DNA match resolves 1986 cold case murder of Cathy Small

A DNA match has resolved the 1986 cold case murder of a teenager, leading investigators to William Lester Suff, a convicted serial killer on death row.

William Lester Suff, 73, confessed to stabbing 19-year-old Cathy Small multiple times and leaving her on a California road after an argument. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, represented by Homicide Lt. Patricia Thomas, confirmed this.

On 22 February 1986, South Pasadena police responded to a report of a woman lying in the street. When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive woman in a nightgown with multiple stab wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene and initially listed as Jane Doe No. 17. The cause of death was determined to be multiple stab wounds and strangulation.

Three days later, detectives received a call from a Lake Elsinore resident who feared the victim was his roommate. After viewing the remains, he identified the victim as Cathy Small. He informed detectives that Small was a prostitute who had been living with him for a few months and mentioned a man named Bill who had been picking her up and giving her $50 to drive to Los Angeles.

Despite numerous leads, the case remained unsolved for years. On 11 October 2019, detectives responded to a natural death across the street from where Small’s body was found. The coroner’s investigator discovered disturbing items, including photos of assaulted women and a newspaper article about Small’s murder.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department identified the murder as William “Bill” Suff, who was infamously known as “The Riverside Prostitute Killer” or “The Lake Elsinore Killer.” https://t.co/wOiXXLLLGy

— CBS4Local (@CBS4Local) August 14, 2024

Although the deceased man’s DNA did not match any known crimes, the investigation revealed that evidence from Small’s murder, such as a sexual assault kit and her clothing, had never been tested for DNA. In August 2020, DNA testing of these items revealed two male donors, one identified as Suff.

Suff is a notorious serial killer known as the Riverside Prostitute Killer or the Lake Elsinore Killer. In July 1995, he was convicted and sentenced to death for 12 homicides in Riverside County between 1989 and 1991.

Under questioning, Suff admitted he lived in Riverside County and worked at a computer repair shop in Lake Elsinore in 1986. On the day of the murder, Small visited the shop and gave him her phone number. He later picked her up, and after an argument, he became enraged when she knocked off his glasses. He retrieved a knife from his vehicle and stabbed her multiple times, Thomas stated.

At the time of her death, Small had two young children and a younger sister. Her sister expressed relief that the killer was found, although their mother had died before the identification.

LA County Board of Supervisors member Kathryn Barger spoke at a press conference, emphasising the tragedy of Small’s violent death and the importance of justice for her and her family.