Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Dana Sue Gray Pt. 1

Episode Date: October 21, 2019

Growing up in Southern California in the 50s and 60s, Dana Sue Gray developed a troubling childhood petulance, which would ultimately evolve into a homicidal greed. Explore the circumstances leading up to her first murder, and the terror she inflicted on the gated community of Canyon Lake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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At participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time and while supplies last. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. It was a beautiful sunny day in Maui in 19. The clear blue sea was made rough by gusts of wind. A honeymooning couple was windsurfing in the strong waves. The woman was blonde and athletic, adept at navigating the heavy surf.

Her husband, on the other hand, struggled in the choppy water. She tossed him a smile as she rode to the shore. He waved at her and tried to follow. But the waves were too strong. The man gasped as water smashed into his face. taking him under. After a moment, he broke the surface and realized in a panic that he wasn't strong enough to mount his board. He called out to his wife, Dana. There was no answer. Terrified, the man started to tire. Where was she? He scanned the shore trying to see past the waves. Finally,

he saw her on the beach. She lounged calmly on the sand. She watched her new husband, fight for his life in the waves with a blank expression. It was as if she was waiting for him to die. After being dragged under again, the man finally managed to make it to shore. He staggered up to his wife, who still sat in the sand, and demanded, why didn't you help me? But she just stared back at him coolly, her mind a million miles away. He would never be able to.

to get her eerie, blank expression out of his mind. I'm Greg Polson. This is Serial Killers, a Parcast Original. Every Monday, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today we're going to explore the early life of Dana Sue Gray. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of Serial Killers and all other Parcast Originals for free on Spotify

or wherever you listen to podcast. To stream serial killers for free on Spotify, just open the app and type serial killers in the search bar. At Parcast, we're grateful for you, our listeners. You allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing. Reach out on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. And if you enjoy today's episode, the best way to help us is to leave a five-star review. Wherever you're listening, it really does help.

This week, we'll cover Dana's early life. her troubling childhood petulance, which evolved into homicidal greed. We'll go into her first murder and the terror she inflicted on the gated community of Canyon Lake in California. Next week, we'll explore Dana's subsequent killing spree. She killed three women and attempted to kill a fourth during February and March of 1994 in Riverside County, California. Her murders were extremely violent and targeted elderly women. women, but it's the spending sprees she went on using her victim's credit cards that made headlines. Dana's story started in Pasadena, California. She was born Dana Sue Armbrust on December 6, 1957.

Her mother, Beverly, was a former beauty queen and aspiring actress who left Hollywood after meeting Dana's father, Russell. At the time, Russell worked as a women's hairstylist. When they met, Beverly was already mother to two young sons from prior relationships, 10-year-old Rick and 8-year-old Craig. After Russell and Beverly married, they bought a house in Covina, California, and settled down. The couple endured several miscarriages, but joyfully welcomed Dana into their family in 1957. Unfortunately, times weren't always so happy. The first two years of Dana's life were marred by her parents' tumultuous, relationship. Beverly was aggressive and controlling. She also had a shopping addiction and racked up a large amount of debt on Russell's credit cards. Her quick temper made it difficult for Russell to take

the reins. Beverly exercised absolute authority over the household. When Dana was two, Russell came home from work to see Beverly attacking another woman outside their home. It's unknown who this woman was, or what caused the scuffle. But this was the last draw for Russell. In 1959, he divorced Beverly and left his only daughter in her care. Though Russell still visited Dana once a month, the bulk of her upbringing was left to Beverly, and for the most part, Beverly seemed to have other things to do. She'd often buy clothes and spend money on nights out at local bars. She also frequently brought men to the house, making no attempt to hide her dead. dating life from her children.

