Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “South Side Strangler” Timothy Wilson Spencer Pt. 2

Episode Date: April 22, 2021

Organized and meticulous, Timothy Wilson Spencer evaded suspicion until a detective began connecting the dots between Arlington’s “Masked Rapist” and Richmond’s “South Side Strangler.” The 1988 case against him helped exonerate a wrongfully convicted man, and made forensic science history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, rape, and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On a brisk November night in 1987, 15-year-old Diane Cho and her friend Desi Ferros stood shivering in the parking lot of the Cloverleaf Mall. The teens were waiting in line to see the new hit movie The Princess Bride, and they were eager to get inside. But before they got up to the ticket booth, Diane grabbed Desi's arm, trembling.

But she wasn't just cold. She was scared. When Desi asked Diane what was wrong, Diane pointed across the parking lot. A tall man in his mid-20s was staring directly at her. Diane whispered that this was the same guy who'd been following her around town.

She'd seen him outside her apartment complex and even at her bus stop. now he was here too. For a moment, the girls considered confronting the creep to tell him to leave Diane alone. Instead, they followed the crowd into the movie theater, determined to shake off their worries and enjoy the rest of their night.

But as the girls made their way into the darkened theater, the man didn't go away. No, Timothy Wilson Spencer stood right there waiting for Diane to come back. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parkast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers.

Today we're finishing the story of Timothy Wilson Spencer, otherwise known as The South Side Strangler. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Last time, we explored Timothy's troubled adolescence, and chronicled his progression from burglar to rapist to murderer.

Today, we'll discuss how Timothy stalked his victims and thoroughly prepared for each murder. We'll also examine why his trial made American history. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are infamous criminal duels. but you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner because you have Shopify. It's the commerce platform that can help you with literally everything, website design, marketing, shipping, and more.

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Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book to screen. favorites you've already read twice. Off campus, L, every year after, the love hypothesis, Sterling Point, and more. Slow burns, second chances, chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime. In September of 1987, 25-year-old Timothy Wilson Spencer was released from prison and allowed to move into a halfway house in Richmond, Virginia. The rules of the house were relatively lax, so Timothy typically had nights and weekends to do as he pleased. More often than not, he opted to loiter around the Cloverleaf Mall.

The bustling shopping center was the perfect place to stalk unsuspecting women. As they browsed through racks of blouses, Timothy stood close by imagining what it would feel like to strangle them. And if someone ever caught him staring for too long, he acted like he was just another customer, innocently going about his day. But when Timothy saw a woman he really liked, he followed her out of the mall and back to her home to find the answers to some questions. Was she single? Did she live alone? Did she leave her doors unlocked or windows open? When a target checked all or most of these boxes, Timothy knew it was time to plan his attack.

Only two weeks after he was paroled, Timothy found one such woman in Debbie Davis and brutally murdered the 35-year-old in her own home. But after investigating the crime scene, authorities were stumped. You see, Timothy was an organized killer who'd been extremely careful. During his attacks, he often wore a mask and gloves and made sure to wipe away his footprints. He only left behind traces of his semen, which prior to 1987 was mostly considered untraceable. So with detectives none the wiser, Timothy was emboldened to kill again. The following month, Timothy returned to the Cloverleaf Mall and spotted his next target as she purchased some books. 32-year-old Susan Hellams was a neurosurgery resident at the nearby MCV hospital.

She usually worked late into the night and often returned to an empty home. However, after following her, Timothy discovered that Susan was married. Fortunately for Timothy, Susan's husband, Marcel, also kept odd hours as a law student. and the couple's schedule rarely synced up. So, instead of finding a new target, Timothy watched Susan's house for days, waiting patiently for a night when Marcel and Susan were both out. During his stakeouts,

he noticed that Susan usually left an upstairs window open for her cat. On the night of October 2, 1987, Timothy scaled a fence to reach the second story and climbed up to the window. There was a slight snag when he realized that Susan had left the screen down, but he didn't panic. He calmly cut it out and crawled into the house. Once inside, Timothy likely waited in Susan's bedroom closet until she returned home around 11.30 p.m. She walked into her room and began taking off her watch and jewelry, laying them neatly on her bedside table. Then Timothy emerged and attacked her.

