On June 6, 1965, Cheryl Mae Burnett, a 19-year-old white female from El Cajon, California, was found murdered in her apartment. The crime scene was deeply disturbing: Cheryl had been raped and strangled with a curtain cord while her 2-year-old son slept in the next room. Her face was covered with women’s underwear that did not belong to her, and her body was surrounded by lit candles. In a grotesque act of degradation, one of the candles had been inserted into her body. The killer had also rummaged through the apartment, leaving behind signs of a ritualistic and sexually sadistic attack.
The case remained unsolved for decades until a breakthrough came in 2002. Investigators used DNA evidence recovered from a licked envelope to identify the suspect as Clyde Carl Wilkerson, a 63-year-old man living in Benton, Arkansas. Wilkerson had a long criminal history, including burglary, rape, and assault, and had served multiple prison sentences. At the time of his arrest, he was operating a meth lab in his home.
Wilkerson was extradited to California and ultimately pleaded guilty to the murder of Cheryl Burnett. He also confessed to the killing of Louis Mercer, a 62-year-old man, and the sexual assault of Mercer’s wife, Lola, which occurred two weeks after Cheryl’s death. In that case, Wilkerson had broken into the couple’s home, bludgeoned Louis to death with a wrench, and left Lola with severe brain injuries. DNA evidence linked him to both crimes.
Following his confession, Wilkerson received two life sentences. He later admitted to additional murders, including that of Geraldine Martin in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Authorities believe he may have been responsible for at least 15 killings across the United States, often targeting women and leaving behind mutilated bodies. Clyde Carl Wilkerson died in prison on July 12, 2016.
