Melvin Rees

The Sex Beast

  Active for 3 years
(1957-1959) in United States

5

CONFIRMED
VICTIMS

9

POSSIBLE
VICTIMS
Jump to:
  1. Summary
  2. Serial Killer Profile
  3. Serial Killer Type
  4. General Information
  5. Characteristics
  6. Childhood
  7. Cognitive Ability
  8. Incarceration
  9. Death
  10. 5 Timeline Events
  11. Serial Killers Active During Spree
  12. Boolean Statistical Questions
  13. 11 Books About Melvin Rees
  14. 5 External References
  15. Internal References

Melvin Rees (Melvin David Rees Jr.) an American serial killer known as The Sex Beast. Rees shot and defiled a woman in 1957, he tortured and murdered a family of four in 1959 and is suspected in four other killings. Rees would beat, rape suffocate, strangle torture and shoot his victims. In 1960, the FBI arrested and charged Melvin Rees with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution of a murder in Maryland. At the time of his arrest he was living with a woman who was a nightclub stripper and working at a music store in West Memphis, Arkansas. In 1961, Rees was sentenced to life in prison in Maryland, sentenced to death in Virginia in 1961. His death sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972. Melvin Rees died in prison in 1995.

Melvin Rees Serial Killer Profile

Serial Killer Melvin Rees (aka) The Sex Beast, was active for 3 years between 1957-1959, known to have ( 5 confirmed / 9 possible ) victims. This Serial Killer was active in the following countries: United States

He completed 13 years of school, attended some college, no degree received. He never married. He had no children mentioned.

Prior to his spree he had commited crimes, and served time in jail.

In 1957 Melvin Rees started his killing spree, during his crimes as a serial killer he was known to torture, strangle, rape, and murder his victims. Melvin Rees used a weapon and was in possession of a firearm during his crimes. He was known to kill at the home of the victim. At the time of his crimes he was living with himself, alone travelled around the D.C. area, playing at local jazz clubs, where he was known to work as a serial killer.

He was arrested on June 24th 1960, convicted on February 28th 1961, sentenced to death commuted to life in prison at an unnamed prison in Maryland, US. He was convicted on charges of murder and other possible charges during his lifetime.

Melvin Rees died on July 10th 1995, cause of death: heart attack at a federal facility in Missouri, US.

Profile Completeness: 81%
serial killers by profile completeness

Melvin Rees has been listed on Killer.Cloud since November of 2016 and was last updated 5 years ago.

Melvin Rees a known:

Melvin Rees
Serial Killer Profile:

Updated: 2019-05-12 Collected by Killer.Cloud
General Information
Name: Melvin Rees
Nickname: The Sex Beast
Victims: 5 - 9
Years Active: 1957 - 1959
Active Countries: United States
Convicted Of: murder
Life Span:      - 1995
Characteristics
Gender: Male
Sexual Preference: heterosexual
Marital Status: never married
Children: no children mentioned
Living With: himself, alone travelled around the D.C. area, playing at local jazz clubs
Occupation: serial killer
Childhood Information
D.O.B.: N/A
Given Name: Melvin
Birth Location: an unknown location in 1933
Birth Order: N/A
Siblings: N/A
Raised By: N/A
Birth Category: N/A
Mother: N/A
Father: N/A

Cognitive Ability
IQ: N/A
Highest School: 13 years of school
Highest Degree: some college, no degree

Incarceration
Arrested: Jun 24, 1960
Convicted: Feb 28, 1961
Sentence: death commuted to life in prison
Prison Location: an unnamed prison in Maryland, US
Executed: N/A
Previous Crimes: TRUE
Previous Jail: TRUE
Previous Prison: FALSE

Death Information
Death Date: Jul 10, 1995
Cause of Death: heart attack
Death Location: a federal facility in Missouri, US
Killed In Prison: FALSE
Suicide: FALSE
5 Timeline Events of Serial Killer
Melvin Rees

The 5 dates listed below represent a timeline of the life and crimes of serial killer Melvin Rees. A complete collection of serial killer events can be found on our Serial Killer Timeline.

Date Event Description
1957
Melvin Rees started his serial killing spree. #1957
1959
Melvin Rees ended his serial killing spree. #1959
Jun 24 1960
Melvin Rees arrested. #19600624
Feb 28 1961
Melvin Rees was convictedand sentenced to death commuted to life in prison at an unnamed prison in Maryland, US.  #19610228
Jul 10 1995
Melvin Reesdied.cause of death:heart attackat a federal facility in Missouri, US. #19950710
Back to top Serial Killers Active During

The following serial killers were active during the same time span as Melvin Rees (1957-1959).

