The Shaw Creek Killer: Unsolved Serial Murders in Augusta, Georgia

The Discovery of the First Victim

• 💀 In November 1987, two hunters near Shaw Creek outside Augusta, Georgia, discovered a skeletonized female body, barely covered by dirt.
• 💔 The victim was found naked, with no personal belongings, suggesting a deliberate attempt to conceal her identity.
• 🔍 Forensic examination indicated the body had been there for one to five years, with missing foot bones and hyoid bone, but some hair was recovered.
• 📈 The hair tested positive for cocaine, leading investigators to believe the victim might have been a sex worker or drug addict.

A Pattern of Unidentified Victims

• 🌲 Over a six-year period, three more bodies were found in the same wooded area near Shaw Creek, leading authorities to believe they were dealing with a serial killer.
• 🕵️‍♀️ The second victim was found in 1991, also naked and without personal items, with skeletal remains suggesting she had been there for years.
• 🔥 A third victim, discovered in 1993, had been burned post-mortem, destroying soft tissue and further hindering identification efforts.
• 📍 This third victim was believed to have been killed and decomposed elsewhere before being moved to the Shaw Creek area.

Identifying Victims and Suspects

• 🧩 In 1993, the fourth victim was discovered in a different location but shared similar characteristics: young, African-American, and found without clothing or belongings.
• 💡 Dental records eventually identified this fourth victim as Rristine Deran, who had been missing since 1989.
• 🧬 In 1997, advanced technology allowed investigators to identify the second victim as Jacqueline Marie Council, using DNA evidence.
• ❓ Despite these identifications, two of the four victims remain unidentified, and the killer has never been brought to justice.

Investigating Potential Suspects

• ⛓️ Frank Pototts, a seasonal worker with a history of sexual assault, was considered but largely ruled out due to his incarceration during the time the first two victims were believed to have been murdered.
• 🎯 Joseph Patrick Washington, who committed violent sexual assaults and murders in the Augusta area, was identified as a suspect due to similarities with the Shaw Creek victims, including leaving victims naked and without belongings.
• 🚗 John Wayne Boyer, a convicted murderer who traveled extensively, was also considered, but differences in his victimology (white, slight-build women) and the location of his crimes made him a less likely match for the Shaw Creek killer.

The Lingering Mystery

• ⏳ Over 30 years later, the identity of the Shaw Creek killer and the two unidentified victims remain unknown.
• ❓ Investigators question why the killings stopped in 1993 and whether the killer moved, died, or was incarcerated for other crimes.
• 📞 Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Aken County Sheriff's Office or Crimestoppers.