Walter E. Ellis

 

Walter Earl Ellis (June 24, 1960 – December 1, 2013), known as the Milwaukee North Side Strangler, was an American serial killer, rapist, and robber who raped and strangled at least seven women in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, between 1986 and 2009. Until May 2009, the killings were considered to be independent of one another, but were then linked together via DNA profiling. Ellis was arrested as a suspect on September 7, 2009, and convicted for the seven murders in February 2011, receiving seven consecutive life sentences without the chance of parole.

Early life

Walter E. Ellis was born on June 24, 1960, in Milwaukee, as one of six children to LeRoy and Mattie Ellis. Beginning in early childhood, Ellis showed signs of antisocial behavior, acting impulsively and aggressively towards his peers, frequently assaulting classmates and neighboring children. For this, he earned a reputation as a local bully and was frequently disciplined. After finishing the 8th grade, he dropped out of school in 1974 due to poor academic performance and chronic absenteeism, turning towards a life of crime.

Criminal history

At the age of 14, on August 10, 1974, Ellis was arrested for the first time for robbery and attempted murder; however, he was let go with a large fine as he was a minor. In the following four years, he was arrested twice more for theft and only ordered to pay a fine, but in November 1978, when he was arrested for robbery, he pled guilty and was given 4 years of probation. In May 1979, Ellis was arrested for possessing drugs, but during the investigation, he was able to prove that the drug had been sold to him by the pharmacy without a prescription, so he again only paid a fine. A year later, in May 1980, while trying to become a pimp, he got into a fight with local hustlers and prostitutes, for which he was arrested and charged with extortion but later released due to lack of evidence. Over the next four years, he would repeatedly be indicted for various other offenses, for which he was either given probation or parole. In February 1985, when he was released from prison, Ellis attempted to find an honest job working as a day laborer in addition to taking on odd jobs but was charged with extorting that same September. The charges were later dropped when it was learned that the woman was a prostitute, ruining her credibility and resulting in Ellis' release.

On October 18, 1986, Ellis was arrested for disturbing the public order, and during his arrest, he attacked the police officer. For this, he was ordered to spend the next seven months in the county jail. In May 1987, almost immediately after his release, he was rearrested for theft and sent back to prison for a year; however, he was released on parole after 9 months. In November 1988, he was caught in an attempted carjacking during which he also harmed the arresting officer, for which he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for violating his parole. When he was released on January 9, 1990, Ellis joined a drug trafficking ring, "The Brothers of the Struggle," who frequently engaged in rivalry with other gangs based in Milwaukee. In June, he was arrested for distributing drugs and convicted in November 1990 of the charge. By this point, due to his extensive rap sheet,t which also included several federal violations, Ellis was ordered to serve his sentence in a federal prison in Minnesota.

In May 1992, he was released yet again, but in November of that year, he was back behind bars for violating the conditions of his parole. Because of this, he was ordered to enter a rehabilitation program. At the halfway house, prisoners were allowed various liberties such as having a job, studying, or attending church, but were also frequently allowed to leave after bribing the officials. In December 1992, Ellis was arrested for leaving the premises without permission but was freed from any punishment after he informed the authorities about the rampant corruption. Because of this, he was hired as a police informant for several years.

Over the following years, Ellis repeatedly violated the conditions of his parole but avoided criminal liability each time due to his status as an informant: between 1994 and 1995, he was repeatedly arrested for assaulting his girlfriends, injuring one of them with a screwdriver. In December 1997, he was arrested for attempted robbery, during which he assaulted the arresting officer, but was only sentenced to five and a half years of probation. Over the next few months, however, he committed several additional offences which resulted in his exclusion as an informant, with police ceasing any and all contact with him. In August 1998, he was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for reckless endangerment, which he served at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution. In July 2001, Ellis was released and returned to Milwaukee, where he spent the next few years earning money as a low-skilled laborer.

