Bouncing Ball Killer

* On July 12, 1960, police responded to a call of a woman screaming near the city college campus. When they arrived, police noticed 35-year-old '''Raymond Ward Clemmons''' getting into his car, and stopped him for questioning. Nearby, police found the body of a woman, who was identified as 19-year-old Nina T. Thoeren. Clemmons was arrested and confessed to strangling Thoeren to death. He had a criminal record and at the time of Thoeren's murder, Clemmons was on [[parole]] after serving two years at [[San Quentin State Prison]] for a [[hit-and-run]] in 1956. According to his confession, Clemmons stated that he had offered Thoeren a ride, and presumably she jokingly asked him if he was the Bouncing Ball Killer, and in response, Clemmons said "Sure, I'm the Bouncing Ball killer. Look in the glove compartment. The ball is in there".<ref name="rbk5"/> Clemmons went further and confessed to being the Bouncing Ball Killer. In response to this, police ordered Clemmons to take a [[polygraph]], which concluded that he was not being truthful when he said he was the Bouncing Ball Killer. Clemmons was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Thoeren, and he was never convicted of any of the other murders.<ref name="rbk12">{{cite news |title=STRANGLER SENTENCED |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104424185/strangler-sentenced/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 3, 1960}}</ref>

* On July 12, 1960, police responded to a call of a woman screaming near the city college campus. When they arrived, police noticed 35-year-old '''Raymond Ward Clemmons''' getting into his car, and stopped him for questioning. Nearby, police found the body of a woman, who was identified as 19-year-old Nina T. Thoeren. Clemmons was arrested and confessed to strangling Thoeren to death. He had a criminal record and at the time of Thoeren's murder, Clemmons was on [[parole]] after serving two years at [[San Quentin State Prison]] for a [[hit-and-run]] in 1956. According to his confession, Clemmons stated that he had offered Thoeren a ride, and presumably she jokingly asked him if he was the Bouncing Ball Killer, and in response, Clemmons said "Sure, I'm the Bouncing Ball killer. Look in the glove compartment. The ball is in there".<ref name="rbk5"/> Clemmons went further and confessed to being the Bouncing Ball Killer. In response to this, police ordered Clemmons to take a [[polygraph]], which concluded that he was not being truthful when he said he was the Bouncing Ball Killer. Clemmons was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Thoeren, and he was never convicted of any of the other murders.<ref name="rbk12">{{cite news |title=STRANGLER SENTENCED |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104424185/strangler-sentenced/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=December 3, 1960}}</ref>

* On September 6, 1960, police arrested 28-year-old '''[[Henry Busch (serial killer)|Henry Adolph Busch]]''' for the attempted murder of a co-worker in Los Angeles. Police found a knife and a pair of handcuffs in his possession. As he was being booked at the police station, Busch confessed to the murders of two women that month; 72-year-old Shirley Payneas on September 4, and 53-year-old Margaret Briggs on September 5. He also confessed to the murder of Elmyra Miller, who was believed to have been murdered by the Bouncing Ball Killer. Busch stated his reasoning for the murders was that he had an irresistible urge to do so, though he would later say he had been inspired to kill after watching the movie [[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]], a claim that made headlines and even got the director of the film [[Alfred Hitchcock]] to respond and deny his movie would inspire violence.<ref name="rbk11">{{cite news |title=Meek Suspect Tells of Urge To Kill |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104489013/meek-suspect-tells-of-urge-to-kill/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|work=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]|date=September 7, 1960}}</ref> Busch would be tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the three murders. He was executed via the [[gas chamber]] on June 6, 1962.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=noirish Los Angeles – Page 406 – SkyscraperPage Forum|url=https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=170279&page=406|access-date=2022-01-31|website=skyscraperpage.com}}</ref><ref name="rbk15">{{cite news |title=L.A. Triple Murderer Executed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104490601/la-triple-murderer-executed/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|work=[[United Press International]]|date=June 6, 1960}}</ref>

* On September 6, 1960, police arrested 28-year-old '''[[Henry Busch (serial killer)|Henry Adolph Busch]]''' for the attempted murder of a co-worker in Los Angeles. Police found a knife and a pair of handcuffs in his possession. As he was being booked at the police station, Busch confessed to the murders of two women that month; 72-year-old Shirley Payneas on September 4, and 53-year-old Margaret Briggs on September 5. He also confessed to the murder of Elmyra Miller, who was believed to have been murdered by the Bouncing Ball Killer. Busch stated his reasoning for the murders was that he had an irresistible urge to do so, albeit he later said he had been inspired to kill after watching the movie [[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]], a claim that made headlines and even got the director of the film [[Alfred Hitchcock]] to respond and deny his movie would inspire violence.<ref name="rbk11">{{cite news |title=Meek Suspect Tells of Urge To Kill |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104489013/meek-suspect-tells-of-urge-to-kill/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|work=[[Knoxville News Sentinel]]|date=September 7, 1960}}</ref> Busch would be tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the three murders. He was executed via the [[gas chamber]] on June 6, 1962.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=noirish Los Angeles – Page 406 – SkyscraperPage Forum|url=https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=170279&page=406|access-date=2022-01-31|website=skyscraperpage.com}}</ref><ref name="rbk15">{{cite news |title=L.A. Triple Murderer Executed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104490601/la-triple-murderer-executed/ |access-date=June 26, 2022|work=[[United Press International]]|date=June 6, 1960}}</ref>

* On August 28, 1961, [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] police arrested 20-year-old '''Charles James Golston''' on charges of murder in the rape and strangling of 81-year-old Dora Ann Cutting. After his arrest, he was also questioned in the disappearance of 11-year-old Karen Lynn Tompkins, although he was later cleared of suspicion in that case.<ref name="rbk16">{{cite news |title=Strangler Cleared in Karen Case |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104526478/strangler-cleared-in-karen-case/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=Los Angeles Mirror|date=August 30, 1961}}</ref> Los Angeles police were made aware of the arrest and sought to question Golston in the Bouncing Ball murders.<ref name="rbk17">{{cite news |title=Strangler to Be Grilled About Karen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104526167/strangler-to-be-grilled-about-karen/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=Los Angeles Mirror|date=August 29, 1961}}</ref> In the end he was never definitely linked to the Los Angeles killings, and was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the murder of Cutting. He was first scheduled to be executed in January 1963, however Golston was granted a stay of execution by Justice William Douglas.<ref name="rbk18">{{cite news |title=Stay Halts Execution Of Long Beach Slayer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104527563/stay-halts-execution-of-long-beach/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=[[San Francisco Examiner]]|date=January 25, 1963}}</ref> In April 1963 Golston and three other death row inmates, Don Franklin, John Vlahovich, and Joseph Rosoto, were scheduled to be executed on May 3 of that year.<ref name="rbk19">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104528040/may-3-death-date-for-4-in-san-quentin/ |title=May 3 Death Date For 4 in San Quentin |author=Herb Michelson |work=[[Oakland Tribune]]|date=April 28, 1963}}</ref> He later successfully appealed and got a new stay of execution.<ref name="rbk20">{{cite news |title=One of Doomed 4 Gets Stay; Others Plan New Appeal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104529533/one-of-doomed-4-gets-stay-others-plan/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=[[The Fresno Bee]]|date=May 2, 1963}}</ref> In 1972, the [[Supreme Court of California]] ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional, and that same year following the supreme court decision ''[[Furman v. Georgia]]'', the death penalty in the United States was ruled unconstitutional, causing everyone on death row, including Golston, to be re-sentenced to life imprisonment.

* On August 28, 1961, [[Long Beach, California|Long Beach]] police arrested 20-year-old '''Charles James Golston''' on charges of murder in the rape and strangling of 81-year-old Dora Ann Cutting. After his arrest, he was also questioned in the disappearance of 11-year-old Karen Lynn Tompkins, although he was later cleared of suspicion in that case.<ref name="rbk16">{{cite news |title=Strangler Cleared in Karen Case |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104526478/strangler-cleared-in-karen-case/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=Los Angeles Mirror|date=August 30, 1961}}</ref> Los Angeles police were made aware of the arrest and sought to question Golston in the Bouncing Ball murders.<ref name="rbk17">{{cite news |title=Strangler to Be Grilled About Karen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104526167/strangler-to-be-grilled-about-karen/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=Los Angeles Mirror|date=August 29, 1961}}</ref> In the end he was never definitively linked to the Los Angeles killings, but was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for the murder of Cutting. He was first scheduled to be executed in January 1963, but was granted a stay of execution by Justice William Douglas.<ref name="rbk18">{{cite news |title=Stay Halts Execution Of Long Beach Slayer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104527563/stay-halts-execution-of-long-beach/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=[[San Francisco Examiner]]|date=January 25, 1963}}</ref> In April 1963 Golston and three other death row inmates, Don Franklin, John Vlahovich, and Joseph Rosoto, were scheduled to be executed on May 3 of that year.<ref name="rbk19">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104528040/may-3-death-date-for-4-in-san-quentin/ |title=May 3 Death Date For 4 in San Quentin |author=Herb Michelson |work=[[Oakland Tribune]]|date=April 28, 1963}}</ref> He later successfully appealed and got a new stay of execution.<ref name="rbk20">{{cite news |title=One of Doomed 4 Gets Stay; Others Plan New Appeal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/104529533/one-of-doomed-4-gets-stay-others-plan/ |access-date=June 27, 2022|work=[[The Fresno Bee]]|date=May 2, 1963}}</ref> In 1972, the [[Supreme Court of California]] ruled the death penalty was unconstitutional, and that same year following the Supreme Court decision ''[[Furman v. Georgia]]'', the death penalty in the United States was ruled unconstitutional, causing everyone on death row, including Golston, to be re-sentenced to life imprisonment.

== See also ==

== See also ==