California – Detectives in Southern California recently solved the cold case of a 1986 homicide involving a 19-year-old woman, tracing it back to a serial killer already on death row, officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Tuesday.
In February 1986, Cathy Small, who was working as a prostitute, was murdered, according to her roommate’s account at the time, sheriff’s Lt. Patty Thomas explained during a news conference. Small had mentioned she was meeting a man named Bill, who promised her $50 for a drive from Lake Elsinore to Los Angeles. She left that evening wearing a nightgown, Thomas said.
A few days later, her roommate came across a newspaper report about a woman who had been stabbed to death in South Pasadena. Fearing it could be Small, the roommate contacted the authorities and confirmed her identity. Despite efforts, investigators couldn’t solve the crime, and the case went cold.
In October 2019, a coroner investigator discovered disturbing items in the home of a man who had died. The investigator was conducting an investigation into the death of a man located just across the street from the site of Small’s murder. Among the items found were multiple photos of women who seemed to have been assaulted and held captive, possibly by the deceased individual. Additionally, a newspaper article about Small’s death was also discovered.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department conducted a search warrant and performed DNA testing on several items found in the man’s home to determine if they matched Small. However, the results showed no connection. While investigators initially considered the deceased man a suspect, they ultimately concluded that he was not involved in Small’s case and was not connected to any other crimes.
Upon investigation of Small’s case file, sheriff’s investigators made a discovery. They found that certain items of evidence, including a sexual assault kit, had never undergone DNA testing. However, in August 2020, Small’s clothing was finally tested. The results were then uploaded into a federal database. It was through this testing that detectives were able to establish a connection between William Suff and the case, according to Thomas.
Suff was on California’s death row at the San Quentin prison, having been convicted of 12 murders in Riverside County. Suff was known as the Riverside Prostitute Killer, or Lake Elsinore Killer.
In May 2022, Suff was transferred from San Quentin to Los Angeles, where he admitted to murdering Small, Thomas revealed.
During the course of a two-day interview, detectives were able to obtain a detailed confession from him regarding the murder of Cathy Small,” Thomas revealed. “Moreover, he openly discussed and admitted to some of the previous murders that had taken place in Riverside County.”
Thomas met Suff at a computer repair shop where he was employed. They made plans for him to give her a ride later that evening. However, when Suff picked her up in his vehicle, they got into an argument which escalated when she accidentally knocked his glasses off his face.
The Los Angeles County district attorney’s office has decided not to prosecute Suff in Small’s case due to his age, previous convictions, and pending death sentence, according to Thomas. It is currently being investigated whether Suff has legal representation.
“We empathize with the families of the victims and our community, understanding the pain and loss they have endured. While it is important to acknowledge the severity of the crimes committed, we have come to the decision that pursuing additional charges would not change the current circumstances or provide further justice,” stated the district attorney’s office in a release on Tuesday.
“Our main priority continues to be providing support to the families of the victims. We are grateful to LASD for bringing some much-needed closure to the victims’ families, and our bureau of victim services is prepared to offer assistance. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those impacted.”