Exposure

In May 2009, while reexamining the cold case murders of seven prostitutes between the ages of 19 and 41, the Milwaukee police learned via a DNA analysis that all of the killings were committed by a single perpetrator. A statewide investigation eventually discovered that the Justice Department was missing saliva and blood samples from inmate Walter E. Ellis, which were apparently lost on the way to the forensic labs. In late August, Ellis was ordered to give a sample, as a law instituted in 2001 declared that all convicted criminals had to give DNA samples. After he failed to appear at the police station, an arrest warrant was issued for Ellis while police entered and examined his apartment. A toothbrush containing traces of his saliva was confiscated and examined, and within a few days, Ellis' DNA was matched to the murders of nine women in a three-mile area of northern Milwaukee, spanning from 1986 to 2007.

Arrest, trial and imprisonment

Shortly after his arrest warrant was issued, Ellis' car, a maroon 1994 Buick Century, was spotted in the town of Franklin. On September 7, 2009, he was located in one of the city's motels, where he was staying with his 54-year-oldgirlfriende, nd Tressie Johnson, who was not from Milwaukee and was unaware of what he was doing. He was also holding her against her will, which is why she was with him when he was apprehended. At the time of his arrest, police seized a small quantity of crack cocaine and a crack pipe.

Following his arrest, Ellis was charged with the murders of seven women: 31-year-old Deborah L. Harris, strangled and dumped in the river on October 10, 1986; 19-year-old Tanya L. Miller, strangled on October 11, 1986; 25-year-old Irene Smith, strangled on November 28, 1992; 28-year-old Florence McCormick, found strangled on April 24, 1995; 37-year-old Sheila Farrior, whose body was discovered on June 27, 1995; 41-year-old Joyce Ann Mims, who was found strangled on June 20, 1996, and 28-year-old Ouithreaun C. Stokes, whose body was found on April 27, 2007. In addition to these killings, Ellis was suspected in the killing of 32-year-old Carron D. Kilpatrick on October 13, 1994. Curtis McCoy had been charged with her murder, but was later acquitted at a jury trial. Aside from her, he was also a suspect in the murder of 16-year-old Jessica Payne on August 30, 1995; unlike the other victims, she had died from blood loss due to a slash to her throat; this discrepancy caused the prosecutor to not press charges against Ellis, rationalizing that he might have only raped her.

Following Ellis' arrest, doubts began to arise over the conviction of Chaunte Dean Ott, who was initially convicted of Payne's murder in 1996 based solely on witness testimony. After spending 14 years in prison, all charges against him were dropped, and he was released in 2009. Similarly, in May 2010, Ellis' DNA was matched to the 1998 murder of Maryetta Griffin, for which William Avery had been convicted in 2005. After this revelation, Avery was exonerated and released, and his case was declared a miscarriage of justice.

After he was charged, Ellis initially pleaded not guilty, with his trial scheduled to begin in April 2011. In February of that year, however, after consulting with his lawyer, Ellis accepted a plea agreement by the prosecutor's office, admitting his guilt and petitioning for a sentence without trial. This was accepted by the prosecutor and the victims' families, and on February 24, 2011, Ellis was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without the chance of parole.

Death

After his conviction, Ellis was transferred to serve his sentence at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, following an agreement between the two states. Shortly after he arrived in prison, his health began to deteriorate, and he was transferred to a prison hospital, where he was diagnosed with diabetes. On December 1, 2013, Ellis died due to complications from his diabetes, aged 53.

The Killing of Christian Glass

 

The killing of Christian Glass occurred on June 11, 2022, in Silver Plume, Colorado, when Glass, a 22-year-old triple citizen of the United States, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, was shot and killed by Clear Creek County Sheriff's Deputy Andrew Buen. Glass had called 911 for roadside assistance after his vehicle became stuck, but a 70-minute standoff ensued after he exhibited signs of a mental health crisis and refused to exit his car.

In the aftermath of the shooting, eight law enforcement officers were criminally charged. In November 2023, former sergeant Kyle Gould pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of failing to intervene and failing to report the use of force. In February 2025, former deputy Andrew Buen, who fired the fatal shots, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment. He was sentenced to three years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed for the offense. Charges against six other responding officers were dismissed or dropped with conditions.

In May 2023, the Glass family reached a US$19 million settlement with the state of Colorado and local municipalities. The agreement mandated significant law enforcement reforms.

