Authorities Have Identified Yet Another Victim of Serial Killer William Suff
William Suff did unspeakable things to his victims, whose deaths were largely ignored because most were sex workers.
Published Aug. 14 2024, 11:22 a.m. ET
Like Jeffrey Dahmer, William Suff liked to pose his victims in horrifying ways, per the New York Times. His killing spree lasted from 1989 to 1991, though he wasn't arrested until 1992 during a routine traffic stop in Riverside, Calif. Suff's victims were usually sex workers and women addicted to drugs. In other words, they were people society generally overlooked.
He picked the women up in his van under the guise of wanting sex, then ended up strangling most of them. Some of his victims were mutilated and at times, were forced to dress in his clothes while he wore theirs. He was callous and cruel. In August 2024, police believe they have been able to link a 1986 murder to Suff. Where is he now and who is this victim? Here's what we know.
Where is William Suff now? He's behind bars.
As of August 2024, Suff is 73 years old and is serving his time at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, Calif. He was sentenced to death and is not eligible for parole consideration. When he was arrested in January 1992, police found a kill kit in Suff's vehicle. There was a bloody knife, rope, and a sleeping bag that had fibers matching those on the bodies of several of his victims.
Details of Suff's crimes can be found in a copy of The People of the State of California vs William Lester Suff. The story of how each victim was killed is more harrowing than the last. Kimberly Lyttle was only 28 when Suff strangled her to death. Before she died, he put out lit cigarettes all over her body. Christina Leal, 23, was also strangled, but this time Suff stabbed her multiple times in different places on her body, including her genitalia.
The list goes on, and the deeds get worse. The only through line is Suff's penchant for strangling his victims. The last woman he was convicted of killing was 39-year-old Eleanor Casares. Like the others, she had been strangled, but this time he sliced off one of her breasts after she had died. Other murders were attributed to Suff, though he was never formally charged for them. That changed in August 2024.
The 1986 murder of Cathy Small has finally been solved.
On Aug. 13, 2024, the Los Angeles County Sheriff announced they were able to link Suff to the 1986 murder of Cathy Small. According to ABC 7 News, her body was found on the side of a South Pasadena roadway on Feb. 22, 1986. She was dressed only in a nightgown and had been strangled and then stabbed several times. The 19-year-old mother of two had also been sexually assaulted.
After a strange break in the case led authorities to pull out evidence from Small's case, they realized her rape kit had never been tested. Once they did, they found that there was DNA from two male donors. One was unidentified while the other was identified as Suff's. When authorities spoke with Suff, he confessed to killing Small and took responsibility for other murders in Riverside County. Because he is on death row, Suff will not be tried for Small's murder.
