Louis Craine
Serial killer
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- Gender
- male
- Country
- USA
- Location
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Date of birth
- 1957
- Age at first offence
- 28
- Characteristics
- rape
- Victim profile
- Carolyn Barney / Loretta Perry / Vivian Collins / Sheila Burton / Gail Ficklin ( black prostitut e s )
- Method of murder
- Strangulation
- Date(s) of murder
- 1985 - 1987
- Years active
- 1985–1987
- Date of arrest
- May 29, 1987
- Status
-
Died in custody
Sentenced to death; died in prison on 1989
Case record: Louis Craine
Background
Louis Craine was an unemployed construction worker. He was 30 years old.
In the course of the case, Craine named his brother Roger as a participant in the Perry and Collins murders, but no further homicide charges were filed against Roger.
The offence
Louis Craine was arrested and charged with strangling and sexually assaulting prostitute Carolyn Barney on May 29, 1987.
Evidence collected after Craine’s arrest linked him with multiple murders involving rapes and sexual assaults, including:
- the murder of Loretta Perry, found on January 25
- the murder of Vivian Collins, discovered on March 18
- the murders of Sheila Burton in November 1984 and Gail Ficklin in August 1985
- the death of an unidentified black “John Doe” discovered behind his apartment complex in 1986
Craine was convicted of strangling four prostitutes.
Investigation
After Craine’s arrest, evidence was collected that linked him to additional homicides beyond Carolyn Barney.
In custody, Craine named his brother Roger as a participant in the Perry and Collins murders.
Authorities added Carolyn Barney’s name to the “Southside” roster on January 15. Authorities noted that Craine had been definitely cleared in fourteen other deaths attributed to the anonymous killer.
Detectives named Craine as a suspect in the death of a black “John Doe” discovered behind his apartment complex in 1986.
Arrest
Louis Craine was arrested by Los Angeles police on May 29, 1987.
Trial
Craine was brought to trial in July 1988.
A jury exposed to “inadvertent evidence” led to a mistrial. The jury had begun deliberations and had voted unanimously for conviction on one murder count. Juror Kathy Hurada began reading aloud from a statement by Craine’s younger brother, Shatay. The statement had not been admitted into evidence, but was accidentally sent to the jury room through a clerical error.
To protect Craine’s rights, the judge declared a mistrial, throwing out the single-count conviction. A new trial was scheduled for January 1989.
Sentencing
Louis Craine was sentenced to death.
The record identifies that Craine died of natural causes on death row in 1989 after being convicted of strangling four prostitutes.
Other details
Roger Craine was charged with assaulting prostitute Cheryl Williams. In that case, brother Louis faced additional counts of oral copulation and forced sodomy.
Louis was charged in the beating of a family friend, Yolanda Parker.
The case used the “Southside slayer” terminology and later referenced the “Southside” roster.
Michael Newton was referenced in connection with a classification entry for Louis Craine:
- SEX: M
- RACE: B
- TYPE: T
- MOTIVE: Sex
- MO: Rape-slayer of black prostitutes
- DISPOSITION: Condemned
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