Serial Killer Who R*ped n Murdered 23 Men

Ronald Dominique raped and murdered 23 men but because his victims were homeless the tragedy of the case has largely been forgotten.

One of America's worst serial killers , Ronald Dominique, raped and murdered at least 23 men over nine years.

He was dubbed 'The Bayou serial killer' by the media after his arrest on December 1 2006 when his sick crimes came to light.

But because of his victims were mostly homeless men his name does not attract the notoriety as more infamous killers Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer.

Their bodies were found dumped in remote suburban and rural areas outside New Orleans.

All were found bound and had been killed in similar fashion, leading investigators to suspect the work of a serial killer.

Dominique, 55, is now serving eight life sentences in prison after he pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty.

The twisted serial killer is thought to have started his campaign of violence and death in July 1997.

In his confession, Dominique, said he frequented gay bars and targeted men he thought would be willing to have sex for money.

He also lured straight men by setting up fake drug deals or showing men a picture of women and telling them that she was willing to pay for sex with a black man.

But Dominique might have been caught before he killed anyone.

In August 1996 he was arrested on suspicion of rape after neighbours said a man escaped from Dominique's window screaming he was raped and almost killed.

When the case was brought to court in November 1996, the victim could not be found and the case was dropped.

His first victim's body 19-year-old David Mitchell was found the next year and six months later the body of 20-year-old Gary Pierre was found.

Dominique would lure the men to his house, tie them up, rape and strangle them.

He then dumped the bodies in sugar cane field ditches and small bayous in the southeast Louisiana parishes.

While his spree continued he was involved with the law. In May 2000 he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.

In February 2002 he was arrested on suspicion of assault but was sentenced only to probation.

Meanwhile he kept raping and killing homeless men aged from 19 to 40 years old.

In 2005, eight years after the body of David Mitchell was found, a task force was set up by Louisiana State Police.

Investigators knew the 23 victims were mostly homeless men, many who led high-risk lifestyles, which included drug use and prostitution.

At least one family disputes this account however and insisted their loved one was not homeless but had been drugged.

A year later they caught their first break in the case. A man went to police to say that Dominique wanted to tie him up but he managed to escape.

Dominique, who is thought to have struggled with his sexuality throughout his life, became the prime suspect.

The most recent victim, Christoper Sutterfield, had died about two months earlier.

He was arrested on December 1 2006 and confessed to raping and murdering 23 victims.

“The nature of what he did, and how he left my brother’s body in a cane field for rodents to eat at him,” said Cynthia Barabin, sister of victim Chris Deville.

“When we found him he was nothing. Nothing… We had to bury bones.”

In a deal, he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder to avoid the death penalty.

He is serving his prison sentence at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola.