Robert Garrow (March 4, 1936-September 11, 1978) was an American serial killer who was active in New York in the early 1970s.
Born in the Upstate New York village of Dannemora, Garrow was regularly physically abused by both his parents with whatever was handy, even bricks. He worked on nearby farms throughout childhood and adolescence, where he developed a taste for bestiality. He was sent to a reform school at 15 for punching his father, and joined the Air Force upon his release. He was court-martialed a year later for stealing money from a superior officer, and spent six months in a military prison in Florida. After a failed escape attempt, he spent a year in another stockade in Georgia.
He returned to New York in 1957, married and fathered a son, but his life did not improve; after being fired from a series of menial jobs, including from a fast food restaurant he burglarized, he was arrested for rape in 1961 and spent seven years in prison. He began his murder spree soon after his release.
He murdered three people in July 1973, including a young woman whom he kidnaped and repeatedly raped before killing. He was arrested weeks later for the rape of two prepubescent girls. He jumped bail and became a fugitive. He murdered a high school-aged camper in the Adirondacks few days later, spurring on a statewide manhunt. After murdering four other teenagers, Garrow was cornered by state police and arrested.