Texas Man, 76, Arrested In 4 CA Cold Case Killings Spanning Decades

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Texas man, who was linked through DNA evidence to the murders of a 15-year-old girl and three young women in Los Angeles County, was arrested Thursday in connection to the cold case killings that date back as far as 1980, authorities said.

Billy Ray Richardson, 76, was located and arrested in Fort Worth, Texas after he was charged with the murders of Beverly Cruse, Debra Cruse and Kari Lenander in Los Angeles in 1980 and Trina Wilson in Inglewood in 1995, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police have been searching for Richardson for decades.

"Investigative and forensic work over decades connected these murders through DNA and linked them to suspect Billy Ray Richardson," police said.

District Attorney George Gascón said he wanted to commend "the tenacious and dedicated work of those who helped solve these crimes."

"I cannot imagine the pain that these families have endured. Their loss is immeasurable," he added. "We hope that together we can bring justice to the families who have endured so much and have waited years for this moment."

Richardson was charged Thursday with four counts of murder, along with the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a rape and murder during the commission of a burglary, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office reported.

He stands accused of killing 25-year-old Beverly and 22-year-old Debra Cruse on March 6, 1980. The murders unfolded in an apartment in the 3200 block of Overland Avenue in Palms, where both women were shot in the head three times.

On July 26, 1980, he is accused of strangling 15-year-old Lenander, who died in the 3700 block of Victoria Avenue, according to the District Attorney's Office.

Then on December 31, 1995, Richardson is accused of slashing the throat of 28-year-old Trina Wilson in North Park in Inglewood.

All four women had been raped, the district attorney's office said.

Richardson's identification as the suspect in the killings and his subsequent arrest was the result of a collaborative investigation involving the LAPD, Inglewood Police Department, FBI, Fort Worth Police Department and investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, according to the LAPD.

Richardson is awaiting extradition from Fort Worth to Los Angeles. An arraignment date has not yet been set.

City News Service contributed to this report.