Texas man detained in 4 California killings from decades ago

Jul 15, 2022, 10:23 AM | Updated: 1:35 pm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man has been arrested in Texas in connection with the Southern California slayings of four women decades ago, police said.

Billy Ray Richardson, 76, was arrested on Thursday by detectives from the Los Angeles and suburban Inglewood police departments with the assistance of officers from Fort Worth, Texas, police.

Richardson was charged by Los Angeles County prosecutors with four counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstance of multiple murder and murder in the commission of rape, Los Angeles police said in a statement.

The statement said investigative and forensic work over the decades linked Richardson to the 1980 killings of Beverly Cruse, Debra Cruse and Kari Lenander in Los Angeles and the 1995 slaying of Trina Wilson in Inglewood.

Prosecutors said all four victims were raped and that DNA evidence linked Richardson to the crimes.

It was not immediately known if Richardson had an attorney to comment on his behalf. He was in custody in Texas on Thursday awaiting extradition to Los Angeles, police said.

Beverly Cruse, 25, and Debra Cruse, 22, were sisters who were found dead by their brother in Beverly’s apartment on March 6, 1980, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing its story from that time.

Prosecutors said in a statement Friday that each woman had been shot in the head three times.

Leander was 15 when she was found strangled on a street on July 26, 1980, prosecutors said.

Wilson, 28, was slain on Dec. 31, 1995, at Inglewood’s North Park. Her throat had been slashed.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
2 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
5 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
5 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
11 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
19 days ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Pexels Photo)...

Sports gambling can be fun for adults, but it’s a dangerous game for children

While adults may find that sports gambling is a way to enhance the experience with more than just fandom on the line, it can be a dangerous proposition if children get involved in the activity.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Prep the plumbing in your home just in time for the holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's important to know when your home is in need of heating and plumbing updates before more guests start to come around.
Texas man detained in 4 California killings from decades ago