Serial Killers By Active Year


30 / 40
ANSWERED
Serial Killer
Boolean Questions:
Killer
Question
Killer
Answer
Total
Answered
previous crimes TRUE 367
previous jail TRUE 352
kill at victims home TRUE 323
used weapon TRUE 453
used gun TRUE 451
rape TRUE 453
torture TRUE 426
strangle TRUE 443
suicide FALSE 225
killed in prison FALSE 218
problems in school FALSE 221
teased in school FALSE 218
physically defect FALSE 300
speach defect FALSE 300
head injury FALSE 299
psychologist FALSE 258
forensic hospital FALSE 257
previous prision FALSE 336
kill at killers home FALSE 320
stalk FALSE 418
blindfold FALSE 363
bound FALSE 406
sex with body FALSE 430
mutilated FALSE 447
ate part of body FALSE 451
drank blood FALSE 442
posed body FALSE 365
totem body part FALSE 365
totem personal item FALSE 354
robbed FALSE 418


Books that Mention Melvin Rees

Book: Serial Killer Rapists (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Kevin Smith
Serial Killer Rapists
Book: Serial Killers (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Peter Vronsky
Serial Killers
Book: The Serial Killer Files (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Harold Schechter
The Serial Killer Files
Book: The Giant Book of Bad Guys (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Ian Schott
The Giant Book of Bad Guys
Book: Rope (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Michael Newton
Rope
Book: American Murder (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Mike Mayo
American Murder
Book: The Texarkana Moonlight Murders (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Michael Newton
The Texarkana Moonlight Murders
Book: American Murder: Homicide in the ea... (mentions serial killer Melvin Rees)
Gini Graham Scott
American Murder: Homicide in the early 20th c...

11 Books that mention Serial Killer
Melvin Rees

ISBN10 Book Title Killers
1733630619 Serial Killer Rapists 266
0425196402 Serial Killers 24
0345472004 The Serial Killer Files 20
1845297520 The Giant Book of Bad Guy... 4
0671017470 Rope 3
1578592569 American Murder 4
1476605785 The Texarkana Moonlight M... 2
0275999777 American Murder: Homicide... 1
0816069875 The Encyclopedia of Seria... 108
1629149381 Evil 1
0313024766 American Murder [Two Volu... 4

Melvin David Rees (1933 – 1995) was an American serial killer who committed five murders in Virginia and Maryland between 1957 and 1959. He murdered and sexually assaulted Margaret Harold, the girlfriend of US Army soldier Sgt. Roy D. Hudson, during a highway encounter near Annapolis; two years later, he murdered the four members of the Jackson family near Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Wikipedia
External References
  1. Q6814059 on www.wikidata.org, Retrieved on Mar 17, 2019.
  2. Melvin Rees on en.wikipedia.org, Retrieved on Mar 17, 2019.
  3. Juan Ignacio Blanco, Melvin David REES Jr. on murderpedia.org, Retrieved on Mar 17, 2019.
  4. Death of Innocence: Jackson Family Murders Shock Area on www.fredericksburg.com, Retrieved on Mar 17, 2019.
  5. A serial killer preys upon a woman out for a drive on www.history.com, Retrieved on Mar 17, 2019.
Internal References

Melvin Rees is included in the following pages on Killer.Cloud the Serial Killer Database

  1. #64 of 89[ Page 5 ] of Serial Killer Torturers sorted by Confirmed Victims
  2. #166 of 250[ Page 12 ] of Serial Killer Stranglers sorted by Confirmed Victims
  3. #204 of 327[ Page 14 ] of Serial Killers active in the United States
  4. #205 of 307[ Page 14 ] of Serial Killer Rapist sorted by Confirmed Victims
  5. #219 of 651[ Page 15 ] of serial killers sorted by Profile Completeness
  6. #386 of 651[ Page 26 ] of serial killers sorted by Years Active
  7. #411 of 651[ Page 28 ] of serial killers sorted by Confirmed Victims
  8. #491 of 651[ Page 33 ] of the A-Z List of Serial Killers
Statistics:
Serial Killers Statistics, charts Melvin Rees is included in: Active Serial Killers by Country, Serial Killers By Gender, Serial Killers IQ Level, Highest Degree Achieved, Sexual Preference, Active Serial Killers by Year and Statistical Boolean Questions.
Years Active: