PHOENIX, Arizona –
Mark Sawyer, 70, has reportedly been eluding police for more than 50 years, as he has been sought in connection with a staggering 400 murders. The slayings have taken place in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and Guam, dating back to his first accused killing in 1964 when he was just 17.
Sawyer was arrested after his current girlfriend, Denise Marvel, 60, recognized him from an old episode of the TV series Unsolved Mysteries, which was just recently added to the streaming service Amazon Prime.
“I used to love the show when it was on back in the day, and I thought I’d give it a try again. I was very, very surprised to see that my boyfriend, Mark, was wanted!” said Marvel. “I was scared, but I called the police. He killed so many people!”
Sawyer has admitted to killing 9 people in the last 6 months, but he says he can’t, for sure, admit to all 400-plus murders.
“I know I’ve killed some people, maybe 9 or 10 since last summer, but before that, everything is a blur. I mean, I can barely remember my own birthday, let alone how many people I might or might not have killed over the years,” said Sawyer. “It’s not like I kept a journal. God, at least I don’t think I did. It’s really hard getting old.”
Police say that Sawyer’s spree being brought to an end is one of the “biggest catches” any of them have ever seen. Federal databases show that most serial killers do not have such a long span of recorded crimes, and none have ever had as many connected crimes as Sawyer.
“Mark Sawyer has murdered more people than, perhaps, any serial killer in history,” said Police Chief Jesus Mendez of the Phoenix Police Department. “He definitely tops the 130 by Columbian serial killer Louis Garavito. I’m just so glad that he settled here in Phoenix, so it can be our department on record for the arrest. He’s the biggest fish we’ve ever had!”
If convicted, Sawyer will be sentenced to death.