Police link unsolved 1986 case to Californian serial killer

When informed that his DNA matched that found at the crime scene, Suff allegedly confessed to killing the mother of two children and abandoning her on the street, authorities said.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna called the development a “major breakthrough” in the unsolved case during a press conference on Tuesday.

Luna explained that the connection was only made possible by the hard work of law enforcement, the “power” of modern forensics and cooperation between agencies.

“We believe we are providing the victim and her family with a sense of long overdue justice and closure,” he said.

Small was discovered on a South Pasadena street on the morning of February 22, 1986. She was wearing a nightgown and had multiple stab wounds all over her body. Police arrived at the scene and pronounced her dead.

Because she had no identification on her, she was referred to as Unidentified Person #17 until a Lake Elsinore area resident called police several days later after hearing news of the death. He stated that the description of the deceased seemed to match his roommate, whom he had not seen since 10 p.m. on February 21.

When he saw the remains, he confirmed that they were Small, whom he called a prostitute, and said he last saw her the night before her death when she got into the car of a man she said was named Bill, who wanted to pay her $50 to ride with him to Los Angeles.

Not long after, the case was closed. And it remained that way for decades.

By October 11, 2019, police were called to the residence near where Small's body was found because a 63-year-old man who had lived alone had died there.

“Disturbing items” were found in his residence, said Patricia Thomas, a homicide lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, on Tuesday.

In addition to numerous photographs of women who were apparently attacked and held against their will, a newspaper article about Small's murder was found in the deceased's bedroom.

After DNA was taken from the deceased, authorities discovered that DNA from Small's sex offender kit, her body, and the clothing she was wearing the night of her death had never been tested.

On August 19, 2020, investigators were informed that DNA testing of Small's crime scene revealed the presence of two men, neither of whom was the deceased, who was not linked to any crime.

However, the DNA of one of the two men was identified as that of Suff, Thomas said.

Thomas said Suff confessed to Small's murder during seven hours of questioning over two days. He allegedly told investigators that he was working at a computer repair shop in Lake Elsinore in 1986 when Small walked in and gave him her phone number.

According to Thomas, Suff confessed to driving Small to Pasadena, where he became angry after she apparently knocked his glasses off his face during an argument. He then allegedly grabbed a knife he kept in the car, stabbed her multiple times in the chest, then pushed her into the street before driving away.

Suff was shown photos of the crime scene and reportedly told investigators that the photos showed how he left her body, Thomas said.

“This case, which began with what appeared to be a routine investigation, ultimately linked the murder of a young woman to her killer,” Luna said.

During the press conference, Thomas read a letter from Small's younger sister, which said that Suff had “destroyed” herself, her family and the families of others by allegedly murdering her sister.

“I will always miss my sister Cathy. Nothing will bring her back. Bill Suff is where he is supposed to be and he can't hurt anyone anymore,” Thomas said as she read the letter.