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Final Truth: The Autobiography of Pee Wee Gaskins
Final Truth is the story of serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins, told in his own words from death row in the months leading up to his execution in the South Carolina electric chair. Final Truth reveals in disturbing detail how a five foot, three inches tall man from a small country town became one of the most prolific serial killers of the twentieth century.
During his time on Earth, Pee Wee Gaskins married six women and divorced only once. He escaped reformatory and prison multiple times, worked as a carny, fathered many kids, drove a hearse, spent time in federal prison with notorious New York gangster Frank Costello, lead a stolen car ring, became a legendary power man in South Carolina’s most brutal prison, and left a trail of corpses everywhere he travelled. To this day, Pee Wee Gaskins remains the only person in American history to kill an inmate on death row, the crime for which he was ultimately sentenced to death.
But beware. Final Truth is violent, disturbing, offensive, and terrible. It contains nightmarish scenes of murder and ultraviolence not intended for readers younger than 21 years of age or those with sensitive dispositions. For those brave enough to read the most outrageous story ever told, Final Truth will haunt your heart and terrorize your dreams.
During his time on Earth, Pee Wee Gaskins married six women and divorced only once. He escaped reformatory and prison multiple times, worked as a carny, fathered many kids, drove a hearse, spent time in federal prison with notorious New York gangster Frank Costello, lead a stolen car ring, became a legendary power man in South Carolina’s most brutal prison, and left a trail of corpses everywhere he travelled. To this day, Pee Wee Gaskins remains the only person in American history to kill an inmate on death row, the crime for which he was ultimately sentenced to death.
But beware. Final Truth is violent, disturbing, offensive, and terrible. It contains nightmarish scenes of murder and ultraviolence not intended for readers younger than 21 years of age or those with sensitive dispositions. For those brave enough to read the most outrageous story ever told, Final Truth will haunt your heart and terrorize your dreams.
219 pages, Hardcover
Published October 15, 2021
251 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
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May 26, 2024do yourself a favor and skip this one. This is a man who deserves to be forgotten.
December 30, 2024
I really enjoyed this book! I think it clearly demonstrates the evil and corrupt thinking that most serial killers have. It feels like a raw interview of someone so despicable, and each new chapter brings a new type of fear to what heinous acts might be committed next.
September 5, 2025
Oh my God…this book. I wouldn’t have read it if it wasn’t a book club book. You can’t even check it out from the library it’s so bad. There were so many pages in this book I wasn’t sure if I would cry or throw up. I just felt rolling waves of sadness, nausea and disgust at reading the words of South Carolinas most prolific serial killer (he estimates 110 bodies), and one of the most disgusting human beings to ever live. These are real women and children (one was a toddler) that he describes his extreme pleasure of the despicable things he did to them in detail. They had families who loved them. They didn’t deserve to go through horrific final moments before getting dumped ceremoniously into our low country swamps here. I’m glad the state finally put him down in 1991, shame on them for taking so long to do it.
November 14, 2023
Utterly disturbing. I would not have finished reading if I hadn’t read this for work purposes. It was disturbing being in the mind of a serial killer, thought provoking on the argument of nature vs nurture, and wildly explicit. I’ve never seen a book with an age warning on it, and this one truly lives up to that. Aside from the psychological effects of reading this book, the starts are lost due to simple grammatical errors that publishers should have caught.
Overall this book was eye opening, but easily the most disturbing and chilling thing I have ever laid eyes on.
Overall this book was eye opening, but easily the most disturbing and chilling thing I have ever laid eyes on.
November 26, 2022
This was really a great read. I only give it 4 stars due to the grammatical errors. On one hand, you’ve got the poor grammar as spoken by Pee Wee Gaskins himself, which is no issue to me. I’m happy to read his words spoken, such as “knowed” and “favoritest”. These are the words of a poorly educated individual and it gives the reader more insight into Gaskins’ persona; it provides the experience of knowing the serial killer in a deeper way, while reading about his life.
