Fixed Term Killers

Ryan Alexander Duke became widely known after being charged in the 2005 death of Georgia high school teacher and former beauty queen Tara Grinstead. The case remained one of Georgia's most infamous unsolved mysteries for nearly 12 years before Duke confessed to being involved in Grinstead's death. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to concealing her death rather than murder, bringing a partial resolution to a case that had captivated investigators and the public for years.

Sean Grayson is a former Illinois sheriff’s deputy convicted of second-degree murder following an on-duty fatal shooting in 2024. Born around 1993–1994, he was approximately 30 years old at the time of the incident. His case became a high-profile example of police accountability in the United States, resulting in a 20-year prison sentence in 2026.

Stephen-Alan Paul Nicholson was convicted of murdering 13-year-old Lucy McHugh in Southampton, England, in July 2018. Nicholson, who had been living as a lodger in Lucy's family home, had sexually abused her for more than a year before luring her to woodland near Southampton Sports Centre, where he stabbed her 27 times. Prosecutors said Lucy had threatened to expose the abuse, giving Nicholson a motive to silence her. He was also convicted of three counts of rape involving Lucy and sexual offences against another teenage girl. In July 2019, Nicholson was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 33 years.

Tristan Roberts became the subject of a major homicide investigation after murdering his mother, Angela Shellis, at Coed y Morfa nature reserve near Prestatyn, North Wales, in October 2025. Following an extensive police investigation, Roberts was convicted of murder at Mold Crown Court in 2026 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term before parole eligibility.

William Devon Howell became one of Connecticut's most infamous serial killers after murdering seven women between 2003 and 2005. Most of his victims were vulnerable women struggling with addiction or involved in sex work in the Hartford area. Howell concealed six of the victims in a wooded location later dubbed the "Garden of Graves," making him the most prolific serial killer in Connecticut's recorded history.

William J. Brock became widely known after fatally shooting 61-year-old Uber driver Lo-Letha Hall outside his home in South Charleston, Ohio, on March 25, 2024. Brock had been deceived by telephone scammers into believing his family was in danger and wrongly concluded Hall was part of the scheme when she arrived to collect a package through the Uber app. A jury rejected Brock's claim of self-defense, finding that Hall was an innocent victim with no knowledge of the scam. Brock was convicted of murder in 2026 and sentenced to life imprisonment.