Wallace is sometimes called The Charlotte Strangler or the Taco Bell Strangler — the last moniker because he worked as a manager at the Taco Bell on Sharon Amity Road in Charlotte, and because nearly all of his victims were employees there, or were friends and co-workers of his girlfriend, who worked at Bojangles’.
Caroline Love:
On June 15th, 1992, 21-year-old Caroline Love went to work at the Bojangles on Central Avenue. She asked her manager if she could buy quarters to do laundry after her shift ended. The manager agreed and Caroline began her walk home. On her walk home, she ran into her cousin Robert. He offered to drive her home. Her cousin watched her enter the apartment. But after she entered her home, she seemed to disappear. Just a few days after, her sister Kathy, roommate Sadie, and her roommate's boyfriend Henry filed a missing persons report. Wallace confessed to killing Caroline Love when he was captured.
Shawna Hawk:
20-year-old Shawna Hawk was studying to be a paralegal at Central Piedmont Community College. She was known by family and friends as the “purple princess” because of her favorite color. She lived with her mother Dee and worked at the Taco Bell on Sharon Amity Road. On February 19th, 1993, Shawna’s mother arrived home and began to cook dinner. When she got to the house, Shawna’s car wasn’t there. While Dee was cooking dinner, she noticed Shawna’s purse and coat. Shawna never went anywhere without her purse. Dee had seen Shawna in the coat earlier that day, and it was a cold day, the highs being 41 degrees and lows into the 20’s. Concerned, Dee reached out to Shawna’s boyfriend, Daryl. Daryl said he hadn’t seen Shawna. Daryl came over. They called the police to report her missing. Then Daryl searched the house.he made it to the downstairs bathroom. The shower curtain was outside the bathtub. He pulled the curtain back. Inside was Shawna’s body curled up and submerged under water. Wallace also confessed to killing Shawna once captured.
Audrey Spain:
24-year-old Audrey Spain was living in Charlotte and working at a Taco Bell in June of 1993. However, on June 23rd, Audrey didn’t show up for her shift. It was very unlike her, she didn’t miss work. It was so out of the ordinary that her manager Mark actually drove by her apartment that night. Her car was parked there. So he tried calling her and left her a message. That evening, Audrey was supposed to pick up another shift. Again she didn’t show. Mark decided to call 911. Officers rode to the apartment but no one answered when they knocked. On the 25th of June, maintenance workers needed to enter Audrey’s apartment. They entered through the sliding glass door. Once inside they discovered Audrey’s body on the bed. A ligature had been made from a t-shirt and bra. Part of the t-shirt was stuffed inside Audrey’s mouth. There were also small abrasions on her back, face, and knee. Above her right hip was also a small contusion. There was evidence of sexual assault. Wallace again confessed to this crime.
Valencia Jumper:
21-year-old Valencia Jumper was in her final year at Johnson C. Smith studying political science. She worked at the Food Lion on Central Avenue near the Bojangles Caroline Love worked. And she also worked at Hecht’s in South Park Mall. On August 9th, she’d made plans to get together with her friend Zach after work. Zach arrived after midnight to Valencia’s place. He could see smoke billowing out of the apartment. Once in the kitchen, firefighter Dennis Arney saw a burner left on on the stove. There was a pot of beans on the burner. As the firefighters made their way through the apartment, they discovered Valencia’s body in her bedroom. Her body was charred from the fire. According to Wallace's confession, he strangled Valencia and then poured rum on her body, bed, and floor. He started the beans on the stove and then struck a match in Valencia's room.
Michelle Stinson:
20-year-old Michelle Stinson was a mother of two young boys. They lived in an apartment in the Charlotte area. She was attending college classes and had worked at a local Taco Bell. On September 15th, Michelle’s friend James stopped by to visit. He knocked on the door but no one answered. He could hear noises inside though. The two young boys were knocking on the window. When James came into the apartment, he saw his friend on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. He picked up the phone to call 911 but quickly realized the cord had been cut. He took the children to a neighbors and called 911. Michelle had been stabbed four times in the left side of her back. Two of the wounds had caused injuries to her heart and lungs. Around her neck were bands indicating strangulation, along with contusions on the front of her neck. Her cause of death was due to stab wounds with strangulation as a contributing factor. Wallace confessed when he was captured.