The errors that were not so great, were those that the publisher never fixed before printing. As follows, here are some examples of what I found:
“…they took off the cuffs and manacles and locked me inside the room to wait f23or my lawyer…” (p.71)
“…I told them that if they ever crossed me again, I would string them up and cut off their halls.” (p.85)
On p.119, there are about 8 spaces between two words in a sentence
“So I decided to move away from Sumter. wwwCharleston was my choice.” (p.121)
“…truth was, my wife went off 164omewhere else…” (p.164)
These unfortunate errors just diluted my reading experience. I had to shake my head, as it seems as though a robot edited this work. This is the first edition by Monster Publishing. I do hope that they do not intend to publish anymore if these sort of works are their norm. If they do, I hope they do a better job at editing. The original autobiography of Gaskins was published in the 1990’s, and copies of the book nowadays are selling for over $300 each. It’s great that Monster Publishing is making more affordable reprints, but you have to wonder if these print errors were actually in the originals or not?
Going past the printing errors, this book kept me entirely engaged. Books on serial killers have always interested me. Some public opinions about such books are: Why read something so morbid? Why are you interested in this kind of stuff? For me, the answer is that the human psyche is so complex and intriguing. I like to read into what exactly causes a human being to do such horrible things to another human being? In this case, as in the cases of many other renown killers, it started due to childhood abuse.
Also, why forget? Why bury horrible truths because they are so cringeworthy? Just because we don’t like the things we read or hear, doesn’t make them any less real. Should we bury the past just because it’s horrible? I don’t think so — it’s the same reason we’ve never forgotten The Holocaust.
All that said, this read is engaging and interesting. It caused many different emotions in me: pity for both the victims and the killer, sadness, anger, arousal, laughter…. You name it — read this book and you’ll feel it.
The errors that were not so great, were those that the publisher never fixed before printing. As follows, here are some examples of what I found:
“…they took off the cuffs and manacles and locked me inside the room to wait f23or my lawyer…” (p.71)
“…I told them that if they ever crossed me again, I would string them up and cut off their halls.” (p.85)
On p.119, there are about 8 spaces between two words in a sentence
“So I decided to move away from Sumter. wwwCharleston was my choice.” (p.121)
“…truth was, my wife went off 164omewhere else…” (p.164)
These unfortunate errors just diluted my reading experience. I had to shake my head, as it seems as though a robot edited this work. This is the first edition by Monster Publishing. I do hope that they do not intend to publish anymore if these sort of works are their norm. If they do, I hope they do a better job at editing. The original autobiography of Gaskins was published in the 1990’s, and copies of the book nowadays are selling for over $300 each. It’s great that Monster Publishing is making more affordable reprints, but you have to wonder if these print errors were actually in the originals or not?
Going past the printing errors, this book kept me entirely engaged. Books on serial killers have always interested me. Some public opinions about such books are: Why read something so morbid? Why are you interested in this kind of stuff? For me, the answer is that the human psyche is so complex and intriguing. I like to read into what exactly causes a human being to do such horrible things to another human being? In this case, as in the cases of many other renown killers, it started due to childhood abuse.
Also, why forget? Why bury horrible truths because they are so cringeworthy? Just because we don’t like the things we read or hear, doesn’t make them any less real. Should we bury the past just because it’s horrible? I don’t think so — it’s the same reason we’ve never forgotten The Holocaust.
All that said, this read is engaging and interesting. It caused many different emotions in me: pity for both the victims and the killer, sadness, anger, arousal, laughter…. You name it — read this book and you’ll feel it.
April 14, 2023
Riveting Book about Serial Killer Donald Gaskins
Fascinating Book written by Donald Henry Gaskins aka Pee Wee Gaskins and Wilton Earle. I have been fascinated by true crime books since I was 11 and have read thousands of them in the thirty one years since I started reading them. This book was one of my favorites because it was a first hand account that was actually written by the serial killer. Pee Wee Gaskins was one of the most notorious serial killers ever and he was convicted of committing thirteen murders, including a death row inmate that he was hired to kill by the son of the man's victims and used smuggled in C4 to make a homemade bomb and blew him to pieces. After he was identified and then convicted and sentenced to the death penalty he was kept in solitary confinement under inhumane conditions until he was transferred to the new death row and started cooperating with Wilton Earle on Final Truth. He was executed in September 1991 and his last words were "I am ready to go."
