Ray Dell Sims

Serial Killer

Ray Dell Sims: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Background

Ray Dell Sims, born in 1935 in Oklahoma, is an American serial killer responsible for the murders of at least five girls in Fresno, California, from 1974 to 1977. He was initially convicted of a single murder but was later linked to additional killings through DNA evidence in 2001. Sims is currently serving two life terms in California State Prison, Solano, Vacaville, California.

Crimes

Sims' criminal activities began in 1965 when he was convicted of raping a 70-year-old landlady in East Oakland during a burglary. After serving time in prison, he moved to Fresno in the early 1970s, where he married, had a daughter, and worked as a fry cook. His wife, Caroline Turner, later claimed that Sims had a heightened sex drive and often coerced her into having sex, during which he physically abused and strangled her.

Victims

• Janet Herstein: On May 18, 1977, the body of 17-year-old Janet Herstein was found near a canal in Mendota. She had been raped and strangled with a cord. Herstein was a student at Theodore Roosevelt High School and worked as a newsie for The Fresno Guide. She had been reported missing by her mother two days prior.
• Elizabeth Ortega: In 1974, 15-year-old Elizabeth Ortega was brutally raped and murdered. Her body was found lying in some weeds at Avocado Lake. DNA evidence later linked Sims to her murder.
• Katherine Marie Stark: In 1974, 17-year-old Katherine Marie Stark was murdered. Sims was charged with her murder, but the case was dismissed after his conviction for Ortega's murder.
• Eva Hernandez Lucio: In 1976, 15-year-old Eva Hernandez Lucio was murdered. Sims is suspected of her murder, but the case was dropped.
• Robin Mcculler: In 1975, Robin Mcculler was murdered. Sims is suspected of her murder, but the case was dropped.

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Confirmed Victims: (5)

Janet Herstein Age: (17), Date of Death: 1977-05-18

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Ray Dell Sims - Wikipedia

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