He tied her hands behind her back with an extension cord and fashioned a tourniquet around her neck with two belts. Then he raped her while strangling her at the same time. Timothy throttled Susan for almost two hours, depriving her of oxygen until she passed out, only to bring her back to life again. It seems he enjoyed taking his time with his victims and wanted to prolong the assault. Unfortunately for Timothy, Marcel came home earlier than expected. Just before two in the morning, Marcel returned home from Washington, D.C., where he studied at George Washington University. Timothy knew he had to get rid of Susan and get out of the house fast. So as Marcel took off his shoes and coat downstairs, Timothy quietly strangled Susan to death,

just one floor above him. Marcel heard some movement, but assumed his wife had woken up when she heard him walk through the door. Not wanting to disturb her further, Marcel took a shower before checking in on Susan. Meanwhile, Timothy used his time to bolt. However, however, because he was in a rush. He didn't scrub away the smudges left by his shoes. He also dropped a length of rope at a flower pot while shimmying out of the second floor window. But either he didn't notice or felt like the extra mess wouldn't matter. After his shower, Marcel went upstairs and discovered his wife's body crudely stashed in the closet. Her skin was caked in blood and she was still warm to the touch. When authorities arrived, they immediately recognized the similarities

between Susan's murder and that of Debbie Davis. It was finally clear that Richmond, Virginia, was dealing with its first known serial killer. Unfortunately, local police were woefully inexperienced with this type of criminal. They began their search by trying to find someone who fit the typical profile of a serial killer, a lone, intelligent, white male in his 20s. It seems they were operating under the myth that black serial killers didn't exist. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the rest of 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 a database compiled by Dr. Mike Amat, a professor of psychology and the founder of the serial killer information center, only 12.5% of serial killers in the United States fit the popular image people associate with the term. While over 90% of them are male, only about 52% of U.S. serial killers are white, and only 27% are in their 20s. Dr. Amad insists that it's important to view these statistics as fluid, because they change over time. When looking at American serial killers across history, about 40% have been black, but if you only focus on the three most recent decades for which there are records, Dr. Ahmaud notes that the percentage rises to 60%. The persistence of the myth of the white serial killer is widely attributed to the media.

It's also exacerbated by Hollywood, where stories of white and often attractive serial killers are showcased far more than killers of other races. In addition to this theory, former lieutenant commander of the NYPD Vernon J. Geberth places another group at fault. the FBI Behavioral Science Unit. For some reason, 90% of the serial killers profiled by Robert K. Ressler and his colleagues were white. This helped create the assumption that the majority of American serial killers were Caucasian.

However, this couldn't be further from the truth. To prove his point, Lieutenant Commander Geberth published a paper in 2012 entitled Black Serial Killers, The Perception Versus Reality. In it, he expressed concern that his fellow officers were choosing to ignore the racial demographics of their cities and working under the false notion that serial murderers were predominantly white. It was a practice that inverted the typical trope of police racial profiling and ultimately led the FBI and Detective Ray Williams, who was investigating both Debbie and Susan's cases, down the wrong path.

Even though roughly 50% of Richmond's population, was black, Williams initially had his team focus on white offenders. Perhaps that's because prior to the murders, Detective Williams had completed a 10-month course on profiling serial killers, taught by the FBI Behavioral Science Unit. Misguided racial profiling are not, Richmond police were determined to solve the case. Officers canvassed the neighborhood for days, trying to come up with solid leads. Meanwhile, the media got a hold of the story, and doubted. the killer, the Southside Strangler. While detectives raced to find answers, news outlets publish

the gruesome details of the two horrific home invasion murders. Needless to say, the city of Richmond was gripped with panic. Hardware stores started selling out of deadbolts. Men were spotted on ladders outside their houses, nailing each of their windows shut. People even advised one another to take baths instead of showers. That way they would hear the sound of an intruder breaking in. Local women were particularly terrified and started doing everything in pairs or packs. They traveled to and from work together, and single women took turns sleeping in each other's apartments. Authorities also set up a special task force dedicated to catching the strangler, and perhaps because the victims so far were all younger white women, there was more urgency to catch the killer soon.

