An Australian-American serial killer and former FBI Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive named Christopher Wilder may still be tied to a number of unsolved murders in Florida and New York. Wilder, a millionaire race car driver and photographer known as the "Beauty Queen Killer" and the "Snapshot Killer," died in 1984 during a shootout with New Hampshire State Police when he was caught after a two-month murder spree that left at least eight women dead and others missing.
Australian-American serial killer Christopher Wilder, known as the "Beauty Queen Killer" and the "Snapshot Killer," may be tied to a number of unsolved murders in Florida and New York, despite his death in 1984.
Wilder's serial killings left a trail of terror across the United States in the 1980s. He targeted young women, offering them modeling opportunities before luring them into his clutches. Wilder's victims were often found dead, posing for photographs he had taken of them.
Although Wilder's killing spree officially ended with his death, authorities believe he may be responsible for other unsolved murders. In particular, three cases in Florida and New York have drawn the attention of investigators.
In 1979, 16-year-old Tammy Jo Alexander disappeared from Florida. Her remains were found three years later in New York, but she was not identified until 2015. Alexander was wearing a particular jacket that has been linked to Wilder. Authorities suspect she may have been dragged into a cornfield and shot to death.
In 1983, 17-year-old Shari Lynne Ball vanished from Florida. Four months later, her body was discovered in western New York. Ball had reportedly told her family she was traveling to New York with an unknown friend to pursue a modeling career. New York State Police have not ruled out Wilder as a suspect, as his modus operandi matches the circumstances of Ball's disappearance.
In 1983, 18-year-old Tammy Lee Leppert disappeared from Florida. Her mother alleged that Wilder had met her daughter on the set of a movie and that he had traveled to Florida to photograph her. However, Leppert's mother dropped her lawsuit after Wilder's death.
In addition to these three cases, Wilder has also been unofficially linked to several unsolved murders in Palm Beach County, Florida, where he owned land. In 1982, the remains of an unidentified woman were found on Wilder's property.
The FBI continues to investigate the possibility of Wilder's involvement in these and other unsolved murders. The extent of his crimes may never be fully known, but the possibility that this serial killer's trail of terror reached beyond the victims he admitted to killing casts a chilling shadow over the past.