By the time Dana was five, she already felt starved for her mother's attention. She developed an intense jealousy of her older half-brothers. Beverly praised her boys liberally, and Dana saw this as a threat. Dana specifically singled out one of her brothers, 15-year-old Rick as a target. Dana would sneak into Rick's room for a nap and intentionally wet his bed. Beverly reprimanded her, but Dana seemed immune to her. to punishment. She didn't appear bothered by getting caught. All she cared about was getting Beverly's attention, even just for a moment. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology

here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. According to mental health author, Elizabeth Kavarnstrom, the human craving to be recognized is as necessary as eating or drinking. The absence of attention or acknowledgement can have dramatic effects on children. Today, it's psychologically recognized as a form of neglect. Subsequent attention-seeking behavior, like in Dana's case, of wetting the bed, reflects the inner emotional turmoil this neglect can cause. In 1965, when Dana was eight, Rick moved out to live with Beverly's aunt. Meanwhile, Craig, now 13, was emerging as a musician. His band played a big gig at

Disneyland and had become quite popular after a producer noticed them. He frequently spent nights away from home playing with his band. With her half-brothers out of the house, Dana finally had Beverly to herself. But Dana found that her mother's attention wasn't as great as she'd hoped. When Beverly did Dane to notice she had a daughter, she was demeaning and controlling. Dana felt she was constantly being belittled. In her book, To Die For, the shocking true story of serial killer Dana Sue Gray. Author Kathy Braidhill details psychologist Martha Rogers' extensive notes on the fact that Dana had a childhood pattern of lashing out when she felt humiliated. Her rage often seemed to come from feelings of embarrassment.

Dana suffered some of this embarrassment in school, where she struggled academically. She felt like teachers looked down on her for her poor grades and claimed they were out to get her. So she began breaking the rules in retaliation. In 1968, when Dana was 11, she and a friend defaced the classroom of a teacher she thought was particularly mean. Though it's not clear exactly what the vandalism entailed, it was significant enough to earn her several weeks of cleaning as punishment. But this did little to quell her rebellious behavior. Again, she showed that punishment had no effect on her. After all, the attention it provided was the motivation,

for her bad behavior in the first place. Dana felt best in the spotlight, even if she was there to be scolded. Dana's formerly harmless antics only got worse as she entered middle school. She fashioned homemade catapults, which she'd used to launch neighborhood pets into a swimming pool.

It was a chilling display of violence from such a young child. Dana's delinquency continued until the following year when she discovered a talent for sports. She had a net. natural athleticism and excelled in softball in particular. For a while, she used the games to satisfy her desire for attention without resorting to breaking the rules.

But despite her ability, she played rough, and her demeanor did not lend itself to teamwork. In 1969, Dana was suspended for punching a softball teammate in the face. She claimed the girl had beaten her up previously, and she wanted to get her back. She said to have remarked afterward, it sure felt good, but I knew I would get in trouble. Dana was well aware of the potential repercussions and chose to hit her teammate anyway. Unfortunately, her mother's reaction only encouraged this behavior.

After this incident, Beverly took Dana out for ice cream to congratulate her young girl for a standing up to a bully. But as always, Beverly's attention was only focused on Dana, temporarily. In her mind, she had bigger things to worry about. The family was in a large amount of debt. Craig did his best to help them stay afloat with his earnings from the band, but Beverly was still deep in the red. In an effort to make some extra income in 1969, Beverly started to rent out their spare rooms to borders.

She also leased out some space in her driveway for some men to park their camper. One of these men prayed on Dana, and she lost her virginity to him at only 12 years old. The consequences of sexual abuse such as this during childhood can be dire. Psychologist Dr. Suzanne Babel states that physiological sensitivity, poor self-esteem, and substance abuse are common among victims of sexual abuse. According to the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, specialists in the addiction field estimate that up to 90% of their patients,

have a known history of some form of abuse. Though the specific repercussions of this event on Dana are unknown, it likely impacted the way she was maturing. Dana's relationship with her mother during this time was also damaging. For years, Dana had been used to a certain freedom from Beverly. But as she got older, and Beverly tried to exert her authority more often, the two got into intense screaming matches. Dana desperately needed her mother's attention.

needed her mother's attention, but seemed unable to get it without picking a fight. Soon, 13-year-old Dana found a new way to escape the arguments with her mother. In 1970, she acquired a moped, despite not having a license. Dana and her friend Carrie Ann would speed around town, taking back alleys so as not to get caught. It was a short-lived liberation. A cop saw them zooming around and asked to see a license. license. They had none, and Dana received a citation. The cop returned Dana home to her mother

and imparted some advice to Beverly. If you're not careful, she's going to lead a life of crime. Beverly had different advice for her daughter. She warned Dana not to get caught. Beverly's apathy only grew worse over time and eventually led to disaster. In 1971, one, Beverly found a lump on her breast, but for months she simply ignored it. Her health declined until eventually her cancer was impossible to avoid. When she finally agreed to undergo chemotherapy, her cancer was already well advanced. Dana tended to her mother dutifully, getting her pills and food. But despite Dana's efforts to care for her mom, Beverly was fading before her eyes.