So authorities pulled resources from low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods, and reallocated them to middle-class white areas. Authorities figured that the strangler would likely return to the same area and attack the same type of victim. Therefore, the Richmond PD decided those communities needed the extra protection, even at the expense of other vulnerable citizens. But after four weeks of dogged investigations, Detective Williams and his department were no closer to finding the culprit.

Even worse, authorities believed that the killer was bound to strike again. It was only a matter of time. Coming up, Timothy zeroes in on his next victim. The internet. What would we do without it? So much information, so little time. And yet, with all the answers available online, there still lies scores of deep, dark, spooky secrets.

Mysteries yet to be solved. Until now, this isn't clickbait. This is our exclusive new podcast, Internet Urban Legends. I'm Lowy, your evidence expert. And I'm Eleanor, the self-proclaimed skeptic. Together were the gruesome-to-sum, sleuths in search of the weirdest stories on the web. Every Tuesday, we investigate the internet's creepiest conundrums, covering each conspiracy theory and combing through every clue to separate hoax from haunt.

Whether it's the video sure to make you lose your appetite, blank room soup, or every kid's worst nightmare, the terrifying truth behind Disney's deaths. or every parent's worst nightmare, social media's Momo challenge. Each episode of Internet Urban Legends is chock full of disturbing details which are either truly demented or ripe for debunking. And no matter our conclusion, we're sure to be left scared half to death. So won't you join us? Follow our new Spotify original from Parcast, Internet Urban Legends.

Listen free and exclusively on Spotify. Are you looking for support? in your weight management journey? Zepbound, Terseptitide, may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zepbound contains terseptide and should not be used with a very important. other terseptide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if

Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it, or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer, or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas. or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia if you're nursing pregnant, plan to be, or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulfonal urea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea,

diarrhea, and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99 or visit Zepbounds.lily.com. Now back to the story. In the fall of 1987, the citizens of Richmond, Virginia were horrified by the gruesome murders of 35-year-old Debbie Davis and 32-year-old Susan Hellams. Suddenly, women felt unsafe in their own homes. They boarded up windows, traveled in groups, and made sure to never, ever sleep in the house alone. To make matters worse, the serial killer, who was dubbed the Southside Strangler, was highly meticulous and cleaned up after his house. tracks. The strongest piece of evidence investigators had was a check written by Susan

Hellems and endorsed by Debbie Davis. Susan had purchased a book at the Cloverleaf Mall where Debbie had worked and where the killer stalked his victims. Lead detective Ray Williams was sure that the check was significant. There just wasn't much to back that feeling up. Unfortunately, the fact that both victims frequented the same shopping center was circumstantial at best. As such, Richmond investigators seemed to ignore the connection and continue their search for the culprit among white prior offenders. But despite his ease at evading police thus far, 25-year-old Timothy Wilson-Spenser knew he needed to lay low. With pandemonium raging across the city, officers were on high alert. Even at the halfway house, he tried not to attract attention. He kept to himself,

curbed his urges, and waited as long as he could. After a month of cooling his heels, Timothy couldn't hold out any longer. And on a cold November night, he made his way to the Cloverleaf Mall to search for his next victim. It was there he spotted 15-year-old Diane Cho, a high school freshman with strict parents. The Choes rarely allowed their daughter to attend parties, but hanging with friends at the mall was allowed because it was so close to home. Unfortunately, the mall wasn't as safe as... the Chos believed. Diane noticed Timothy watching her almost right away. She first spotted him

