Anthony John Sully

Serial Killer

Anthony John Sully: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Background

Anthony John Sully, born on January 2, 1944, in San Francisco, California, was a former police officer who turned into a serial killer. After serving as a Millbrae police officer from 1966 to 1974, Sully left the force and started an electrical contracting business in Burlingame, California. During the early 1980s, he developed a cocaine addiction and became involved with escort services, leading to a series of heinous crimes.

Crimes and Victims

Between February and August 1983, Sully committed six murders, primarily targeting individuals involved in prostitution and drug dealing. His warehouse in Burlingame served as the crime scene for these brutal acts.

• Gloria Jean Fravel (24): In early February 1983, Fravel, who worked for an escort service run by Tina Livingston, owed $500. Livingston and another sex worker, Keli "Angel" Burns, brought Fravel to Sully's warehouse. Sully tortured and sexually assaulted her over two days before strangling her. Her body was dumped near State Route 35 and discovered on February 7, 1983.
• Brenda Oakden (19): In mid-February 1983, Oakden, a punk rock enthusiast occasionally involved in prostitution, was brought to Sully's warehouse under the pretense of providing sexual services. Sully shot her in the back of the head with a .38 caliber revolver. Her body was later found in a barrel in Golden Gate Park in May 1983.
• Michael Thomas (24) and Phyllis Melendez (20): In April 1983, Sully invited Thomas, a pimp, and his common-law wife, Melendez, to his warehouse. Upon their arrival, he shot both in the back of the head. Their bodies, along with Oakden's, were placed in 55-gallon drums filled with concrete and dumped in Golden Gate Park, where they were discovered on April 29, 1983.
• Barbara Searcy (22): In August 1983, Sully contacted Searcy, an ex-girlfriend, under the guise of offering financial assistance. Upon her arrival at the warehouse, he shot her in the back of the head. Her body was wrapped in plastic sheets and dumped near the Pulgas Water Temple, where it was discovered on August 18, 1983.
• Kathryn Barrett (24): In late August 1983, Barrett, a drug dealer, was lured to Sully's warehouse under the pretense of selling cocaine. Sully, with the assistance of Michael Anthony Francis, attacked Barrett, stabbing her six times in the chest and striking her head with a sledgehammer. Her body was found on a street in South San Francisco's industrial district on August 19, 1983.

Apprehension and Conviction

Sully was arrested on August 25, 1983, after investigators matched his fingerprints to those found on the barrels containing the bodies of Thomas, Oakden, and Melendez. Additional evidence, including handprints on the concrete-filled barrels and stolen barrels from a nearby hangar, linked him to the crimes. In July 1986, Sully was found guilty of six counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and was sentenced to death. He remained on death row at San Quentin State Prison until his death from natural causes on September 8, 2023. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Gloria Fravel Age: (24), Date of Death: 1983-02

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Anthony Sully - Wikipedia

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