Vanessa Mack:
In February 1994, 25-year-old Vanessa Mack was working at Carolinas Medical Center and raising her two daughters, a seven year old and a four month old. She was also close with her sister who worked at a local Taco Bell in the Charlotte area. Sunday, February 20th, Barbara Rippy went to Vanessa’s apartment to pick up Vanessa’s youngest daughter. It was their routine. Barbara arrived at 6 AM. Barbara went inside. The first person she saw was Vanessa’s four month old daughter. She was lying on the couch, which was an unusual thing for Vanessa to allow. Barbara made her way through the home. When she reached Vanessa’s room, she saw her feet hanging over the bed. She described them as gray and cold and the only visible part of Vanessa. She called 911. Barbara quickly grabbed the baby and waited outside for law enforcement. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department arrived on scene. A towel combined with a long sleeve shirt was wrapped around her neck. There was blood coming from her nose, ears and the back of her head. She had been strangled. Next to her, her purse and its contents were strewn on the bed. Wallace confessed to Vanessa's murder. Investigators also had a picture from an ATM where he tried to use her debit card.
Betty "Suzie" Baucom: 24-year-old Betty “Suzie” Baucom was the assistant manager at the Bojangles on Central Avenue. She had only lived in the Charlotte area less than a year. She moved there with her three year old adopted daughter and they lived at the Lake Apartments. On March 9th, Suzie didn’t show up for her shift. Her manager called her but got no response. He also called co-workers and her mother, but no one had heard from her. On March 10th, Suzie didn’t show up for the next shift she was scheduled for. Her manager became even more concerned. After making another round of calls, the manager and another co-worker drove to her apartment. They knocked on the door and looked in the windows. There was no answer but everything looked normal inside. Even with everything appearing normal, the manager and Suzie’s mom called the police to file a missing persons report. An hour after that call, police contacted Suzie’s manager at the Bojangles. They had been dispatched to an apartment where a woman wasn’t breathing. Maintenance had entered the apartment. Inside they discovered Suzie on her bed. A towel partnered with a small sheet or pillowcase wrapped around her neck. She also had abrasions on her left shoulder, right upper chest, abdomen and right forehead. Even with these other injuries her cause of death was strangulation. Items from her apartment were missing but the biggest one was her car. Wallace confessed to Suzie's murder. He also left a palm print on her car.
Brandi Henderson:
18-year-old Brandi Henderson lived with her boyfriend Verness Lamar Woods and 10 month old son. Brandi left the apartment to go to a doctor’s appointment on March 9th. Her boyfriend was taking care of their son and his friend Henry Wallace stopped by. Henry stayed just a few moments and told Woods he was leaving town. Woods left for work around 5 PM and got home around midnight. The home he returned to wasn’t the one he’d left. The door was unlocked. The living room was a disaster with things thrown everywhere and the stereo missing. Woods carefully made his way through the apartment checking on his son first. He turned on the light to the room. What he saw was every father’s worst nightmare. His son was gasping for air. There was something white coming out of his mouth and a pair of shorts were wrapped around his neck. He ran to help his son, removing the shorts. Then he saw Brandi. She was lying facedown on the bed. Woods rolled her over. Towels were tied around her neck, her face was blue. He removed the towels. He then called 911. He performed CPR until law enforcement arrived. Brandi was dead, but their son was sent to the hospital. He survived.
Debra Slaughter:
On March 12th, Lovey Slaughter went by her daughter Debra’s apartment. She wasn’t alarmed when 35-year-old Debra didn’t answer, she was supposed to be at work. But when she put the key in the door, she realized the door was already unlocked. Right when she entered Debra’s apartment she saw her daughter lying on the floor in a pool of blood. She called 911. When law enforcement arrived, they noted Debra’s purse and the items inside were thrown everywhere. Debra was lying faceup on the floor. A white balled up sock was stuffed in her mouth and two towels were tied around her neck. She had been stabbed 38 times in the chest and abdomen. Her cause of death was stab wounds with strangulation as a factor. Wallace confessed to this murder as well. In his confession he admitted to using the victim's own knife, wiping it down, and leaving it with the contents of her purse.
ASSIGNMENT: We went through his confessions on this episode. We wanted you to know his MO from his own words. It’s likely at the very least there are other sexual assault victims out there. And entirely likely the MO was the same up until the actual murder part. But that being said, he could very easily have other murder victims out there. If Caroline Love hadn’t been connected to him, would he have offered up to show where the body was? In 1990 he was questioned about a murder and separate sexual assault in Barnwell, South Carolina. He confessed but was never charged. He seemed to stick to the upper South Carolina and lower North Carolina areas. But we also know that at some point in 1988 he was in Port Orchard, Washington because he was arrested for burglary there. Look for unsolved cases that fit his MO in these states and those in between.
