William Ray Bonner

Case record: William Ray Bonner

Background

William Ray Bonner was an unemployed service station attendant.

He was described by his neighbours and acquaintances as a nice and quiet young man who kept to himself. A former coworker at a gas station said Bonner never caused any trouble there and stated that, in some respects, he was one of the best. Herman English, who would later become his defense attorney and knew him for 10 years, said that Bonner had been a submissive, kind and easy going person, but that after the shooting he was "completely different mentally."

According to police files, Bonner had been arrested six times since 1966 in connection with narcotics, assault and grand theft auto. In the most serious case, he was sentenced to three years probation for assaulting a police officer.

Bonner’s father, James A. Bonner, related to a newspaper that Bonner had connections to "some kind of Mafia gang" which had made threats against him and his family in the days prior to the shooting.

The offence

Bonner went on a shooting spree through the South Side area of Los Angeles, California on April 22, 1973. The spree left a total of seven people dead and nine others wounded and ended with his arrest after he had been injured in a shootout with police.

The shooting began at Bonner’s home at approximately 2:35 p.m. after he had gotten into an argument with Otha Leavitt, a friend of his mother, who had paid them a short visit to make a phone call.

Enraged, Bonner went outside and, with a handgun, fired a shot each at 16-year-old Anthony Thomas and 17-year-old Carolyn Cleveland, who had accompanied Mrs. Leavitt and waited in her car. Leaving the two teenagers severely wounded, Bonner returned inside and killed Otha Leavitt with a shot in the head.

Bonner then hijacked her Plymouth Valiant, which by then had been vacated by Thomas and Cleveland. Armed with his handgun and a 20-gauge shotgun, Bonner drove to a gas station about 1.5 miles from his home, where he had been employed previously as a service station attendant. He arrived at about 2:43 p.m. and approached the occupants of a Chevrolet Impala: 18-year-old Vicky Wells and her 13-year-old sister Aileen, both known to him since their early childhood. Bonner shot Vicky in the back with his shotgun, critically wounding her, and killed Aileen, also by a shot in the back, when she was running towards the service area.

Bonner sped away to another nearby gas station—his workplace until one week prior to the shooting spree—where he arrived at 2:45 p.m. Carrying his shotgun, he entered the service bay area where he called out for his friend and former colleague, Raleigh Henderson, who had helped him get the job there. When Henderson turned around, Bonner shot him once in the stomach and then fired again when Henderson exclaimed "What have I done?"

Pointing at the body on the floor, Bonner asked service station attendant James Morrow: "Do you know if anyone wants some of that?" Bonner approached a female customer, fired a shot in the air, and then left for the home of Jevie Thompson, with whose son, Vernon, he had an argument the night before.

Bonner arrived at Jevie Thompson’s home about 5 minutes later and killed Jevie Thompson with a shotgun blast in the stomach, and critically wounded his wife, Eddie Mae, as well as his 15-year-old son Alfred.

Bonner’s next stop was Smitty’s Drive-In Liquors, where he appeared at 3:14 p.m. Believing he had been short-changed there once, he killed the shop owner, Smitty Sneed, again with a shot in the stomach, and wounded a customer, 58-year-old Duly Oscar Bennett, in the shoulder. He then headed towards Liquorama Liquors, where he shot and critically wounded 23-year-old employee Robert L. Smith with a shot in the stomach, and hit 28-year-old Roosevelt D. Jenkins, another employee, in the leg.

A couple of minutes later, Bonner barged into the house of his former girlfriend, 22-year-old Diane Lore Andrea, who had taken the side of Vernon Thompson during the argument the day before, and broken up their relationship afterwards. Bonner shot her in the neck with his shotgun, severing her jugular vein and spinal cord. She died instantly.

Investigation

Bonner eluded police until 3:25 p.m., when he was spotted in his car by two patrolling police officers blocking their way out of an alley. Bonner pointed his shotgun at them and repeatedly pulled the trigger, but when it failed to shoot he threw it away and sped off. The police officers fired four shots at him and initiated pursuit.

During the pursuit, Bonner crashed his Plymouth into the rear of the car of 45-year-old Mary Felton, who had stopped at a traffic light. Bonner jumped out of his own vehicle and into the back seat of hers. He threatened her and her two daughters with his pistol and ordered her to drive.

