David Leonard Wood

Overview

David Leonard Wood, infamously dubbed The Desert Killer, is an American serial killer currently on death row, convicted of the heinous rapes and murders of at least six girls and women in El Paso, Texas, between May and August 1987. Wood's dark legacy is marked by the grim discovery of his victims' bodies, buried in the desolate desert landscape surrounding the city. He was sentenced to death and was slated for execution on March 13, 2025. However, his execution was stayed due to emerging evidence suggesting possible innocence and various constitutional violations during his trial, as highlighted by The Marshall Project. For over four decades, Wood has steadfastly maintained his innocence.

Quick Facts

• Born: June 20, 1957 (age 68)
• Birthplace: San Angelo, Texas, U.S.
• Other Names: The Desert Killer
• Convictions: Capital murder (x6), Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Indecency with a child
• Criminal Penalty: Death
• Victims: 6–9 confirmed
• Span of Crimes: May 30 – August 28, 1987 (confirmed)
• Country: United States
• State: Texas
• Date Apprehended: October 27, 1987
• Currently Imprisoned: Allan B. Polunsky Unit, West Livingston, Texas

Biography

David Leonard Wood was born in San Angelo, Texas, on June 20, 1957, as the second of four children. His family life was fraught with turmoil, particularly due to his mother, Betty, who began exhibiting signs of severe mental illness in the 1960s. This family instability was compounded by his father's authoritarian parenting style, which included physical punishment for any misbehavior.

In a tragic turn, Betty Wood was committed to a psychiatric hospital for six months, where she underwent electroconvulsive therapy. After her return, her mental health continued to decline, leading to increased family dysfunction. Consequently, Wood and his siblings were often sent to live with relatives in Chaparral, New Mexico, and even spent time in foster care.

From a young age, David exhibited symptoms of hyperactivity and anxiety, leading to his admission into a hospital where he received medical treatment. His academic journey was rocky; he had to repeat both the first and third grades. By his own admission, he experienced sexual attraction toward girls at an early age and lost his virginity at just 12 years old.

During the early 1970s, Wood's life spiraled further as he became increasingly involved in drugs and alcohol. By the age of 17, he had dropped out of Parkland High School and attempted to enlist in the Army, only to be rejected. Left to fend for himself, he took on manual labor jobs to survive.

Early Criminal Activity

Wood's first brush with the law occurred on August 30, 1976, when he was arrested for indecency with a 12-year-old girl. Convicted the following year, he received a five-year prison sentence but was released on parole after serving approximately two years.

In March 1980, Wood committed two rapes within eight days — first, he attacked a 19-year-old female acquaintance, and shortly thereafter, he assaulted a 13-year-old girl. His guilty pleas led to a 20-year sentence; however, he earned a reputation as a model inmate during his incarceration and participated in various sex offender rehabilitation programs. Miraculously, he was granted parole again after serving only six years and returned to El Paso on January 14, 1987.

Once released, Wood found work at a furniture store but often engaged in side jobs as a laborer and auto mechanic. He frequented bars and nightclubs, particularly those featuring topless dancers, and became involved with a motorcycle club. With his long hair, tattoos, and charismatic demeanor, Wood was popular among teenage girls and young women, garnering multiple relationships, including a live-in girlfriend.

Murders

Disappearances

Between February and August 1987, a disturbing pattern emerged in El Paso: nine girls aged 13 to 24 vanished without a trace. The first victim was 14-year-old Marjorie Knox, who disappeared on February 14 while attending a Valentine's Day party in Veterans Park. Just weeks later, on March 7, 13-year-old Melissa Alaniz also went missing, setting off alarm bells among the local community.

On June 7, police were alerted to the disappearance of 15-year-old Desiree Wheatley, last seen with a heavily tattooed man at a convenience store near her home. A few days later, 20-year-old Karen Baker was reported missing after last being spotted at the Hawaiian Royale Motel. Witness accounts were conflicting, complicating the investigation.

The disappearances continued; on June 28, 19-year-old Cheryl Lynn Vasquez-Dismukes vanished while buying cigarettes, and on July 3, 17-year-old Angelica Jeannette Frausto, a runaway with ties to the local dancing scene, was reported missing.

By August 20, 24-year-old Rosa Maria Casio had disappeared after visiting her sister in Ciudad Juárez. Her abandoned vehicle was later discovered, but leads went cold. The string of missing women heightened fears in the community, especially after 14-year-old Dawn Marie Smith was reported missing in September, following a dispute with her parents.

Location of Remains, Investigation, and Arrest

The search for answers took a grim turn on September 4, when workers unearthed the remains of Rosa Maria Casio in a shallow grave in the desert. Tragically, police soon found Karen Baker's body nearby. Both women were identified through their clothing and personal belongings. Casio's death was tentatively ruled as strangulation, while Baker's cause of death could not be established due to decomposition.

On September 19, a local woman named Judith Kelling Brown came forward with a harrowing tale. She had encountered a man who lured her into his truck under false pretenses, only to attempt to rape her at gunpoint. During her testimony, she identified Wood as her assailant.

As investigators retraced the steps of the missing girls, they uncovered troubling connections to Wood. Witnesses confirmed that he was seen with some of the victims shortly before their disappearances. Consequently, Wood was arrested on October 23, 1987, on charges of kidnapping and raping Kelling. He pleaded not guilty.

The investigation continued to unfold, leading to the discovery of Angelica Frausto's remains two weeks later, buried near the sites of previous victims. By March 14, 1988, the remains of Ivy Susanna Williams, last seen on May 30, were also uncovered nearby, further solidifying the case against Wood.

Murder Trial

With mounting evidence, law enforcement sought a search warrant for Wood's vehicle and personal items. His roommate testified that Wood had meticulously cleaned the car before his arrest. In a stroke of investigative genius, police found yellow and orange fibers from a vacuum cleaner bag in Wood's apartment that matched fibers found on the victims' clothing.

In jail, Wood was reportedly boastful about his crimes, detailing his methods of luring women into his truck under the guise of offering drugs. This boasting led to charges of murder against him for the deaths of Williams, Wheatley, Baker, Frausto, Casio, and Smith. Although the bodies of Knox, Vasquez-Dismukes, and Alaniz were never found, they remained missing persons cases linked to Wood.

The prosecution faced various legal challenges as Wood's defense team sought a change of venue, arguing that the intense media coverage would prejudice potential jurors. Ultimately, the trial was moved to Dallas and commenced in September 1992.

Throughout the trial, Wood maintained his innocence. He claimed familiarity with many girls in the area and asserted that he had not killed anyone. However, the jury was convinced by the evidence presented, including Kelling's testimony and the incriminating fibers, leading to a conviction on all counts. Wood was sentenced to death on January 14, 1993.

Aftermath

Since his conviction, Wood has continued to assert his innocence, pursuing numerous appeals, all of which have been denied. His original execution date was set for August 20, 2009, but it was postponed just a day prior due to claims of mental disability raised by his legal team. The Supreme Court ruling in Atkins v. Virginia (2002) deemed the execution of mentally disabled offenders unconstitutional, which added complexity to his case.

Wood's legal team presented evidence from six IQ tests taken between 1977 and 2011, which showed fluctuating scores. Nonetheless, the court deemed these findings insufficient to warrant a reevaluation of his mental capacity at the time of his crimes.

In the years that followed, Wood's attorneys filed a post-conviction appeal in 2016 to have his sentence overturned and a new trial scheduled, citing new DNA evidence that could prove his innocence. They requested testing on biological materials linked to the victims, including items belonging to Dawn Smith and Angelica Frausto, as well as a bloodstained knife found among Wood's possessions. However, these appeals were ultimately denied.

As of March 2025, Wood remains on death row at the Allan B. Polunsky Unit in West Livingston, Texas, with a new execution date set for March 13, 2025, although it was stayed just two days prior.

Psychology

Dr. Thomas Allen diagnosed Wood with antisocial personality disorder, characterizing him as “self-motivated [and] manipulative.” He noted that Wood's willingness to engage with police during questioning revealed a level of arrogance and narcissism indicative of his disorder.

In the Media and Culture

The chilling story of David Leonard Wood was featured in the Oxygen true crime series Mark of a Killer, specifically in the episode titled "Deaths in the Desert." Additionally, his case was explored on an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn.

Sources

• Wikipedia: David Leonard Wood
• Washington Valdez, Diana (January 31, 2013). "Document gives look at killer David Wood's childhood" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Hunt, Darren (August 19, 2009). "Convicted Serial Killer Wood Maintains Innocence" . KVIA ABC-7. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
• Keck, Benjamin (October 29, 1987). "1987: David Wood, rape suspect, served 7 years for sex offenses" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Hunt, Darren (October 29, 2021). " 'Mark of a Serial Killer' looks at El Paso's Desert Killer of 1987" . KTSM-TV. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022.
• Martinez, Aaron (August 8, 2017). "Death in the Desert: The David Leonard Wood murders 30 years later" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "Murdered, missing women tied to serial killer David Leonard Wood" . El Paso Times. August 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Amber Smith, Berta Rodriguez (August 10, 2017). "1987: Bodies identified as missing women Karen Baker and Maria Rosa Casio" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Martinez, Aaron (August 10, 2017). "Legal saga of 'Desert Killer' David Leonard Wood remains tied up in court system" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "1987: Buried body identified as Desiree Wheatley" . El Paso Times. August 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "1987: Police identify fifth body as Angelica Jeannette Frausto" . El Paso Times. August 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "Trial to Begin in '87 Killings of 6 Women in Texas" . The New York Times. September 6, 1992. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "1988: 6th body identified by police as Ivy Williams" . El Paso Times. August 10, 2017. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Dziemianowicz, Joe (October 31, 2021). " 'Bodies Will Talk To You': Texas Serial Killer Buried His Victims In The Desert, Dead Or Alive" . Oxygen. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Smith, Amber (August 10, 2017). "1988: David Wood ready for a fight" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Washington Valdez, Diana (August 8, 2011). "Convicted serial killer David Leonard Wood expands appeal" . Corrections1.com. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "Retired Judge To Hear El Paso Serial Killer's Case" . Albuquerque Journal. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• Washington Valdez, Diana (August 12, 2015). "Convicted El Paso serial killer seeks new DNA tests" . El Paso Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022.
• "Case Detail".
• "Texas court schedules lethal injection for 'Desert Serial Killer' in March 2025" . 29 August 2024.
• "What to know about the death penalty and death row in Texas" . The Dallas Morning News. October 17, 2024.
• Moore, Robert (2025-03-11). "Texas appeals court blocks scheduled execution of David Leonard Wood" . El Paso Matters. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
• "David Leonard Wood v. State of Texas" (PDF) . Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved 15 May 2023.