A five-part series on the history of Louis B. Gaskin and his victims.
Some say that crime and overall shootings in Flagler County are at an all-time high. Is it because social
media is such a staple to most households now and it’s something everyone talks about, or is it most
people didn’t talk about it or know about it 10, 20, or 30 years ago?
Through my research on local historical events, I have noticed Flagler County has had its fair share of
murders. In the early 1900’s, we had small booming communities like DuPont, St. Johns Park, Espanola,
Shell Bluff, and Neoga, where people came from Georgia, South Carolina, Chicago, Alabama, and
Minnesota, to name a few. Work was plentiful, and the land was cheap. Anyone could get a job at
turpentine stills, sawmills, or farms. (Another great commodity was moonshine, but that is a story for
another day!) While doing historical research on each community and Flagler County, I have found
murder hasn’t changed much over the past century.
I have always wondered what would cause a person to kill another. What goes through their mind? I
have found myself digging through local newspapers, court cases, and calling retired detectives asking
questions about the cases I have found.
One such case is the Flagler County serial killer, also known as the Ninja Killer, Louis B. Gaskin. Born in
Green Cove Springs, Florida, Gaskin’s great grandparents raised him, moving to Bunnell when he was
about five years old.
Gaskin liked hunting, motorcycles, and ninja magazines. He ordered a ninja suit out of a magazine and
wore it often with a ninja mask. He bragged to his aunt about one incident where he crawled through a
house window in his ninja suit, scaring the residents and hurting the one he had an issue with.
Most people who knew Gaskin said he was a typical kid growing up, helping people, taking up for
smaller kids, and being a nice guy. They described him as quiet and reserved. He never got into much
trouble. As a minor he was arrested for theft and burglary. Gaskin started his violent career as a
murderer in 1986 when he was 18 years old.
Gaskin liked hunting, motorcycles, and ninja magazines. He ordered a ninja suit out of a magazine and
wore it often with a ninja mask. He bragged to his aunt about one incident where he crawled through a
house window in his ninja suit, scaring the residents and hurting the one he had an issue with.
Most people who knew Gaskin said he was a typical kid growing up, helping people, taking up for
smaller kids, and being a nice guy. They described him as quiet and reserved. He never got into much
trouble. As a minor he was arrested for theft and burglary. Gaskin started his violent career as a
murderer in 1986 when he was 18 years old.
Charles “Sam” Miller
On November 20, 1986, Gaskin went to Bunnell Cypress Sawmill, where he worked, to borrow money
from Charles “Sam” Miller. Sam, 57, worked and lived in a little trailer behind the mill. Sam would often
lend people money, but he would not lend Gaskin any money that night. Gaskin shot and killed him,
stealing what money he had. He was never a suspect until he confessed three years later.