Within the year, Beverly's cancer had spread to her lungs and liver. The summer between Dana's freshman and sophomore year of high school, Dana spent her days in the hospital. She began to get to know the nursing staff, but was put off by the way they rushed through their tasks. They seemed to do their jobs robotically without consideration for the emotional needs of the patients and their families. Then one day, Dana stared down at Beverly. as she took a few wheezing breaths. Her mother's skin was gaunt, her eyes vacant. Dana could tell what was coming.

She leaned close to her mother, whispering soothing words into her ear. I will be all right. Let go. Just let go. And Beverly did. Dana had spent her whole life fighting for her mother's attention. With Beverly gone, she had an enormous hole in her heart. heart. Next, a rudderless Dana chases thrills to distract herself from her crushing loneliness.

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He and his second wife, Yvonne, lived in Dana Point, California. Dana hated her new stepmother, who she thought looked down on her. She also struggled to fit in at her new school. Her half-brother Rick, now 26, noticed she was having a hard time. Though he had never been close with Dana, he felt she needed some guidance after Beverly's passing. In an attempt to cheer her up, he started taking her along when he went skydiving. Dana quickly fell in love with the sport and immersed herself in the community. She joined skydiving groups and made thrill-seeking friends.

A team of psychologists from the University of Kentucky studied thrill-seekers and found that a part of the brain known as the insula is activated by skydiving. This is the same area that's stimulated during addictive behaviors like smoking or binge eating. The study determined that high thrill-seekers are strongly prone to engage in potentially dangerous activities, but also may be less. less likely than other people to inhibit or appropriately regulate that activation. It didn't take long for Dana's social circle to be dominated by people she met while skydiving. In 1973, when she was 16, she met 23-year-old skydiving instructor Rob Boudry. Rob groomed the younger Dana, and the two quickly began dating. Her mood improved for the first time since her mother's death.

But back at home, she was still having a hard time getting along with her stepmother, Yvonne. Soon after Dana began dating Rob, Yvonne found marijuana in Dana's room. Russell warned Dana it better not happen again, but Dana blew up. She started screaming at Russell and Yvonne and threatening to leave. Accounts differ on whether Dana was kicked out or left on her own accord, but following this incident, she moved in with Rob. She finished her last two years of high school while living with him. Dana graduated in 1975 and immediately enrolled in Saddleback College's nursing program. Being a nurse felt personal to Dana. She'd been disgusted by the lack of kindness that was shown to her in the hospital while Beverly was ill.

To her, a nurse should help people and be able to soothe their patients and their families. She was determined to be the best caretaker she could be. She thrived in the nursing program. She thrived in the nursing program, Dana seemed to be a hard worker when she wanted to be and took to nursing quite well. But her personal life wasn't going as well as her schooling. While in the program, Dana became pregnant. Though he was seven years older than her, Rob wasn't ready to be a father. He encouraged her to terminate the pregnancy. And she agreed. Not long afterward, Dana got pregnant a second time. Rob once again insisted on an abortion. Dana reluctantly did as he asked, but was beginning to grow bitter. She had dreams of being a mother

one day, and she resented Rob's rejection. She and Rob split in 1981, shortly after Dana received her nursing degree. She found employment at Corona Community Hospital two weeks later. As she settled into her new job, Dana met windsurfer Chris Dodson. The two shared a love of adventurous, thrill-seeking sports, but were both so competitive they fought constantly. Even so, the couple stayed together for five years before they broke up in 1986. Dana wasn't the only one going through major changes in her life. In 1986, Russell, her father, divorced Yvonne. That same year, Russell met and married a woman named Jerry. The newlyweds moved into the gated retirement community called Canyon Lake. Jerry had been a long-time resident of the neighborhood,