Incident

911 call

Glass called 911 at approximately 11:20 pm on June 10, 2022. In his nearly 25-minute call with the 911 operator, Glass said that "My vehicle got stuck in a really bad way. … I need immediate assistance, please", adding "I will not be fine on my own." He told her that his vehicle was stuck in a trap, that he was coming off of a depression, and he was worried about "skinwalkers". He said that "If I got out of the car, I might be in danger", and that he loved her being on the line with him while he was frightened.

He also told the 911 operator that he had two knives, a hammer, and a rubber mallet in the car, which he had as an amateur geologist. He said he would throw them out of the car as soon as the police arrived. He stated, "I'm not dangerous. I will keep my hands completely visible. I understand this is a dodgy situation."

When relaying the call information to the police forces, the 911 operator described Glass as "very paranoid" and "not making much sense". Later on, the officers on the scene can be heard referring to a possible "psych issue".

Attempts to get Glass out of the vehicle

The episode was recorded on police body-cams. When the police arrived, they directed Glass to get out of the car, with their hands on their guns. Glass refused, saying that he was "terrified". He repeated the offer to throw the knives and mallet out of the car, but a Clear County deputy, Andrew Buen, told him not to and directed him to get out of the car.[9] Glass put the keys to the vehicle on the dashboard and kept his hands visible. He threw a knife to the other side of the car.

For the next 70 minutes, the police tried to get Glass to get out of the vehicle. He said that staying in the vehicle was the only way he could be safe. More police officers arrived, until eventually officers from five different services were present, including police from Georgetown and Idaho Springs, and the Colorado State Patrol. At one point, an officer threatened to break the window of the car. Glass was seen praying with folded hands, saying,g "Dear Lord, please, don't let them break the window." After close to an hour, Glass was seen making a "heart" symbol with his hands towards the officer, and blowing kisses. A female voice was heard saying, "Same back at you, but come on out and talk to us."

At some point, there was a conversation between the county police officers and officers of the Colorado State Patrol who had arrived on the scene. The Patrol officer asked them what "their plan is, " adding,g "If he's committed no crime and is not suicidal, homicidal, or a great danger, then there is no reason to contact him." The officers on the scene continued to try to get Glass out of his vehicle.

Police kill Glass

After approximately 70 minutes, an officer states that they will break into Glass's vehicle, saying: "It’s time to move the night on — OK. We got to move." Buen smashed the front window of the car. Another officer stood on the hood of the vehicle, shining a flashlight on Glass. The officers are heard telling Glass to drop the knife. They then shot him with bean-bags, and he began to flail about in the vehicle. An officer is heard saying, "Someone tase his ass. Someone tase him!"

Buen then shot Glass with a stun gun. Glass began shouting hysterically, "Lord hear me. Lord hear me". An officer is then heard saying: "You can save yourself. You can still save yourself." After repeating requests to drop the knife, Deputy Buen then shot Glass with a handgun at least five times. Glass then appeared to turn toward an officer with a small knife in his hand and began stabbing himself before dropping the knife. The body-cam footage does not show Glass ever moving from the driver's seat of the vehicle.

Aftermath

Initial narratives and family response

On June 11, 2022, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office stated that the motorist was "argumentative and uncooperative" and had armed himself with a knife. It stated that the officers tried for over an hour to reach a peaceful resolution before the deputies broke out the windows and removed a knife. Referring to Glass as "the suspect", it said that he re-armed himself with another knife and a rock. It said that the deputies used a bean-bag and taser, and then shot Glass when he tried to stab an officer.

Following the public release of body-worn camera footage in September 2022, Glass's parents, Simon and Sally Glass, who had moved the family to the U.S. from New Zealand during Christian's childhood, held a press conference labeling the killing a "murder". They asserted that the initial police narrative was "false in almost every respect" and that the footage showed their son in a state of terror rather than aggression. Sally Glass noted that her son was a geology enthusiast who was taking prescription medication for ADHD, arguing that the presence of seven armed officers exacerbated his mental health crisis. She also noted that Deputy Buen had remained on duty and armed following the shooting since June 13, 2022. Undersheriff Bruce Snelling confirmed on September 15 that Buen had returned to work.

