In the early hours of November 16, 1984, 25-year-old Sonia Reed was last seen when an acquaintance dropped her off near the Waterman Gardens area in San Bernardino, California. Around 4 a.m., residents in the vicinity reported hearing screams followed by gunshots. Later that morning, Reed's partially clothed body was discovered behind a headstone at a local memorial business.
She had suffered two fatal gunshot wounds: one to her back, causing immediate paralysis, and a second to the back of her head, resulting in instant death. Evidence suggested that the assailant had attempted to sexually assault her before the murder.
The following day, another woman, 42-year-old Ursula Houser, was found dead in a San Bernardino alley, approximately two miles from where Reed's body was discovered. Houser had been shot twice from behind with a .357 magnum revolver. After the shooting, the perpetrator dragged her body about 35 feet to a concealed spot and proceeded to sexually assault her corpse. Ballistics tests confirmed that the same firearm was used in both murders, indicating a serial offender was at large.
On November 25, 1984, 11-year-old Daniel Osentkowski and his 13-year-old cousin were approached by a man in a uniform in Riverside, California. The man attempted to abduct the girl, but Osentkowski intervened, allowing his cousin to escape. The assailant then fatally shot Osentkowski before fleeing. The girl provided authorities with descriptions of both the attacker and his vehicle. That evening, police apprehended 25-year-old Horace Edward Kelly in a light green van matching the description. A recently fired .357 magnum revolver was found in his possession. Kelly initially denied involvement but later confessed after being positively identified by the surviving victim.
Kelly was subsequently convicted of the murders of Sonia Reed, Ursula Houser, and Daniel Osentkowski. He received multiple death sentences for his crimes. In 1998, a jury determined that Kelly was mentally competent to be executed, despite evidence of his deteriorating mental health during his time on death row.
