Paula Vance, a 38-year-old Black woman, was found dead on February 3, 1998, in downtown Los Angeles. Her body was discovered in the 600 block of West 6th Street, partially nude and showing signs of rape and strangulation. The crime scene was behind a business, and although several security cameras captured parts of the attack, the footage failed to clearly identify the assailant.
The brutal nature of the crime and the lack of immediate leads left investigators frustrated and the case unsolved for years.
Detective Cliff Shepard of the LAPD later revisited the case as part of a cold-case unit formed to investigate unsolved murders, particularly those with sexual motivations. Semen recovered from the victim was sent for DNA testing, which eventually linked the murder to Chester Dewayne Turner, a convicted rapist and suspected serial killer. Turner, a former pizza deliveryman, was already serving time for a 2002 rape conviction when his DNA matched evidence from multiple unsolved murders, including that of Paula Vance.
Turner was ultimately convicted of murdering at least 10 women in Los Angeles between 1987 and 1998, making him one of the city's most prolific serial killers. His victims were predominantly Black women, many of whom were found strangled and partially nude in areas known for high crime and prostitution. Turner's DNA was linked to the murder of Paula Vance, the 38-year-old Black woman, as well as several other victims. He was sentenced to death in 2007.
The investigation also led to the exoneration of David Allen Jones, a mentally disabled man who had been wrongfully convicted of three murders now attributed to Turner. Jones had served over 11 years in prison before DNA evidence cleared him. The LAPD's cold-case unit played a crucial role in both identifying Turner and correcting the miscarriage of justice involving Jones.
