Charles Stevens (Serial Killer)

American Serial Killer on Death Row

For clarity, if you're looking for other individuals named Charles Stevens, check out the disambiguation page. Charles Arnett Stevens, born on March 19, 1969, infamously known as The I-580 Killer, is an American serial killer who terrorized the Interstate 580 corridor in California during 1989. Over the span of a few months, he shot eight people, killing four of them. Currently, Stevens resides on death row at San Quentin State Prison.

Quick Facts

• Born: Charles Arnett Stevens (March 19, 1969)
• Age: 56
• Location: Oakland, California, U.S.
• Other Names: The I-580 Killer
• Convictions:
  • First-degree murder with special circumstances
  • First-degree murder (3 counts)
  • Attempted murder (6 counts)
• Criminal Penalty: Death
• Victims: 4 (one as an accomplice)
• Span of Crimes: April 3 – July 27, 1989
• Country: United States
• State: California
• Date Apprehended: July 27, 1989
• Imprisoned at: San Quentin State Prison, San Quentin, California

Early Life

Charles Stevens's early life was tumultuous. Born in Oakland, California, he was the younger child in a family rife with struggles. His mother battled alcoholism, leading to multiple arrests for offenses like drunk driving and child abuse, a cycle that ultimately took her life. At just 12 years old, Stevens faced his own demons: he attempted suicide by tying a noose in his room, a cry for help that went unheard.

Throughout his teenage years, Stevens attended Oakland Technical High School. He was characterized by his shyness and timidity, but intriguingly, his peers found him attractive. This led to a brief romance with a girl named Mia Chatman, which lasted for about seven months before she ended the relationship. In his senior year, he formed a close friendship with Richard James Clark, who was younger than him. Their bond would soon take a dark turn.

The Murders

Stevens's descent into violence began on April 3, 1989. Along with Clark, he approached a parked vehicle containing 29-year-old Leslie Noyer. In a chilling turn of events, Stevens opened the unlocked passenger-side door, leaving a palm print that would later become crucial evidence. Clark then shot Noyer in the head, marking the start of a deadly spree. Police collected shell casings and the palm print left behind by Stevens, setting the stage for a complex investigation.

Fast forward three months, on June 8, 1989, Stevens struck again, this time alone. He shot 16-year-old Laquann Sloan as she was making a turn onto Interstate 580. Just weeks later, on July 6, he targeted 36-year-old Lori Rochon, shooting her multiple times while she was parked on the side of the highway near the Grand Avenue exit in Oakland.

The public grew increasingly alarmed as news of these highway shootings spread. Law enforcement began patrolling the area more diligently, but Stevens was not done. On July 16, he and Clark were driving when they merged into the right lane next to a van occupied by Paul Fenn and Julia Peters. Stevens fired at the van, injuring Peters with a shard of glass from a bullet-riddled window.

The situation escalated on July 27, 1989, when Stevens narrowly missed 24-year-old Rodney Stokes. Stokes, instinctively following Stevens with his headlights off, witnessed him pull up next to another car and shoot the driver, 28-year-old Raymond August. Stokes quickly stopped at a payphone and reported the incident to the police. This was a crucial moment that would lead to Stevens's arrest.

Law enforcement, acting on Stokes's description, stopped a vehicle that matched the report just hours later. The driver? Charles Stevens. Upon his arrest, police confiscated a .357 Magnum Desert Eagle, which would later be linked to the murders through ballistics testing. The findings confirmed that the weapon matched the bullets used in the killings and attempted murders attributed to Stevens.

In an unexpected twist, Stevens sold out Clark, who was soon apprehended as well.

Conviction and Appeals

The trial was a dramatic affair. Clark, initially implicated in the Noyer slaying, testified against Stevens, claiming he acted out of fear, stating that Stevens had threatened him with a gun. After only an hour of deliberation, the jury found Stevens guilty on all counts in January 1993. Days later, he was sentenced to death and transported to San Quentin State Prison, where he awaited execution. Clark, on the other hand, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and received a 13-year sentence.

In 2004, Stevens sought to appeal his death sentence, arguing that his original defense team had failed to challenge critical evidence, including the ballistics. However, the court rejected his appeal. Meanwhile, Clark was released from prison in 2006, while Stevens remains on death row. California's capital punishment system has been in a state of uncertainty, with a moratorium on executions since 2006.

On February 14, 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the denial of Stevens's habeas corpus petition. He later filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court, but it was denied on January 9, 2023, leaving Stevens with no further appeals left.

Sources

• "A Serial Killer's Legacy" . East Bay Times. 24 June 2007.
• "Freeway killer's death sentence upheld."
• "These are the 737 inmates on California's death row."
• "PEOPLE v. STEVENS."
• "CHARLES STEVENS, DEATH PENALTY CASE" (PDF).
• Egelko, Bob (2022-02-14). "Court upholds death sentence for man who killed four in Oakland freeway shootings". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2022-02-15.

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