Richard Wade Farley – Mass Murderer, February 16, 1988
Background and Stalking of Laura Black
Richard Wade Farley (born July 25, 1948) was a software technician at ESL Incorporated, a defense contractor in Sunnyvale, California . In April 1984, he met co-worker Laura Black, aged around 22 at the time, and became immediately infatuated. Over the next four years, he relentlessly stalked her—leaving letters and homemade gifts on her desk, calling her at work multiple times a day, showing up at her aerobics class, and even using deceptive means to obtain her home address and phone number .
Despite Black’s repeated refusals and attempts to be cordial, Farley's obsession continued. He tricked HR into giving him her personal details, copied keys to search her files, and sent roughly 200 letters over the duration . In fall 1985, Black sought help from ESL’s HR, prompting Farley to attend counseling—but the stalking did not stop . In May 1986, ESL fired Farley due to poor performance and his threatening behavior .
On February 2, 1988, Black obtained a temporary restraining order. A court hearing to consider making it permanent was scheduled for February 17, 1988—one day after the shooting .
The Shooting at ESL Headquarters
On February 16, 1988—the day before the court hearing—Farley drove a motor home to ESL’s M-5 building, heavily armed. He carried a semi-automatic Benelli Riot shotgun, a scoped rifle, a pump-action shotgun, a Sentinel revolver, a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, a Browning semi-automatic pistol, a Smith & Wesson pistol, and over 3,000 rounds of ammunition were found in his possession .
He shot through a side entrance, firing shotgun rounds into locked office doors and computer screens. He proceeded to kill seven coworkers and wound four others, including Laura Black, whom he shot in the shoulder . Laura Black survived the wound and was hospitalized .
Around 8:30 p.m., Farley surrendered peacefully to police, reportedly saying, “I’m not crazy—I know I will die as a result of this” .
Victims
- Joseph Silva, 43
- “Buddy” (Wayne) Williams, 23
- Glenda Moritz, 27
- Ronald Reed, 26
- Helen Lamparter, 49
- Lawrence Kane, 46
- Ron Doney (sometimes “Donald Doney”), 36
All were ESL Inc. employees, killed at the company’s Sunnyvale offices on February 16, 1988 .
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