Authorities made a significant development in a long-standing unsolved case, revealing that the 1986 murder of 19-year-old Cathy Small is now connected to convicted serial killer William Suff, who was previously found guilty of 12 other murders.
A body was found on Bank Street in South Pasadena on February 22, 1986. Lieutenant Patricia Thomas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau provided details during a press conference at the Hall of Justice.
“She was found in a nightgown, with multiple stab wounds on her body,” she reported. Further examination determined that her cause of death was a combination of stab wounds and strangulation.
After being initially unidentified, detectives received a call from a concerned Lake Elsinore resident who had come across a story in their local newspaper regarding the killing. The resident suspected that the victim could potentially be their roommate.
“Later that day,” Thomas stated, “he revealed the victim’s name to be Cathy Ann Small.” “According to the information provided to detectives, she was engaged in a certain profession in the Lake Elsinore area and resided at his residence for a brief period.”
The man informed investigators that Cathy had departed from the residence around 10 p.m., donning a nightgown similar to the one she was found in.
For years, investigators have tirelessly pursued answers in a perplexing case that has remained unsolved for decades. Despite following countless leads, a definitive conclusion has remained elusive.
In October 2019, Thomas revealed that a breakthrough in the case occurred when a detective was contacted by an investigator from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
The investigator was present at the location of the man’s death in the 800 block of Bank Street, which happened to be across from where Small’s body was found over three decades ago.
“There was a report of a 63-year-old man who was discovered deceased on his living room couch,” Thomas stated. He lived a solitary life and did not have any offspring. The coroner investigator discovered several unsettling items in the house: a collection of photos depicting women who seemed to be under the influence of drugs, subjected to assault, and forcibly confined, potentially by the deceased individual. In his bedroom, there was a newspaper article that mentioned the name of the victim who had been killed.
The article in question revealed Small as the victim of the 1986 killing.
After obtaining the case file for Small’s homicide, detectives made a significant discovery. It turned out that the location of her murder was just across the street from the man’s home. This finding prompted them to acquire a search warrant, according to Thomas.
“Several pieces of evidence were found at the residence, and our crime lab experts conducted DNA tests on them.” Investigators discovered that the decedent’s DNA did not match the DNA found on victim Small and was not connected to any criminal activities,” she stated.
Homicide detectives retrieved the evidence from the 1986 investigation and brought it to their crime lab for DNA analysis.
In January 1992, Suff was arrested during a routine traffic stop, which ultimately resulted in him being charged with the murders, according to Thomas.
In 1995, he was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape, torture, and murder of 12 Riverside County sex workers that took place between 1989 and 1991. Suff, now 73, continues to live on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
According to Thomas, Suff was found guilty in 1974 for the tragic death of his 2-month-old daughter in Texas. As a result, he received a lengthy prison sentence of 70 years. He was released on parole in 1984 and moved to California after completing a 10-year sentence.
Homicide investigators transferred Suff from San Quentin Prison to the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, where he was questioned for two days. In 1995, he was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape, torture, and murder of 12 Riverside County sex workers that took place between 1989 and 1991. Suff, now 73, continues to live on death row at San Quentin State Prison.
According to Thomas, Suff was found guilty in 1974 for the tragic death of his 2-month-old daughter in Texas. As a result, he received a lengthy prison sentence of 70 years. He was released on parole in 1984 and moved to California after completing a 10-year sentence.
Suff was transferred from San Quentin Prison to the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles by homicide investigators. He was then subjected to two days of intense questioning.
Source: CBS News