Remains identified as Georgia woman killed in 1977; confirmed as serial killer’s earliest victim

MACON, Ga. — A woman’s remains that were found 46 years ago in Macon, Georgia, have been identified.

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Bibb County Sheriff’s Office said the woman was previously known as the Macon Jane Doe. but she has now been identified as Yvonne Pless. Investigators believe Pless was around 20 years old when she was murdered.

The FBI confirmed to the sheriff’s office that Pless was killed by one of the most prolific serial killers in United States history, Samuel Little.

Little died at the age of 80 in prison in California in 2020. Before he died, Little confessed to killing 93 women between 1970 and 2014, according to WSB-TV. The FBI has confirmed at least 60 of the murders. He confessed to killing eight women in Georgia alone.

Pless was killed in 1977 and is believed to be one of Little’s earliest confirmed victims, the news outlet reported. Her body was found off Arkwright Road in Macon. Pless was linked to Little by an unsubmitted sexual assault kit.

In 2019, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Captain Shermaine Jones traveled to Wise County, Texas, where Little was being held. The sheriff’s office said that Jones confirmed Little’s confessions had matched the unsolved cases in Macon. Both cases were closed with only one of the victims being identified.

Through the unsubmitted sexual assault kit, investigators were able to use forensic genetic genealogy to identify her remains as well as a relative, according to The Associated Press.

Little’s second victim from Macon was Fredonia Smith who was killed at a park in 1982, WSB-TV reported.

“Thanks to the dedication of Captain Shermaine Jones and Director Amy Hutsell, the family members of Yvonne Pless and Fredonia Smith now have closure concerning their missing or victimized loved one. I believe with continued dedication, teamwork, and advancement in technology, we can bring that same closure to other awaiting families,” said Bibb County Sheriff’s Office David Davis in the news release.

Little was only charged and convicted of eight of the murders, WSB-TV reported.