Sadistic Southern California Serial Killer Captured Forty Years Later

The Recent Arrest of Billy Ray Richardson Shows Justice Never Forgets

Trina Wilson, image provided by her mother Latasha Thomas

Richard Ramirez. Douglas Clark and Carol Bundy. Lonnie Franklin. William Bonin. Do these names ring a bell?

Southern California was a “hotbed” of serial killers in the 1980s and 1990s. Indeed, the number of active serial killers (captured and not) during those twenty years earned Los Angeles the moniker “serial killer capital of the U.S.” Now we can name another one; Billy Ray Richardson.

On July 15, 2022, Billy Ray Richardson (dob 12/4/46) was charged with four counts of murder and rape. His crimes appear to be sexually motivated.

Richardson is accused of killing 25-year-old Beverly Cruse and 22-year-old Debra Cruse inside Beverly’s west Los Angeles apartment. James had become worried when he couldn’t reach his sisters for several days. He was devastated when he found their nude bodies. Beverly was a USC employee and part-time student, while Debra was working as a receptionist at a local radio station. Detectives believe that Debra had been visiting her sister when the attack occurred.