Timothy Wilson Spencer

American Serial Killer (1962–1994)

Timothy Wilson Spencer, born on March 17, 1962, in Green Valley, Virginia, was a notorious American serial killer, infamously dubbed "The Southside Strangler." His criminal reign spanned the fall of 1987, when he committed a series of brutal rapes and murders in Richmond and Arlington, Virginia. As chilling as it is intriguing, Spencer is also linked to a wrongful conviction from 1984, where David Vasquez was falsely imprisoned for a murder Spencer is believed to have committed.

Quick Facts

• Born: March 17, 1962, Green Valley, Virginia, U.S.
• Died: April 27, 1994 (aged 32), Greensville Correctional Center, Jarratt, Virginia, U.S.
• Cause of Death: Execution by electrocution
• Other Names: The Southside Strangler, The Southside Slayer, The Southside Rapist, The Masked Rapist
• Criminal Status: Executed
• Convictions: Capital murder (3 counts), Rape, Burglary, Robbery
• Criminal Penalty: Death
• Details of Victims: 5 confirmed
• Span of Crimes: 1984–1988
• Country: United States
• State: Virginia
• Date Apprehended: January 20, 1988

Spencer made history as the first serial killer in the U.S. to be convicted based on DNA evidence, while David Vasquez became the first to be exonerated through similar means in 1989.

The Crimes

The series of heinous acts attributed to Spencer began with the murder of Debbie Dudley Davis, a 35-year-old account executive. Between the night of September 18 and the morning of September 19, 1987, her lifeless body was discovered in her Westover Hills apartment. The grim scene revealed that she had been strangled with a ligature and a ratchet-type device, a horrifying precursor to what would become a pattern of violence.

Next in line was Dr. Susan Hellams, a resident in neurosurgery at the Medical College of Virginia. On the night of October 2, 1987, or the early hours of October 3, she was found partially clothed in the closet of her home. Her husband stumbled upon the scene upon returning home, and the investigation revealed that her attacker had gained entry by cutting through a large section of a second-story window screen. The medical examiner determined that she was also a victim of ligature strangulation, specifically with two belts found around her neck.

The tragedy escalated with the murder of Diane Cho, a mere 15-year-old high school student. On November 22, 1987, her body was discovered in her family's apartment in Chesterfield County, near Richmond. She had suffered a similar fate, being raped and strangled with a rope. Disturbingly, a "figure eight" or "infinity sign" was painted in nail polish on her left hip, while duct tape was used to cover her mouth—details that sent chills through the community.

Spencer's final known victim was Susan Tucker, a 44-year-old woman believed to have been raped and murdered in her Arlington condominium around November 27, 1987. Her body was discovered days later, on December 1, and the brutality of her injuries solidified the press's labeling of Spencer as the "Southside Strangler."

The Investigation

The breakthrough came on January 20, 1988, when Arlington County police arrested Timothy Wilson Spencer for the rape and murder of Susan Tucker. Investigators traced his movements and discovered he had traveled from Richmond to Arlington around the time of her death, as he was visiting his mother who lived nearby.

Spencer was linked to three murders—those of Debbie Davis, Susan Hellams, and Diane Cho—through a chilling combination of circumstantial evidence and his criminal history of home burglary. At the time of these murders, Spencer had been residing in a halfway house for parolees in South Richmond, alarmingly close to both Davis's and Hellams' homes. His earlier conviction for burglary in 1984 had left a gap in his criminal activities, but once released, he returned to his violent ways.

As the investigation progressed, forensic testing on samples from the crime scenes began. What investigators discovered next will blow your mind: Timothy Spencer became the first person in Virginia to be convicted through DNA evidence, which was pivotal in linking him to the crimes.

Trials, Appeals, and Execution

Spencer's first trial commenced on July 11, 1988, in Arlington, where he faced charges for the rape, burglary, and murder of Susan Tucker. His defense team, comprising Carl Womack and Thomas Kelley, couldn’t overshadow the DNA evidence that linked him unequivocally to the crime scene. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to death—an historic moment as it marked the first use of DNA evidence in Virginia to establish an offender’s identity.

Following this conviction, Spencer was tried in Richmond for the murder of Debbie Davis. The evidence was overwhelming; DNA from semen and hairs collected at the scene was confirmed to be consistent with Spencer's. The statistical likelihood that this DNA belonged to someone else was an astonishing one in 705 million. On September 22, 1988, he was again found guilty and sentenced to death.

