William Lester Suff

Serial Killer

William Lester Suff: The Riverside Prostitute Killer

Early Life and Initial Crime

William Lester Suff, born on August 20, 1950, in Torrance, California, embarked on a life marked by violence and crime. In 1974, Suff and his then-wife, Teryl, were convicted in Texas for the brutal beating death of their two-month-old daughter. While Teryl's conviction was later overturned due to insufficient evidence, Suff's conviction was upheld, resulting in a 70-year prison sentence. Remarkably, he served only ten years before being paroled in 1984.

The Riverside County Murders (1986–1992)

Upon his release, Suff relocated to California, where he began a heinous killing spree primarily targeting sex workers in Riverside County. His modus operandi included rape, torture, strangulation, and, in some cases, mutilation of his victims. The following is a chronological list of his known victims:

• Michelle Yvette Gutierrez – 26 years old; found on October 29, 1986, in a drainage ditch in the Riverside area.
• Charlotte Jean Palmer – 25 years old; discovered on December 10, 1986, near Romoland. Cause of death was undetermined but believed to be smothering.
• Linda Ann Ortega – 37 years old; found on April 29, 1988, nude and stabbed near the rodeo grounds in Lake Elsinore.
• Martha Bess Young – 27 years old; discovered on May 2, 1988, near Lake Elsinore. Death resulted from strangulation combined with an amphetamine overdose.
• Diana Mae Talavera – 37 years old; found on January 17, 1989, strangled on the beach in Lake Elsinore.
• Judy Lynn Angel ("Julie") – 36 years old; discovered on November 11, 1989, bludgeoned to death in Alberhill.
• Kimberly Lyttle – 28 years old; found on June 28, 1989, in Lake Elsinore, manually strangled with pre-mortem cigarette burns.
• Christina Leal – 23 years old; discovered on December 13, 1989, on a Quail Valley hillside, strangled and stabbed, with a lightbulb inserted into her uterus.
• Darla Jane Ferguson – 23 years old; found on January 18, 1990, in Riverside, strangled with blunt force trauma.
• Carol Lynn Miller – 35 years old; discovered on February 9, 1990, in Highgrove, smothered and stabbed five times.
• Cheryl Coker – 33 years old; found on November 6, 1990, in Riverside, strangled with her right breast severed post-mortem.
• Susan Melissa Sternfeld – 27 years old; discovered on December 21, 1990, in Riverside, strangled and intentionally posed near a dumpster.
• Kathleen Leslie Milne (also known as Kathy Puckett) – 42 years old; found on January 19, 1991, near Lake Elsinore, asphyxiated with a white sock stuffed in her throat.
• Cherie Michelle Payseur – 24 years old; discovered on April 27, 1991, in Riverside, suffocated and found on a flower bed behind a bowling alley.
• Sherry Ann Latham – 37 years old; found on July 4, 1991, in Lake Elsinore, cause of death was strangulation.
• Kelly Marie Hammond – 27 years old; discovered on August 16, 1991, in Corona, strangled and posed in an alley.
• Catherine McDonald – 30 years old; found on September 13, 1991, in Lake Elsinore, stabbed and mutilated post-mortem.
• Delliah Zamora – 35 years old; discovered on October 30, 1991, in Glen Avon, strangled with a crushed larynx.
• Eleanor Casares – 39 years old; found on December 23, 1991, in Riverside, stabbed and strangled with her breast removed post-mortem.
• Cathy Ann Small – 19 years old; discovered on February 22, 1986, in South Pasadena, stabbed and strangled. This case was linked to Suff in 2024 through DNA evidence.

Arrest and Conviction

Suff's reign of terror came to an end on January 9, 1992, when he was arrested during a routine traffic stop. Officers discovered a bloody knife and other incriminating items in his vehicle, leading to his apprehension. At the time, Suff was employed as a warehouse clerk for Riverside County, a position he secured while still on parole from Texas. Notably, during his tenure, he delivered office furniture to officers investigating his own crimes.

Trial and Sentencing

On July 19, 1995, a Riverside County jury found Suff guilty of 12 counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. Evidence presented during the trial linked him to additional crimes, including the 1988 murder of a San Bernardino woman and the abuse of his three-month-old daughter by his second wife

Confirmed Victims: (12)

Kimberly Lyttle Age: (28), Date of Death: 1989-06-28

Tina Leal Age: (23), Date of Death: 1989-12-13

Darla Ferguson Age: (23), Date of Death: 1990-01-18

Carol Miller Age: (35), Date of Death: 1990-02-08

Cheryl Coker Age: (33), Date of Death: 2018-10-02

Susan Sternfeld Age: (27), Date of Death: 1990-12-21

Kathleen Milne Age: (42), Date of Death: 1991-01-19

Sherry Latham Age: (37), Date of Death: 1991-07-04

Kelly Hammond Age: (27), Date of Death: 1991-08-16

Catherine McDonald Age: (30)

Delliah Zamora Age: (35), Date of Death: 1991-10-30

Eleanor Casares Age: (39)

Suspected Victims:

Cathy Small Age: (19), Date of Death: 1986-02-22

Michelle Yvette Gutierrez Age: (26), Date of Death: 1986-10-30

Charlotte Jean Palmer Age: (25), Date of Death: 1986-12-11

Linda Ann Ortega Age: (37), Date of Death: 1988-04-29

Martha Bess Young Age: (27), Date of Death: 1987-05-02

Diane Mae Talavera Age: (37)

Julie Lynn Angel Age: (36), Date of Death: 1989-11-11

Cherie Michelle Payseur Age: (24), Date of Death: 179200

Survivors:

Rhonda Jetmore Age: (27), Date of Attack: January 10, 1989

William Suff - Wikipedia

William Lester Suff

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William Suff