Whispers on the Charleston Road
In the early 1800s, travelers heading north from Charleston, South Carolina, often stopped at roadside inns for food and rest. Among these, the Six Mile Wayfarer House gained a dark reputation. It was managed by Lavinia and John Fisher, a popular couple whose charm masked suspicions. Reports began to surface of travelers vanishing after staying at their establishment, yet authorities hesitated to act. The Fishers were well-liked, and no evidence tied them to the disappearances.
The Gang and the Watchman
In February 1819, local vigilantes set out to dismantle a network of criminals said to be operating from the Five Mile and Six Mile houses. They left a man named David Ross to keep watch after their raid. The next morning, Ross was seized by two gang members and brought before the Fishers. Hoping for sympathy, he appealed to Lavinia. Instead, she grabbed him by the throat and drove his head through a window. Ross broke free and raced to Charleston to report the attack.
The Traveler Who Escaped the Trap
Not long after, a traveler named John Peeples arrived at the Six Mile House. Lavinia offered him tea and conversation, pressing him for details about his wealth and business. Peeples disliked tea and discreetly discarded it, later refusing her insistence that he sleep in the bed she offered. He rested upright in a chair by the door. During the night, he awoke to the sound of the bed collapsing, confirming his suspicions. He escaped through the window and alerted the authorities, finally providing the evidence needed to name the Fishers.
Trial, Jailbreak, and the Gallows
Police raided the inn and arrested Lavinia and John Fisher along with accomplices. The couple was convicted not of murder but of highway robbery, which carried the death penalty. They spent nearly a year in the Charleston jail awaiting execution. In September 1819, they attempted escape by lowering themselves on knotted prison linens, but the rope broke, leaving Lavinia behind. Both were recaptured. On February 18, 1820, John Fisher was hanged after declaring his innocence in a letter read by Reverend Richard Furman. Lavinia followed, reportedly defiant until the end.
Aftermath of a Myth
Lavinia Fisher’s name became a fixture of American folklore, often described as the country’s first female serial killer. Historical evidence, however, points to a different truth: she was part of a gang of robbers, not a confirmed murderer. Her burial site remains uncertain, and much of her story endures through rumor and retelling rather than verifiable proof.
Whispers said Lavinia Fisher was America’s first female serial killer. In the 1810s she and her husband John ran the Six Mile Wayfarer House outside Charleston.
Travelers came for rest and vanished. Some said she smiled, poured tea, and led them to rooms they would never leave. pic.twitter.com/TBiVpsqmy7
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) November 3, 2025