Donna Perry (serial killer)

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This article is about the serial killer. For the United States Navy admiral, see Douglas G. Perry.
Donna Perry
Born
Douglas R. Perry
NationalityAmerican
Criminal chargeFirst-degree murder (x3)
PenaltyThree life sentences without the possibility of parole
Details
Victims
  • Yolanda A. Sapp
  • Nickie I. Lowe
  • Kathleen A. Brisbois

Donna R. Perry (born Douglas R. Perry) is an American serial killer. She was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in 2014 for killing three women in 1990. Perry underwent gender-confirmation surgery in 2000 and her gender identity formed a portion of the defense's argument.

Early life[]

Perry was abused by her father from age four until her father's death three years later.[1]

Crimes[]

Perry's criminal record lists various charges dating back to 1974.[2]: 91  In 1987, Perry was charged with reckless endangerment. In 1988, Perry was arrested for possessing a pipe bomb and was subsequently found to have 49 guns and 20,000 rounds of ammunition.[3][4] In 1989, Perry was arrested for soliciting a prostitute.[2]: 91  In the late 1990s, Perry spent 18 months in jail after being pulled over in Oregon's red light district with a gun and knife.[2]: 92  During this prison sentence, Perry allegedly confessed to his cellmate to killing nine prostitutes.[5]

Perry shot and killed Yolanda A. Sapp (26), Nickie I. Lowe (34), and Kathleen A. Brisbois (38) during a four-month period in 1990.[6][7] Sapp's body was discovered on February 22, Lowe's on March 25, and Brisbois' on May 15.[2]: 89  The women were all found naked near the Spokane River, where they were dumped.[8] Until 2012, they were believed to be additional victims of convicted serial killer, Robert L. Yates.[4]

Trial and imprisonment[]

In March 2012, Perry was convicted for firearms possession. As part of the legal process, her DNA was submitted to a national database, which matched it to DNA relating to the 1990 murders.[2]: 92 [9] In a 2012 affidavit, Perry recounted her experience post-gender-confirmation, which she underwent in 2000 in Thailand. Perry claimed she underwent the surgery "as a permanent way to control violence".[10]

In 2014, Perry was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.[4] Perry was originally to stand trial in 2016. However, due to an ethics breach in the Spokane County Public Defender's Office, attorneys Kyle Zeller, Nathan Poston and Brooke Hagara resigned in April of that year, forcing the trial to be postponed.[11][12]

The trial began on June 9, 2017.[1] The prosecution cited DNA and fingerprint evidence in connection to the three killings.[13] A portion of Perry's defence rested on her claim that it was Douglas Perry, not Donna, who may have committed the murders.[5] The prosecution argued, contrarily, that Perry underwent reassignment surgery in order to avoid suspicion in the killings.[14] The defence also claimed the DNA evidence only proved that Perry was in the area where the crimes took place.[1]

On July 24, 2017, Perry was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole.[15] She is currently detained at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington.[16] The family of Nickie Lowe expressed their desire for Perry to serve her sentence in a men's prison or in isolation to prevent possible harm to more women.[17]

Media[]

In 2019, Perry was the focus of an episode of 21st Century Serial Killer.[18] Episode 5 of season 2 of Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer, "Douglas Perry", centred on Perry's crimes.[19][20]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Clouse, Thomas (2017-07-09). "Donna Perry's attorney rips state's evidence as triple murder trial begins". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e Ramsland, Katherine (2013). "Donna Perry". 2015 Serial Killers True Crime Anthology, Volume II. Createspace Independent Publishing. pp. 89–98. ISBN 9781500505165.
  3. ^ Clouse, Thomas (2012-11-21). "Woman linked to 1990 prostitute killings". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c Clouse, Thomas (2017-07-05). "Jury selection set to begin in trial of Donna Perry, suspected Spokane serial killer". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ a b Susan, Donaldson James (2014-03-19). "Transgender Defense: 'Donna' Says 'Doug' Is the Spokane Serial Killer". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Glover, Jonathon (2017-07-29). "Jury convicts Donna Perry of serial killings". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Transgender woman sentenced to life without parole for 3 Spokane-area slayings". Seattle Times. 2017-07-24. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  8. ^ Kaitlin, Gillespie (2013-10-31). "Police and sheriff's detectives solve 23-year-old cold case murders". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Erik, Hawkins (2019-07-12). "Five Times Old Injustice Was Righted Through Dogged Investigation". Oxygen. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Susan, Donaldson James (2014-03-19). "Transgender Defense: 'Donna' Says 'Doug' Is the Spokane Serial Killer". ABC News. Retrieved 2021-04-17. She also told police that she intentionally had the operation, which she underwent in 2000, "as a permanent way to control violence."{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "Possible ethics breach pushes back Donna Perry trial". KHQ Right Now. 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ Glover, Johnathan (2016-09-14). "Ethical fiasco delays trial of alleged Spokane serial killer Donna Perry". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Clouse, Thomas (2017-06-20). "Attorneys reach evidence in Perry trial that led to charging the transgender woman with murder". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "Transgender woman convicted for slayings of 3 women who worked as prostitutes". www.cbsnews.com. 2017-07-29. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Clouse, Thomas (2017-07-24). "Serial killer Donna Perry sentenced to life without parole". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2021-04-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ "Inmate Search". Washington State Department of Corrections. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  17. ^ Lindsay, Nadrich (2017-07-20). "Evaluation suggests convicted murderer Donna Perry be sentenced to life in prison". KREM2. Retrieved 2021-04-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. ^ "21st Century Serial Killers - S1 - Episode 7: Donna Perry". Radio Times. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  19. ^ "Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer - S2 - Episode 5: Douglas Perry". Radio Times. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
  20. ^ Kashyap, Chindrella (2019-12-13). "Is Netflix actually letting go of Inside the Mind of a serial killer? If so, is it going to come on any other platform!!". Morning Picker. Retrieved 2021-04-17.
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