having lived there with her first husband before he died. Norma Davis, her first husband's mother, still lived in the community, and Jerry checked in on her from time to time. The two maintained a close relationship. Dana adored Jerry, and shortly after she and Russell tied the knot, Dana moved in with them. She was 29, newly single, and feeling restless in her path. She wanted to take a break while she decided what to do next. Dana had dreams of starting a new life abroad. She wanted to explore her options far from Canyon Lake, but her grand plans were slightly delayed when she met Tom Gray.

Tom had gone to high school with Dana in Covina, but the two hadn't stayed in touch. He worked as a pilot and will get hired to fly company advertisement banners over events or freeways. He was also an amateur museum. and was known in the local band scene. Tom remembered Dana fondly as a beautiful, vivacious young woman. When the two bumped into one another at a local grocery store,

he was thrilled to see that the 29-year-old beauty in front of him hadn't changed at all. He asked for her number. But instead of calling her, Tom showed up at the Corona Community Hospital ER while Dana was on duty. He asked her out in front of her coworkers. Slightly embarrassed, Dana hurriedly agreed in an effort to usher him from the building. Their first date was Tom's 10-year high school reunion, and Dana was surprised to find herself having a great time. Despite his bold behavior when he asked Dana out, Tom was usually a quiet and reserved man.

His calm demeanor complimented Dana's bold attitude and love of thrilling sports. But though she was falling for Tom, Dana was still feeling restless. She'd rarely trained traveled and was yearning to know what else was out there. Dana informed Tom she was going abroad, possibly for good. She sold all her possessions, and Tom drove her to the airport with a heavy heart. Dana kept in touch with Tom as she made her way through New Zealand and Australia. She complained to him about the lack of jobs and seemed to miss the comforts of California. A few months later, Dana abandoned her international dreams and returned to Tom's waiting arms. The two immediately moved in together. A week later, Tom popped the question. Thrilled with the

prospect of spending their lives together, Tom bought the pair of 30-year-olds a house in Canyon Lake in August of 1987. Her half-brother Rick was delighted to see his wild sister had finally settled down. To get them set up in their new home, he lent them some of his antique furniture. That October, Tom and Dana married at a winery in Temecula. Russell spent a great deal of money on a fairy tale wedding for his only daughter. Over 200 guests attended, and Dana insisted on stunt skydivers to wow the crowd. Afterward, Dana took time planning their honeymoon to Maui. She wanted that, too, to be perfect. In the meantime, the married couple began their new life together. Dana started pushing

Tom to be more active and outpaced him when they rode bikes or went skiing. Tom became more focused on Dana's idea of having fun and abandoned his own hobbies. At Dana's insistence, he quit his band to spend more time with her. He also changed careers. His father had worked in construction and Tom decided to abandon his piloting to take up the family trade and make a little more money. He got a job as a construction company's heavy equipment operator. The two finally made it to Maui in April of 1988, where Dana set an active itinerary that Tom struggled to keep up with.

After Tom nearly drowned while windsurfing, Dana refused to acknowledge anything had happened. A confused Tom did his best to brush it off, but her coldness would prove hard to forget. After the honeymoon, the couple returned to Canyon Lake, and was forced to face a harsh reality. Between the wedding, the new house, and the honeymoon, they'd racked up a lot of debt.

With Dana's job as a nurse and Tom's in construction, the couple had a combined income of around $90,000 per year. But despite their healthy earnings, they were still spending beyond their means. Dana wasn't one to want to cut back. She enjoyed their nice dinners out. and she wasn't even close to done with decorating their new house. Despite the hole they were falling into,

Dana didn't seem able to slow down her spending. Compulsive shopping, a disorder also referred to as Oneomania, is comparable to substance abuse in its ability to momentarily elevate the mood of the addict. Dr. Gary A. Christensen conducted a compulsive shopping study at the University of Minnesota's medical school. He found that almost all the subjects reported a release of tension after the purchase, but it was almost always followed by sadness, anger, or guilt. So while Dana was attempting to lighten her spirits with her purchases,

they were most likely only throwing her into a deeper state of angst and depression. It wasn't just the addictive nature of shopping that made it hard for Dana to stop. It was also her upbringing. Dana's mother had suffered from the same condition. Dana learned early on that a lack of money didn't have to prevent her from purchasing everything she desired. By 1988, only a year into their marriage, Tom and Dana were deep in debt.

