Steven John Wood (16)
Born
Orange County, California
Death
10 Apr 1980, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, California
Tragically, Steven Wood was one of the victims of California serial murderer, William Bonin who was convicted of the rape, torture and murder of 14 boys and young men between 1968 and 1980. Known as “The Freeway Killer”, he was executed by lethal injection at San Quentin State Prison in 1996. Prosecutors portrayed him as “the most arch-evil person who ever existed.” Although he was found guilty of 14 murders, he confessed to 21 and is suspected of even more.
On April 10, 1980, 16-year-old Steven John Wood of Bellflower was walking to school. Bonin had been discharged from parole. Wood’s older brother had introduced him to Bonin, so he willingly entered Bonin’s van. His hogtied body was discarded in a Long Beach alleyway, close to the Pacific Coast Highway. Bonin allegedly waited until dusk to discard it. Wood’s autopsy revealed he had been killed by strangulation.
