Paul John Knowles
Casanova Killer, Lester Daryl Gates
Active for 1 year
(1974) in United States
20
CONFIRMED
VICTIMS
35
POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
- Summary
- Serial Killer Profile
- Serial Killer Type
- General Information
- Characteristics
- Childhood
- Cognitive Ability
- Incarceration
- Death
- 5 Timeline Events
- Serial Killers Active During Spree
- Boolean Statistical Questions
- 14 Books Written About Paul John Knowles
- 5 External References
- Internal References
Paul John Knowles an American serial killer known as The Casanova Killer. Knowles was convicted of killing twenty victims in 1974. His crimes ranged from petty theft, multiple escapes, kidnapping, abduction, rape and murder. He claimed to have killed thirty-five. He was raised in foster homes, reformatories and later served multiple prison sentences. He was released from prison in 1974, and within two months he was rearrested for stabbing a bartender. He escaped custody by picking the lock to his detention cell at a jail in Jacksonville, Florida. He was later captured, attempted escape again this time ending in three fatal shots issued by Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Ronnie Angel.
Paul John Knowles Serial Killer Profile
Serial Killer Paul John Knowles (aka) Casanova Killer, Lester Daryl Gates, was active for 1 year in 1974, known to have ( 20 confirmed / 35 possible ) victims. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: United States
Paul John Knowles was born on April 17th 1946 in Orlando, Florida. He was raised by foster homes then reformatories.
Paul John Knowles a heterosexual male citizen of the United States of America. He took an intelligence quotient test before or after his crimes, Paul John Knowles had an IQ of 129. He never married. He had no children.
Prior to his spree he had commited crimes, served time in jail, and served time in prison.
In 1974 (Age 27/28) Paul John Knowles started his killing spree, during his crimes as a serial killer he was known to rob, strangle, rape, and murder his victims. Paul John Knowles used a weapon and was in possession of a firearm during his crimes. At least one victim was tied, bound, or otherwise restrained during the crime. At the time of his crimes he was living with himself, alone recently released from prison, where he was known to work as a serial killer.
He was arrested on November 21st 1974 (Age 28), sentenced to never sentenced killed while attempting escape at a jail in Jacksonville, Florida, US.
Paul John Knowles died on December 18th 1974 (Age 28), cause of death: ballistic trauma, shot three times in the chest by GBI Agent Ronnie Angel while attempting escape at in-custody transport from Jacksonville Jail to Henry County, Georgia.
Profile Completeness: 69%
serial killers by profile completenessPaul John Knowles has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 5 years ago.
Paul John Knowles a known:
( 651 killers ) SERIAL KILLER
The unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate events. Serial Killer as defined by the FBI at the 2005 symposium.
( 308 killers ) RAPIST
Rape is usually defined as having sexual intercourse with a person who does not want to, or cannot consent.
( 251 killers ) STRANGLER
Strangulation is death by compressing the neck until the supply of oxygen is cut off. Stranglers kill by Strangulation.
Paul John Knowles
Serial Killer Profile:
Updated: 2019-05-13 Collected by Killer.Cloud
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Paul John Knowles |
| Nickname: | Casanova Killer, Lester Daryl Gates |
| Victims: | 20 - 35 |
| Years Active: | 1974 - 1974 |
| Ages Active: | 27/28 - 27/28 |
| Active Countries: | United States |
| Life Span: | 1946 - 1974 |
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Gender: | Male |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Sexual Preference: | heterosexual |
| Astrological Sign: | ♈ Aries Mar 20 - Apr 20 |
| Birth Month: | April |
| Marital Status: | never married |
| Children: | no children |
| Living With: | himself, alone recently released from prison |
| Occupation: | serial killer |
| Childhood Information | |
|---|---|
| D.O.B.: | Apr 17, 1946 |
| Given Name: | Paul |
| Birth Location: | Orlando, Florida |
| Birth Order: | N/A |
| Siblings: | N/A |
| Raised By: | foster homes then reformatories |
| Birth Category: | N/A |
| Mother: | N/A |
| Father: | N/A |
| Cognitive Ability | |
|---|---|
| IQ: | 129 |
| Highest School: | N/A |
| Highest Degree: | |
| Incarceration | |
|---|---|
| Arrested: | Nov 21, 1974 (Age 28) |
| Convicted: | N/A |
| Sentence: | never sentenced killed while attempting escape |
| Prison Location: | a jail in Jacksonville, Florida, US |
| Executed: | N/A |
| Previous Crimes: | TRUE |
| Previous Jail: | TRUE |
| Previous Prison: | TRUE |
| Death Information | |
|---|---|
| Death Date: | Dec 18, 1974 (Age 28) |
| Cause of Death: | ballistic trauma, shot three times in the chest by GBI Agent Ronnie Angel while attempting escape |
| Death Location: | in-custody transport from Jacksonville Jail to Henry County, Georgia |
| Killed In Prison: | FALSE |
| Suicide: | FALSE |
5 Timeline Events of Serial Killer
Paul John Knowles
The 5 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Paul John Knowles. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline.
