“I have walked the same path as God by taking lives... I am God.” — Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins
On this Twisted Tale Tuesday, we’re diving into the disturbing life of Donald Henry “Pee Wee” Gaskins, a man with a small frame and a massive appetite for violence. Often overlooked due to his height — barely 5'4" — Gaskins became one of the most sadistic and prolific serial killers in American history.
He didn’t just kill. He tortured, mutilated, raped, and laughed his way through confessions of nearly 100 murders, leaving a trail of horror across the Southern U.S. — especially his home state of South Carolina.
The Making of a Monster
Born in 1933, Gaskins had a violent, unstable childhood. Neglected by his mother, abused by adults, and bullied relentlessly, he was already committing burglary, assault, and arson by the age of 11. He spent his teens in reform schools and juvenile detention, where he claimed to be repeatedly assaulted — experiences that shaped his twisted hatred for others and his craving for control.
Gaskins’ early crimes were violent but scattered — until he found his rhythm.
The “Coastal Kills”
Gaskins claimed he committed "coastal kills" — random murders of hitchhikers, drifters, and strangers he encountered on the highways of the American South during the 1960s and '70s. He picked them up, brought them to isolated locations, and subjected them to hours (sometimes days) of torture, rape, and mutilation.
He referred to murder as a "release" and said killing gave him a sexual thrill.
The number of victims? Gaskins bragged of 100+, though only 9 were officially confirmed.
No One Was Safe
The real twist in Gaskins' tale is that he didn’t just target strangers.
He murdered friends, associates, teenagers he knew, and even his own niece. Anyone who crossed him — or simply knew too much — became a target. He often buried victims in his own private “graveyard” behind his trailer.
But it didn’t stop there.
The Ultimate Twist: Killing From Death Row
After finally being sentenced to death in 1976, most expected Gaskins’ killing days to be over. But he had one more twisted act.
While on death row, he was hired by a fellow inmate to kill another prisoner — and he did it by rigging a homemade explosive to a radio. He delivered the radio to the victim, who turned it on… and was blown to pieces inside a maximum-security prison.
Gaskins is the only known person in U.S. history to have committed a murder while on death row.
Psychological Profile
Experts labeled Gaskins a textbook psychopath:
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Zero remorse
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High manipulation skills
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Cruelty for pleasure
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Strong need for control and domination
He loved to boast, lie, and shock. Even his confessions were riddled with contradictions, making it difficult to know what was real and what was part of his twisted ego trip.
The End of the Line
On September 6, 1991, Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins was executed via electric chair in South Carolina. His last words?
“I’m ready to go.”
And just like that, the man once called “the meanest man in America” was finally silenced.
Final Thoughts
Donald Gaskins wasn’t your typical serial killer. He was unpredictable, grotesque, and gleefully evil. His story is one of broken systems, ignored warning signs, and what happens when rage meets opportunity.
And the scariest part? He blended in — just another small man in a quiet Southern town… until it was too late.
Follow Killer Thoughts and Twisted Plots every Twisted Tale Tuesday for true stories that chill your spine and remind you: real life is darker than fiction.
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