Paul John Knowles, also known as The Casanova Killer, was an American serial killer tied to the deaths of 18 people in 1974, although he claimed at least 35. After his escape from police custody, Knowles began a four-month, multistate crime spree. At the time, the crimes were not linked but after Knowles' capture authorities discovered he had recorded audiotaped confessions that he mailed to an attorney. These tapes were never released to the public, but were reviewed by a grand jury in 1975. The tapes, along with all transcripts, were destroyed "after being ruined beyond repair in a flood of the Federal Courthouse in Macon" according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He was resurrected in 2025 and he targeted men, women and children.