Fascinating Book written by Donald Henry Gaskins aka Pee Wee Gaskins and Wilton Earle. I have been fascinated by true crime books since I was 11 and have read thousands of them in the thirty one years since I started reading them. This book was one of my favorites because it was a first hand account that was actually written by the serial killer. Pee Wee Gaskins was one of the most notorious serial killers ever and he was convicted of committing thirteen murders, including a death row inmate that he was hired to kill by the son of the man's victims and used smuggled in C4 to make a homemade bomb and blew him to pieces. After he was identified and then convicted and sentenced to the death penalty he was kept in solitary confinement under inhumane conditions until he was transferred to the new death row and started cooperating with Wilton Earle on Final Truth. He was executed in September 1991 and his last words were "I am ready to go."
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November 25, 2024Yeah, this hillbilly bumpkin fuck’s legacy cannot transcend through literature… I will take no part in rewarding such sub-humanity.
I’d say something like “had Pee Wee been a fictional character, it’d be pretty compelling,” but if this story has any value at all, it’s BECAUSE he was real. The meek, almost indifferent tone in which he reflects the sadomasochistic component of his sexual identity, being regularly gang-raped at a lockdown reform school, describing the grisly abuse of young girls… it is viscerally disgusting, and more than that, it’s frightening.
So, had this been a work of fiction, it’d be far more worthless and self-aggrandizing than it already is.
I’d say something like “had Pee Wee been a fictional character, it’d be pretty compelling,” but if this story has any value at all, it’s BECAUSE he was real. The meek, almost indifferent tone in which he reflects the sadomasochistic component of his sexual identity, being regularly gang-raped at a lockdown reform school, describing the grisly abuse of young girls… it is viscerally disgusting, and more than that, it’s frightening.
So, had this been a work of fiction, it’d be far more worthless and self-aggrandizing than it already is.
September 28, 2024
Trigger Warning!Highly Disturbing
Trigger warning! So, this book is highly disturbing in the details given of all of the offenses committed and I strongly suggest if you are any type of SA survivor you save yourself the pain and NOT read this book .
The facts about how many murders this guy claims are highly disputed....the official count attributed to him has always been 11...both before and after this book. He, obviously claims many more than that.
If you are truly interested in reading the thoughts of an evil person, this is the book for you.
Trigger warning! So, this book is highly disturbing in the details given of all of the offenses committed and I strongly suggest if you are any type of SA survivor you save yourself the pain and NOT read this book .
The facts about how many murders this guy claims are highly disputed....the official count attributed to him has always been 11...both before and after this book. He, obviously claims many more than that.
If you are truly interested in reading the thoughts of an evil person, this is the book for you.
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May 27, 2025So this book I feel like I couldn’t give it a rating. It was an interesting read to be in the mind of a serial killer, BUT when I say he was a horrible, sick individual. I still cannot believe some of the things he did and said in this book. Then again, if you have interests in things like really knowing why they do what they do, their feelings, the things that make them tick when it comes to torturous acts. Then I would suggest this. He wrote it himself. It truly is a truth tell all book. Disturbing individual.
June 8, 2025
I don’t even know how to rate this. 3.5⭐️? Wtf. At first, I’m not gonna lie, I felt bad for how his upbringing was but that soon changed when I learned of all the murders he did! What blew my mind was how he was able to carry n dig up graves for all of his victims while being a lil guy as Pee Wee is described to be. He also managed to marry 6 times! The ‘lawmen’ as he called them would’ve never solved his crimes if it weren’t for Pee Wee himself leading them to them in order to get plea deals. Overall, I was intrigued from the jump because I had never heard of this serial killer.
July 16, 2025
I found this book off a recommendation and boy am I glad I did. Serial killers fascinate me and Pee Wee Gaskins is extremely fascinating. He titled this book Final Truth and it sure is. I used to think Samuel Little and Gary Ridgeway were bad, but this guy out does them.
