LAPD ties 72-year-old to two waves of serial killings - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

yuppielawyer · 04-30-2009, 04:41 PM

Not being one who has seen every episode, I was wondering if anyone remembered if either of these serial rapes/murders had ever been featured on UM.

From the LA Times article:

Quote:

The first wave of slayings haunted Los Angeles in the mid-1970s. The killer slipped mostly unseen through the night, preying on older women who lived alone. He raped them and squeezed their necks until they passed out or died. On the 17 who were killed, he placed pillows or blankets over their faces.

The second wave hit a decade later in Claremont -- five older women raped and strangled, faces again covered.

Even with at least 20 survivors, police never connected the two homicide-and-rape rampages nor solved either of them. The victims gave conflicting descriptions of the rapist, police in different jurisdictions didn't communicate, and DNA technology had not come into use.

Now authorities say they have linked John Floyd Thomas Jr., a 72-year-old state insurance claims adjuster who twice has been convicted of sexual assault, to five of the slayings. Detectives also describe him as a suspect in up to 25 more based on the circumstances of those crimes.

"When all is said and done, Mr. Thomas stands to be Los Angeles' most prolific serial killer," said LAPD Robbery-Homicide Cold Case Det. Richard Bengston.

Thomas was arrested at his apartment in South Los Angeles last month and charged April 2 with murder in connection with the deaths of Ethel Sokoloff, 68, in the Mid-Wilshire area in 1972, and Elizabeth McKeown, 67, in Westchester in 1976.

He said Thomas' DNA matched evidence found at five murder scenes, spanning both crime waves -- the two homicides he has been charged with, one in Lennox in 1975, one in Inglewood in 1976 and one in Claremont in 1986.

Authorities are analyzing evidence in 25 other killings they suspect might be linked to Thomas.

Kane · 04-30-2009, 10:08 PM

No, I'm sorry to say it doesn't sound like a case that UM profiled. (Or at least, I've seen no evidence that it was ever profiled on the show.) But it's good to hear that another cold case is just about to be solved.

Mastermind · 04-30-2009, 11:49 PM

Interesting case since it's possible this guy has been killing since the 1950s.

I would like to see this thing playout thouugh. For all we know this could all be some computer glitch.

yuppielawyer · 05-01-2009, 01:19 AM

What's fascinating about this guy is that it sounds like he got a job with the state in 1989 and just stopped killing. His DNA doesn't show up anywhere else after 1989. It sort of reminds me of BTK, who just stopped killing for all those years. Very strange.

I don't think it is a computer glitch, though. I doubt the LAPD would have moved forward on this if they didn't have their ducks in a row.

freshwater · 05-01-2009, 10:23 AM

It's sick to think about this way, but killing is probably pretty physically demanding. It would make sense to me that once you get into your 50's, you might stop killing (or at least dramatically slow down your pace).

While I'm glad that this guy has been caught, it sounds like they should have collected his DNA much earlier. He's had all these years outside of prison that he didn't deserve to have.

I think there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of these cases across the country that would be solved if only the authorities properly collected convicted felons' DNA and the labs ran it through the database in a timely fashion.

Mastermind · 05-01-2009, 12:22 PM

Quote:

I don't think it is a computer glitch, though. I doubt the LAPD would have moved forward on this if they didn't have their ducks in a row.

Keep in mind this is the LAPD where talking about here. I wouldn't put anything past them.

yuppielawyer · 05-01-2009, 01:18 PM

I take your point, Mastermind, but, in this case, I think they have their man.

It's somewhat ironic that this man victimized senior citizens, and now, when he is in his 70s, he will finally have to face justice.

This does also give me hope that they still have a chance of someday solving the "Original Nighstalker" case. That is someone who desperately needs to face justice. I'm not sure if I've ever been as creeped out by part of a story as I was by the account the man who stood up in one of the community meetings about the case and put down the men who "allowed" their wives to be raped in bed right beside them by this predator, and then, that man and his wife were the next victims.

MegtheEgg86 · 05-01-2009, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuppielawyer

I'm not sure if I've ever been as creeped out by part of a story as I was by the account the man who stood up in one of the community meetings about the case and put down the men who "allowed" their wives to be raped in bed right beside them by this predator, and then, that man and his wife were the next victims.

Drakken · 05-01-2009, 05:24 PM

Yes, the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker case was covered by UM.

But that suspect target elderly women, as the East Area Rapist targeted women in their 20s-30s, whether husband was at home or not. And the EAR was reportedly Caucasian.

yuppielawyer · 05-01-2009, 05:34 PM

I wasn't suggesting that this guy was the Original Nightstalker. They have DNA on him, so he clearly is not. I was just saying that the fact that a serial killer in the area from so many years ago is being brought to justice gives me hope that someday that horrible predator will be, too.

Cori aka ChrisSCrush · 05-01-2009, 11:32 PM

I was thinking if this guy committed so many crimes, perhaps one of them appeared on UM.

yuppielawyer · 05-02-2009, 12:34 AM

They are saying that it appears that he is California's most prolific serial killer. And, interestingly, he is African-American, which goes against the classic profile of serial killers as white males (not that there haven't been non-white serial killers, just very, very few).

Mastermind · 05-02-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

They are saying that it appears that he is California's most prolific serial killer. And, interestingly, he is African-American, which goes against the classic profile of serial killers as white males (not that there haven't been non-white serial killers, just very, very few).

That is a profile that I never put stock in. Mostly because non-white serial killing victims tend to get less publicity than white serial killing victims.