Official inquiries and misconduct allegation.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Clear Creek County District Attorney Heidi McCollum launched an inquiry into the shooting shortly after the incident. McCollum coordinated with federal authorities, including the FBI and the Department of Justice, to monitor the case for potential civil rights violations.

Attorneys for the Glass family announced a civil action against the involved agencies. They stated that Glass had no history of violent behavior or serious mental illness, though he had been diagnosed with ADHD and depression. Additionally, they alleged that an officer tasked with investigating the scene had intentionally muted their body-worn camera.

The Sheriff's Office initially stated that Deputy Buen had no history of misconduct. However, it was later revealed that a 2019 lawsuit was filed by Manuel Camacho, who alleged that Buen used excessive force by placing him in a headlock and kneeling on his neck during an arrest. In February 2023, Clear Creek County settled Camacho's claim for $15,000.

Official Positions

In September 2022, Clear Creek County Undersheriff Bruce Snelling defended the use of deadly force. Snelling stated that Deputy Andrew Buen fired his weapon because he believed Glass intended to stab an officer through the broken window of the vehicle after previous attempts to use a Taser had failed.

Governor Jared Polis also met with the Glass family to express condolences, later issuing a statement declaring that the tragedy "should never have happened" and noting that the state of Colorado mourned the loss of Glass's life.

Autopsy

The coroner's report classified Glass's manner of death as a homicide and the cause of death as multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy identified six gunshot wounds to his torso and upper right arm, noting no evidence of close-range fire. Other documented injuries included puncture sites consistent with electroshock weapon barbs, as well as blunt force and superficial sharp force injuries to the head, neck, and extremities.

Toxicology analysis detected a blood alcohol level of 0.010 and the presence of THC and amphetamines. Dr. Andrew Monte, an emergency room physician and medical toxicologist who teaches at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said that the amount of THC indicated that Glass had used marijuana shortly before his death. The amount of amphetamine was consistent with a prescription for ADHD.

Civil settlement and memorials

In May 2023, the Glass family reached a $19 million settlement with the state of Colorado, Clear Creek County, and the towns of Georgetown and Idaho Springs, the largest settlement for a police killing in Colorado history.

The settlement also mandated significant policy reforms. The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office was required to establish a crisis intervention co-responder program and provide de-escalation training to its entire force. Furthermore, the agreement led to the creation of a statewide training video and the dedication of a public park in Glass's honor. The state of Colorado also agreed to display Glass's artwork in government buildings as a memorial to his life.

Criminal proceedings

Criminal trials and convictions

In November 2022, a grand jury indicted deputies Andrew Buen and Kyle Gould, both of whom were subsequently terminated. Gould was not on scene when Glass was shot, but he authorized Buen's breaking of the window over the phone, according to the indictment.

In November 2023, Kyle Gould pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors, including failure to intervene and failure to report the use of force. In exchange for the plea, charges of negligent homicide and reckless endangerment were dropped. He was sentenced to two years of probation, a $1000 fine, and was permanently stripped of his POST certification, barring him from working in law enforcement or security in Colorado.

Andrew Buen, the officer who fired the fatal shots, faced charges of second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and official misconduct. His initial trial in April 2024 resulted in a conviction for reckless endangerment, but the jury deadlocked on the murder and misconduct charges. In February 2025, a jury found Buen guilty of criminally negligent homicide following a retrial. On April 14, 2025, he was sentenced to three years in prison, the maximum penalty allowed for the offense.

Charges against other officers

In November 2023, six additional officers who responded to the scene were charged with misdemeanor failure to intervene: Randy Williams and Timothy Collins of the Georgetown Police; Ryan Bennie of the Colorado State Patrol; Brittany Morrow of the Idaho Springs Police; and Christa Lloyd and Mary Harris of the Colorado Gaming Commission. Williams also faced a charge of misdemeanor third-degree assault.

By July 2025, the district attorney's office dismissed or dropped all charges against the six officers. As a condition of their dismissals, Morrow, Collins, and Bennie completed critical incident training and participated in a statewide training video. In the video, the officers discussed de-escalation techniques, the failures that led to the shooting, and how to properly assist individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

Notes

Charge dismissed after a hung jury in the first trial.

Charges dropped after a plea deal.

