Kathleen Leslie Milne, a 42-year-old white female, was found deceased on January 19, 1991, near Lake Elsinore, California. Her nude body was discovered lying on a red robe amidst a pile of trash, including discarded beer cans and old tires. A white sock had been stuffed into the back of her throat, and the cause of death was determined to be asphyxiation due to the combination of strangulation and airway obstruction. Milne, also known by the aliases Kathy Puckett and Carol Kathleen Swenson, had a history of drug use and prostitution, which was a common factor among several victims in the area during that period.
Milne's death was part of a series of homicides in Riverside County between 1989 and 1991, where numerous women with similar backgrounds were found murdered. The victims were often discovered nude or partially clothed, and many had histories of drug use or prostitution. These similarities led investigators to suspect a serial killer was targeting vulnerable women in the region.
The investigation into these murders eventually led to the arrest of William Lester Suff in January 1992. Suff, who had previously been convicted of murdering his two-month-old daughter in Texas and served only ten years of a 70-year sentence, was found to be connected to the Riverside County murders through forensic evidence. DNA analysis, tire tracks, fibers, and personal items belonging to victims linked him to the crimes.
In 1995, Suff was convicted of 12 counts of first-degree murder, including the murder of Kathleen Milne, and one count of attempted murder. The jury found special circumstances, such as multiple murders and lying in wait, and Suff was sentenced to death. He remains on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
