Sean Vincent Gillis
Hall, Williams, Johnston
As 9 News first reported, with the arrest of 41-year-old Sean Vincent Gillis early Thursday morning, authorities say they have a second serial killer suspect in the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. Vincent is charged in the murders of 29-year-old Katherine Hall, 45-year-old Johnnie Mae Williams and 43-year-old Donna Bennett Johnston.
Gillis was arrested at his home on Burgin Road around 1:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Gillis is charged with three counts of first degree murder and three counts of ritualistic acts. Authorities say Gillis did not resist arrest and agreed to a DNA swabbing. At around 7:00 a.m., authorities say Gillis confessed to the murders.
The arrest affidavit says a unique kind of tire led officers to Gillis. They say they found the tracks of those tires in the area near Ben Hur where the body of Donna Bennett Johnston was found. The State Police crime lab were able to take that tire track and determine the brand, model and type of tire. Then, investigators learned that this type of tire was only manufactured for a three-year period ending in 2003. They say that particular type of tire had only been purchased 90 times in the Baton Rouge area.
"When you split a piece of firewood, the first few blows might make a tiny little crack and it begins to break wide open. That tire track was the first little crack. The work of the State Police Crime Lab laid it open. Investigators swabbed Sean Gillis and the State Police Crime Lab matched his DNA," said Lieutenant Colonel Greg Phares, with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office.
On that same date, detectives came into contact with Sean Vincent Gillis and found that he normally operates a vehicle equipped with matching tires. Detectives questioned Gillis and say he admitted that his vehicle was at the scene where Johnston's body was found. He says he was there six days before authorities recovered her body. The affidavit also says Gillis had an eight year relationship with Johnnie Mae Williams and that she was inside his vehicle about 30 days before authorities found her body.
The affidavit says Gillis told authorities they would probably find a lot of evidence of blood in his car and blamed that on a health-related condition of his common-law wife, Terri. 9 News spoke with Terri who said Gillis confessed to her at 7 a.m. She told WAFB's ***** Davidson that detectives kicked in their door around 1 a.m. and sent a concussion grenade inside. She says they were both taken into custody and questioned and calls Gillis "a teddy bear" and a "normal person."
"The door got kicked in and they threw the little bomb in here and got us up and took us downtown," says Terri, "And I saw a ton of sheriff's deputies assaulting the house across the street."
Late Thursday afternoon investigators began taking pictures and collecting evidence from Gillis' home, including a small white car and grey minivan from the scene. Investigators say Terri does not ever remember bleeding in Gillis' vehicle.
Terri says she is still in shock. She says she didn't believe Gillis could kill Katherine Hall, Johnnie May Williams and Donna Bennett Johnston until Gillis called her later in the morning and told her of his confession to the crimes. "He said I confessed at 7," said Terri.
Sources tell 9 News, Gillis has confessed to investigators about other murders. According to our sources, since detectives arrested the accused serial killer, Sean Gillis has made seven taped confessions to detectives concerning women's murders. When asked about other murders, sources tell us Gillis told investigators, quote -- "If you show me photo's, I may be able to remember more."
At 9:12 a.m., Gillis agreed to a DNA test. Joanie Wilson, with the State Police Crime Lab tested the sample and reported that Gillis' DNA matched the suspect in the cases of Katherine Hall and Donna Bennett Johnson. Then, the FBI Crime Lab compared the sample to one taken in the murder of Johnnie Mae Williams. They say it matched the suspect in that murder as well.
Hall was slain in January 1999, and Williams was killed in October, 2003. Johnston's body was found February 27th. All three women were strangled. Authorities also say Gillis is a suspect in the unsolved murders of other women in south Louisiana. They confirmed he is a suspect in the murder of Hardee Schmidt and possibly, Mary Ann Fowler.
9 News has also learned that Gillis has had three prior run-ins with the law. On March 9, 1980 Gillis was charged with criminal trespassing; On July 6th, 1982 he was arrested for running a red light and resisting arrest. On January 6th, 1993 he was cited with improper lane usage and DWI.
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1826593