Dana began to realize she was reaching the end of her rope. Up next, we'll begin to understand how dangerous it was when Dana Sue Gray didn't get what she wanted. Choice hotels get you more of what you value. Here's a little tune to help you remember. Same drive different day. Don't

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Zootopia 2, now available on Disney Plus-rated PG. Now, back to the story. In 1988, 31-year-old Dana Sue Gray and her husband Tom were struggling financially. The stressful pile of bills only drove Dana to spend more as she bought new things to make herself feel better. But her worry over her financial troubles began to cause conflicts within her family. To combat her money problems, Dana became a business. obsessed with her great-aunt's will. At the time her half-brothers, Craig and Rick, were the sole beneficiaries, and Dana was due

to receive nothing. Dana saw this as a personal affront. She went so far as to visit their great-a-nance nursing home, to bully her into signing a new will. When Craig heard what she had done, he was furious. Their ensuing feud sharply divided Dana and Craig, while Rick felt torn. He'd always been generous to Dana. and still felt like a big brother to her.

But when Rick approached his sister about her greed, she refused to listen. Rick reluctantly let the issue drop, but worried things were about to get worse. He was right. In 1989, Dana's troubles multiplied when the economy crashed. Tom was finding construction work difficult to come by, though he was able to pick up a job every now and then.

His income was drastically reduced. Meanwhile, Dana started a start. screen printing business and purchased some expensive equipment for it. But the business never took off. Her failures were mounting, and so was the debt. Dana controlled their finances, and though Tom knew they needed money, he didn't know quite how bad it was. He wasn't contributing much to their income, and his wife was working extra shifts, as well as trying to start a new business. Therefore, or he felt he wasn't entitled to as much of a say in how the home was run. He put his head down and tried not to start a fight.

Still, there was a lot of unspoken tension between them. Perhaps in an attempt to save their relationship, Dana and Tom decided they were ready to have children. In March of 1989, they began trying in earnest. But despite going off birth control, Dana had a hard time conceiving. After a year of trying, Dana sank into bitterness. She lamented Tom for his lack of income and for her failure to get pregnant. She even went so far as to blame their dog for taking the lion's share of Tom's affections.

Gary Becker, a sociology professor, suggests that there are two main psychological issues that can influence marital happiness. The first is perceived control. Couples who blame factors outside their control for their problems, such as the economy, are more likely to have unsatisfying marriages. Additionally, those that suffer from low self-esteem are likely to engage in behaviors destructive to the marriage. Dana's self-esteem had certainly taken a hit when she struggled to conceive, and blaming

their dog for stealing attention stands out as evidence of Dana's tendency to point fingers. Gradually, the tension in Dana and Tom's relationship evolved into full-on chaos. One night in 1990, Dana's brother Rick came over to the couple's home with Tom's brother, Gerald. They were having a good time until Dana and Tom started to bicker. It didn't take long for the fight to escalate. Dana shocked her guests by pouring a beer over Tom's head. Tom returned the favor, making their guests extremely uncomfortable.

Dana then commanded Rick and Gerald to leave. This was a quintessential example of a. Dana's need for total control. Biologist and author Dr. Glenn Crosston notes that control seekers often are products of a chaotic childhood environment. The lack of control they feel as children causes them to search for things to dominate as adults. The person who felt the brunt of this was Tom. Dana's control over him had already alienated Tom from many of his friends. He was feeling the repercussions of the years of emotional abuse and was almost at the end of his rope.

But a glimpse of respite soon appeared for them both. At 34 years old, Dana finally got pregnant. Both she and Tom were thrilled. Maybe this child could save their marriage. Unfortunately, in March of 1991, Dana had a miscarriage. After the loss of her pregnancy, she spiraled even further. Her drinking escalated, and she started to take fertility drugs. the combination of events drastically increased her mood swings.

Her nursing coworkers were also experiencing trouble with Dana's demeanor. She was highly critical of their work and had a quick temper. Multiple complaints were filed with the hospital superiors. Darlene Addison, a nursing supervisor, noted that despite her co-workers dislike for Dana, she was a good nurse. Quote, she was the first person to go when someone was down and out. It may be that Dana felt more comfortable being kind and attentive to her patients. They looked to Dana as an authority figure, allowing her a small outlet to exercise her control.

Sadly, no such consideration was shown to Tom in an attempt to find some small way out of the oppressive hold Dana had on their home life. He took up music again. Before long, he'd assembled a local band. He hosted jam sessions at their home in Canyon Lake. Dana allowed the sessions, but sat in on practices, maintaining her show of control over Tom's life. At the practices, she met Tom's bandmate, Jim Wilkins, and his toddler son, Jason. Dana was besotted by Jason. After her miscarriage, her desire to have a child of her own grew even stronger.

While the band practiced, Dana lavished attention on the little boy. But young Jason wasn't the only object of Dana's affections. In November of 1991, Tom was blindsided when Dana went home with Jim after rehearsal. She returned the next day to tell Tom she was leaving him. It's possible that Dana was more interested in being a mother to Jason than in being a wife to Jim. Not long after she moved out, she found she was pregnant with Tom's child and quickly reconciled with him. If she could have a child, she was more than willing to return to her old life. Unfortunately, in 1992, she miscarried once more.

This time, she arranged a trip to Sweden with some friends to get her mind off of her grief. But when she returned, it was Tom that had done some thinking. He wanted out of their marriage. It wasn't the clean break that Tom might have hoped for. Dana spent the next year moving between Jim and Tom. Finally, unable to fully get Tom to reconsider their divorce, Dana hopped in the couple's brown Cadillac and drove away. She was moving in with Jim for good.

But her relationship with Jim wasn't the life-changing move she'd hoped for. By April of 1993, Dana was 35. She was abusing alcohol more heavily than before. But it still wasn't enough to make her forget her problems. To cope with her depression, she began to be able to. stealing painkillers from work. In November, Dana was called into a meeting with hospital supervisors and confronted about discrepancies in the hospital's medicine log.

Medication was missing. Dana denied any involvement, but she'd been seen stealing by her nursing supervisor on more than one occasion, and her excuses were easy to poke holes in. She was fired. Embarrassed, Dana told her family and friends that she was the victim of jealous backstabbing. According to author and anger management expert, Bernard Golden, PhD, the more we blame others or respond aggressively to situations we're defensive over, the more that becomes our go-to reaction. Just as Dana retaliated against teachers who she blamed for her bad grades as a child, she was continuing to point the finger at others in anger. On January 2, 1994, Dana received a letter from her brother Rick.

He demanded the return of the antiques he'd lent Tom and Dana when they first bought their house seven years ago. Since they'd separated, he was worried they'd get lost in the shuffle. Dana didn't seem to care and ignored Rick. After years of putting up with Dana's mood swings and immature behavior, this was the final straw for Rick. He called Dana repeatedly and insisted she returned the furniture. When she refused, Rick blew up. For once, he didn't hold back and unleashed years of pent-up frustration with her behavior. Dana listened to it all calmly before responding with something that chilled him to the bone.

She said, are you so pissed off you could stroke out and die? I hope so. After an aggressive back and forth, Dana stopped returning his calls. At 37, Dana had alienated her family and lost her job. She had no way of achieving the materialistic life that she believed she deserved. Not to mention her and Jim's relationship was in a quick decline, once again because of her spending. Seeking to abandon the sinking ship of her relationship with Jim, Dana called Russell and Jerry to ask if she could stay with them for a while. They were tight on space, so Jerry suggested Dana stay with her ex-mother-in-law, Norma Davis.

Norma had just been in a car accident. and Jerry thought Dana's nursing skills would come in handy while she recuperated. The sequence of events surrounding Dana's time at Norma's are unclear. It's not clear how long she stayed or what occurred during their time together, but apparently they became very close while Dana cared for Norma. By late January 1994, Dana moved back in with Jim. It's around this time that she took out a life insurance policy on Tom, without his knowledge.

In February of 1994, Dana reached out to Tom. She asked him to meet her the morning of February 14th, Valentine's Day, so they could talk. He initially agreed. But when the 14th came, Tom had a sudden bad feeling. He decided it was unhealthy to continue meeting her whenever she asked. Rather than call Dana to cancel, Tom simply didn't go. After Tom stood her up, Dana went straight to Norma Davis's home. No one knows for sure what brought her back there that day.

Perhaps it was the rage she felt at Tom for standing her up. Or perhaps she had planned to do something sinister to Tom and needed an outlet when he didn't show. Outside Norma's home, Dana wandered around as if in a daze. She was noticed by a gardener named Gustavo. He later claimed he thought she looked unwell and asked her if she was okay. Dana jerked out of her stupor

and assured him she was fine. Thinking nothing of it, he went back to work, and she disappeared. Two days later, on February 16th, 1994, Alice Williams tentatively opened the door

of her friend Norma's home. It was 9.15 a.m., and she hadn't heard from Norma all morning. They were supposed to be at their salon appointment by now. Alice walked around the lower level, but saw no sign of her friend. She headed towards the stairs. On the upstairs landing, Alice was greeted by a horrific sight.

Norma lay in her armchair in the den. A knife protruded from her chest, and another was jammed into her neck. She had almost been decapitated. The police arrived on the scene, led by rookie cop Joe Greco. A few things immediately stood out to him. There was nothing that was obviously. There was no forced entry and no sign of a struggle, aside from a phone cord ripped from the wall.

It seemed Norma might have known her killer and thus hadn't been expecting an attack. Greco was especially disturbed by the violence of the kill. Norma Davis was 86 and didn't put up a fight. Yet she was still stabbed at least 11 times, including several times in the neck. He was certain that this was an emotional crime. The only piece of evidence that proved useful to detectives was a faint Nike sneaker shoe print in the entryway. It was a size six, indicating the killer was a small man or a woman. Jerry, Dana's stepmother, and Norma's ex-daughter-in-law heard about the commotion at Norma's.

She arrived soon after the police did, along with Dana's father. Jerry spoke to Grecoe and told him all she knew. She'd been there three days before to drop off groceries. and at the time hadn't seen Norma. Jerry mentioned she'd heard the TV on upstairs at the time, but didn't go up to greet her. She did notice that Norma's social security check seemed to be missing. She had left that on the counter.

Officer Greco noticed that Jerry wore Nike sneakers. He thanked her, but knew that he'd have some questions for her later. After the initial investigation, the autopsy revealed that Norma had also been strangled. Her cause of death was attributed to the strangulation, coupled with the multiple stab wounds. The Canyon Lake community was immediately thrown into tense fear. Alice Williams, who discovered the body, asked police to watch her house in case the killer returned. The police fielded calls from concerned citizens who wanted to give information.

None of it panned out. One call the police received was particularly bizarre. They didn't take it seriously at the time. but they should have. The caller was a local psychic. She told them that the murderer was a woman and that there would be another murder in two weeks. Next week, we'll follow Dana as she embarks on a murderous rampage

and track the investigation that developed as her bloodthirsty greed grew. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back Monday with Part 2 of Dana Sue Gray. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other parcast originals for free on Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Not only does Spotify already have all of your favorite music, but now Spotify is making it easy for you to enjoy all of your favorite parcast originals like serial killers for free from your phone, desktop, or smart speaker. To stream serial killers on Spotify, just open the app and type serial killers in the search bar. And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and.

and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler, is a production of Cutler Media and is part of the Parcast Network. It is produced by Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Carrie Murphy, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro and Paul Mahler.

Additional production assistance by Maggie Admire and Freddie Beckley. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Kate Murdoch. and stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. Do you want to hear something spooky? Some Monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake light lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes.

Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spot of Facebook. or wherever you get your podcasts.