Willie Luther Steelman

Serial Killer

Willie Luther Steelman: The 1973 Arizona and California Murder Spree

Background

Willie Luther Steelman was born on March 21, 1945, in San Joaquin County, California, and grew up in the Lodi area. After losing his father during adolescence, Steelman left school and became involved in theft, burglary, drug use, and other criminal activity. By adulthood, he had developed a reputation as an unstable drifter who could be threatening, manipulative, and intensely controlling. In 1973, the 28-year-old Steelman joined Douglas Edward Gretzler, a younger drifter originally from New York. During October and November of that year, the two men traveled through Arizona and California while committing robberies, kidnappings, assaults, and murders. Seventeen people were killed during a period of approximately three weeks. The victims ranged in age from nine to 38. Steelman was frequently described as the dominant member of the partnership. Prosecutors later characterized him as the planner who selected victims, decided when witnesses should be killed, and pressured Gretzler to participate. Their crimes were largely motivated by robbery, the theft of vehicles, fear of identification, revenge over perceived insults, and a willingness to murder anyone who interfered with their plans.

The Murders of Kenneth Unrein and Michael Adshade

The confirmed murder spree began after Steelman and Gretzler became acquainted with Kenneth Unrein and Michael Raymond Adshade in the Phoenix and Mesa area of Arizona. On October 17, 1973, Steelman and Gretzler forced the two young men into Unrein's Volkswagen van at gunpoint. The captives were made to accompany them west into California. On October 18, the group stopped near Littlejohn Creek outside Knights Ferry, California. Unrein and Adshade were led into a secluded creek bed, bound with cord and rope, and falsely told that they would be left alive. Steelman and Gretzler instead strangled both men with leather belts. They stole the victims' money and van, leaving their bodies in the isolated area. ...

Confirmed Victims: (17)

Ken Unrein Age: (21), Date of Death: 1973-10-17

File:Willie Luther Steelman Mug Shot AZ 1973.jpg - Wikimedia ...