He's very descriptive in his stories. He has what he calls Coastal Kills and Serious Murders. Their is alot of rape in his life. He's driven by sexual need for sure. Be prepared going into this book it's very graphic and very violent. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.
He's very descriptive in his stories. He has what he calls Coastal Kills and Serious Murders. Their is alot of rape in his life. He's driven by sexual need for sure. Be prepared going into this book it's very graphic and very violent. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.
October 16, 2025
Nothing hits harder than the true story of a serial killer, told by the serial killer. This book is an autobiography of Donald “pee wee” Gaskins. He gives the reader an in depth account of his life, crimes, sexual assaults, murders and body disposals. Now I’m gonna admit I hadn’t actually heard of Pee Wee Gaskins before I read this book. It was recommended to me by a friend based on the kind of books I like to read. And from start to finish I didn’t want to put this one down. It’s a bit like a car crash, you know it’s a disaster, but you just have to look!
August 4, 2024
Horrible story... But I couldn't stop reading
Interesting to learn how a stone cold killer feels and what he did in his life between these horrible murders he committed . He never apologized for any of his crimes and I don't think he felt one bit sorry for any of them ..but he did have people he loved .. and strangely had people who loved him .. even though I think a lot of his stories are lies,it was a interesting read
Interesting to learn how a stone cold killer feels and what he did in his life between these horrible murders he committed . He never apologized for any of his crimes and I don't think he felt one bit sorry for any of them ..but he did have people he loved .. and strangely had people who loved him .. even though I think a lot of his stories are lies,it was a interesting read
May 20, 2025
Just Wow
I grew up in the SC low country and Pee Wee was was like the boogie man we were all afraid of in high school. He is probably the reason I'm such a fan of true crime. As horrible as his crimes were, I enjoyed this telling in his "voice" and feel like I got a peek inside his head and is an excellent example of how a criminal can be made under a particular set of circumstances and life events.
I grew up in the SC low country and Pee Wee was was like the boogie man we were all afraid of in high school. He is probably the reason I'm such a fan of true crime. As horrible as his crimes were, I enjoyed this telling in his "voice" and feel like I got a peek inside his head and is an excellent example of how a criminal can be made under a particular set of circumstances and life events.
May 30, 2025
I can’t really rate this book. Or maybe I don’t want to. Let’s just say that my 3 stars are for literary style, not the actual content. Don’t read it. It is disturbing. I hate that my brain has now been exposed to the explicit imagery that exists as a testament to this man’s life. If you don’t believe that evil exists, this book will prove you 100% WRONG. And I regret the decision that I gave in to the temptation of needing to see how the story ends. I wish I would have never.
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July 5, 2025I'm not going to rate this one just because of who wrote it
There were a lot of grammatical errors which, typically would bother me, but again, because of the person that wrote it, I could overlook that. I don't think I knew about this guy before reading this book, while it was interesting to hear about his "side" of everything, he was obviously a sick person.
I'm just going to leave it at that!
There were a lot of grammatical errors which, typically would bother me, but again, because of the person that wrote it, I could overlook that. I don't think I knew about this guy before reading this book, while it was interesting to hear about his "side" of everything, he was obviously a sick person.
I'm just going to leave it at that!
August 29, 2025
I've always been intrigued by psychology and especially of the psychology of serial killers. This book was by far the most intense, disturbing book I've ever read. I did give it 4 stars because of its honesty, and in general, most serial killers don't give this much information from them. But readers beware, it is extremely graphic, and there are some very difficult, highly disturbing parts to read. He also compares himself to God, which bothered me quite a bit as a Christian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2023
I hope he's in hell
I'd not heard of this serial killer before. What a monster who describes with obvious pleasure how he enjoyed his life of killing. I hope families of missing girls who have never been found don't read this and wonder if it is their daughter or in some cases son. Can I recommend this book. No. It's just too evil. I wonder what John Douglas made of him.
