They drove around until they found a suitable lawn, finally choosing one in Hermosa Beach, then they dragged the body from the van. . To muffle the noise, Bittaker turned the radio up high. Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris had bonded over a love of sadism and fantasies of rape and torture. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. Criminologist Laura Brand opened up to Newsweek about her groundbreaking interviews with "Toolbox Killers," Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris.. An autopsy revealed that, in addition to having been sexually violated, she had died of strangulation after receiving extensive blunt-force trauma to the face, head, breasts, and left elbow, with her olecranon sustaining multiple fractures. He didn't say that he couldn't do it." All she could tell them was that the van was silver. Ancira Auto Group, one of the premier leading dealer groups in San Antonio, TX and serving all of South Texas since 1972, treats the needs of each individual customer with paramount concern. Despite these expert opinions, he was paroled in late 1963. RELATED Mississippi man granted bail after Supreme Court ruled racial bias in his conviction Later, they made alterations to the van to make it the perfect vehicle for abduction, rape and murder. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Shirley Ledford (6681995)? This instruction was legally correct. Its the setting for such films as E.T. Some of these photographs came into possession of defense counsel, who turned them over to the police, and they were admitted into evidence. Norris climbed into the van and drove off, leaving Bittaker and Andrea alone on the fire road. FN 19. The two men didnt catch her. An employee saw him and followed him out to the parking lot, where he confronted Bittaker, who then pulled out a knife and stabbed the employee. The van pulled ahead and stopped, and Norris got out. He was captured and charged with attempted rape. Bittaker was sentenced to death in 1981 in Los Angeles County. Prosecutors must demonstrate to the court that there are special circumstances that support the call for a death sentence. Maybe it was this rootless lifestyle, this instability, which made Lawrence rebellious. Shirley Ledford's body was discovered shortly after she was killed. The coat hanger was so deeply embedded in Cindys neck that it had cut through the flesh, and blood was seeping out. Louie followed defendant outside and asked if defendant had forgotten to pay for anything. Norris testified against Bittaker after pleading guilty to all . fn. 2d 711, 726, 91 S. Ct. 3d 1100] that, absent the error in question, the jury would have reached a different result. 3d 1086] (1978) 22 Cal. Finally, the jury found at least 14 valid special circumstances -- far more than is found in most death penalty cases. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. We explained in a footnote that Steger did not define all the elements of murder by torture, but was concerned only with establishing that the act of torture must be premeditated. They were only caught after Norris told another former inmate. Less wholesome is the fact that its also the porn center for the United States, with 90 percent of legally distributed porn films that are made in the U.S. being made by companies based in the Valley. Anthony Gavin Baker Street Robbery, Bittaker made the comment that it was more difficult to strangle someone than it showed on television. Rptr. Please enter your email and password to sign in. They ordered the 16 year old to strip. You can read more about her murder or the Toolbox Killers here. Norris took over the driving while Bittaker went into the back with the naked and terrified girl. But then one of them noticed that they were not heading toward the beach. From the toolbox, he took a pair of vice grip pliers and began to pinch and tear at her body with them, targeting her nipples and vagina. Ledford's body was discovered shortly after she was murdered. Rptr. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. It was a clear case of arson, and five people from Marlborough were duly convicted of the crime. Lucinda Shaeffer; Andrea Hall 3d 1085], Both cases permit the court to excuse a juror when that juror has given an unequivocally disqualifying answer. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. Andrea went to the back to get a can of soda, and when she turned back, Norris lunged out of the hiding place under the bed and attacked her. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [31] Christina Dralle testified that when she rejected defendant's advances, he pulled a gun and said, "you wouldn't argue if I pulled the trigger." Warning Sensitive Content: Click here to read the Transcript of Shirley Lynette Ledford audio recording. Shirley Ledford. Defendant testified that after he and Norris picked up Gilliam and Lamp, he offered Gilliam money if she would pose for photographs. Once again, it did not result in death. And it does not permit the jury to determine what penalty is appropriate after the weighing process because, according to the prosecutor, if aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating the jurors have no choice but to impose the death penalty. Lawfulness of search of impounded van. (See People v. Rist (1976) 16 Cal. They would do it, as Norris would later say, for fun.. 3d 731, 758 [117 Cal. Bittaker sat emotionless as the jurors cried. The woman said no. Such a proceeding would consume considerable time, and divert the attention of the jury from the case at hand. He also gets fan mail from serial killer groupies, who also buy memorabilia such as his fingernail clippings. Her fingers were cut, and there was a puncture wound in her hand, most likely caused by an ice pick. The two men drove through the city and into the hills, then along the fire road far enough that they were hidden from view from the highway. While awaiting trial, Bittaker wrote his autobiography, despite repeated warnings from his lawyer. The prison code evidently didnt include not turning on him. Norris was sentenced to 45 years to life. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Norris strangled her with a wire coat hanger. Bittaker was sentenced to death for the murders of Cindy Schaefer, 16, Andrea Hall, 18, Jackie Gilliam, 15, Leah Lamp, 13, and Shirley Lynette Ledford, 16. In this case, as in most, our inquiry begins by examining the prosecutor's penalty phase argument. The prosecution claims the killers made Shirley Lynette Ledford scream by smashing her elbows with a sledge hammer and twisting her breasts with a pair of pliers. To kill her, Bittaker went to the toolbox and brought out an ice pick. Defendant held Schaefer while Norris tried to strangle her, but when he changed his grip Schaefer and defendant fell over backwards. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The girls began to complain, but Bittaker, driving, said they wanted to go somewhere first, somewhere safe where they could smoke some pot and get high. What was the cruel and unusual punishment? Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Subsequent cases, however, have steadily drawn back from the use of a per se standard. FN 35. Bittaker took a walk while Norris spent the next hour raping her and forcing her to perform oral sex. They bought a 1977 GMC cargo van, which was perfect for their purpose as it had no side or back windows, which meant that everything they did in the back of the van was unobservable. Bittaker took over and started to choke the girl, but Cindy kept jerking about. Norris was arrested first, giving Bittaker just enough time to destroy evidence. The two men then turned to Leah, who had watched the whole thing. Rptr. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Cindy headed off along the Pacific Coast Highway. They would get together on weekends, and go to the beach where defendant would photograph teenage girls. Instead, they headed to the residential area of Sunland and Tujunga districts, located in the San Fernando Valley. 529.) Thus while we advise against language in a plea bargain which purports to give the district attorney, and not the court, discretion to determine whether the witness testified truthfully, we find no reversible error. Killings began in June 1979 with the death of 16-year-old Lucinda Lynn Schaefer She was followed by Andrea Hall, 18; Jacqueline Gilliam, 15; Jacqueline Leah Lamp, 13, and 16-year-old Shirley Lynette Ledford ; Bittaker died on California's death row in December Dead Man Game, fn. The sought imposition of the death penalty thus rests upon the unproven and illegitimate assumption that it acts as a deterrent to the described 'potential killers'. 3d 1, 28 [164 Cal. 3d 392 [174 Cal. Defendant offered her a ride. Try again later. (Photo of grave marker; courtesy of Steve Smith), Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. What a horrible story. Both bodies were then tossed over a cliff like garbage, the ice pick still embedded in Jackies skull. TRANSCRIPT OF SHIRLEY LYNETTE LEDFORD AUDIO RECORDING#Shirleylynetteledford #toolboxkillers #behindhistory Arresting officers' compliance with section 844. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. This instruction was legally correct. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Something was missing; it could have been a better experience. 6. For their next victim, 16-year-old Shirley Lynette Ledford, the two decided to record her entire torture session. In 1990, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Norris then made another mistake. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison in 1980. . Bittaker and Norris decided that this time they would not dispose of the body by throwing it from a cliff. When actor Scott Glenn was preparing for the role of Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs, he listened to the tape. This account has been disabled. Laboratory examination showed sperm in her mouth, vagina and anus. But something he said had struck a chord. Dalton had told them the men were driving around in a silver van. Steve Kay was reluctant, but he waived the death penalty for Norris in return for his co-operation. Your email address will not be published. Finally, they came across a deep canyon. Teenage girls go missing all the time, and there was nothing to suggest that they had been murdered. It had been close. The Toolbox Killers: The Murders. Bittaker was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was put up for adoption as an infant. Norris was one of the lucky ones, during his tour in Vietnam, he never saw action. He hit her in the left elbow with the sledgehammer over 25 times in total, while Lynette screamed and cried. But there can be a long time between a sentence of death and the carrying out of the sentence. Bynum sent an officer to Oregon along with a bunch of photographs for Shirley to look through. 3d 1222, 1276-1277 [232 Cal. 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