William Suff

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William Suff
William Lester Suff.png
Born
Bill Lee Suff

(1950-08-20) August 20, 1950 (age 71)
Torrance, California, U.S.
Other namesWilliam Lester Suff
The Riverside Prostitute Killer
The Lake Elsinore Killer
Conviction(s)Attempted murder
Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath Penalty on October 26, 1995 (de jure)
Details
Victims13+
Span of crimes
1974–1992
CountryUnited States
State(s)Texas, California
Date apprehended
January 9, 1992

William Lester Suff (born Bill Lee Suff; August 20, 1950), also known as The Riverside Prostitute Killer and The Lake Elsinore Killer, is an American serial killer.

Early crimes[]

In 1974, a Texas jury convicted Suff and his then-wife, Cheryl, of beating their two-month-old daughter to death.[1] The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals later reversed Cheryl's conviction but upheld Suff's in Suff v. State (Tex. 1976) 531 S.W.2d 814, finding insufficient evidence to convict her as either the primary actor or a principal in their baby's murder.[2]

Though Suff was sentenced to 70 years in a Texas prison, he served only ten years before his 1984 release on parole. He is currently incarcerated at San Quentin after having been convicted of killing twelve women in California and receiving the death penalty in 1995.[3]

Murders[]

Suff subsequently raped, tortured, stabbed, strangled, and sometimes mutilated 12 or more women in Riverside County between June 28, 1989, and December 23, 1991. On January 9, 1992, Suff was arrested after a routine traffic stop when a police officer found a bloody knife and objects believed to be related to the killings.[4]

Described as a mild-mannered loner, Suff worked as a warehouse clerk for Riverside County when he was arrested, having been hired while still on parole from Texas. During his time in this job, Suff delivered office furniture to the officers on the task force investigating his killing spree.[5][6]

Trial[]

On July 19, 1995, a Riverside County jury found Suff guilty of killing 12 women and attempting to kill another, though police suspected him responsible for as many as 22 deaths. Suff did not testify in his own defense. During the penalty phase that followed, the prosecutor presented evidence linking Suff to the 1988 murder of a San Bernardino woman, as well as evidence that despite his prior Texas prison term for murdering his first daughter, he abused and violently shook his three-month-old daughter by his second wife. On August 17, 1995, after deliberating for only 10 minutes, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on 12 murder counts and on one count of attempted murder.[7]

The jury could not unanimously agree to find him guilty on a 13th count of murder. On October 26, 1995, the trial court followed the jury's verdict and ordered Suff condemned to death.[8] Suff resides on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

His 2014 appeal of the sentence was rejected by the California Supreme Court, which upheld the death penalty.

Book and TV[]

The Riverside Killer by Christine Keers and Dennis St Pierre was published in 1996 by Pinnacle True Crime.[9]

In 1997 Cat and Mouse - Mind Games with a Serial Killer was published by Dove Books.[10] Suff met with author Brian Alan Lane and told his story. The book includes short stories and poems written by Suff and photos of several of his victims.

Suff is the subject of the television program "Real Detective", season 2, episode 2. The 40-minute program includes dramatic recreations and interviews with the lead detective of the Riverside Taskforce, Det. Bob Creed.[11] The episode first aired on March 9, 2017.[12] He is also profiled as part of the Amazon Prime 2013 Documentary "Serial Killers Defined".

Victims[]

Suff was convicted of 12 murders by a jury.

  • Kimberly Lyttle, 28 - June 28, 1989
  • Tina Leal, 23 - December 13, 1989
  • Darla Ferguson, 23 - January 18, 1990
  • Carol Miller, 34 - February 8, 1990
  • Cheryl Coker, 33 - November 6, 1990
  • Susan Sternfeld, 27 - December 21, 1990
  • Kathleen Milne, 42 - January 19, 1991
  • Sherry Latham, 37 - July 4, 1991
  • Kelly Hammond, 27 - August 16, 1991
  • Catherine McDonald, 30 - September 13, 1991
  • Delliah Zamora, 35 - October 30, 1991
  • Eleanor Casares, 39 - December 23, 1991

[13]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Elber, Lynn (January 15, 1992). "Man Charged in Two Deaths Lost Custody of Infant". Associated Press.
  2. ^ "Suff v. State". Justia.
  3. ^ De Atley, Richard (April 28, 2014). "RIVERSIDE COUNTY: Death penalty upheld for serial killer William Suff". The Press-Enterprise.
  4. ^ Gorman, Tom (July 20, 1995). "Riverside Man Convicted in Serial Slayings". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Lohr, David. "The Riverside Prostitute Killer". Crime Library. truTV. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  6. ^ Lastrapes, Martin (2011-07-09). Inside the Outside. ISBN 9780615440293.
  7. ^ "Jury Asks for Death Penalty for Convicted Killer of 12 Women," New York Times, August 20, 1995.
  8. ^ "Killer of Prostitutes Gets Death Sentence," New York Times, October 29, 1995.
  9. ^ Keers, Christine; Pierre, Dennis St (1996). The Riverside Killer. ISBN 9780786003457.
  10. ^ Brian Alan (April 1, 1997). CAT AND MOUSE: Mind Games with a Serial Killer. Kirkus Reviews.
  11. ^ "Real Detective: The Riverside Killer". IMDB. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Real Detective".
  13. ^ "PEOPLE v. SUFF". FindLaw.

External links[]

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