Donna R. Perry (born Douglas R. Perry) is an American serial killer. Assigned male at birth, she was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in 2014 for killing three women in 1990. Perry underwent

gender-affirming surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and alle ...

in 2000; her gender identity formed a portion of the defense's argument.

Early life

Perry was sexually abused by her father from age four until her father's death three years later, according to her attorney.

Crimes

Perry's criminal record lists various charges dating back to 1974. In 1987, Perry was charged with reckless endangerment. In 1988, Perry was arrested for possessing a

pipe bomb A pipe bomb is an improvised explosive device which uses a tightly sealed section of pipe (material), pipe filled with an explosive material. The containment provided by the pipe means that simple Explosive material#Low explosives, low explosi ...

and was subsequently found to have 49 guns and 20,000 rounds of ammunition. In 1989, Perry was arrested for soliciting a prostitute. In the late 1990s, Perry spent 18 months in jail after being pulled over in Oregon's red light district with a gun and knife. During this prison sentence, Perry allegedly confessed to her cellmate to killing nine prostitutes. Perry shot and killed Yolanda A. Sapp (26), Nickie I. Lowe (34), and Kathleen A. Brisbois (38) during a four-month period in 1990. Sapp's body was discovered on February 22, Lowe's on March 25, and Brisbois' on May 15. The women were all found naked near the Spokane River, where they were dumped. Until 2012, they were believed to be additional victims of convicted serial killer, Robert L. Yates.

Trial and imprisonment

In March 2012, Perry was convicted for firearms possession. As part of the legal process, her DNA was submitted to a national database, which matched it to DNA relating to the 1990 murders. In a 2012 affidavit, Perry told police that she intentionally had gender-affirmation surgery, which she underwent in Thailand in 2000, "as a permanent way to control violence". In 2014, Perry was charged with three counts of

first-degree murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the c ...

. Perry was originally to stand trial in 2016. However, due to an ethics breach in the Spokane County Public Defender's Office, attorneys Kyle Zeller, Nathan Poston and Brooke Hagara resigned in April of that year, forcing the trial to be postponed. The trial began on June 9, 2017. The prosecution cited DNA and fingerprint evidence in connection to the three killings. A portion of Perry's defense relied on her claim that it was Douglas Perry, not Donna, who may have committed the murders. The prosecution argued, contrarily, that Perry underwent gender-affirmation surgery in order to avoid suspicion in the killings. Perry's defense attorney, Pat Donahue, argued the DNA evidence only proved that Perry was in the area where the crimes took place. On July 24, 2017, Perry was sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole. She is currently detained at the

Washington Corrections Center for Women Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW, originally the Purdy Treatment Center) is a Washington State Department of Corrections women's prison located in Gig Harbor, Washington. With an operating capacity of 740, it is the largest women's p ...

Gig Harbor, Washington Gig Harbor is the name of both a bay on Puget Sound and a city on its shore in Pierce County, Washington,. The population was 12,029 at the 2020 census. Gig Harbor is one of several cities and towns that claim to be "the gateway to the Olympic ...

. The family of Nickie Lowe expressed their desire for Perry to serve her sentence in a men's prison or in isolation to prevent possible harm to more women.

In media

TELEVISION * '' Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer -'' Season 2, Episode 5, “Douglas Perry” (2016) * ''21st Century Serial Killer -'' Season 1, Episode 7'','' “Donna Perry” (2019) * ''Making a Serial Killer -'' Season 1, Episode 4, “Donna Perry”, (2021) * ''

Forensic Files II ''Forensic Files II'' is a revival continuation of the long-running American documentary true crime series ''Forensic Files'', which originally aired from 1996 to 2011 on various networks. Premiering on February 23, 2020, ''Forensic Files IIs f ...

-'' Season 2, Episode 10, "Full Circle” (2021)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Donna 1990 murders in the United States American female serial killers American people convicted of murder American transgender women Date of birth missing (living people) Living people Serial killers from Washington (state) Year of birth missing (living people)