Lorenzo Jerome Gilyard, Jr. is an American serial killer. A former trash company supervisor, Gilyard is alleged to have raped and murdered 13 women and girls from 1977 to 1993. He was convicted of six counts of murder on March 16, 2007.

Gilyard was a convicted child molester, having raped the 13-year-old daughter of a friend. Probation records show that from 1969 to 1974 he was suspected of five rapes, but was never convicted. Gilyard became a suspect in 1987 in the murder of Sheila Ingold. A crime lab later linked all 13 victims to one killer using DNA testing. A blood sample Gilyard provided in the 1987 investigation led to the murder charges. Of his known victims, 12 were murdered between 1977 and 1989 and it is assumed, but not proven, that he stopped killing in 1993.

Gilyard was tried on seven first-degree murder charges. The prosecution focused mainly on DNA evidence that criminal forensics experts shows he had sex with the victims around the time they were killed. All the victims had several things in common: All were found dead during the same one and a half year period, all were left in secluded or obstructed locations, all were strangled, all showed signs that they were involved in a struggle, all were missing their shoes and all but one showed distinct signs of sexual intercourse. Gilyard was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

One page handwritten letter. Letter is general content and is signed. Original matching handwritten envelope is included.