Thor Christiansen

Thor Nis Christiansen (December 28, 1957 – March 30, 1981) was a Danish-American serial killer and necrophile from Solvang, California, who committed the murders of four women in southern California between 1976 and 1979. He committed his first three murders in Isla Vista, which motivated large demonstrations opposed to violence against women and in favor of better transportation for the young people residing in Isla Vista. He later attacked two further women in Los Angeles, killing one while the other escaped with a bullet in her head, and later identified him in a Los Angeles bar.

Early life

Thor Nis Christiansen was born in Denmark and immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was five years old. The family initially settled in Inglewood, California, and then moved to Solvang, where his father, Nis, ran a restaurant. Christiansen was a good student until his junior year of high school, when he began neglecting his schoolwork. He moved out of his parents' house, dropped out of school, and began working as a gas station attendant. During this time, Christiansen gained a great deal of weight, at one point weighing 275 pounds (125 kg).

Murders

Christiansen's modus operandi was to pick up hitchhikers, shoot them in the head with a .22 caliber pistol, and sexually assault them post-mortem. His victims had long, straight hair, wore similar clothing, and had about the same build. Accordingly, the killings in Isla Vista were dubbed the "look-alike" murders.

On January 20, 1977, the body of Jacqueline Rook, 21, was found, shot in the head, in Refugio Canyon near Santa Barbara. She was last seen on November 20, 1976.

On May 22, 1977, the remains of Mary Sarris, 19, were discovered in a remote area near Los Alamos Canyon. She had been missing since December 6, 1976.

On January 19, 1977, Patricia Laney, 21, was found shot to death, the day after she was reported missing, in Refugio Canyon near Santa Barbara.

On May 26, 1979, the decomposed body of Laura Benjamin, 22, was found in a drainage culvert near Big Tujunga Dam. She was shot twice in the head, sometime in April.

On April 18, 1979, Christiansen offered Lydia Preston, 24, a ride. Minutes later, he shot her in the ear. Preston jumped out of the car and made it to the hospital; the bullet was removed, and she recovered. On July 11, 1979, Preston spotted Christiansen at a bar in Hollywood. She reported the sighting to police, and he was later arrested.

Arrest

On July 27, 1979, after interviewing more than 115 people over the previous two years, police arrested Christiansen for the murders of Patricia Laney, Jacqueline Rook, and Mary Sarris. He was held in a Santa Barbara County jail on $500,000 bond. He caught the attention of investigators in February 1977, when he was cited for being a minor in possession of liquor. The citation noted that Christiansen had a .22 caliber pistol in his car, which was confiscated by the police. However, his arrest came about when Lydia Preston called investigators on July 11, 1979, stating she saw her attacker at a bar in Hollywood.

On August 20, 1979, Christiansen was charged with the murder of Laura Benjamin. The following day, he was charged with the attempted murder of Lydia Preston.

Trial

On December 26, 1979, Christiansen entered a plea of "not guilty by reason of insanity," in addition to his previous "not guilty" plea. He was scheduled to stand trial in Los Angeles on February 4, 1980, for the 1977 murder of Laura Benjamin, and in Santa Barbara on March 17, 1980, for the Isla Vista murders.

Los Angeles trial

Following a delay, on March 24, 1980, Christiansen withdrew his double plea in favor of a diminished capacity defense. However, on April 16, 1980, Christiansen was found guilty of first-degree murder and assault, after a psychiatrist testified that Christiansen displayed some degree of "provisional planning."

During the trial, a psychiatric evaluation of Christiansen revealed he suffered from an "intermittent explosive disorder," a paranoid personality, chronic drug use, and necrophilia. Christiansen also said he killed his victims, took them to a secluded place, unclothed them, and sexually explored their bodies. On May 14, 1980, Christiansen was sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of Laura Benjamin, and 9 years for the attempted murder of Lydia Preston.

Santa Barbara trial

To the prosecution's surprise, when the trial began on May 28, 1980, Christiansen pleaded guilty to all three counts of murder. The plea change came just weeks after the Los Angeles trial, where Christiansen was found sane by six out of at least seven psychiatrists. On June 18, 1980, Christiansen was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison.

Death

On March 30, 1981, Christiansen died after being stabbed once in the chest while walking in the exercise yard at Folsom State Prison. His killer was not identified.