leering at her while she was shopping. Soon after that, she saw him in the courtyard of her apartment building and across the street from her bus stop. Diane had heard about the Southside Strangler, but she didn't dream that's who she was dealing with. According to the FBI's recommendation at the time, police were hunting a white man and Timothy was black. Also, the strangler reportedly targeted white women and Diane was Korean. Of course, Diane was uncomfortable with Timothy's off-putting presence. She was even a bit afraid. However, it seems the thought of being stuck at home was far scarier. If Diane made a fuss, she worried that her parents might forbid her from ever leaving the house again. So even while Timothy followed her for weeks, Diane kept

quiet. She told her friends to do the same. They'd also noticed Timothy watching Diane from a distance, but they did as she asked. They didn't want to lose valuable social time with their friend either. One night in late November, Diane and a friend were waiting in line to see a movie, but instead of an evening filled with laughs, Diane spent the night feeling scared. She spotted Timothy standing in the parking lot, staring directly at her. But he didn't stop there. Over the next few days, Timothy watched Diane and noticed that she often left her bedroom window open at night to talk with her upstairs neighbor. It was all he needed to know to make his move.

On November 21st, 1987, Timothy signed out of his halfway house at 7.15 p.m. and made his way to Diane's apartment. While the family was out, investigators believe he crept in through the bedroom window and hid in a closet. He quietly waited until the shows got home around 9 p.m. Then a couple of hours later, Diane's parents and brother went to bed. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Diane was apparently wide awake writing an English paper in her bedroom. Around 1 a.m., she finished her work and started to get ready for bed.

But as she moved around her room, Timothy emerged and grabbed her. Before she could let out a cry for help, Timothy covered her mouth with duct tape. He tied her up with a length of rope and shoved her onto her bed. Then he raped, assaulted, and throttled her for hours. Eventually, he tired of his sadistic game and strangled Diane one last time. As he stood over her dead body, inspiration struck. He grabbed a bottle of Diane's nail polish and painted a symbol on her thigh. It's unclear whether he intended to draw a figure eight or an infinity sign.

But whatever it was, Timothy made it large enough to notice. He then covered Diane's lower half with a sheet, ensuring that whoever found her would be forced to reveal his artwork in a dramatic fashion. Killers have been known to pose or stage their victims post-homicide. However, it's a statistical rarity. According to FBI agents, Robert Hazelwood and Michael Napier,

only about 1% of crimes involving death reflect this type of phenomenon. As far as the motive for altering the body, Hazelwood and Napier speculated that some criminals did so in order to shock authorities, thwart the investigation, or provide the victim with a sense of dignity after death. However, forensic psychologist Dr. Catherine Ramsland theorized that Timothy was simply trying to extend the thrill he felt while committing the murder. picturing the authorities discovering the painted symbol may have excited him and made him feel powerful even after the fact. Whatever his reason, the gruesome murder was shocking. Diane's mother found her the next day and immediately tried to undo the bindings holding Diane's hands together. Mrs. Show eventually fainted as her family held her back in an attempt to preserve evidence.

When the authorities arrived, Detective Williams and his team immediately recognized, the work of the notorious Southside Strangler. However, the symbol indicated that the murderer was trying something different. Detective Williams hoped that, in deviating from his usual routine, the strangler might finally have made a mistake. Unfortunately, careful searching proved fruitless. Though the killer left seaman behind, all investigators could do was collected and hope it would prove useful in the future.

While they waited, Timothy was allowed out on furlough to spend thanksgiving. with his family in Arlington. As he was going to be about a hundred miles away from the watchful eyes of Richmond PD, Timothy knew the trip was his best chance for another attack. So when he traveled to his mother's house in Arlington, he brought along a canvas bag, possibly full of ropes, masks, and gloves. To keep his mother and brother from discovering his equipment, Timothy stashed the bag outside, covered by a little dirt.

But Timothy hadn't considered every member of it. of the Spencer family. One morning, Timothy's 16-year-old brother, Travis, let the family dog outside. He waited on the porch for the dog to return, but instead, the dog remained by the side of the house barking. Travis walked over to see what had attracted the dog's attention and noticed the bag.

Curious, he started to open it up. But before he could see everything that was inside, Timothy ran out and snatched it away. Timothy scolded his brother for going through his things and told him to stay away from the bag. It was a close call for Timothy. Despite taking every precaution, he'd almost been caught. It was a sloppy mistake and left him shaken up, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from taking another life. He only had a few more days left in Arlington, and he wanted to make them count. Coming up, Timothy mounts his attack on an Arlington.

Arlington resident. Now back to the story. In the fall of 1987, 25-year-old Timothy Wilson Spencer spent Thanksgiving with his family in Arlington, Virginia. The sleepy community was about a hundred miles away from the chaos he left in his wake in Richmond. While citizens of Arlington had heard about the South Side Strangler from news reports, most residents likely took comfort in the distance. With local guards down, Timothy knew it was now or never. It's unclear when Timothy first spotted Sue Tucker, or what drew him to her.

But as soon as he saw the 44-year-old magazine editor, the wheels started turning. She was next. Sue and her husband Regge lived in a complex of townhouses near Timothy's mother's house. But Reg had recently moved back to his native country of Wales for work, while Sue stayed behind to sell their house. However, to Timothy, it must have looked like she was single and lived alone. So on or about the night of November 27th, he pulled on a mask and gloves and headed to her home. Unbeknownst to Sue, who was already inside, Timothy quietly smashed the glass of the laundry room window and shimmied in. Then, in line with his previous murders, he likely found a closet to hide in for the rest of the evening.

After finishing up dinner, Sue tidied up the kitchen. Then she spoke to her husband around 6.30, excitedly telling him that she'd finally sold their home. Meanwhile, Timothy remained in the closet, trembling with anticipation. When Sue started getting ready for bed, he made his move. He grabbed Sue, tied her hands behind her back with rope, and raped her for hours. In between these assaults, Timothy wandered around the home. He went through Sue. purse and ransacked her drawers. It's suspected that he even paused in the kitchen for a snack. Eventually, Timothy knew he had to leave, and he choked Sue to death. Then he grabbed a sleeping bag and laid it over her lower half. On his way out, he grabbed one of Sue's washcloths and

used it to wipe up his footprints after he climbed back out of the laundry window. He tossed the washcloth into some trees on his walk home. Later that weekend, Timothy returned to the halfway house in Richmond and wondered when the news would hit about Sue's death. He'd struck in a new neighborhood, but perhaps he figured the authorities would still connect this case to the Southside Strangler. However, the media made no such report. That's because Sue hadn't been discovered. She didn't have any plans to speak on the phone with her husband that weekend, nor had she arranged to see any friends. For almost four days, her house remained silent and still, and her body lay in the bed, quickly decomposing.

When Sue's friend Audrey realized she hadn't heard from her in days, she decided to check in. So on December 1st, Audrey and another friend went over to Sue's house and knocked. When there was no answer, they tried to get in. Audrey had a spare key, and when she unlocked the front door, she was surprised to see that the chain was still fastened from the inside. Confused, she went around the back, climbed up onto Sue's balcony, and pushed open. in the back door. Upon entering, Audrey was hit with the smell of rotting flesh. Disgusted and terrified, she decided not to investigate where the scent was coming from. Instead, she left the

house and called the Arlington Police. When Detective Joe Horgas arrived on the scene, he felt like he was experiencing deja vu. There weren't a lot of murder cases in Arlington, and Souss reminded him of one he'd worked on more than three years before. The homicide of 32-year-old. Carolyn Hamm. Both victims had their hands bound behind their back. Both were sexually assaulted, and both had been strangled to death. It seemed like the authorities were dealing with the same culprit. But there was just one problem. The man convicted of Carolyn's murder was already behind bars. David Vasquez was serving a 35-year sentence, so he couldn't have killed Sue. Knowing that, Detective Horgas began to realize that he might have put away an innocent man

and that the real killer was still at large. To unearth the truth, he knew he had to analyze every bit of evidence. Luckily, there was more of it to work with this time. Even though Timothy didn't leave any prints behind, he'd been sloppier than ever before. In addition to the copious amounts of semen all over Sue's bedroom, He left behind plenty of pubic hairs on blankets and in the bathroom. Additionally, police quickly found the washcloth. Timothy discarded on his way home.

