On October 30, 1991, the body of Delliah Zamora, a 35-year-old Hispanic female, was discovered along Summerhill Drive in Glen Avon, Riverside County, California. She had been positioned near the roadside in a manner that suggested she was hitchhiking. The victim was a mother of five and known to struggle with drug addiction. Her body showed signs of extreme violence—her larynx was crushed and broken down the middle, indicating a significant amount of pressure had been applied.
Fingernail injuries suggested she had clawed at a ligature, though the exact method of strangulation could not be determined. The official cause of death was listed as asphyxiation.
Delliah Zamora was one of several victims in a string of murders that plagued Riverside County between 1986 and 1991. The victims were predominantly women involved in sex work and drug use, and many were found mutilated or posed in disturbing ways. The killings were eventually linked to a serial offender known as the “Riverside Prostitute Killer” or the “Lake Elsinore Killer.”
In January 1992, authorities arrested William Lester Suff, a 41-year-old male who had previously served time for the murder of his infant daughter in Texas. Suff was apprehended during a routine traffic stop after making an illegal U-turn in an area known for prostitution. Inside his van, police found a bloody knife and other items believed to be connected to the murders. He was later charged with multiple counts of murder, including the killing of Delliah Zamora, although initial reports did not list her among the first charges.
Evidence against Suff included DNA matches, tire tracks, and fibers linking him to several victims. He was ultimately convicted of 12 murders and sentenced to death. During his trial, prosecutors described the killings as calculated and sadistic, with many victims suffering post-mortem mutilation. Suff's arrest brought an end to a reign of terror that had left Riverside County gripped by fear for years.