Aftermath

Patricia Laney has become a prominent symbol for groups that advocate against violence to women in the Santa Barbara/Goleta/Isla Vista area. She had been a community volunteer with organizations that advocated against violence to women. The Isla Vista Juggling Festival has been held annually in her memory since 1977, and is still active as of 2024.

Andrew Urdiales

 

Andrew Urdiales (June 4, 1964 – November 2, 2018) was an American serial killer who was convicted in Illinois in 2002 of killing three women and convicted in California in 2018 of killing five women. He was sentenced to death in California and died by suicide a few months later in California's San Quentin Prison.

Life

Early life

Andrew Urdiales was born on June 4, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. Little is known about his childhood. In June 1977, shortly before his 13th birthday, he beat the family dog to death with a baseball bat and told his parents the animal had been fatally injured in a fall. He attended Thornridge High School in Dolto and graduated in 1982. After graduating, Urdiales joined the United States Marine Corps.

Between 1984 and 1991, he was stationed at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California. Urdiales completed combat training. He was trained as a radio operator at the Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms and then served in Desert Storm.

Murders

Urdiales committed his first murder on the evening of January 18, 1986. At Saddleback Community College in Mission Viejo, California, he stalked 23-year-old communication arts student Robbin Brandley and stabbed her 41 times with a knife. Two years later, on July 17, 1988, he shot 29-year-old Julie McGhee with a .45 ACP caliber pistol. Her body was found in a ditch near Cathedral City, California. Two months later, Urdiales struck in San Diego, killing 31-year-old Mary Ann Wells, whose body was found by police on September 25, 1988, in an abandoned warehouse. His fourth victim, 18-year-old Tammie Erwin, was found on the streets of Palm Springs on April 17, 1989.

In 1991, he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps and moved back to his parents' home in Chicago. In September 1992, however, he returned to California for a holiday. On the evening of September 27, 1992, he encountered 19-year-old nurse Jennifer Asbenson, who needed a ride to work. Upon dropping her off, he asked for her phone number. Asbenson gave him a fake number. When she finished her shift, Urdiales was waiting outside and offered her a ride home, which she accepted. As he drove, Urdiales confronted the young woman about the fake phone number and began to assault her, tying her hands and cutting off her clothes. He attempted to rape her, but he was unable to perform. Asbenson called him a "coward", begging him to just kill her. Urdiales beat her, bit her neck to the point she bled, and then put her in the trunk of his car. Asbenson was eventually able to untie her hands and open the trunk from the inside and escape. She ran down the highway naked from the waist down. Urdiales chased after her with a machete, but she was able to flag down a truck with two Marinesses in it, and Urdiales escaped in his own vehicle. The authorities had no evidence other than the bite on Asbenson's neck and the description of her attacker. His tire tracks had been destroyed by a bulldozer that happened to go down that path.

For three years, he committed no murders due to fear of being discovered. When he returned to California in March 1995, he happened upon 31-year-old sex worker Denise Maney in Cathedral City, California. Urdiales forced her into his car and drove her into the California desert. There he shot her, undressed her, and left the corpse for scavengers.

As a security guard in a Chicago mall, he enjoyed great trust among customers in the family-friendly environment. He crossed the state line into Bloomington, Indiana, in April 1996, where he murdered 25-year-old Laura Ulyaki. Her body was found on April 14 in Wolf Lake on the border of Chicago (Cook County, Illinois) and Hammond, Indiana. On July 14, 1996, police found the body of 21-year-old Cassandra Corum in the Vermilion River in Livingston County, Illinois. On August 2, 1996, the body of 22-year-old Lynn Huber was found in Wolf Lake. Huber is presumed to have been Urdiales' last victim.

In December 1996, Urdiales was arrested for possession of an unlicensed weapon but was released after paying a fine.

Arrest and prosecution

Urdiales was arrested on April 23, 1997, when the police wanted to check his gun in connection with the ongoing series of murders. While ballistics tests were ongoing, Urdiales made a full confession to all eight murders. The subsequent lab tests supported Urdiales' confession and his involvement in the murders of Ulyaki, Corum, and Huber. In collaboration with the California police, Illinois law enforcement agencies began drafting the indictment. Urdiales had no rational motive and said he was agitated when the women had begged for their lives.

