Louis James Peoples

Serial Killer

Louis James Peoples: The 1997 Stockton Murder Spree

Background

Louis James Peoples was a tow truck driver whose series of robberies, burglaries, shootings, and murders terrorized the Stockton, California, area during 1997. Over approximately five months, Peoples committed a widening pattern of crimes that began with the theft of a law enforcement officer's handgun and ended with four people dead at three separate crime scenes. Peoples did not select all of his victims for the same reason. Some of his actions appeared motivated by revenge against former employers or coworkers, while others were committed during robberies. Evidence later recovered from him suggested that he viewed the violence as a planned crime spree rather than a series of unrelated incidents. His use of the same stolen firearm allowed investigators to connect the shootings through ballistic evidence.

The Stolen Sheriff's Pistol

On June 21, 1997, Peoples broke into a van belonging to off-duty Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Michael King while King and his family were attending a youth baseball game at Anderson Park in Stockton. Peoples stole King's fully loaded .40-caliber Glock service pistol, sheriff's badge, identification card, checkbooks, and other personal property. The following day, King's family received telephone calls from a man who mockingly thanked the deputy for the stolen gun. The Glock became the central weapon in Peoples' subsequent crimes. He later damaged its serial number and sanded its breech face, apparently attempting to prevent investigators from tracing the weapon or matching it to shell casings. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

James Loper Age: (29), Date of Death: 1997-10-29

San Quentin Death Row Inmate Louis Peoples Found Dead In His Cell