It's not that we missed this. In the final days before his arrest, Wallace murdered three Black women in a span of four days. Friends said he dated a woman in 1993 and this year who also worked in local fast-food restaurants, including the Bojangles', where three of the murder victims worked. Like Betty, she was strangled with a ligature and sexually assaulted. Love was a friend of Wallace's girlfriend. Wallace also served on the Student Council before graduating in 1983. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1985, at age 20, and married a high school classmate while on leave. His mother, Brandi Henderson, was in the same bedroom, murdered -- strangled to death. Following the crimes, the media would ask the questions: Why weren't the crimes identified as serial killings much earlier? Sumpters 20-year-old daughter, Shawna Hawk, was murdered by Wallace in 1993. I think the majority of the victims remind me of her in some way, Wallace said. He was nicknamed the Taco Bell Strangler because he worked with most of his victims in fast food restaurants. She was an 18-year-old and living with her boyfriend at the time. He also had one victim in his hometown in South Carolina. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. In February 1991, Wallace broke into his old high school and the radio station where he once worked. Love's remains were found in the woods in 1994 following Wallace's confession. His other victims followed a similar pattern. Wallace. She was such a great mother, she would have done anything at all for him, Burrell said. Friends said he lived in Glen Hollow Apartments on Central Avenue, where two women were found strangled, one on June 25, 1993, and one last Saturday. Henry Louis Wallace confessed to murdering the following women: 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. For almost two years the killer remained at large, causing what led to an angry hysteria Wallace eventually got sloppy and police caught him. ThoughtCo, Jul. For two years, Henry Louis Wallace went undetected befriending neighbors and coworkers before taking their lives. Afterward, he took valuables from the house and left the apartment, taking her car. A few days after her murder, he and his sister went to Valencia's funeral. Henry Louis Wallace is a serial killer who earned the monikers "The Charlotte Strangler" or "The Taco Bell Strangler" following the murders of 10 Black women in Charlotte, North Carolina between 1990 and 1994. MOMO aims to prevent violence in the community. He also tried to strangle Hendersons 10-month-old son, who survived. The medical examiner wrongly ruled Jumpers death as due to carbon monoxide poisoning after a fire at her home. A few weeks ago, 20/20 was there as Woods returned to the apartments for the first time since his mothers murder. Serial killer Henry Louis Wallace killing spree began in 1990 with the murder of Tashonda Bethea in his hometown of Barnwell, South Carolina. They are like, I was her masterpiece.. Things seemed to be looking up for Wallace at this point, especially after he married his high school sweetheart and became the stepfather to her daughter. The department stated that although they were overworked and understaffed to handle the surge in homicide cases in the Charlotte metro area at the time. May 13, 2022 Henry Louis Wallace's arrest in March 1994 marked the end of a long reign of terror in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. After his eventual arrest in March 1994, he confessed to murdering 11 people. He is known as the Taco Bell Strangler.. Additionally, the Wallace investigations were hampered by the fact that the killer wiped down surfaces and put items he wasnt sure he touched in the oven to evaporate any prints, McFadden says. During questioning, Henry confessed to killing ten women in Charlotte: Sharon Nance, Caroline Love, Shawna Hawk, Audrey Spain, Valencia Jumper, Michelle Stinson, Vanessa Mack, Betty Baucom, Brandi Henderson, and Deborah Slaughter. Recruiting started during Wallaces trial and eventually the homicide unit grew four times larger, McFadden says. In March 1993, Hawk's mother, Dee Sumpter, and her godmother Judy Williams founded Mothers of Murdered Offspring, a Charlotte-based support group for parents of murdered children. Not allow the anger and violence to rule our lives, she said. Wallace accompanied his sister to Jumper . Ms. Bethea had lived with her aunt and uncle in the same Barnwell neighborhood as the Wallace family. And why was Wallace able to claim 11 victims before being caught? On the evening of March 8, 1994, Woods and his mother, Brandi June Henderson, were at home in Charlotte, N.C., when a man named Henry Louis Wallace entered their apartment. She and Henry's father never married. He wasn't charged, though Barnwell County Sheriff Joey Zorn was in Charlotte on Monday to question Wallace again. Henry was born in November 1965 in