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| Apr 17 1946 | Paul John Knowles was born in Orlando, Florida. #19460417 |
| 1974 (Age 27/28) | Paul John Knowles started his serial killing spree. #1974 |
| Nov 21 1974 (Age 28) | Paul John Knowles arrested. #19741121 |
| Dec 18 1974 (Age 28) | Paul John Knowlesdied.cause of death:ballistic trauma, shot three times in the chest by GBI Agent Ronnie Angel while attempting escapeat in-custody transport from Jacksonville Jail to Henry County, Georgia. #19741218 |
| 1974 (Age 28/29) | Paul John Knowles ended his serial killing spree. #1974 |
Back to top Serial Killers Active During
The following serial killers were active during the same time span as Paul John Knowles (1974-1974).
Serial Killers By Active Year
| 18 / 40 ANSWEREDSerial Killer Boolean Questions: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Killer Question | Killer Answer | Total Answered | ||
| previous crimes | TRUE | 367 | ||
| previous jail | TRUE | 352 | ||
| previous prision | TRUE | 336 | ||
| used weapon | TRUE | 453 | ||
| used gun | TRUE | 451 | ||
| rape | TRUE | 453 | ||
| bound | TRUE | 406 | ||
| strangle | TRUE | 443 | ||
| robbed | TRUE | 418 | ||
| living with children | FALSE | 268 | ||
| suicide | FALSE | 225 | ||
| killed in prison | FALSE | 218 | ||
| torture | FALSE | 426 | ||
| stalk | FALSE | 418 | ||
| sex with body | FALSE | 430 | ||
| mutilated | FALSE | 447 | ||
| ate part of body | FALSE | 451 | ||
| drank blood | FALSE | 442 | ||
Books that Mention Paul John Knowles
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Stranglers
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Rapists
Harold Schechter
The Serial Killer Files
RJ Parker
Serial Killers Encyclopedia
Katherine M. Ramslan...
Inside the Minds of Serial Killers
Sandy Fawkes
In Love with a Serial Killer
Don Lasseter
Date With the Devil
Joe Coleman
Muzzlers, Guzzlers & Good Yeggs
14 Books that mention Serial Killer
Paul John Knowles
Paul John Knowles (April 17, 1946 – December 18, 1974), also known as The Casanova Killer, was an American serial killer tied to the deaths of 20 people in 1974, though he claimed to have taken 35 lives.
External References
- Q3371537 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Oct 15, 2018.
- Paul John Knowles on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Jan 26, 2019.
- Juan Ignacio Blanco, Paul John KNOWLES on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Jan 26, 2019.
- Clifford Davids, Photographs From The Arrest Of The Casanova Killer on ashevilleoralhistoryproject.com, Retrieved on Jan 26, 2019.
- John Paul Knowles on www.serienkillers.de, Retrieved on Feb 17, 2019.
Internal References
Paul John Knowles is included in the following pages on Killer.Cloud the Serial Killer Database
- #5 of 38[ Page 1 ] of Serial Killers with birthdays in April
- #6 of 42[ Page 1 ] of Aries Serial Killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #18 of 327[ Page 2 ] of Serial Killers active in the United States
- #18 of 72[ Page 2 ] of serial killers sorted by IQ Level
- #24 of 250[ Page 2 ] of Serial Killer Stranglers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #31 of 307[ Page 3 ] of Serial Killer Rapist sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #55 of 651[ Page 4 ] of serial killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
- #324 of 651[ Page 22 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
- #328 of 651[ Page 22 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
- #651 of 651[ Page 44 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
- Statistics:
- Serial Killers Statistics, charts Paul John Knowles is included in: Active Serial Killers by Country, Serial Killers By Gender, Age of Serial Killer by Date, Killers By Astrological Sign, Killers By Birth Month, Years of School Completed, Sexual Preference, Active Serial Killers by Year and Statistical Boolean Questions.
- Years Active: