Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - Dana Sue Gray Pt. 2

Episode Date: October 28, 2019

In early 1994, Dana Sue Gray went on a month-long rampage that claimed the lives of several elderly ladies of Canyon Lake, California. Mixing murder with greed, she would go on extravagant shopping sprees using the credit cards of her victims. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. Sunlight streamed through the windows as 58-year-old Dorinda Hawkins tidied up by the front register of the antique store. It was quiet, but Durinda didn't mind. She was just watching the place as a favor to the owner and was happy to take a break. Just as she was beginning to relax, the bell rang at the front of the shop. A short blonde woman entered and asked Arenda about a vintage frame for an old photo of her mother. Durinda smiled and led the woman towards the back of the shop where a yellow rope separated the framing area from the rest of the store.

She turned and pointed out a few custom samples, unaware that the woman was staring at her with increasing fury. Suddenly, Durinda heard a rustling from behind. Before she could react, she felt, the woman slip the yellow rope around her neck and yank it taut. Derinda gasped but couldn't scream. All she could do was beg, wordlessly for her life, while her assailant whispered softly in her ear, telling her to relax. Finally, Dorinda passed out. When she awoke a short time later, her head was pounding. The woman was gone. As harrowing as Derinda's assault had been, she was one of the lucky ones. Not everyone survived their encounter with Dana Sue Gray.

Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is serial killers, a parcast original. Every Monday, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. 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 podcasts, To stream serial killers for free on Spotify, just open the app and type serial killers in the search bar.

Today, we're finishing our analysis of Dana Sue Gray, who ended the lives of three women in Riverside County, California, in 1994. 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 on 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. Last week, we explored Dana's troubled childhood and turbulent adult life. We discussed Dana's mounting despair as she lost her job and accrued a staggering amount of debt. Her insecurity and pent-up rage eventually led her to commit a series of brutal slayings.

This week, we'll examine 37-year-old. Dana's month of murder as she moves from victim to victim, unleashing her pent-up aggression and using her victim's credit cards to satisfy her shopping addiction. In February of 1994, Dana Sue Gray likely killed for the first time. Her alleged victim, 86-year-old Norma Davis, was someone she knew through her father's wife, Jerry. In fact, Dana, a trained nurse, had stayed with Norma for a short time in January to help her recuperate from a car accident. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode.

Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Forensic neuropsychologist Dr. Martha Rogers notes that among the small number of female serial killers, many of them are nurses. Nurses aren't shocked over blood or death and are used to to helping their patients through painful experiences. Rogers writes, The vulnerability is a factor that draws them to the situation. If someone is under your control

and vulnerable, to some degree, that may be pleasurable. Dana certainly relished being in control, but it's hard to tell whether it was the thrill of dominating her victims or her frustration at the state of her own life that drove Dana to violence. Whatever her true motivations, head and vexed. Investigator Joe Greco was convinced the murder of Norma Davis was personal since there was no sign of a struggle at the scene. But what he didn't guess is that the killer would strike again soon. On the afternoon of February 28, 1994, 66-year-old June Roberts stood outside her home, raking leaves.

It was her birthday, and she was tidying up before meeting a few friends for dinner. She smiled as she watched a brown Cadillac pulling up. Dana Sue Gray looked out at June from the front seat. Her boyfriend's five-year-old son, Jason, sat in the passenger seat. June waved. She knew Dana well. Her late husband had been good friends with Russell, Dana's father. Dana got out of the car, warning young Jason to stay put and warmly greeted June. She wasn't there to wish June a happy birthday.

Dana asked June if she could borrow a book on nutrition June had recommended to her the previous year. She'd been drinking a little heavily lately and wanted to get healthy again. June nodded and hurried inside to grab the book. She returned moments later and handed it over to Dana with a smile. Dana smiled back until she saw the title. It wasn't the book Dana had asked for. Instead, June had handed her a book about the dangers of heavy drinking. In Dana's eyes, June had just called her an alcoholic.

According to To Die for the shocking story of serial killer Dana Sue Gray, Dana then quietly informed her. I think it's the other one you recommended. You know, it had to do with nutrition. Mickey Cashton, a nonviolent communication consultant, notes that criticism, judgment, or rejection can be interpreted as threats to our survival. She writes, Our nervous system still equates emotional safety with physical safety, even if conceptually we understand the difference. It's possible that Dana's primal instincts were triggered when she felt like June attacked her character.

June noticed Dana had taken offense and hastily agreed when Dana suggested they both go inside to look for the other book. Before she went inside, Dana called to Jason. She'd be right back. But she was there to do more. than just pick up a book. Dana followed June through the front door

and down the hall towards the den. As she went, she pulled on a pair of latex gloves she had stuffed in her purse before going to see June. Then, quietly, she disconnected the cord from the phone. June stepped into the den and peered at her bookshelf, looking for the title.

Dana hovered behind her for a moment, her face full of fury. Then she whipped the door. phone cord around June's neck and pulled hard. June fell backward. She clawed at her throat and tried to throw Dana off of her. But Dana was stronger than June. Before June could get free, Dana grabbed a wine decanter and used it to bludgeon June until she lay still. Dana dusted herself off and strode out the front door, stopping briefly to dig a few credit cards out of June's purse.

She returned to the car where five-year-old Jason was waiting patiently. With a smile, Dana suggested they go grab a bite and do some shopping. Dana felt she had worked hard for those credit cards

and wished to treat herself. She took Jason to Bailey's Wine Country Cafe in nearby Temecula and gorged on food. She even ordered extra and filled several to-go boxes for later. After dinner, Dana pampered herself by getting a haircut and a perm at a salon, compliments of June Roberts' stolen visa.

She signed June's name on each receipt. After the salon, Dana bought an expensive leather jacket, some jewelry, and clothing for Jason at Mervyn's, a department store. Dana ran a few more errands before finally returning to her boyfriend Jim's house. He immediately questioned her about the shopping bags since she owed him money. He demanded she go return the items and pay him back. Dana argued she couldn't pay him back because she hadn't used her own money to shop. She claimed the purchases were made on her estranged husband Tom's credit card. This did little to assuage Jim's concerns, and the two started screaming at each other.

Dana was exhausted from her long day of killing and shopping. The fight with Jim only wore her down more. That night she called a spa, Murrietta Hot Springs. and arranged for a massage the following afternoon. The appointment was made under June Roberts' name. Meanwhile, a few of June's friends had arrived at her home for a birthday dinner. The women knocked a few times and grew concerned when June didn't answer. One of them found June's house key hidden in the golf cart outside.

So they let themselves in. June's friends tentatively opened her front door and called out June's name. There was no answer. They proceeded through the house carefully, checking each room, until they finally peered into the den. There, the women froze. Too terrified to even scream. Their friend June Roberts lay dead on the floor.

A wooden chair had been placed on top of her body, and the carpet beneath her was soaked in blood. Her face was beaten so badly it was nearly unwelcome. recognizable. Detective Greco, who had investigated the death of Norman Davis, arrived at the house soon after. He quickly noted the contents of June's purse, spread out where Dana had rummaged through them earlier. His first instinct was to assume the crime was a robbery gone wrong, but none of June's jewelry or other valuables had been taken. Greco was perplexed. Was the purse just a ruse? He scanned the scene again, growing uneasy. He couldn't shake how familiar.

There was no sign of a break-in. The murder had occurred during broad daylight, and a phone court had been used to strangle the victim. It looked a whole lot like the scene at Norma Davis' home. In the back of his mind, Greco started to worry it was a serial killer. While Greco eyed Dana's grisly handiwork fearfully, Dana was still celebrating it. On Tuesday, March 1st, Dana

bought some expensive swimsuits before her spa appointment. A clerk named Kelly checked Dana out. She recalled that after asking Dana for her address to authorize the transaction, Dana seemed impatient and dismissive. Dana said she'd just moved and didn't remember the address. After Kelly grabbed a manager to authorize the sale, and annoyed Dana handed over another credit card and claimed she was in a hurry. The manager put the sale through,

but Kelly remained suspicious. She wasn't the only one. Almost every clerk Dana came in contact with remembered her vividly. It doesn't seem like Dana made any attempt to avoid suspicion. After Mervins, she continued her shopping spree at a Savon pharmacy

before heading to the luxurious Murrietta Hot Springs Resort for her spa appointment. She followed up her massage with a leisurely lunch at Ferrari Bistro before spending the afternoon on yet another shopping high. She hit perfumania, a Nike outlet, and famous brands. It seemed Dana planned to keep going until June's credit cards were maxed out. After risking jail time for them, perhaps Dana thought she should get the most out of the cards. According to clinical forensic psychologist and private investigator

Joni E. Johnston, Dana Sue Gray isn't the only killer to exhibit shopping addiction. Ted Bundy, for example, was known to buy socks and go on shopping sprees using stolen credit cards. Joni notes, there are a number of serial killers whose obsession with money and the things money can buy most assuredly either contributed to the motive to commit murder or served a celebratory purpose afterward. But Dana couldn't keep up her spree forever, and the more she bought, the closer she came to being caught. After Dana's second shopping binge, June Roberts,

daughter received a letter from the bank. There had been activity on June's credit cards after she died. A lot of it. Soon, the police began to interview the businesses that appeared on the credit card statements, as they spoke to shopkeepers and store clerks where Dana had made her purchases, an image of their killer finally emerged. They now knew they were looking for a blonde woman in her mid-30s, sometimes accompanied by a young boy. It should be noted that more than, more than a young boy. It should be noted that more than one account claimed that Dana was also with a tall, dark-haired man. This has never been confirmed, and Dana never made mention of an accomplice. Regardless, Dana remained blissfully unaware that the police were beginning to put the pieces together.

She went about her daily life seemingly unaffected by the horrors she'd committed, even when those she loved were affected. Only a few days after she'd killed June Roberts, Dana stopped by her dad's house. Both Russell and his wife, Jerry, were in shock over the second murder. They had known both Norma and June, and Jerry was adamant that the killings were linked. According to To Die For,

when Jerry mentioned her thoughts on the matter, Dana's head whipped around. She looked startled. It appeared that getting caught simply hadn't occurred to Dana before now. She felt a sudden need to cover her tracks. Four days later, on March 7th, Dana went back to the salon where she'd permed her hair a few days earlier. She wanted to change her color to red. The stylist refused, as Dana's hair could fall out from the damage another dye job would cause.

A few days later, Officer Greco followed up with the stylist after seeing the salon's charge on June's credit card statement. The stylist told Greco about the woman stopping in a second time for a die request, and then she gave Greco an even bigger lead. At the time, the clerk said, the mystery woman had a kid with her, around five. The clerk remembered the name as well, Jason Wilkins. The woman had referred to herself as Jason's other mommy. Detective Greco didn't have time to track down Jason Wilkins

before the killer struck again. Dana's next attack happened on March 10, 1995. after she wandered into an antique shop in Lake Elsinore, California. She strangled the clerk, Dorinda Hawkins, with a rope, but only succeeded in knocking Durinda out. It's unclear whether Dana meant to leave Dorinda alive. It's possible the public nature of the store increased Dana's fear of being discovered and prompted her to flee after Dorinda passed out.

But what was most curious about the assault was that Dana only stole $25 from the register. It seemed Dana was no longer killing for money. Thankfully, Dorinda had survived and was able to report the incident to the police. Lake Alcunar was serviced by a different precinct than Detective Greco's, so he wasn't aware the assault had taken place until he read about Dorinda's attack in the local paper. Breco's eyes widened at the attacker's description. Short, blonde hair, mid-to-late 30s.

His killer had struck again. Up next, Dana's killing spree continues to spiral. This episode is brought to you by Redfin. You're listening to a podcast, which means you're probably multitasking, maybe even scrolling home listings on Redfin, saving homes without expecting to get them. But Redfin isn't just built for endless browsing. It's built to help you find and own a home.

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at home. You're clearly, working at. Zootopia, too. Now available on Disney Plus rated PG. Now back to the story. In March of 1994, 37-year-old Dana Sue Gray had murdered two women and assaulted a third. After killing her second victim, June Roberts, she used June's credit cards to go on an expensive, two-day shopping spree. Police interviewed witnesses at the stores she'd visited. and were able to glean that their suspect was a blonde woman in her mid-30s. But they also knew their killer may be trying to cover her tracks.

A salon stylist had tipped them off that Dana had been looking to dye her hair red. Though the stylist had refused, police theorized Dana might have found someone else to do it. The investigation was making progress. But though police were getting closer to a complete profile of their suspect, public hysteria was growing. The murders were on everyone's mind. Some residents of Canyon Lake California were so fearful of the killer, they temporarily fled the community. Women who lived alone stayed with friends, and couples bought guns. The police were inundated with phone calls from worried citizens.

If Dana was aware of the frenzy surrounding her, she didn't allow it to interfere with her plans. She stopped to get a manicure on March 11th, only a day after her attempt. murder of Dorinda Hawkins. She greeted her usual nail technician, Lorraine, warmly, and chose a color. Lorraine noticed that Dana seemed on edge and had put on some weight. To try and make conversation, Lorraine brought up the two murders that everyone was talking about. She told Dana she'd heard it was a local who was responsible. Dana suddenly seemed antsy and remarked that she thought the murders were similar to two in San Diego. Then she changed. the subject, talking instead about her boyfriend's son Jason and all the things she recently

bought him. According to Dr. Martha Rogers, shopping and pampering was a way for Dana to reassert her superiority. When faced with Lorene's disgust over her murders, it's possible that Dana felt the need to confirm her value. She was reminding herself of the good things that had come out of her atrocious deeds. Just as much as she was telling Lorraine what a thoughtful mother figure to Jason she was. Meanwhile, Detective Greco also had his attention focused on Jason. Following the tip from Dana Stylist, Greco found a Jason Wilkins registered at a local elementary school. Excited, Greco waited outside Jim's house for a glimpse of his suspect, but he was soon disappointed. A woman did show up at the home, but she looked nothing like the description of Dana. Though it's not clear

who this woman was, Greco discounted her as a potential suspect after speaking with her. Deflated, he decided that the lead was most likely a dead end. Taking a step back, he decided to speak again with Cherry, who was married to Dana's father. The last time he had interviewed her was after Norma Davis had died. He figured he'd reached out to check on a potential link between Norma and the second victim, June. Greco went to see Jerry and was surprised to find that she knew June quite well. June's late husband had been good friends with Jerry's husband, Russell. After hearing about their connection, Greco went out on a limb and gave Jerry the description

of the woman they were looking for. He also mentioned she might have recently dyed her hair red. There was a tense moment of silence. But Jerry, regretfully, had no sense. suggestions for him. Disappointed, Greco returned to the station to check up on Leeds. Unfortunately, he found nothing but the incessant calls of community members desperate to know how long they had to continue to live in fear. While many in the community were hiding inside and locking their doors, Dana was out on the town. She'd finally dyed her hair red and went

to her parents' home in Canyon Lake to show it off. When Dana arrived, Jerry immediately noticed her stepdaughter's new locks. The voice of Detective Greco echoed in her ears. She thought about the rest of Greco's profile and realized with mounting fear she was staring at a killer. After a few sleepless nights, Jerry finally gathered the courage to call Greco on Wednesday, March 16th, 1994, at 9.30 a.m. When the detective answered, Jerry nervously suggested he look into her stepdaughter, Dana Sue Gray. As Jerry confirmed each piece of Greco's profile, he became more and more certain Dana was who he had been searching for. Greco told Jerry to keep her suspicions to herself and not to tell Dana's father, Russell.

He then hung up and rushed to his superiors. They needed a search warrant, and he needed a search warrant, and they needed one now. After Jerry hung up with Greco, she was filled with anxiety. In an interview during an episode of the TV series Diabolical Women, Jerry stated she grabbed her husband's gun and her cell phone and waited tensely in her living room for Russell to come home from work. Jerry said, Since I hadn't heard Dana was picked up,

I was afraid she would come first, and I would be the next victim. But Dana was busy with something much more mundane than revenge. She was looking for a job. The same morning Jerry reported her to police, Dana sat in the unemployment office, hoping they had some work for her. The office only had two new openings. One was looking for a server and the other for a janitor.

Dana was furious. She had been a nurse. She'd helped people. And now she was only fit to bring them food. or clean up after them? Embarrassed, Dana grabbed the contact information and fled the unemployment office in a huff. Despite her humiliation at the prospect of being a server,

Dana couldn't ignore her money issues. She needed the work. She angrily drove to Murrietta Hot Springs to apply for the server job. The restaurant was in the resort where Dana had gotten a massage only two weeks earlier. Now, instead of being seen as a... treasured guest, she'd be a desperate job applicant for what she considered to be a lowly

position. Dana arrived at the resort around 10 a.m. and grabbed an application from the front counter. She filled it out dutifully, though failed to mention she'd been fired from her last job for stealing painkillers. After handing the application in, Dana got back in her car, mortified and fuming. She was sure the woman who gave her the application had been done. judging her. Dana saw red and drove north without any destination in mind. Her hands gripped the wheel as she replayed the indignity of her situation. By 11 a.m., she found herself in Sun City, a. California neighborhood, nine miles west of Canyon Lake. Back at the police precinct, Detective Greco was also angry. He was locked in a tense argument with Deputy D.A. Rich Bentley, who didn't think Jerry's

information about Dana was enough to justify a warrant. He suggested Greco keep investigating, but Greco was sure Dana was the killer. He had officers go to Jim's house in Lake Elsinor to survey the scene while he rode up the warrant. Officers sat in anticipation outside the home, taking notes on the layout and waiting for Dana to return, but their predator wasn't ready to come home just yet. She had one more victim to claim. When we return, Dana assaults her third victim. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobil. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants to switch you to MintMobile today.

I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of 40,000. $25 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full-price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Seeful terms at mintmobile.com. Now back to the story. On March 16, 1994, after killing two people in the previous month, 37-year-old Dana Sue Gray was in dire financial straits.

She filled out an application for a server job, but felt embarrassed having to beg for work that she's saw as beneath her. After she handed in the application, she drove to a shopping center in Sun City, California to vent her frustration. There, Dana saw 87-year-old Dora Beebe, coming out of a doctor's appointment. She waited patiently in her Cadillac for Dora to reemerge, and then followed her home. It's not known whether Dana went to Sun City deliberately to search for a victim, or if her urged to kill appeared after she laid eyes on Dora Beebe. She later would tell conflicting stories to different psychologists.

To Dr. Michael Canya, Dana said she felt pulled to Dora's home, but she told Dr. Martha Rogers that she blacked out and suddenly found herself in front of Dora's house with no memory of how she got there. Even so, we can guess her motivation was to kill again. Nottingham Trent University professor, Mark D. Griffiths believes that addiction is caused when the addict is consistently rewarded for their behavior. A killer who kills without being apprehended is allowed to satiate their bloodlust without punishment. It instills a sense of power within the killer. Dana, deep in debt and unemployed,

had no doubt felt powerless in the months prior to her first kill. Being able to get away with two murders might have given her the power she'd been lusting after, and after the embarrassment she endured when applying for the server job, Dana no doubt wanted to find a way to feel good again. As Dora disappeared inside her home, Dana pulled her Cadillac up to the curb. She hurried up the walkway and knocked. Dora looked through her peephole and opened the door cautiously. Dana said she was lost.

Would Dora happen to know how she could get out of Sun City? a moment, Dora told Dana she didn't have much time, but reluctantly suggested Dana come inside to look at a map. She had no idea. She had just welcomed a monster into her home. Dana would later blame Dora for her own violent actions, claiming Dora was rude to her during their initial interaction. Dora's flippant attitude made Dana feel like an inconvenience, and it reminded Dena

of the way her mother used to speak to her. Dana followed Dora inside, immediately grabbing the telephone cord as Dora led Dana to the back of the house. According to, to die for, Dana later said, I choked her with the telephone cord. I had that overwhelming, like, detached feeling. Stupid as it sounds, I felt hurt and rejected. Author James Garberino points out the correlation between parental rejection and extreme rejection sensitivity. Rejection sensitivity is when people believe they're about to be rejected and take preemptive action. This can be internally destructive, like isolating oneself, but it can also elicit outward violence.

Dana's sensitivity to being ignored by her mother at an early age most likely affected her sense of self-worth. This could have made her so sensitive that the only way she could react to Dora's attitude was with violence. But hurt and rejected feel like weak words when compared to what Dana did next. She wrestled Dora to the ground with the phone cord, and then grabbed an iron and hit Dora repeatedly. Dana admitted that Dora didn't put up much of a fight, and yet she continued to brutalize her. When Dana finally finished, she washed her hands in the sink and left. She grabbed Dora's wallet and checkbook on her way out. Falling back into her routine, Dana spent the next few hours shopping.

Her first stop was at a. Stationary's tour at 11.45 a.m. Only minutes after she'd bludgeoned an 87-year-old woman to death. There, Dana purchased a briefcase and an immense amount of stationary. Her total was $110.5. She wrote a check with Dora's checkbook and signed her name as Dora B.B. She then spent another $133.20 at a health food store across the street. Dana finally drove back to Jim's place in Lake Elsinor, around 3.10 p.m. She had no idea she was being watched by seven officers in separate unmarked cars.

All of them were thrilled to finally get eyes on their suspect. But Dana wasn't inside for long. She had a lot of shopping left to do. She left again 30 minutes later. The officers followed. The surveillance team watched as Dana went back to Sun City to go to the Provident Bank, then a Vance grocery store. She didn't go into the Vons but got out of her car, looked around, and then got back in.

This caused the officers to worry she'd spotted them. But rather than try and shake them, she drove straight back to Lake Elsinore. Though they didn't know it at the time, the police should. have remained in Sun City. A short distance away, Lewis Dorman was knocking on Dora's door. Dora was a close friend and had promised to drive him to a doctor's appointment. When she had failed to show up, he worried something had happened. He let himself in her home and was met with a sickening scene. Dora lay in her hallway, half her body in the hall bathroom. Her leg was twisted at an odd angle, and the sight of the blood covering her face

made Lewis sick. He immediately called the police. Meanwhile, the officers on Dana's tail were still perplexed by her movements. After leaving Sun City, she led them to another Vaughn's, then a Savon, then a Stater brothers. She treated herself to lunch at a nice outdoor restaurant before finally driving home. By 4.58 p.m., Greco had finally gotten his warrant signed, and they finally moved in on Dana. Less than an hour later, at 5.45 p.m., Greco arrived at Jim's home with his team.

Their guns were drawn. They were ready for anything. Luckily, Dana was too surprised to react violently at the sight of the police. After answering the door, she simply stood open-mouthed and speechless, as Detective Greco explained, she was under arrest. A confused gym was put in the back of a police car as well, while an officer entertained young Jason. Officers next searched the home and found its contents shocking.

It was filled to the brim with grocery bags, gifts still in their packaging, and a pantry overflowing with food. The closet was packed with clothes that still had tags and untouched accessories. Police were most excited to find items that matched the charges on June's credit card. They also found a size 6 Nike sneaker that matched a shoe print left at Norma Davis's home. While the search continued, Greco took Dana to the station. On his way in, he noticed some other detectives from Riverside County. They mentioned that a homicide of another elderly female had a crime.

occurred earlier that day in Sun City. Since Dana had been under surveillance, Greco assumed the murder was unrelated and continued into the interrogation room. They started by asking about the evidence they'd found in her home. It was damning, but Dana tried her best to talk her way out of it. When questioned about the items that matched purchases made on June's credit cards, Dana assured them that she'd bought the items but paid cash for them. When told about the witnesses who described her, Dana merely suggested she had a familiar face. Dana appeared cool, calm, and collected throughout. She acted like she and the police were chatting

rather than taking part in an investigation. According to diabolical women, Greco noted that she was smart in her reactions. He felt like she was the one prodding them for information, to try and figure out what they knew. Dana was questioned about her visit to profit at when she was under surveillance earlier that day. At first, she lied about ever having been there, but when they told her she'd been seen, she knew she was caught. She tentatively admitted she'd lied because she was scared.

Dana claimed she found a woman's purse and didn't turn it in. Instead, she withdrew some money from the woman's account. She cautiously gave Greco the name of the woman, Bebe. Greco shot to his feet. He hustled out of the room and immediately asked the Riverside County detectives who their victim was. They told him it was Dora Beebe, and Greco informed them he had their suspect in custody already. He then geared up to press Dana on Dora's death. In an interrogation tape that aired on diabolical women, Dana broke down and sobs at the question.

She claimed she had been under so much financial stress, she thought finding Dora's purse was a lucky break. No one bought her crocodile tears. At 2 a.m. on March 17, 1994, Dana Sue Gray was charged with the first-degree murders of June Roberts and Dora Beebe. Though Greco was certain that she'd been Norma Davis's killer, the Nike shoe print was the only evidence they had found,

and it wasn't enough to sufficiently tie her to the scene of the crime. Faced with the plethora of evidence against her, Dana knew she had been caught. Like many serial killers, she attempted to plead insanity. Over the course of the months that followed, she was interviewed by three psychologists. Dr. Martha Rogers in particular interviewed her extensively. Dr. Rogers determined that Dana sought power over her victims and believed Dana might have borderline personality disorder. She also suggested that Dana enjoyed watching her victims suffer, much like she might have enjoyed catapulting neighborhood cats into swimming pools when she was a child.

Not everyone was interested in Dana's psychological diagnosis. During her trial, her father, Russell, remained supportive. But her half-brother Rick wasn't quite so forgiving. He appeared at the courthouse one day while Dana stood trial, carrying a release order. Dana needed to sign the release in order for her belongings, including some furniture Rick had lent her almost a decade before, to be taken out of evidence and given back to him. Even after all that had happened, Rick wanted his stuff. Dana refused to sign it, and Rick stormed outside to vent to reporters about Dana's long history of selfishness. The next four years consisted of a flurry of psychological evaluations.

Dana told conflicting stories to different psychiatrists, trying whatever she could to convince them she was legally insane. Finally, in the summer of 1998, the examinations were concluded and Dana was deemed sane. With no options left, Dana agreed to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty. She finally confessed to the murders of June Roberts and Dora Beebe, as well as the assault of Dorenda Hawkins. Curiously, she never admitted to murdering Norma Davis.

Even so, law enforcement, especially head investigator Joe Greco, was certain that she was the killer. Perhaps she was ashamed to have killed someone so close to her family, or perhaps the time she'd spent caring for Norma made Dana regret what had happened. Unfortunately, we don't know why she chose not to confess. Regardless, Dana was put behind bars for life. on October 16, 1998. But she wasn't done appearing in the public eye. During her time at the California Women's Prison in Chowchilla, she managed to sell a used pair of her underwear on a murderabilia website.

She signed them and charged $250. Though it no longer appears to be active, Dana also had a prison penpal page up, encouraging people to buy her art and even pay her a visit as she got lost. According to Dana Sue Gray serial killer when greed turns to murder, Dana wrote, Before you judge me, take a chance to get to know me. It seems that even behind bars, Dana remains worried about being looked down upon by the outside world.

Today, Dana is 61 and kept under lock and key. Thankfully, her desperate desire for attention can no longer destroy. those powerless to stop her. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back Monday with a new episode. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other podcast originals for free on Spotify. Not only does Spotify already have all your favorite music,

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And don't forget to follow us on Facebook 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. It is a production of Cutler Media and is part of the Parcast Network. It is produced by Max and Roald. 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. 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 its demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snakelight lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide.

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