Newly Discovered DNA Evidence Connects Serial Killer to 1986 Cold Case Murder of Cathy Small – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:03 PM – Wednesday, August 14, 2024
The 1986 cold case murder of 19-year-old Cathy Small, who was living in Los Angeles Country at the time, has finally been solved, linking a known serial killer in the area to the brutal killing.
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“A case becomes ‘Cold’ when all probative investigative leads available to the primary investigators are exhausted and the case remains open and unsolved after a period of three years,” according to the Houston Police Department.
William Lester Suff has now been discovered to be the assailant behind the murder of 19-year-old Small, thanks to DNA evidence.
In the early morning of February 22nd, 1986, Small’s body was found on a Pasadena street. She was wearing a nightgown that showed several bloody stab wounds as well as signs of bruising due to strangulation.
“She was wearing a nightgown, and appeared to have suffered several stab wounds throughout her body,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau Lieutenant Patricia Thomas.
Suff was previously convicted of 12 other murders, including the death of his 2-month-old daughter Dijanet in Texas, which he was convicted of in 1974 and paroled to California in 1984. “Multiple blows from a blunt instrument” was the cause of the baby’s death, and his wife at the time was also charged for murder as an accomplice. A medical examiner found that the 2-month-old had 12 broken ribs around 10 days prior to passing away.
Suff garnered infamy for his crimes as he was known as “the Riverside Prostitute Killer” and the “Lake Elsinore Killer.”
After Small’s body was first found, she was unidentified until an anonymous man called the police department as he was concerned that the victim could be his roommate, who had been living with him for several months while working as a prostitute.
The man then confirmed the identity of Small as the victim, with investigators saying: “She told him that a man named Bill was picking her up and giving her $50 to drive with him to Los Angeles…“He never saw or heard from her again.”
At that point, the case became cold, until an unexpected breakthrough in October 2019 after an L.A. County Department of Medical Examiner Investigator contacted a detective. The investigator happened to be at the scene of an elderly man’s death, who died from natural causes in his home, which happened to be right across the street from the destination where Small was found.
“A 63-year-old man had been found dead on his living room couch,” Thomas continued. “He lived alone and had no children. The corner investigator observed several disturbing items in the house: numerous photos of women who appeared drugged and assaulted and held against their will, possibly by the decedent. There was also a newspaper article located in his bedroom stating ‘slain victim named.’”
The article that was named was regarding Small’s identification in her murder from a news publication at the time.
“Numerous items of evidence were recovered from the residence, and DNA tests were conducted on several of the items by criminalists from our crime lab. However investigators learned the decedent’s DNA did not match the DNA found on the victim ‘Small’ and was not linked to any crimes,” said Thomas.
Detectives then went back to link the DNA testing to that on Small’s clothing items, which they soon found was never DNA tested.
Following further testing in 2020, DNA analysis finally found “the presence of two male donors.”
“One of the donors was identified as William Lester Suff – at the time, a White 70-year-old man – and the other an unknown male.” she stated. “Bill Suff was a convicted serial killer, also known as the Riverside Prostitute Killer or the Lake Elsinore Killer.”
Suff was arrested again following a traffic stop in 1992, which led to his conviction in 1995 of 12 other Riverside murders.
Suff, who is now 73-years-old and on death row, was interviewed following the groundbreaking information regarding Small’s case.
“Detectives interviewed him for two days – over seven hours,” Thomas stated. “He confessed and discussed in detail the murder of Cathy Small. He also discussed and admitted to some of the previous murders in Riverside County.”
“For us, we believe we’re bringing a sense of long-overdue justice and closure to the victim and her family,” said L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna. “Amongst everything else we’re talking about today, you’ve always got to remember when we’re talking about something as significant as this, we’re talking about a victim who lost her life, and the family who will never forget that.”
L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger also spoke at a press conference and mentioned the findings.
“She was also a daughter and a sister. … Cathy had a family who cared about her deeply. It is horrifying that her life was taken away so violently in such a tragic way,” she said. “Today, we stand before you to announce that justice will be served for Cathy and her family.”
Small’s sister, who couldn’t be in attendance at the press conference, shared a few words with reporters as well.
“My sister, Cathay Small, was not a statistic,” the letter read. “She was a protective big sister, a loving mother, and a good daughter. Kathy was funny, smart, and caring. She had a big heart and would do anything for anyone.”
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