The scene was observed by security guard Versell Bennett, who then took up pursuit in his car and eventually managed to force them to stop. Bennett then left his vehicle armed with his shotgun and opened fire at Bonner, who then shot at him in return.

When police finally caught up with Bonner, a shootout ensued in which he was hit five times in his legs and lower body. Some officers apparently aimed their fire at Bennett first, mistaking him for the gunman. Bonner was hit twice in the head and shoulders and succumbed to these wounds four days later. Mrs. Felton also suffered minor injuries in the shoulder.

At 3:29 p.m., Bonner was taken into custody and brought to Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center for treatment.

Arrest

Bonner was taken into custody at 3:29 p.m. and brought to Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center for treatment after the shootout following the police pursuit.

Trial

Preliminary hearings for the case opened in July. On August 21, Bonner was formally charged with seven counts of murder, eight counts of assault with deadly weapon and three counts of kidnapping, whereupon he pleaded innocent and innocent by reason of insanity.

On November 13, he changed his mind and pleaded guilty to one count each of first degree murder, second degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

Sentencing

On December 17, 1973, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Outcome

As of January 2011, Bonner was still an inmate at California State Prison in Solano.

Victims

• Otha Leavitt, 53
• Anthony Thomas, 16
• Carolyn Cleveland, 17
• Vicky Wells, 18
• Aileen Wells, 13
• Raleigh "Butch" Henderson, 33
• James Morrow (service station attendant), 35
• Jevie D. Thompson, 57
• Eddie Mae (wife of Jevie Thompson)
• Alfred (15-year-old son of Jevie Thompson)
• Smitty B. Sneed, 58
• Duly Oscar Bennett, 58
• Robert L. Smith, 23
• Roosevelt D. Jenkins, 28
• Diane Lore Andrea, 22
• Versell Bennett, 58
• Mary Felton, 45
• Alfred, 15
• Jevie Thompson (killed; age given as 57 in one passage and 63 in another passage)
• Arlene Wells, 12
• Dianne Lore Adrea (name variant), 22
• Vernon Thompson (mentioned in connection with an argument)
• Vernon (mentioned as son of Jevie Thompson)

Other details

Herman English said that after the shooting Bonner was "completely different mentally."

James A. Bonner related that Bonner had connections to "some kind of Mafia gang" which had made threats against him and his family in the days prior to the shooting.

During the shooting at the service station, Raleigh Henderson exclaimed "What have I done?"

Bonner asked James Morrow: "Do you know if anyone wants some of that?"

Timeline

• 1966 — Bonner was arrested six times in connection with narcotics, assault and grand theft auto (cumulative timing given).
• April 22, 1973 — Bonner began the shooting spree through the South Side area of Los Angeles, California, which left seven people dead and nine others wounded and ended with his arrest after a shootout with police.
• 2:35 p.m. — The shooting began at Bonner’s home after an argument with Otha Leavitt.
• 2:43 p.m. — Bonner arrived at a gas station about 1.5 miles from his home and shot Vicky Wells and her sister Aileen.
• 2:45 p.m. — Bonner arrived at his workplace gas station and shot Raleigh Henderson and James Morrow.
• 3:14 p.m. — Bonner appeared at Smitty’s Drive-In Liquors.
• 3:25 p.m. — Bonner was spotted by two patrolling police officers; he attempted to shoot with a shotgun that failed to fire, threw it away, and sped off.
• 3:29 p.m. — Bonner was taken into custody and brought to Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center for treatment.
• July — Preliminary hearings for the case opened.
• August 21 — Bonner was formally charged with seven counts of murder, eight counts of assault with deadly weapon and three counts of kidnapping; he pleaded innocent and innocent by reason of insanity.
• November 13, 1973 — Bonner pleaded guilty to one count each of first degree murder, second degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
• December 17, 1973 — Bonner was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 4 days after the shootout — Bonner succumbed to wounds sustained in the shootout.
• January 2011 — Bonner was still an inmate at California State Prison in Solano.

Quoted material

Herman English said of Bonner: "completely different mentally."

Raleigh Henderson exclaimed: "What have I done?"

James A. Bonner related to a newspaper that Bonner had connections to "some kind of Mafia gang" which had made threats against him and his family in the days prior to the shooting.