As police tried desperately to find the killer, Sue's husband, Reg got on the first flight back to Arlington. Once police finished searching the house, Reg remained there for a few days, wanting to surround himself with the memories of his late wife. But one cold December night, something happened to make Reg. Regret that decision. A man called the Tucker residence and asked to speak to Sue.

But before Reg could respond, the caller seemed to remember out loud that Sue was no longer there. The man chuckled, then hung up. Shaken, Reg was positive that the man on the other end of the line was Sue's killer. If the mystery caller was Timothy, he was clearly playing a twisted game. According to the behavior analysis unit of the FBI, contacting a victim's family after committing homicide is not unheard of. Both the Zodiac killer and the Long Island serial killer called the families of their victims to taunt them. Experts believe this kind of behavior happens out of vanity. After committing so many crimes without getting caught, they start to believe they never will be.

As such, some serial killers assume they're invincible and essential. escalate their exploits in new ways, like making taunting phone calls to the victim's families. While officials never confirmed if the caller was Timothy, it seems that after getting away with so many murders, he felt more powerful than ever. But he shouldn't have. Police were closing in at last. With the help of the FBI, Arlington detective suspected that Sue's killer was the masked rapist who had terrified the community years earlier. And as his first, First suspected murder happened in Arlington, they believed that the killer was a resident.

Or at the very least, had been one at some point. So Arlington detectives narrowed in on a list of local sex offenders. However, Detective Joe Horgas couldn't shake the feeling that their focus was too narrow. In 1984, Timothy was convicted of charges related to burglary, while his official record at that time didn't reveal any major crimes in which he caused serious bodily harm to another person, person, Horgis remembered that he was intelligent and an expert at breaking and entering, a skill Sue's killer also demonstrated. Looking into Timothy's whereabouts, Arlington investigators discovered that he was living

in Richmond, the same city that was being ravaged by the Southside Strangler. Sure, the connection wasn't coincidence. Detective Horges contacted the Richmond Police Department and sat down with Detective Ray Williams. But Williams was skeptical. Even though the crimes shared a similar MO, there was no evidence linking them together. Still, Horges pressured the Richmond PD to do some surveillance on Timothy. He hoped that they could catch him attempting to commit another murder. The Richmond authorities obliged. In early 1988, investigators began tracking 25-year-old Timothy. Under their watch, he committed a couple of small infractions, like breaking his parole by sleeping at a girlfriend's instead of the halfway house.

house, but they weren't about to lock Timothy up for that. They worried that if they tried to, they'd blow their cover. However, before long, the officers realized that Timothy was onto them. They spotted Timothy crawling under his car, seemingly searching for trackers, so the surveillance team pulled back. The move terrified Horges. The Arlington detective was sure that Timothy was the man they were looking for, so he enlisted the help of Arlington County prosecutor Helen Fahey. Together, they took their case to an Arlington County grand jury. In January of 1988, that grand jury returned indictments against Timothy for the rape, murder, and burglary of Sue Tucker.

Later that night, authorities from both the Arlington and Richmond PD waited at the halfway house for Timothy to check in. When he finally arrived, detectives took him in for questioning. But instead of murder, they told Timothy he was being detained for burglary. Detective Horgas figured that if Timothy thought he was facing a lesser charge, he might be more open with the police. That hunch proved correct. Timothy obligingly signed a form, consenting to a search of his belongings and his bedroom at the halfway house. While they didn't find his canvas bag or anything stolen from the crime scenes, they discovered something interesting on the underside of Timothy's mattress. A large figure eight, or perhaps an infinity sign, had to be done.

drawn with the magic marker. It looked exactly like the symbol painted on Diane Cho's thigh. With this crucial piece of evidence, the authorities were confident that Timothy would confess. However, after interviewing him for over 12 hours, he still refused to talk. Detectives grew nervous. While the symbol on Timothy's mattress matched the sign on Diane's thigh, the other evidence was only circumstantial. That meant there was a big chance that Timothy would soon walk free.

