NEW ORLEANS -- The Louisiana serial killer's first known victim was murdered about a month after suspect Derrick Todd Lee was released from prison on other charges.

In the months before Sept. 24, 2001, when Gina Wilson Green was killed, Lee was serving time on two separate charges under circumstances that worked to his advantage, but may have had tragic consequences for Green.

In December 1999, Lee was convicted of stalking a St. Francisville woman. His lawyer said Lee pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison.

During that same period, Lee was arrested on a second set of charges involving aggravated battery, aggravated flight, simple criminal damage and attempted murder of a police officer.

"I understand he ran a road block," West Feliciana Parish Sheriff Austin Daniel said. "It wasn't like he tried to shoot a police officer or anything. But I can't say any more."

In Janaury 2000, while in jail on the stalking charges, Lee's lawyer said Lee agreed to plead guilty to charges of aggravated flight. The other charges -- including attempted murder of a police officer -- were dropped.

Lee was sentenced to 24 months of hard time. Combined with the six months for stalking, it added up to 30 months behind bars if the charges ran consecutively, and Lee would have remained in jail until the summer of 2002.

But as part of the plea bargain, the 24 months were to run concurrently with the six-month stalking sentence. Also, Lee was given credit for time served in jail while awaiting trial.

According to court officials, on Nov. 15, 2000, a formal motion was filed in court noting that Lee's time on the stalking and aggravated flight were to run concurrently, and that with credit for time served awaiting formal charges, Lee had just nine months left to serve, putting his release date some time in August 2001.