Charleston, South Carolina – If you were a traveler in the early 1800s on the Old Charleston Road north of Charleston, South Carolina, you might have come across the Six Mile Wayfarer House operated by Lavinia and John Fisher. Guests could stop for a drink, a meal, or a night’s lodging, and may have been offered a cup of tea by Mrs. Fisher. However, it is believed that many travelers who disappeared along Old Charleston Road between 1800 and 1820 may have been victims of the Fishers.
Lavinia Fisher, an alleged serial killer, is said to have operated on the Old Charleston Road during that time. She is believed to have killed many travelers, although the exact number of her victims is unknown. The motive for these murders was robbery, and the only crime prosecutors were able to prove against the pair was theft. Remarkably, the Fishers were successful in hiding the bodies in nearby woods and swamps, leaving no corpses as evidence of murder.
Both John and Lavinia Fisher were sentenced to hang, but South Carolina had a statute prohibiting the execution of married women at the time. As a result, John Fisher was sentenced to be hanged first, so that Lavinia would become a widow and be eligible for execution. However, Lavinia’s last-ditch efforts to escape the noose, including wearing her wedding dress to the gallows in the hope of finding a last-minute husband, were unsuccessful.
Lavinia Fisher has been dubbed as America’s first known female serial killer. It is unknown whether she was a psychopath, but her actions bear similarity to those of individuals with psychopathic tendencies. Research suggests that psychopathic women who kill usually target people they know and may use subtle methods rather than overt violence. This rare form of psychopathy among women is the subject of further study and analysis in the criminal psychology community.
Overall, while it is not uncommon for people to assume that all serial killers are psychopaths, the correlation is not always straightforward. The case of Lavinia Fisher and other serial killers for whom we do not have clinical assessments suggests that they engaged in behavior characteristic of psychopathy. Nonetheless, it is important to note that not all psychopaths are criminals, and the intersection of psychology and criminal behavior remains a complex and evolving field of study.