On November 5, 1997, the decomposing body of 29-year-old White/Caucasian female Darla Sue Scott was discovered in a shallow grave in a rural area off of Hangman Valley Road, south of Spokane, Washington. A local resident walking his dog stumbled upon the grim scene. Investigators determined that Scott had been shot twice in the head with a small-caliber handgun.
Found with her remains were two plastic bags that had been placed over her head, a chilling detail that would later become a signature of a prolific predator. At the time of the discovery, she was only wearing a blouse.
The investigation into Scott's murder became part of a larger, more terrifying picture as detectives began to realize a serial killer was targeting women in the Spokane area. Scott, who had a history of prostitution and drug use, fit a pattern of victims that was emerging. Her death was one of several that occurred during the mid-to-late 1990s, creating a climate of fear in the community. The cases were linked by the cause of death—gunshot wounds—and the distinctive and disturbing use of plastic bags to cover the victims' heads.
The break in the case came with the identification of Robert Lee Yates Jr., a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, as the prime suspect in a string of murders. Yates was eventually arrested in April 2000. Following his arrest, investigators were able to conclusively link him to Darla Sue Scott's murder through DNA evidence. Semen found on her body was a direct match to Yates. Facing overwhelming evidence and the possibility of the death penalty, Yates confessed to multiple murders, including that of Darla Sue Scott. As part of a plea agreement in Spokane County, he was sentenced to 408 years in prison, bringing an end to his reign of terror and providing some measure of closure to the families of his many victims.
