On April 10, 1980, 16-year-old Steven John Wood, a white male from Bellflower, California, was walking to school when he encountered William Bonin, a known acquaintance through his older brother. Trusting Bonin, Steven accepted a ride in his van. Tragically, this decision led to his abduction. Steven was sexually assaulted, beaten, and ultimately strangled to death.
His nude body was discovered the following day in an alley behind an industrial complex near the Pacific Coast Highway and Long Beach Freeway. The autopsy revealed ligature marks on his neck, wrists, and ankles, consistent with the method Bonin employed in his series of murders.
William Bonin, infamously known as the 'Freeway Killer,' was a serial murderer responsible for the deaths of at least 14 teenage boys and young men in California between 1979 and 1980. Bonin often lured his victims into his van, where they were subjected to sexual assault, torture, and ultimately strangulation. He frequently disposed of the bodies along freeways in Southern California, leading to his notorious moniker.
Bonin's criminal activities were not solitary; he operated with several accomplices, including Vernon Butts, Gregory Miley, James Munro, and William Pugh. These individuals assisted in various aspects of the abductions and murders. Bonin was eventually apprehended on June 11, 1980, after a surveillance operation led to his arrest while he was in the process of assaulting another potential victim. He was convicted of multiple counts of murder and was sentenced to death in 1982. Bonin was executed by lethal injection on February 23, 1996, marking the first use of this method in California's history.
The tragic death of 16-year-old Steven Wood highlights the brutal and senseless nature of Bonin's crimes, which left a lasting impact on the communities of Southern California.