On April 29, 1997, an indictment was brought against Urdiales. However, legal and political debates delayed the trial opening for four years. The question was whether Urdiales should be punished with the death penalty. At that time in Illinois, there was discussion as to whether the death penalty should be completely abolished. On April 30, 2001, the prosecutor decided to request the death penalty. Urdiales' trial for the murders of Ulyaki and Huber opened on April 8, 2002. Urdiales was found guilty of two murders on May 23, 2002, and sentenced to death seven days later on May 30, 2002.

Urdiales' case became a political issue for a short time. After a study by Northwestern University concluded that some death row inmates had been innocent, and that innocence no longer could be judicially recognized, then-Governor of Illinois George Ryan determined on January 11, 2003, that all 167 people sentenced to death in Illinois at that time would have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment. Urdiales also fell under this commutation. Therefore, his first death sentence was commuted. Subsequently, the prosecution prepared an indictment for the previously unresolved Cassandra Corum murder case. The process was opened on April 24, 2004. Urdiales, encouraged by defender Stephen Richards, changed his tactics, pleading guilty but claiming that he was mentally ill. Presiding Judge Harold Frobish nonetheless re-sentenced Urdiales to death on May 10, 2004. This death sentence – Urdiales's second – was commuted to life in prison in March 2011 when Governor Pat Quinn signed into law legislation that abolished the death penalty in Illinois.

At this time, Urdiales was incarcerated in the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois.

California prosecution

Within hours of Illinois Governor Quinn's decision to commute Urdiales's death sentence in that state, prosecutors in Orange County, California sought to extradite Urdiales to be tried in California for the murders of five women in the 1980s when Urdiales was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and after he was discharged from the military.

On May 23, 2018, Urdiales was convicted in the murders of five Southern California women. On Wednesday, June 13, 2018, a jury rendered a death verdict for Urdiales. The jury deliberated for one day. On October 5, 2018, Urdiales was sentenced to death for the third time.

Death

On November 2, 2018, at around 11:15 PM, Urdiales was found unresponsive in his cell in the Adjustment Center of San Quentin State Prison. Urdiales was alone in his cell, and prison officials said the apparent cause of death was suicide by hanging. He was 54 years old.

Charles Ray Hatcher

 

Charles Ray Hatcher, commonly known as "Crazy Charlie," was an American serial killer, child molester, and drifter responsible for the murders of multiple young boys and women between 1961 and 1982.

Profile Summary

Real Name: Charles Ray Hatcher

Moniker: "Crazy Charlie"

Active Period: 1969–1982

Crimes: Convicted of child sex-murder and confessed to at least 15 additional child murders across several states, including California, Iowa, and Missouri.

Death: Committed suicide by hanging in his prison cell in Jefferson City, Missouri, in December 1984.

Timeline of Crimes

1960s: Hatcher began as a drifter who spent time in and out of jails and mental hospitals for petty crimes and child molestation.

August 1969: His known string of murders began with the disappearance of 12-year-old William Freeman in Antioch, California.

1981–1982: After serving time, he was arrested in St. Joseph, Missouri, after a series of horrific assaults and child murders.

1983: Convicted of the murder of 4-year-old Eric Christgen, which exonerated an innocent man who had been falsely imprisoned for the crime.

December 7, 1984: Facing another conviction in Missouri, the child-killer hanged himself in his cell.

Media & True Crime Coverage

Hatcher’s life and killing sprees have been the subject of numerous true crime analyses.

Murderpedia Charles Ray Hatcher PDF or the Apple Podcasts Crazy Charlie Episode.6 sites

Historical Serial Killers and Murderers (True Crime by Evil ...Charles Ray Hatcher: The True Story of Crazy Charlie's Killing Spree: Historical Serial Killers and Murderers (True Crime by Evil ...Amazon.com

Charles Ray Hatcher - Radford University

Charles Ray Hatcher. “Crazy Charlie”. “A one-man crime wave”. “ Mr. Prince”.

Ray Hatcher: Revealed - True Stories, Private Details and ...Amazon #1 Best Seller.