Lawanda Lechelle Beck, a 26-year-old African American woman, was tragically murdered in Stockton, California, in 1997. Her body was discovered on August 11, 1997, after she had been raped and shot execution-style. Beck was a mother of several children and had endured a challenging life prior to her untimely death.
The investigation into Beck's murder revealed that she was one of three victims of William Jennings Choyce, a serial killer from Oakland, California.
Choyce targeted women involved in sex work, abducting them, binding their hands and feet, raping them at gunpoint, and then shooting them in the head. The other two victims were Victoria Bell, murdered in Oakland in 1988, and Gwendolyn Lee, whose body was found in San Joaquin County on July 2, 1997.
Choyce's criminal activities came to light when two women identified him as their rapist, leading to his conviction for those assaults in 2002. Advancements in forensic science allowed law enforcement to match DNA evidence from the murder scenes to Choyce. Ballistics also confirmed that the same firearm was used in the killings of Beck and Lee. Choyce was subsequently charged with the murders of all three women.
In 2008, Choyce was tried and found guilty of the murders of Beck, Lee, and Bell. He was sentenced to death and remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison. The case highlighted the dangers faced by vulnerable women and the importance of forensic evidence in solving cold cases.
