Robert Charles Browne

Robert Charles Browne (born October 31, 1952) is an American man convicted of two murders and serving a double-life sentence in the Florida State Prison. Browne is also self-professed serial killer, alleging that he killed 48 people, mostly women and one in South Vietnam during his time in the US Military. Though many claims made by Browne remain uncorroborated, if accurate his account would make him one of the most prolific serial killers in American history.

Biography
Browne was born in Coushatta, Louisiana. According to a Red River Parrish Sheriff, Browne grew up as one of nine children in a hardscrabble family. He was a high school dropout who joined the United States Army and served from 1969 to 1976, when he was dishonorably discharged for drug abuse.

Murder of Heather Dawn Church
Browne was arrested on March 28, 1995, on the charge of first-degree murder for the September 17, 1991, killing of Heather Dawn Church, 13. Although he initially pleaded not guilty to the charges, on May 25, 1995, in a plea agreement, he changed his plea to guilty so that prosecutors would not seek the death penalty.

Later confessions
On July 27, 2006, in a similar plea agreement, he confessed to the death of Rocio Delpilar Sperry, 15, who was killed on November 10, 1987, at an apartment complex. Sperry's body has never been recovered.

In his confession, authorities say Browne admitted to murdering up to 48 other people in a period spanning from 1970 until his arrest. Browne instigated a new investigation by sending a cryptic letter to the authorities in 2000. The letter read, "Seven sacred virgins entombed side by side, those less worthy are scattered wide, the score is you 1, the other team 48.” The letter included a hand-drawn map with outlines of Colorado, Washington, California, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, with a number written inside each state.

Reception to Browne's claims has been mixed. John Suthers, Colorado politician and former state Attorney General, has stated that Browne's story is credible. Journalist Dave Herrera, in contrast, has expressed skepticism about Browne's claims of being a serial killer. Herrera notes that no bodies have been discovered or definitely linked to Browne and only seven of his confessions are detailed enough for even a tentative link to an unsolved crime. Herrera argues that Browne is motivated by a desire for attention and/or better medical care, and further describes previous journalistic investigation of Browne's claims as "surprisingly slipshod" and uncritical of his story.