I'd not heard of this serial killer before. What a monster who describes with obvious pleasure how he enjoyed his life of killing. I hope families of missing girls who have never been found don't read this and wonder if it is their daughter or in some cases son. Can I recommend this book. No. It's just too evil. I wonder what John Douglas made of him.
July 29, 2025
If I didn’t have OCD and NEEDED to finish this book, I definitely would have stopped.
Easily the most disgusting and disturbing book I’ve ever read. There aren’t enough trigger warnings on this….literally made me sick to my stomach…which, I know, it’s written by a serial killer but I was not prepared for some of the things he did and told in detail….
Easily the most disgusting and disturbing book I’ve ever read. There aren’t enough trigger warnings on this….literally made me sick to my stomach…which, I know, it’s written by a serial killer but I was not prepared for some of the things he did and told in detail….
March 2, 2024
Very disturbing read. I’m not sure what prompted me to want to read this. Pee Wee Gaskins was a horrible human being, and his words in this book are haunting. The things he did and got away with are just awful.
April 14, 2024
Warped
That’s one word for this book. It’s so interesting to see inside his mind and the last couple pages won’t ever leave my mind. If you have a strong stomach and love these sorts of things definitely worth the read
That’s one word for this book. It’s so interesting to see inside his mind and the last couple pages won’t ever leave my mind. If you have a strong stomach and love these sorts of things definitely worth the read
June 10, 2024
Creepiest book I have read. The crimes werent the most gruesome I have read BUT the POV being his gave me nightmares this book kicked me right into fantasy books after years of true crime and non fiction.
August 13, 2024
Truly a horrific individual, this man deserved worse than the electric chair. Warning this is extremely gruesome read. The acts this man performed are absolutely and utterly despicable, luckily he did not go into as much detail as he could have or I wouldn’t have been able to finish this book.
December 21, 2024
Engrossing!
This is a very interesting story and if recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach and preference for the darker side of life. Pee Wee was a very relatable character who just happened to do bad things and they're all laid bare right here!
This is a very interesting story and if recommend it to anyone with a strong stomach and preference for the darker side of life. Pee Wee was a very relatable character who just happened to do bad things and they're all laid bare right here!
May 19, 2025
If you value your brain, don’t bother reading this. Gore/violence did not bother me.. but it was pretty bad.. HOWSOMEEVER … *eye roll* the way that Pee Wee speaks, scrambles my brain. I finished the book because I never heard of Pee Wee before and wanted to know more about his story.
May 24, 2025
No words
Im not sure i have enough words to write a review on this one.
It was very informative, hard to read at times but it was refreshing to hear from.the serial killers side albeit very harrowing.
Im not sure i have enough words to write a review on this one.
It was very informative, hard to read at times but it was refreshing to hear from.the serial killers side albeit very harrowing.
May 31, 2025
New Serial Killer
Never really knew about him. If everything is remotely true than man.. Ted Bundy who? Pee Wee was crazy... I wished they would have tallied home many murders he actually done, the ones the police found. Mind is blown
Never really knew about him. If everything is remotely true than man.. Ted Bundy who? Pee Wee was crazy... I wished they would have tallied home many murders he actually done, the ones the police found. Mind is blown
June 7, 2025
Woh
If you need a deep dive into human psyche and wonder what the hell has to happen to a person to treat other humans so disrespectfully, this book and PeeWee is your man.
Holy hell I need a pallet cleanser after this uncomfortable read.
If you need a deep dive into human psyche and wonder what the hell has to happen to a person to treat other humans so disrespectfully, this book and PeeWee is your man.
Holy hell I need a pallet cleanser after this uncomfortable read.
July 5, 2025
Morbidly Fascinating
I enjoy reading true crime, but I've never read a book like this before. It's unvarnished honesty, often sprinkled with wit. He was a horrifying man who also happens to be a good story teller.
I enjoy reading true crime, but I've never read a book like this before. It's unvarnished honesty, often sprinkled with wit. He was a horrifying man who also happens to be a good story teller.
April 10, 2022
Very interesting and hard read. Not for the faint of heart or those with weak stomachs. Many grammatical errors as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews