In the late summer of 1979 in San Diego, California, the life of 39-year-old Bonnie Sue O'Neil came to a tragic and violent end. On August 27th, she met a man named Carroll Edward Cole in a local bar. Cole, who was employed at a nearby appliance shop, lured her back to his place of work. Their time together took a fatal turn when O'Neil mentioned needing to call her husband. This seemingly innocuous statement triggered a murderous rage in Cole, who then strangled her to death.
After the murder, Cole disposed of Bonnie Sue O'Neil's body in the alley behind the appliance shop. He callously tossed her clothing into a nearby garbage bin, attempting to erase any trace of his crime. In a startling oversight, the initial police investigation seemingly never led them to the appliance shop. Cole's employers later recalled that law enforcement never visited the shop or questioned any of the staff in the immediate aftermath of the discovery of O'Neil's body. This lack of initial leads meant that for a time, her death remained an unsolved crime, leaving her family and community without answers.
Years later, the truth of what happened to Bonnie Sue O'Neil would come to light through the confessions of her killer, Carroll Edward Cole, a serial murderer. While imprisoned for other crimes, Cole admitted to a string of murders, including that of O'Neil. He recounted the events of that August night, providing the details that had been missing for so long. His confession was part of a larger, horrifying narrative of violence that spanned multiple states and claimed numerous victims. Cole's admission finally brought a resolution to the case, identifying him as the person responsible for the death of Bonnie Sue O'Neil, though it came long after the initial investigation had stalled.