Fortunately, in 1988, DNA fingerprinting was an emerging form of forensic science. Only a few years old, the technology had recently been used to solve a European murder case. Luckily, Timothy had been leaving behind semen samples for years, and authorities had collected them for just such an occasion. Now they hoped DNA could help make their case. Upon his arrest, Timothy had given a blood sample. detectives sent it back to a lab for DNA comparison, with the semen samples taken from the murder scenes, as well as from the masked rapist attacks of 1983. But because the technology was so new, the results weren't expected back for another six to ten weeks.

During that time, Timothy desperately tried to come up with an alibi for the murders. He reached out to an ex-girlfriend asking her to cover for him. He wanted her to say that they were somewhere else when the slangs had occurred. But she refused to make anything up for him and told the police what he was doing. Timothy also called his brother, Travis, and asked him to describe how they'd spent the Friday after Thanksgiving together. But Travis was on to his big brother and reminded Timothy that they hadn't hung out at all, that Timothy hadn't even been home. Finally, on March 16, 1988, Timothy's DNA was a match for the recent string of murders. He was definitely the South Side Strangler.

As law enforcement celebrated the capture of a monster, scientists also rejoiced in this huge development. For the first time, DNA analysis had been used to solve a murder case in the United States. It was a huge leap forward for forensic science, and prosecutors used it to their advantage. In July of 1988, Timothy was tried for the rape and murder of Sue Tucker. The case hinged almost entirely. on the DNA match, a technology that the jury had to learn about very quickly over the course

of the six-day trial. Whether they understood the science or not, it was clear the jury trusted it. After a little over five hours of deliberation, they returned to the courtroom with a guilty verdict, and Timothy Wilson Spencer was sentenced to death. Even though he'd already received the maximum possible penalty for raping and killing Sue, The families of Timothy's other victims wanted trials for their loved ones. So over the next 10 months, Timothy faced three more trials for the murders of Debbie Davis, Susan Hellams, and Diane Cho.

Meanwhile, detectives also sought justice for Carolyn Hamm. The DNA sample from her crime scene was too degraded to analyze, but investigators remained confident that Timothy had killed her. January of 1989, after months of back and forth, David Vasquez was granted a full pardon from the governor of Virginia. As compensation for the roughly five years he spent wrongfully imprisoned, he was awarded $117,000. Meanwhile, Timothy tried to prolong his time in a cell. By May of 1989, he'd officially been given the death penalty four times over. He spent the next year or so appealing all of his convictions, but was denied every time. Timothy remained on death row for five years until April

of 1994, when the 32-year-old was executed via electric chair. His mother Thelma and his brother Travis visited Timothy on the day he was scheduled to die. While his death officially closed the chapter on the masked rapist and the Southside Strangler, his legacy lives on. But where most serial killers leave behind only memories of death and violence, Timothy Wilson Spencer's lasting impact is different. Thanks to the abundant DNA evidence the Southside Strangler left behind, his case forever changed the criminal justice system in the United States. It seems almost ironic that despite his care while committing crimes, Timothy's actions only made it easier to catch every killer who came after him. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be

be back soon with a new episode. For more information on Timothy Wilson-Spenser, amongst the many sources we used, we found Southern Nightmare, the Hunt for the South Side Strangler by Richard Foster, extremely helpful to our research. You can find more episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time. Have a Killer Week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast.

Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Russell Nash, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, and Aaron Larson. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Ellie Reed, with writing assistance by Jane O. and Joel Callan. Fact-checking by Bennett Logan and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood.

Serial Killers stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel as California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars. Catch the Jonas Brothers return to the Yamava Theater stage on April 30th, the powerful vocals of Demi Lovato on May 17th, and the signature Southern Country Rock of Eric Church on July 19th. Tickets on sale now at Yamavat Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino,

celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. 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 Hixed. 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.