Also serial killers have been only recently looked into in the past two centuries.

There is strong belief that serial killers were just as prominent in middle ages and 1700s as they are now. It was just that nobody bothered to keep track of such things.

For example, I think it's just as likely there was some Middle Aged serf who killed woman and children just as much as BTK did. It;s just that such things arent looked at the way they are now.

Tighthead · 05-03-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuppielawyer

I take your point, Mastermind, but, in this case, I think they have their man.

It's somewhat ironic that this man victimized senior citizens, and now, when he is in his 70s, he will finally have to face justice.

This does also give me hope that they still have a chance of someday solving the "Original Nighstalker" case. That is someone who desperately needs to face justice. I'm not sure if I've ever been as creeped out by part of a story as I was by the account the man who stood up in one of the community meetings about the case and put down the men who "allowed" their wives to be raped in bed right beside them by this predator, and then, that man and his wife were the next victims.

The Original Nightstalker case is fascinating. Much like this one, the perpetrator seemed to be in full control - able to seemingly shut down his actions. He could be incarcerated on another charge, or have been killed accidentally, but it sure is a headscratcher.

jjmcgr · 07-16-2015, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuppielawyer

They are saying that it appears that he is California's most prolific serial killer. And, interestingly, he is African-American, which goes against the classic profile of serial killers as white males (not that there haven't been non-white serial killers, just very, very few).

actually someone just did a study of this and the profile, as many profiles about serial killers ("can't stop" being the other biggie) which are based on failed killers (ie ones that got caught) are not based on the evidence. SKs seem to match generally the proportion of the group in society as a whole and the local population in particular. In a place with a lot of Hispanics, the Night Stalker was a Hispanic for example. But he could have been anyone. The media seems to cover minority killers differently than the white guys, further propagating this myth. the most prominent example of the myth in action was the DC Sniper case where there was no real reason to believe the killers were rednecks except that is what the police expected them to be (they ran with a flimsy witness observation about a redneck in a white truckwhile ignoring a witness who saw the actual killers driving away from the very first crime scene) and the actual killers escaped the cordon for weeks until they led the police right to them. At one crime scene (in Manassas) the killers even sat and bantered with the police after the murder as there car was blocked in a Big Boy parking lot by the first responders. (At that point the killers had obviously gotten very cocky).

04-30-2009, 10:08 PM	#2
Kane Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Mar 07, 2001 Location: MA, United States Posts: 3,367	No, I'm sorry to say it doesn't sound like a case that UM profiled. (Or at least, I've seen no evidence that it was ever profiled on the show.) But it's good to hear that another cold case is just about to be solved.

04-30-2009, 11:49 PM	#3
Mastermind Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 16, 2008 Posts: 1,843	Interesting case since it's possible this guy has been killing since the 1950s. I would like to see this thing playout thouugh. For all we know this could all be some computer glitch.

05-01-2009, 01:19 AM	#4
yuppielawyer Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Posts: 184	What's fascinating about this guy is that it sounds like he got a job with the state in 1989 and just stopped killing. His DNA doesn't show up anywhere else after 1989. It sort of reminds me of BTK, who just stopped killing for all those years. Very strange. I don't think it is a computer glitch, though. I doubt the LAPD would have moved forward on this if they didn't have their ducks in a row.

05-01-2009, 10:23 AM	#5
freshwater Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Apr 10, 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 84	It's sick to think about this way, but killing is probably pretty physically demanding. It would make sense to me that once you get into your 50's, you might stop killing (or at least dramatically slow down your pace). While I'm glad that this guy has been caught, it sounds like they should have collected his DNA much earlier. He's had all these years outside of prison that he didn't deserve to have. I think there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of these cases across the country that would be solved if only the authorities properly collected convicted felons' DNA and the labs ran it through the database in a timely fashion.

05-01-2009, 01:18 PM	#7
yuppielawyer Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Posts: 184	I take your point, Mastermind, but, in this case, I think they have their man. It's somewhat ironic that this man victimized senior citizens, and now, when he is in his 70s, he will finally have to face justice. This does also give me hope that they still have a chance of someday solving the "Original Nighstalker" case. That is someone who desperately needs to face justice. I'm not sure if I've ever been as creeped out by part of a story as I was by the account the man who stood up in one of the community meetings about the case and put down the men who "allowed" their wives to be raped in bed right beside them by this predator, and then, that man and his wife were the next victims.

05-01-2009, 05:24 PM	#9
Drakken Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 21, 2007 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 364	Yes, the East Area Rapist/Original Night Stalker case was covered by UM. But that suspect target elderly women, as the East Area Rapist targeted women in their 20s-30s, whether husband was at home or not. And the EAR was reportedly Caucasian.

05-01-2009, 05:34 PM	#10
yuppielawyer Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Posts: 184	I wasn't suggesting that this guy was the Original Nightstalker. They have DNA on him, so he clearly is not. I was just saying that the fact that a serial killer in the area from so many years ago is being brought to justice gives me hope that someday that horrible predator will be, too.

05-01-2009, 11:32 PM	#11
Cori aka ChrisSCrush Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 30, 2001 Location: USA and still trying to be proud of it! Posts: 2,068	I was thinking if this guy committed so many crimes, perhaps one of them appeared on UM.

05-02-2009, 12:34 AM	#12
yuppielawyer Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 06, 2008 Posts: 184	They are saying that it appears that he is California's most prolific serial killer. And, interestingly, he is African-American, which goes against the classic profile of serial killers as white males (not that there haven't been non-white serial killers, just very, very few).