SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man described by law enforcement as a serial killer linked to the deaths and disappearances of at least four women pleaded guilty Tuesday to kidnapping resulting in death.
Daniel Printz, 59, of Bostic was sentenced to life in prison without parole in return for his cooperation in helping law enforcement solve various kidnappings and killings with which he has been associated, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Printz pleaded guilty to kidnapping resulting in the death of Edna Suttles, 80, who disappeared from her Travelers Rest, South Carolina, home in late August 2021. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Holloway told the court that Printz sedated Suttles and then drove her back to North Carolina, where he killed her and buried her on a friend’s property.
Evidence showed Printz used a plastic bag to suffocate her, according a criminal complaint. In May, the FBI recovered Suttles’ remains in a wooded area in Rutherfordton, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of Charlotte.
Printz accepted responsibility for the deaths or disappearances of three other women, including a mother and daughter, according to the plea agreement. Prosecutors said he has a prior conviction for kidnapping in Michigan and is a suspect in disappearances involving elderly women, according to court records.
Because of the number of his victims, federal prosecutors could have sought the death penalty against Printz but instead made the plea agreement.
Printz entered his guilty plea in federal court in Spartanburg. His crimes became a federal case because he transported Suttles’ body across state lines into North Carolina.
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