In a third trial on January 17, 1989, Spencer faced charges for the murder of Susan Hellams. The DNA evidence once again proved decisive, leading to another conviction and death sentence.

Investigators continued to explore his DNA against other unsolved cases, including the 1984 murder of Carolyn Hamm, for which David Vasquez had been wrongfully convicted. Although the DNA evidence was inconclusive, the similarities between this case and Spencer's other crimes led FBI investigators to suggest he was likely responsible for Hamm's murder. In 1989, Vasquez was granted an unconditional pardon, becoming the first American exonerated based on DNA evidence.

Despite the mounting evidence against him, Spencer was never charged for Carolyn Hamm's murder. While DNA evidence was inconclusive in Diane Cho's case, he was nonetheless tried and convicted, further solidifying his status as a calculated and remorseless killer.

Spencer's appeals were systematically denied, with the United States Court of Appeal affirming that the reliance on DNA evidence was sound.

Timothy Wilson Spencer was executed on April 27, 1994, at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia. He faced the electric chair and was pronounced dead at 11:13 p.m. EST, declining to make a final statement.

Aftermath

The chilling legacy of Timothy Spencer and his crimes inspired various works and discussions. Paul Mones's book, Stalking Justice: The Dramatic True Story of the Detective Who First Used DNA Testing to Catch a Serial Killer, published in July 1995, highlights the investigation led by Arlington Detective Joe Horgas that ultimately led to Spencer's conviction and the exoneration of David Vasquez.

Additionally, the case formed the basis for an episode of the forensic science documentary series Medical Detectives, which aired on October 31, 1996. It also featured prominently in Chapter 11 of former FBI psychological profiler John Douglas's memoir, Journey into Darkness.

Interestingly, Patricia Cornwell's bestselling novel Postmortem stirred controversy due to striking similarities between Spencer's 1987 crimes and the plot of her book. At the time of Spencer’s killings, Cornwell was employed as a computer analyst within the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, raising eyebrows about the thin line between her fictional narrative and real-life horror.

In a twist of media exploration, the Discovery Channel’s The New Detectives aired an episode titled "Random Targets" in 2003, which detailed Spencer's crimes but changed the victims' names for broadcast.

In recent years, Timothy Spencer's story has continued to resonate, with his younger brother Travis discussing his infamous sibling's legacy in the episode "My Brother Made History" on Evil Lives Here, aired on January 26, 2020. Travis also featured in the British television program Born to Kill?, which aired in 2014, further delving into the complexities of family and crime.

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Sources

• Lane, Brian; Wilfred Gregg (1995). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Berkley Books. pp. 324. ISBN 0-425-15213-8.
• Miller, Mitchell (April 28, 1994). "Serial Killer Convicted by DNA Evidence Executed". Associated Press. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
• "Timothy W. Spencer, Petitioner-appellant, v. Edward W. Murray, Director, Respondent-appellee, 5 F.3d 758 (4th Cir. 1993)". Justia Law.
• "Timothy W. Spencer, Petitioner-appellant, v. Edward W. Murray, Director; Commonwealth of Virginia, respondents-appellees, 18 F.3d 229 (4th Cir. 1994)".
• Spencer v. Com., 240 Va. 78 (Supreme Court of Virginia June 8, 1990).
• "Timothy W. Spencer, Petitioner-appellant, v. Edward W. Murray, Director, Respondent-appellee, 18 F.3d 237 (4th Cir. 1994)".
• Newton, Michael; French, John L. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Crime Scene Investigation. Facts On File, Incorporated. p. 271. ISBN 978-1-4381-2983-9.
• "First Conviction Based On DNA Use Is Upheld". The New York Times. September 24, 1989. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
• "Murderer Put to Death In Virginia". The New York Times. April 28, 1994. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
• Mones, Paul A. (1995). Stalking Justice. Pocket Books. ISBN 067170348X.
• Douglas, John E.; Olshaker, Mark (May 2010). Journey into Darkness. Gallery Books. ISBN 978-1439199817.
• Beahm, George (October 4, 2002). The Unofficial Patricia Cornwell Companion: A Guide to the Bestselling Author's Life and Work. Minotaur Books. ISBN 9780312307325.
• "Random Targets". The New Detectives. Season 8. Episode 6. January 14, 2003. Discovery Channel.
• "My Brother Made History". Evil Lives Here. Season 7. Episode 4. January 26, 2020. Investigation Discovery.
• "Timothy Spencer: The Southside Strangler". Born to Kill?. Season 6. Episode 9. 2014. Channel 5.

For further reading, you can check out the original Wikipedia article here.