sentence the convicted killer to death, automatically sentencing him to life in prison.”
News report · WAFB News ·
Gillis found guilty of 1st degree murder“An East Baton Rouge Parish jury has found Sean Vincent Gillis guilty of first-degree murder in the 2004 strangulation death of Donna Bennett Johnston.”
News report · WAFB News ·
Gillis Trial Day 3: Former live-in girlfriend testifies“The couple lived together for ten years. They were played tapes of Gillis's original interview with police.”
Court record · Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit ·
STATE v. GILLIS (2008)“The defendant, Sean Vincent Gillis, was charged by grand jury indictment with second degree murder. The defendant withdrew his prior plea of not guilty and, at a Boykin hearing, entered a plea of guilty.”
News report · WAFB News ·
Guilty Plea from Accused Serial Killer Sean Gillis“Sean Vincent Gillis, accused of killing eight Louisiana women, has pleaded guilty to one of those crimes -- the murder of Joyce Williams of Baton Rouge. The guilty plea to a charge of second-degree murder came Monday afternoon.”
News report · WAFB News ·
Gillis Pleads Guilty in First Murder Trial“One day before his trial was scheduled to begin, accused serial killer Sean Gillis pleaded guilty to murder in a West Baton Rouge courtroom. Inside, he told the judge he killed Joyce Williams and that means he will have to spend the rest of his life in prison.”
Discussion
Casual discussion about this record on the community forum. The facts live on this page: to add a place, a vehicle or a source, use the Edit record button under the photo so a moderator can review it. Please name no one else, never name a victim, and do not connect the person to any case not listed here.Open the topic on the forum
Corrections and removal. If a charge on this page has been dismissed, acquitted, overturned, pardoned or expunged, or any fact is wrong, tell us through the correction form. Corrections are free, reviewed within five business days, and a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed. Information here may not be used for decisions about employment, housing, credit, insurance or any purpose covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and never to harass, threaten or harm anyone. Where a source is an offender registry, that information is reproduced as of the date shown and is subject to the conditions of use of that registry.