Dateline NBC: How many women did the Bathtub Killer target?

The Bathtub Killer, originally known as Dale Devon Scheanette, had taken the town of Arlington by storm when he murdered Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott and drowned them in their bathtubs in 1996. While the investigations ensued, the authorities linked the perpetrator to a burglary in DeSoto, Texas, only to discover that he had been an active s*x offender and r*pist operating in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area.

The Bathtub Killer had five women survivors who lived to narrate their horrific story and two victims were murdered in 1996. All five women including Jochline Howard, Keisha Ricks, Cicely Stinson, Adriene Fields, and Chima Benson were identified during Scheanette's trial. Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott were both murdered in 1996.

Trigger warning: Mention and description of r*pe, s*xual assault, and murder.

The new Dateline NBC episode, Dark Intentions, will revisit the murders committed by Dale Devon Scheanette or the Bathtub Killer on June 7, 2024, at 9 pm EST on NBC exclusively.

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How many women did the Bathtub Killer s*xually assault?

After Dale Devon Scheanette was arrested and interrogated for the murders of Christine Vu and Wendie Prescott, the authorities linked him to multiple cases of s*xual assault as well. The Bathtub Killer reportedly went about assaulting and terrorizing women in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the years 1998 and 1999.

Scheanette brutally r*ped five different women who were identified during his trial in 2003. The DNA evidence left at the crime scenes matched Scheanette's saliva with a 1 in 1.92 trillion certainty.

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Jochline Howard

According to The Shorthorn, Scheanette was linked to a third crime wherein he attacked and assaulted Jochline Howard in her home on September 21, 1998. Scheanette broke into Howard's home and brutally r*ped her in her children's bedroom.

He threatened to shoot if she alerted the police. The DNA from the crime scene matched Scheanette's saliva sample.

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Keisha Ricks

Scheanette broke into the Dallas police officer Keisha Ricks' apartment on October 2, 1998, and threatened to kill her parents along with her if she called the police. He intimidated the survivor of the assault by reciting her address to prove that he had it memorized.

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Cicely Stinson

On December 18, 1998, the Bathtub Killer broke into the Lancaster apartment of Cicely Stinson while she was in bed with her son. Stinson woke up to Scheanette sitting at the edge of the bed with her two-year-old in another room. During the assault, Stinson threatened harm to her and her son when she screamed.

However, a violent struggle broke out and Cicely unsuccessfully tried to call the police. Eventually, she managed to set herself free and opened the front door to scream and alert her neighbors causing Dale Devon Scheanette to flee.

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Chima Benson

The University of Texas in Arlington student, Chima Benson, was s*xually assaulted by Scheanette in her sorority house on February 23, 1999. Benson bit the Bathtub Killer while he forced her to perform oral s*x. Enraged by the reaction, he beat her and r*ped her.

According to court documents, Chima Benson suffered extensive head and facial injuries including lacerations on her breasts, legs, and groin. Benson underwent two surgeries to ensure that her left eye did not sink into her skull.

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Adriene Fields

Adriene Fields was asleep when she had an intruder break into her home on October 26, 1999. Dale Devon Scheanette jumped onto her bed, overpowered her, and held a pistol to the back of her head. He covered her mouth and brutally r*ped her.

The DNA evidence from the crime scene matched Scheanette's sample with a 1 in 3.89 quadrillion success rate.

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Find all the details about the Bathtub Killer on the latest episode of Dateline as it airs on NBC on Friday, June 7.