Barnwell, South Carolina, to Lottie Mae Wallace. Henry confessed in great detail, talking about the attacks and the sexual assaults. He was released the same day on bond. To cover up the crime, his sister's friend attempted to burn her body. The Murders Tashanda "Shan" Bethea (suspected) March 18, 1990 Barnwell, South Carolina Wallace met Tashanda "Shan" Bethea in 1989. They didnt give enough value to Black womens lives. The woman couldn't be reached for comment Monday. On Friday, a special episode of ABCs 20/20 examined a jailhouse interview with the killer. Her body was found several days later, but police did not connect Wallace to the murder. Serial killer Henry Louis Wallace killing spree began in 1990 with the murder of Tashonda Bethea in his hometown of Barnwell, South Carolina. A woman who lost her daughter to the horrific crimes found a way to support others. However, he believes its because society as a whole devalues Black lives, and law enforcements efforts are unduly pressured by media coverage of white crime victims, he says. Some items from her home were missing, including her car. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Henry Louis Wallace was born in Barnwell, South Carolina, son of Lottie Mae Wallace and a married schoolteacher who walked out on Lottie when he found out she was pregnant. Later, the authorities found it in a parking lot and recovered a palm print. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Wallace was found guilty in January 1997 of nine murders, plus rape, sexual offenses and robbery. Sumpter says she found out about his arrest from the TV news. At the time, Wallace worked part-time as a disc jockey, which he preferred to college. Wilder said he fired Wallace after he discovered that compact discs were missing. Wallace had been Hawk's manager at Taco Bell.After her murder, Wallace attended her wake. In addition to Bethea and Hawk, his other victims were: Sharon Lavette Nance, 33; Caroline Love, 20; Audrey Ann Spain, 24; Valencia M. Jumper, 21; Michelle Stinson, 20; Vanessa Little Mack, 25; Betty Jean Baucom, 24; Brandi J. Henderson, 18; and Debra Slaughter, 35. He described in detail the women's appearances; how he'd raped, robbed, and killed them; and spoke about his crack addiction. ThoughtCo tells of how he tried to burn her corpse afterward. In fact, many of these women had known him so well that they gave him a certain level of trust. You dont know what your children are doing, so what can you say?. Police were stunned at the enormity of his crimes, McFadden says. The marriage was short lived. In Charlotte, Henrys crime spree was horrifying. One of those women was Brandi Henderson. 30, 2021, thoughtco.com/serial-killer-henry-louis-wallace-973140. If somebody could show me evidence of a pattern of discrimination, Id certainly do something to fix that, Boger said. Naval Reserve. (Watch the video below: Interview: Sister of last known victim killed by Charlotte serial killer Henry Wallace), Interview: Sister of last known victim killed by Charlotte serial killer Henry Wallace. Little and Wallace worked together at the Taco Bell on Sharon Amity Road. It was also clear from the lack of forced entry that the women trusted him enough to let him inside their homes. Love's sister, Kathy Love (Kathy), and informed her that Love had not come to work in two days. All Rights Reserved. Magazine Staff. On February 19, 1993, Wallace strangled Shawna Hawk at her home after first having sex with her and later went to her funeral. With a total 129 murders, 1993 was the deadliest year in Charlotte, partly fueled by the crack epidemic. (WATCH BELOW: He had nowhere to go: Accused killer captured in SC after weeklong manhunt). To pay for the narcotics, he began burglarizing homes and businesses. Furthermore, he confessed to murdering Tashanda Bethea in Barnwell in March 1990. By then, he had a criminal history; he had committed sexual crimes, burglary, and larceny in the past. She was reported missing by her sister in March 1992. On January 7, 1997, Wallace was found guilty of nine murders. When the murder and rape was taking place, who I was seeing was her and not the victim.. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/serial-killer-henry-louis-wallace-973140. Henry Louis Wallace was born Nov. 4, 1965, in Barnwell, S.C., a town of 6,000 residents about 60 miles southwest of Columbia. He has been on death row for more than 20 years. He hurt me and I just dont want to see him right now, she said. At one time, Wallace was married. His mother and sister are the only ones who call him ``Bubba. In addition to the death sentences, Wallace was handed 10 life sentences plus 322 years for 20 other crimes, including rape. Wallace raped Henderson while she held her baby, and then strangled her. They learned of his arrest Sunday through news reports. by Jason Lapeyre When he was arrested on Feb. 4, 1994, in Charlotte, N.C., Henry Louis Wallace had already raped and strangled to death five young black women. On Feb. 20 and 21, 1991, police in Allendale and Barnwell counties in South Carolina charged him with larceny and third-degree burglary after he was convicted of breaking into Barnwell High School and WDOG radio station. This time, the victim was a sex worker namedSharon Nance. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department was severely understaffed and could not support the exploding murder rate of Charlotte, North Carolina. All along, Wallacewho at some point had become addicted to crackplayed the part of the concerned friend, Hawks mother says. In 1998, he married a former prison nurse in a ceremony at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he remains on death row. Due to his near-perfect service record, Wallace managed to get an Honorable Discharge from the Navy when his criminal activity came to light, but he was sent on his way. As Wallace outgrew out his clothing, he was given his sister's hand-me-downs to wear. 20/20: Lock the Door Behind You chronicles the work that went into the arrest and the. You have permission to edit this article. Brandi told me when she had Tyrece that she felt like her life was complete., READ MORE: Woman claims accused serial killer assaulted her 22 years ago. He was found guilty of nine murders and sentenced to nine death sentences. Four days later, Wallace committed his last known murder Deborah Ann Slaughter, who worked with Wallace's girlfriend, was stabbed 38 times and left to die. (Watch the video below: Interview: Sister of last known victim killed by Charlotte serial killer Henry Wallace) . On Friday, 20/20 is showing video they obtained from the case -- never-before-seen footage of a jailhouse interview conducted by the profilers who worked with his defense team. I dont believe hes sorry. She said she will just continue working at the factory where she sews sock toes. Woods now lives in Florida with his wife and three kids and works for a uniform company in the Tampa area. Henry Louis Wallace was arrested after police recovered a handprint that belonged to him in the vehicle of one of his murder victims. I just lost it because I just could not comprehend that I had just talked to her and now she's dead.. After his arrest, Wallace admitted to killing 10 women in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one woman in his hometown in South Carolina, from 1990 to 1994. Data generally indicate that most serial killers are white, with 13 percent to 20 percent who are Black, according to the study. Authorities said Wednesday they had a warrant charging Wallace with her murder. He seemed like a super nice guy, but hes got a bad ticker somewhere, Zorn said. After a subsequent trial and conviction, Wallace (a.k.a. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Homicide investigator Garry McFadden, who worked on the case, feels that understaffing was the primary problem in the investigation. After her daughters murder in 1993, Sumpter created a nonprofit organization called Mothers of Murdered Offspring to bring together families who have also lost loved ones to violent crimes. Wallaces murder spree prompted the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to beef up staffing. In addition to becoming a husband, he also took on the role of stepfather to Brabham's daughter. I fight for my own breath sometimes. The sister of another slain woman called Yvonne Wallace in search of an answer. Records indicate that he awaits execution at the Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina. She did not get along with her mother, either, and the two argued constantly. According to Crime Magazine, he was fired from the station after being caught stealing records. Woods is now 29 years old with a family of his own. Even though his academics weren't the best, he was admitted intoSouth Carolina State College (where he attended one semester) and to a technical school that he briefly attended. Heres a list. After he got out of the hospital, his father took him to Chicago and when Tyrece was five, his father passed away, said George Burrell. Henry Louis Wallace was born Nov. 4, 1965, in Barnwell, S.C., a town of 6,000 residents about 60 miles southwest of Columbia. But the agency looked at the evidence and Wallace and declared that the murders were not the work of a serial killer. He eventually settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he began working at fast-food restaurants, eventually becoming a manager at a local Taco Bell. So, if youre wondering what happened to Henry since then, weve got you covered. A special episode of ABCs 20/20 examines a never-before-broadcasted jailhouse interview with the killer. Between 1992 and 1994, nine young black women in Charlotte, North Carolina, were raped and strangled to death, the murders increasing in ferocity and rapidity. Wallace had tied a pair of shorts around his neck to stop his crying, according to investigators, but the baby survived. In college, Henry Louis Wallace worked as a disc jockey at a local radio station. Ms. Betheas aunt, Margerite Henry, came to see Ms. Wallace on Tuesday. We were overworked and we were understaffed and we were doing the best that we could. Working primarily in the fast-food industry at this time, Wallace claimed the lives of his co-workers as well as the friends of his girlfriend. His appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in 2001, and in 2005, Superior Court Judge Charles Lamm rejected a further appeal to overturn Wallaces convictions and nine death sentences. Burrell declined, but he wonders if that would have saved her life. While in college, Wallace began to get into trouble. The home Wallace shared with his older sister (by three years), his mother, and his great-grandmother had no plumbing or electricity. The program also features an exclusive interview with Tyrece Woods on his life today after surviving an attack from Wallace when he was just 10 months old. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Family of serial killer's last victim speaks to Channel 9 veteran reporter. McFadden said he reflects on the investigation. The defense didnt deny Wallace strangled or stabbed the women between 1991 and 1994, but said he was mentally ill. Wallaces first murder victim was 18-year-old Tashanda Bethea, a local woman. They were overworked, unbeknownst to me underpaid and they just didnt give a damn. At one time, Wallace was married. At 16, he attempted to rape a friends younger sister. Police arrested Wallace on March 13, 1994, the day after he murdered his last victim, and he confessed to 11 murders. (ABCs 20/20). ``We never ever felt uncomfortable around him. His breathing was labored and he barely survived. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, believing that they had a serial killer on their hands, turned to the FBI for help in early 1994. Investigators should have recognized early on they were dealing with a methodical serial killer because of the common elements of his crimes, said experts interviewed in the 1990s by WBTV in Charlotte. Mack's sister, Leslie Little, had introduced Mack to Wallace in July 1993. He spent a year as the only male cheerleader on the Warhorses' varsity cheerleading squad. All of that happened in this spot, Woods said. ", GREENSBORO Jurors found TikTok star Jessica Middlebrook, known as towtruckjess on social media, not guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thu. For two years, Henry Louis Wallace went undetected befriending neighbors and coworkers before taking their lives. He had the literal gall to show up at a service for someone that he knew he personally killed, said Sumpter. Yvonne Wallace said she planned to visit her brother on Friday. He was fired after he was caught stealing CDs. Lottie Mae Wallace said her son married a Denmark, S.C., woman in the spring of 1987 and split with her in late 1989, though they didn't divorce. His mother, Lottie Mae Wallace, had been having an affair with a married school teacher, who promptly left her and her unborn child to fend for themselves the moment she revealed her pregnancy to him (per Murderpedia). Channel 9s veteran crime reporter Glenn Counts shares the emotional story of a man who lost his mother in Henry Wallaces crime spree -- whos lucky to be alive himself. In never-before-broadcasted footage, legendary criminal profiler and psychiatric nurse Ann Burgess interviews Wallace. Henry Louis Wallace terrorized east Charlotte for more than two years. He told police he started having violent fantasies of dominating women after he witnessed a gang rape at age 8, according to an episode of A&Es First Blood on Wallace. Burrell has carried a burden for 28 years and thats one of the reasons he had been hesitant to see Woods. After high school, Wallace spent one semester each at South Carolina State College in Orangeburg and Denmark Technical College in Denmark, S.C., according to his mother. We feel sorry for them that these things happened. According to Crime Magazine, Wallace went on trial in September 1996, with a jury returning a verdict of guilty on January 7, 1997. Wallace's mother provided for him and his older sister the best she could, but her low-paying job at a local textile mill didn't yield much income. A few days after her murder he went to her funeral with his sister and even sent her family condolences pretending to be heartbroken. The judge sentenced him to two years of supervisedprobation but according to his probation officer, Wallace blew off most of the mandatory meetings. Investigators didnt figure out a serial killer was at large until Wallace murdered two women who lived in the same apartment complex on back-to-back days in March 1994. 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