Donald Henry Gaskins Research Paper

Donald Henry Gaskins Jr. is one of the most infamous American Serial Killers to ever be tried in the criminal justice system. He once stated in an interview that “I have the same path as God, by taking lives and making others afraid, I became my own master. Through my own power I come to my redemption” (Menschenleer). This one quote serves to demonstrate the psychotic tendencies which Gaskins developed and suffered from. Gaskins life began with victimization from family members and peers. Also, Gaskins may be a widely known as a Killer, but he had a preceding life of crime dealing with sexual assaults and theft. It is currently unknown the total number of people Gaskin murdered, however, it is estimated to be around 100 to 110 people. Gaskins

Molly is the name of Gaskins mother, though she was also known as Parrott. At the age of 12 she quite school to help her family pick cotton and plant tobacco. Mr. Gaskins was a well off neighbor who was known for his gambling and drinking habits. Molly received an average of one dollar every week to have sex with Mr. Gaskins, and when she turned 14 she became pregnant with his child. Mr. Gaskins gave Molly a three bedroom hovel to live in and supplied ten dollars a month for her to survive on. Molly gave birth to Gaskins on March 13 of 1933 in Florence County in South Carolina. Gaskins was given the nickname of “Pee Wee” because he only weighed four pounds at birth and remained small in stature as time went

Mr. Gaskins and Molly would participate in sexual relations in front of Gaskins often, and if the boy would attempt to make them cease, they would just push him away. Molly continued to partake in sexual relations with men for monetary gain throughout Gaskins childhood. A majority of the lovers Molly engaged with were alcohol and or drug users who would abuse Gaskins physically and sexually. There were several incidents where these assaults occurred with Molly observing. At one years old Gaskins drank a bottle of Kerosene which caused “convulsions” and possibly “night terrors” for several years, the obvious result of having a negligent mother. Gaskins was often bullied because of his small size and the bruises, which made him an outcast from his school. Several of Gaskins teachers disciplined him harshly, as they blamed the discord which the bullying created on him. In some cases his teachers were not all wrong to blame the fights on Gaskins as he did respond to his peers bullying and teasing with violence and agitation at times. He would often avoid school altogether and instead hide in the woods until school was finished. In 1943, when Gaskins was ten years old, his mother married Hinnant Hanna who was employed as a field hand and mistreated Gaskins. Molly then had two sons and two daughters, Gaskins half siblings. When Gaskins was eleven years of age, he finally dropped out of