Serial killer on death row linked to 1986 murder of 19-year-old

Detectives in Southern California identified a serial killer already on death row as the culprit behind the 1986 murder of a 19-year-old woman, officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday.

Cathy Small, who worked as a prostitute, was murdered in February 1986. Her roommate informed law enforcement at the time that Small had planned to meet a man named Bill, who offered her $50 for a drive from Lake Elsinore to Los Angeles. Small left their home that night in a nightgown, according to Lt. Patty Thomas.

Days later, the roommate read about a woman found stabbed to death in South Pasadena. Fearing it was Small, the roommate contacted the police and identified her. Despite the identification, the case remained unsolved for decades.

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Lake Elsinore woman, whose body was found in South Pasadena in 1986, killed by serial killer, authorities say

Cathy Small, 19, of Lake Elsinore was found lying in the 800 block of Bank Street in South Pasadena on Feb. 22, 1986. She had been stabbed mul… https://t.co/yyBv0pfoTC pic.twitter.com/K2MI5icgWi

— American Chronicles (@lbc_chronicles) August 13, 2024

In October 2019, a coroner investigator discovered several disturbing items in the home of a deceased man near the scene of Small’s murder. These included multiple photographs of women who seemed to have been assaulted and a newspaper article about Small’s death, Thomas said.

The Sheriff’s Department conducted a search and DNA tests on items from the man’s home, but they did not match Small. Initially a suspect, the deceased man was later ruled out as having any connection to Small’s murder or other crimes.

Reviewing Small’s case file due to the article found in the deceased man’s home, investigators realised that crucial evidence, including a sexual assault kit, had never undergone DNA testing. In August 2020, Small’s clothing was tested, and the results linked William Suff to the case, Thomas reported.

Suff was already on death row at San Quentin prison, convicted of 12 murders in Riverside County. Known as the Riverside Prostitute Killer or Lake Elsinore Killer, Suff was brought to Los Angeles in May 2022, where he confessed to killing Small.

“Detectives interviewed him for two days. Over seven hours, he confessed and detailed Cathy Small’s murder,” Thomas said. “He also confessed to some previous murders in Riverside County.”

Suff met Small at a computer repair shop where he worked. They arranged for him to pick her up later that night. An argument in his vehicle led to Suff becoming enraged when Small knocked off his glasses. He then retrieved a knife and stabbed her multiple times in the chest, pushing her out of the car before driving away, according to Thomas.

At the time of Small’s murder, Suff was on parole from Texas, where he had been imprisoned for the 1974 death of his 2-month-old daughter.

The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has chosen not to prosecute Suff for Small’s murder, citing his age, previous convictions, and pending death sentence.

“We understand the pain and loss experienced by the victims’ families and our community. This decision does not diminish the severity of the crimes but recognizes that additional charges would not alter the current circumstances or bring further justice,” the district attorney’s office stated in a release.

“Our focus remains on supporting the victims’ families. We thank LASD for bringing some needed closure to the victims’ family, and our bureau of victim services stands ready to offer support. We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected.”